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BurmaNet News: October 22, 1994
- Subject: BurmaNet News: October 22, 1994
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 22 Oct 1994 11:04:00
************************** BurmaNet **************************
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
**************************************************************
BurmaNet News: Saturday, October 22, 1994
Issue #39
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"The Myanmar Government does not condone human rights abuses. In
fact, it is totally against human rights abuses."
U Ohn Gyaw speaking for the SLORC at the UN
"Major Nyunt Tin and his military column No. 2 showed up in the
village and beat up the villagers and ordered them at gun point
to dismantle their houses in two hours, saying also that they
would burn down the houses of those who failed to finish in
time."
A Karen reporter describing the actions of SLORC troops
collecting slave labourers for the construction of the
Ye-Tavoy railway line.
**************************************************************
Contents:
BURMANET: THAI NSC CHIEF MAY BE ON HIS WAY OUT OVER CAMBODIA COUP ATTEMPT
TIME OUT: JUNGLE JOHN [BEYOND RANGOON]
SLORC: OHN GYAW SPEAKS TO THE U.N.
KYONB: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY THE SLORC
**************************************************************
BURMANET: THAI NSC CHIEF MAY BE ON HIS WAY OUT OVER CAMBODIA COUP ATTEMPT
According to a well-informed source, the dismissal of Thai NSC chief Gen
Choroen Kullawaniya is only a matter of time. Gen Charoen's NSC has been
responsible for implementing much of Thailand's Burma policy, at least
until recent weeks. Under the policy of "Constructive Engagement,"
Thailand has been cooperating closely with Burma's ruling State Law and
Order Restoration Council (SLORC). One recent instance of cooperation was
the forced expulsion of 6,000 Mon-Burmese refugees from the camp at New
Halockhanie. The expulsion was carried out by the 9th Division of the Thai
Army acting under orders of the National Security Council. Despite
condemnation from Amnesty International, the Thailand representative of the
UN High Commissioner for Refugees and foreign governments, the refugees
were `starved back' across the border when Thai troops seized their food
stocks.
BurmaNet initially picked up reports in late August that the Thai Prime
Minister's office had "restricted [Charoen's] freedom of action" concerning
neighboring countries in response to reports of Charoen's involvement in
the Cambodia coup. In early October, the Bangkok newspapers began
reporting on Gen Charoen's alleged involvement and have carried his
repeated denials.
According to BurmaNet's sources however, Gen Charoen had at the very least,
advance knowledge of the coup. One Cambodia-watcher scoffed at Gen
Charoen's protestations of innocence: "Since when do you know about a coup
in advance unless you're somehow part of it?"
Still, it is still unclear what, if any role Charoen may have played. NSC
personnel are being disciplined by the Thai Army commander for being in
Cambodia just prior to the coup attempt and the Cambodian government is
demanding to interview two of Gen Charoen's subordinates. Charoen is also
believed to be close to Prince Chakrapong, who has been accused by the
Cambodian government of masterminding the coup attempt.
Reports of involvement in the coup could scarcely come at a worse time for
the Thai government. In September, President Bill Clinton signed into law
a Foreign Assistance appropriation bill which puts new conditions on
military aid to Thailand. In February 1995, the State Department will have
to certify that the Thai Army has ceased helping the Khmer Rouge and are no
longer mistreating Burmese refugees and pro-democracy exiles.
Former US Ambassador to Phnom Penh Morton Abromawitz recently charged Thai
Army officers with continuing to support the Khmer Rouge. The former
Australian ambassador to Cambodia made similar charges this month.
Thai support for a coup in Cambodia would not strictly speaking, be aiding
the Khmer Rouge. However, given that the US put up the lion's share of the
$3 billion which the United Nations spent on restoring democratic
government in Cambodia, the Americans are not likely to be amused by
credible evidence of Thai involvement in an attempt to overthrow that
government.
The sums directly involved in a cut-off of American military aid to
Thailand are small change. The US provides less than US$1 million under a
military education and training program called IMET. IMET brings fewer
than 100, mostly field grade officers (Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels)
for training at American military schools. In addition to the direct costs
however, there are substantial hidden costs to the Thais.
First, attendance at American military schools is prized by Thai officers
and the most senior ranks in the Army are usually filled with soldiers who
have attended American schools. An example of its perceived importance
came after the Feb. 21, 1991 coup by Thai Army and Air Force officers. The
officers formed a National Peace Keeping Committee (NPKC) and brushed off
international condemnation for overthrowing an elected government.
However, several coup leaders who had attended the American Command and
General Staff College (CGSC) were deeply offended and hurt when their names
were removed from the CGSC's honor role. The CGSC maintains an honor roll
of attendees who go on to become the top ranking officers in their branch,
but staging a coup against an elected government is grounds for automatic
removal from the roll. Rejection by their alma mater turned out to be the
least of the generals' problems when hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy
demonstrators brought down the military regime after a bloody confrontation
in May, 1992.
On a more practical level, Thailand stands to indirectly loose a great deal
of money if IMET aid is cut off. According to a western diplomat, any
country which receives IMET aid, regardless of the amount, is automatically
eligible to purchase American weapons at a reduced price which is reserved
for third-world countries. Thailand purchases most of its major weapons
systems from the United States and the discount that IMET entitles them to
amounts to "real money," according to the diplomat.
**************************************************************
TIME OUT: JUNGLE JOHN [BEYOND RANGOON]
[Time Out is a magazine published in California]
August 10-17, 1994
"After `Deliverance' and `The Emerald Forest,' you'd think John Boorman
would be fed up with the great outdoors. Apparently not. In Malaysia for
Boorman's `Beyond Rangoon,' Alex Mcgregor finds out how the director avoids
the Hollywood jungle by filming in a real one."
`Two with Malaria,' he shouts. `And two amputees." Even when you know
this is just a scene from a film being prepared there is something shocking
about hearing an assistant directory calling up more patients to the
hospital set.
Almost immediately four slightly built extras with the appropriate
infirmities appear and are ushered into the make-shift hospital that has
been built on a dirt clearing in the Malaysian jungle.
Sitting dutifully, patiently in the dirt outside the hospital tent is a
small army of extras disguised as refugees. Their appearance is so
authentic that without peering too closely, it is difficult to separate
those who are really missing limbs from those who are just dressed that
way. Given that the temperature is hovering around 105 fahrenheit in the
shade, their lack of movement is no surprise. The only activity comes from
the make-up ladies wending their way through cluttered ranks applying blood
and generally freshening up the wounds.
Before filming begins, the extras are doused with water to make them look
as if they have just crossed the river. The soaking proves only a short
relief from the unrelenting heat. Just before the shout of `Action~', the
assistant director calls for `dust' and clouds of dust envelop the muddy,
bloody actors, they move slowly towards the hospital tent. The normally
voluptuous Patricia Arquette, now unrecognizable in her sodden, dirty and
dishevelled rags, emerges from the pack and ghost-like, slips into the tent
to meet her destiny.
After `Deliverance' and `The Emerald Forest', director John Boorman should
have had enough of shooting films in and around jungles and rivers. yet
here he is again, testing himself and his troops on the banks of a wide
muddy river surrounded by rainforest as thick as any jungle.
`I find the power of the rainforest and these enormous rivers is a
marvelous metaphor for the force of nature in man,' says Boorman, `and of
course, outside of him. It is beautiful and benign, and also dangerous and
frightening.'
All these natural metaphors are grist for `Beyond Rangoon', Boorman's new
epic. The story is set in Burma and stars Patricia Arquette as Laura, an
American who becomes entangled in the 1988 pro-democracy demonstrations
which led to the implementation of martial law in that country and the
imprisonment of 49 year old Aung San Suu Kyi.
Despite her incarceration (now entering its sixth year) Suu Kyi's party,
the National League for Democracy, still won a landslide victory in the
1990 elections. The military greeted the victory with another violent
crackdown and Suu Kyi's continuing defiance of the junta eared her the 1991
Nobel Peace Prize. Afterwards one of the generals rationalized that `the
will of the majority isn't always correct'. At the time, any feared that
the `land of 10,000 pagodas' would become another `killing fields.'
There is no pretence from anybody working on `Beyond Rangoon' that it might
be another `Killing Fields'. But for the Burmese who have been employed by
the production as actors and advisors, many of them political refugees
themselves, the recent history of Burma casts a long shadow over the film.
`For us in the Burmese community, "Beyond Rangoon" is to let other people
know what happened in Burma is very special' says the quietly spoken Aung
Ko in broken English. A translator living in exile in Paris, the fifty-
something Aung Ko had never acted before he was offered the role of the
Buddhist seer who helps and is in turn helped by Arquette's character,
Laura.
Boorman himself prefers to talk more generally about the connections
between Burma and `Beyond Rangoon'. `Laura is a doctor who can no longer
function and during the course of her experiences, particularly with Aung
Ko, she discovers how to become a healer again, and that is what the story
is. He has been a victim of random violence and so here she sees a nature
being brutalised and so in a sense it is an externalisation of her inner
complex.'
Despite the overbearing heat, the setting is idyllic. Just below Boorman
the river swims by against a backdrop of green jungle and limestone
mountains. Occasionally his answers are drowned out by outboard motors:
the special effects team are mining the water with explosives for the
coming week's action scenes. Jungles and rivers are key metaphors of
Boorman's mythical quests for meaning in life and film, but they can make
location shoots hell. That, it seems, is part of the attraction.
`You can take a film crew on a tough location like this and some people
fall apart and other people you think are a little weak and uncertain come
through. I like that, I like to see people pushed to their limits and how
they respond It interests me a lot. That's true of actors. When
Patricia says that she is tired, it always interests me right away. I
always think "Let's go and work some more."
There is a grimace that could almost pass for a smile on Boorman's lips as
he says this, Boorman is tough on his cast and crew, but does not shirk the
physical hurdles and hardships himself. `There is something in my
personality that is lightly puritanical--I feel I'm not doing my job unless
I am suffering,' he admits. `I feel slightly guilty about enjoying film-
making unless I'm really sweating or up to my chin in water, fighting
mosquitoes and leeches.'
And it is perhaps preferable to the Hollywood jungle. More than any
English director, John Boorman has experienced the vagaries and demands of
making both big and small budget films. This is the man who turned down
`Rocky' as well as `Dirty Harry', `Aliens', and `The Exorcist', although he
did do the sequel `The Heretic' only to have it booed off the screen by
audiences. Many of his pet projects have fallen by the wayside, wasting
whole years in the frustrating search for funding.
Nobody thought `Beyond Rangoon' would be made, according to Bill Rubenstein
who wrote the first draft of the script in 1986 and has been riding the
project through a variety of rejections ever since. `Back in 1986,' he
remembers, `I met with an agent who told me that I had it all wrong, that I
should make the woman a victim and get a Michael Douglas character a la
"Romancing the Stone" to come in and rescue her. Cal it Rangoon Run."
Since 1986, changes have been made, but the biggest ones are the result of
real-life events, in particular the brutal repression of the pro-democracy
movement by the military junta in 1988, which have overtaken Rubenstein's
original fiction. Under Boorman's stewardship, the film has come to
incorporate more of those elements. Whether that makes the film more
commercial is not something Boorman questions.
`That is not a question for me, it is not my money. That is a decision of
the people who put the money into this picture. Whey they decide to make
it, I make it as well as I can.'
Yet he is not blind to the pressures of profit. Back in 1991 he wrote in
the film journal "Projections", which he co-edits: `They [the Hollywood
studios] don't want my bag of tricks. I feel like Merlin, an old wizard
who finds himself living in a materialistic world where there is no place
for magic.'
Perhaps `Beyond Rangoon' will prove him wrong.
`Beyond Rangoon' is scheduled to open in 1995.
**************************************************************
SLORC: OHN GYAW SPEAKS
[In the spirit of Halloween:]
.... NO! ... ... MNO! ...
..... MNO!! ...................... MNNOO! ...
..... MMNO! ......................... MNNOO!! .
.... MNOONNOO! MMMMMMMMMMPPPOII! MNNO!!!! .
... !O! NNO! MMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPOOOII!! NO! ....
...... ! MMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPOOOOIII! ! ...
........ MMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPOOOOOOII!! .....
........ MMMMMOOOOOOPPPPPPPPOOOOMII! ...
....... MMMMM.. OPPMMP .,OMI! ....
...... MMMM:: o.,OPMP,.o ::I!! ...
.... NNM:::.,,OOPM!P,.::::!! ....
.. MMNNNNNOOOOPMO!!IIPPO!!O! .....
... MMMMMNNNNOO:!!:!!IPPPPOO! ....
.. MMMMMNNOOMMNNIIIPPPOO!! ......
...... MMMONNMMNNNIIIOO!..........
....... MN MOMMMNNNIIIIIO! OO ..........
......... MNO! IiiiiiiiiiiiI OOOO ...........
...... NNN.MNO! . O!!!!!!!!!O . OONO NO! ........
.... MNNNNNO! ...OOOOOOOOOOO . MMNNON!........
...... MNNNNO! .. PPPPPPPPP .. MMNON!........
...... OO! ................. ON! .......
................................
STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY U OHN GYAW, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND CHAIRMAN OF THE DELEGATION OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR
IN THE GENERAL DEBATE AT THE FORTY-NINTH SESSION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK, 11 OCTOBER 1994
Permanent Mission of the Union of Myanmar to the U.N. - 10 E.
77th Street, New York, N.Y. 10021 - Tel. (212) 535-1310
[Due to a fax error, the beginning third of the first page is missing.]
OHN GYAW:
....parliament has given birth to a united, democratic and non-racial
South Africa. A nation that has so courageously overcome such
adversity and overwhelming pressure deserves our support and
acclaim as it faces its future with optimism.
I am pleased to see the delegation of South Africa
rejoining us in this august Assembly. Its presence in these
chambers also reflects the momentous changes taking place in the
world today. The concerted effort to abolish 'apartheid' in
South Africa has finally been realized. We welcome our brothers
from South Africa and wish them every success in rebuilding
their nation and look forward to working closely with the
Government and people of South Africa.
Mr. President,
It bears reiterating here the importance of adherence to
the five principles of peaceful co-existence which form the
basic tenets of Myanmar's foreign policy. Myanmar, together with
the People's Republic of China and India, enunciated the five
principles of peaceful co-existence nearly five decades ago.
These time-tested principles have crystallized as the
universally-accepted legal norms in inter-state relations. In
strict observance of these principles, Myanmar has never allowed
and will never allow its territory to be used as a Springboard
for action or threat against another state. By the same token,
Myanmar expects that other nations will likewise abide by these
principles in their conduct of policy towards Myanmar.
At this time of dramatic and profound changes, the United
Nations represents the best hope for mankind in the maintenance
of international peace and security, and in the promotion of
international co- operation in other areas of human endeavour.
Whatever character and shape the emerging new international
order may eventually assume, we have no doubt that the United
Nations will constitute a vital element in the new international
order and will continue to play an increasingly important role
in international relations. As we approach the Fiftieth
Anniversary of the United Nations, it is the appropriate time
for dedicate ourselves to the purposes and principles of the
United Nations Charter and to redouble our efforts to further
strengthen the role of the world organization. In order to mark
this auspicious Anniversary in a fitting manner, we have formed a
high-level National Committee in my country to carry out
necessary preparatory work and to coordinate commemorative
activities at the national level.
Mr. President,
Myanmar firmly believes that the United Nations plays a
pivotal role in promoting international cooperation for
development and for the maintenance of peace and security. There
is a close link between peace and development. It is therefore
the view of my delegation that the Agenda for Peace and the
Agenda for Development must go hand in hand. Now that the Cold
War is over and the avenues for peace and development are more
pronounced, we would like to call upon the international
community to create a favourable environment that ensures
sustainable development. My delegation shares the view that the
search for security and peace in the world at present lies in
development, not in armaments. For most people throughout the
world and particularly in developing countries, the feeling of
insecurity arises more from anxieties about daily subsistence
than from the dread of a cataclysmic global conflict.
Underdevelopment brings about poverty, hunger, malnutrition,
environmental degradation, etc., collectively leading to civil
strife, ethnic conflicts and eventually, collapse of peace and
security. These problems may be confined within national borders
in some instances. However, some will definitely have
international and even global ramifications and consequences.
Mr. President,
Both the Agenda for Peace and the Agenda for Development
are top priority tasks before the United Nations; and they
deserve to be given equal attention and equal allocation of
resources. Just as the United Nations peace-keeping missions are
stretched out across the globe, so also are its agencies for
development and humanitarian affairs fanned out even wider.
Myanmar shares the view that economic and social developments
are prerequisites for lasting peace and security. We would
therefore like to see a strengthening of the Economic and Social
Council in tandem with the call for a restructuring or the
Security Council to respond adequately to the new challenges of
international peace and security that have emerged in the wake
of the cold war. The United Nations, with the purposes of
maintaining international peace and security and of promoting
development and of safeguarding human rights, was born fifty
years ago against a political setting which was different from
today. Now that the cold war is over end the international
community is free from superpower rivalry, which had very much
crippled the United Nations in the past, the Organization should
be restructured to meet the needs and challenges of the present
world.
Peace-keeping operations is an area in which the United
Nations is being called upon to take on more and more
responsibilities. These operations constitute an important
instrument of the world organization in the prevention and
containment of conflicts and in keeping peace where it is most
needed. Peace-keeping operations have a mixed record of
successes and some set-backs. Experience and lessons from the
past operations should be carefully reviewed and re-evaluated
with a view to ensuring more effective and proper conduct of
these operations. It is imperative that the United Nations
peace-keeping operations be carried out only with the consent
and willing cooperation of the parties concerned and that all
aspects of these operations strictly conform to the principles
and purposes of the United Nations Charter. There is also a need
for rationalization, streamlining and making these operations
more cost-effective.
Mr. President,
In the field of disarmament, we are encouraged by the
positive developments of last year. Intensive negotiations are
now underway in the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament to
achieve a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The steadily
increasing trust and confidence between nuclear-weapon States
and non-nuclear- weapon States has provided a window of
opportunity for the international community to come to grips
with preventing vertical and horizontal proliferation of nuclear
weapons. This opportunity should be seized by bringing the
negotiation on CTBT to a successful conclusion in the most
expeditious way. The United States has announced its decision to
extend the moratorium for one year until 1 September l995. We
believe that such moratorium observed also by other
nuclear-weapon States would create conditions conducive to the
ongoing process of CTBT negotiations.
Mr. President,
The Review and Extension Conference of the Treaty on the
Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is less than a year
away from now. We are of the view that substantive progress in
crucial areas, namely, CTBT, negative security assurances for
non-nuclear weapon states and a ban on production of nuclear
fissile material in all its aspects will contribute to a
successful outcome of the Conference. A careful stock-taking of
the progress in these crucial areas should be made before taking
a decision at the Conference on the further extension of the
Treaty. Myanmar looks forward to working and cooperating with
other delegations for the successful outcome of the 1995 NPT
Review and Extension Conference.
While I am on the subject of the NPT, may I take this
opportunity to inform the Assembly that , as a state party to
the NPT the Myanmar Government has decided to sign the
safeguards agreement and protocol with the IAEA. The signing of
the safeguards agreement and protocol will take place in the
near future.
Myanmar is also actively taking part in the preparatory
process for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons
Convention (CWC) since she became an original signatory to the
Convention. Like other signatories to the CWC, ratification
process is currently being undertaken in Myanmar.
The Signing on 4 May 1994 of the agreement to implement
the Israel-Palestine Declaration of Principles marks an
important milestone toward a lasting peace in the Middle East.
The recent approval by the Israeli Cabinet to transfer civilian
powers to the Palestinians -- in culture, youth and sports,
international cooperation, education, health, social welfare,
tourism and finance are also positive steps that would further
pave the way for self-rule by the Palestinians on the Gaza strip
and Jericho. We congratulate the parties concerned for their
rare courage and mutual accommodation. We are also heartened to
note that both Israel and Jordan are implementing the agreed
Washington Declaration signed between both parties in July. It
is hoped that these initiatives, both within the context of
bilateral and multilateral negotiations, will facilitate and
brighten the chances of a lasting peace in the Middle East.
Mr. President,
After years of recession and stagnation, the world
economy has resumed a modest growth. However, this recovery
remains fragile and uneven and it is in the interest of both the
developing and developed countries to strive for accelerated
growth and sustainable development. While a number of developing
countries have acted as the main engine of world economic
growth, most of them are beset with a deteriorating economic and
social situation. Developed countries are also facing slow
growth and high unemployment. In this era of growing
globalization and interdependence, concerted efforts by the
world community are urgently needed to resolve the acute
economic and social problems.
We welcome the Secretary-General's Report entitled "An
Agenda for Development" for being most timely and appropriate.
The report has highlighted economic growth as a crucial
dimension of development and has singled out a supportive and a
favourable international economic environment for sustained
growth. We fully share the view that the advancement of
developing countries is hindered by such obstacles as external
debt problems, declining external resource flows, sharply
deteriorating terms of trade and mounting barriers to market
access. We hope that a programme of action on the implementation
of the agenda will be agreed upon at this session.
Our aspirations for a new world economic order which is
equitable and non-discriminatory have not yet been realized.
Major challenges of the decades, namely, acceleration of
development, alleviation of poverty, and narrowing of the
widening gap among countries need to be redressed urgently. We
fully support the call by the Group of 77, the Non-Aligned
Movement and this august Assembly for the resumption of the
stalled North-South dialogue. A constructive dialogue based on
common interests and mutual benefits should enhance
international economic cooperation for development.
We also welcome the successful conclusion of the Uruguay
Round, although our aspirations are not fully realized. We have
hoped for an open, equitable and transparent multilateral
trading system which would benefit all countries. We are most
concerned with new forms of protectionism, particularly the
attempts to impose social and environmental conditionalities
that discriminate against developing- country exports. These
protectionist measures will adversely affect world trade and
growth.
We are heartened by the Naples Summit Communique of the
Group of Seven which stated that the Seven would continue efforts
to enhance development assistance, trade and investment in
developing countries. It also stated that the Seven favour a
reduction in the stock of debt and an increase in
concessionality for those countries facing special difficulties.
Mr. President,
My delegation takes note with appreciation of the report
of the Secretary-General on the status and role of cooperatives
in the light of new economic and social trends, and welcomes the
recommendations contained therein. In developed and developing
countries alike, cooperative societies today constitute
significant components of their economies and play a crucial
role in their economic development. In my country, we attach
great importance to the cooperatives sector as one of the main
pillars of our economy and as an effective means of accelerating
the socio-economic development. It is an important part of the
economic strategy of the Myanmar Government to promote and
expand the cooperatives sector in our national economy. As we
shall be celebrating next year the centenary of the
establishment of the International Cooperative Alliance, it is
most fitting that this Assembly proclaims the first Saturday of
July l995 to be the International Day of Cooperatives, and
Member States observe this day in future years as a recurrent
annual event.
Mr. President,
The Earth Summit held in Rio two years ago firmly placed
environmental issues on the global agenda, and since then, hardly
any international meeting has taken place without calls for
common action to save our planet. The protection and promotion
of the environment has emerged as one of the most pressing
issues facing the world. No longer is the natural world
perceived as a vast and inexhaustible frontier to be explored
and exploited. Today there is a growing recognition that the
environment is not to be subjugated but to be treated with
respect and care. An increasing number of countries now
recognize that environmental issues warrant as much attention
and effort an other issues such as disarmament, narcotics and
human rights.
Myanmar is pleased to note that in all of this, the Asia
and Pacific region has not been left behind. A Regional Meeting
to prepare for the 1995 State of the Environment Report was held
in Yangon in July this year. This meeting provided an
opportunity to senior government officials to discuss in an
integrated manner issues related to the assessment of the State
of the Environment at the national and regional levels.
The Asian and Pacific region is composed of a large
number of nations differing in size, resource endowment and
stage of economic development. It is a region that is faced with
all the conceivable environmental problems of the world --
deforestation, desertification, climate change, etc. While
several countries of the region, particularly those in Southeast
and Northeast Asia have registered remarkable economic growth in
the last few decades, others have yet to achieve their
objectives. In many of our countries eradication of poverty and
greater equity in income distribution remain major challenges.
Poverty and environmental degradation are closely related.
Alleviating poverty therefore is no longer simply a moral issue
but a practical imperative. At the same time achieving
sustainable development will require that all countries,
particularly the developed, change their consumption patterns.
In the past we have tended to focus more on remedial
measures than on the causes of environmental degradation. But if
we are to overcome the challenges we face, we must deal with the
underlying causes. As in health care, prevention is equally if
not more important than the cure. We must therefore formulate
strategies that set out to alleviate poverty and provide the
basic needs of food, water, clothing, shelter, energy and health
care for our peoples while protecting the environment. Aware of
the fact that poverty is the fundamental cause of environmental
degradation, we in Myanmar are concentrating on breaking the
vicious cycle of poverty and environmental degradation. With a
view to remedying the situation, the Government in 1989 launched
a programme for the development of border areas and national
races. This integrated approach is expected to generate higher
incomes and productivity by providing employment opportunities
and increased welfare. The border areas, inhabited by the
national races, have lagged far behind in all aspects of
development owing mainly to the difficult terrain and lack of
adequate infrastructure. The situation is being rapidly improved.
Roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and reservoirs, are being
built extensively. The Government support for the development of
mini-hydroelectric power plants will provide alternative sources
of energy for the towns and villages in order to promote rural
industries, and at the same time, lessen their dependence on
fuelwood. This integrated rural area development programme will
not only have positive effects on the socio-economic environment
but also drastically reduce the area under shifting cultivation,
resulting in conservation and regeneration of forest resources in
the fragile mountain ecosystem.
Sustainable management and conservation of forests have
long occupied a place of pride in Myanmar's environmental
efforts. Sustainable production of forest resources and
conservation of biodiversity are assured by a Forest Working
Plan and a time-tested selective felling system. About fifty per
cent of Myanmar's total land surface area is still covered by
natural forests. Even though the forest area is about 33 million
hectares, the prescribed annual allowable cut is less than 3
million cubic meters for teak and other hardwoods. This volume
of commercial extraction is significantly less than that
harvested by other countries in the region. The current
development activities of the Government in the forest sector
include the special project for greening of the nine driest
districts of the country; extension of the area under reserved
forests; establishment of new plantations; overall forestation
of the dry zone to provide much needed timber and fuelwood for
rural communities and measures to improve the watersheds.
Myanmar attaches high importance to population issues and
recognizes the close link between population and sustainable
development. We have participated in the Cairo Conference and
heartily welcome the adoption by consensus of a non-binding
twenty year Programme of Action. Our population policy focus is
on voluntary birth- spacing to promote the health of the mother
and child. The Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, a
non-governmental organization is actively carrying out the
assigned task in this field.
Mr. President,
Much has been accomplished by the United Nations in the
field of human rights, the most recent of which, is the
appointment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights by consensus at the previous General Assembly. The
appointment of such an important personage by consensus bears
testimony to the fact that both the developed and developing
countries attach importance to the promotion and protection of
human rights in accordance with the principles and purposes of
the United Nations charter. My delegation would like to wish the
High Commissioner every success in carrying out his mandate.
As a responsible member of the United Nations and as an
unwavering advocate of the values it represents, the Union of
Myanmar has all along upheld and adhered to the basic norms of
human rights enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As confirmed by the
Bangkok Declaration, the principles of national sovereignty,
territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs
should be respected by all nations and attempts to use human
rights to encroach on the essentially domestic jurisdiction of
states should be avoided. We do not mean by this that human
rights can be systematically violated behind the barrier of non-
interference. We wish to see the promotion of human rights
through cooperation and consensus building, and not through
imposition of values which we do not share. We believe that even
as we seek universality of human rights, diversity in
historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must never be
minimized or forgotten. We are also against double standards and
the temptation to use human rights as a means to achieve
political ends.
The right to sufficient food, clothing and shelter; the
right to decent quality of life; the right to live peacefully
and in security; are often neglected in the clamour for
individual right. At this delicate juncture of our history, when
Myanmar is in the midst of transforming itself to a multi- party
democracy with a market economy, the interests of its 45 million
people must take precedence over the interests of any one
individual. Confrontation and incitement for unrest and
instability have no place when the notion is in the process of
reconciliation and reconsolidation. In keeping with the
aspirations of all the national races, Myanmar is also presently
at the critical stage of drafting a firm constitution. My
Government would certainly not like to see the present momentum
of the constitutional process and the efforts for national
reconciliation impeded in any way. Nor can it allow a return to
the chaos and anarchy of the incidents of 1988.
The Myanmar Government does not condone human rights
abuses. In fact, it is totally against human rights abuses. We
have cooperated fully with the United Nations in every field,
and in this regard, with the Commission on Human Rights, by
providing information in connection with communications and
queries concerning the situation in Myanmar. Not only have we
provided information sought by the Commission but have also
received the Independent Experts and the Special Rapporteur
appointed by the Human Rights commission. The Special
Rapporteur, Professor Yozo Yokota, was received in 1992 and in
1993. In deference to the United Nations, and as a gesture of our
goodwill and cooperation, we will receive him yet again this
year.
Mr. President,
The Memorandum of Understanding between Myanmar and the
UNHCR signed on 5 November 1993, providing the latter's role in
Myanmar's border development projects is an illustration of our
steady cooperation with the United Nations and its subsidiary
bodies. It is normal that some issues arise from time to time
between neighbouring states. In such cases, we always seek
peaceful solutions based on mutual goodwill, respect and
understanding. A case in point is the matter of transborder
movement of people between Myanmar and Bangladesh across the
common border. Although some quarters tried to exaggerate the
situation by invoking potential regional destabilizatlon, our
two countries were able to resolve the situation in a spirit of
mutual friendship and understanding resulting in the
repatriation so far of nearly 70,000 returnees to their hearth
and home.
Mr. President,
At the initiative of the United Nations
Secretary-General, Myanmar decided to establish a dialogue with
the United Nations to exchange views on various issues of common
concern. With your kind i indulgence, I would like to briefly
apprise the Assembly of the developments leading to this
decision. During his visit to Myanmar in March this year,
Under-Secretary-General Mr. Rafeeudin Ahmed, Executive Secretary
of the Economic and Social commission for Asia and the Pacific
(ESCAP) delivered a letter and verbal message from the
Secretary-General of the United Nations to Secretary I of the
State Law and Order Restoration Council. The Secretary-General,
in his letter, expressed constructive remarks in regard to the
measures taken by the Myanmar Government, and showed keen
interest in the developments in Myanmar, particularly the
process of national reconciliation and steps taken in drafting a
firm Constitution through the National Convention. The
Secretary-General also expressed his desire to establish a
dialogue with the Government of the Union of Myanmar to exchange
views on the various issues with a view to considering how the
United Nations can assist in facilitating continued progress
towards the resolution of these issues. Secretary I, while
acknowledging, informed the Secretary-General to the effect that
a communication would be made on this subject in the near
future.
Mr. President,
While attending the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok,
I transmitted through the Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Thailand on 21 July 1994 initial response to the
Secretary-General. Further to this response, the Myanmar
Government informed the Executive Secretary of ESCAP that the
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Myanmar has beer designated to
initiate the dialogue proposed by the Secretary-General at a
mutually agreeable date and, in this regard, sought his advice on
the modalities of how such a dialogue could be more fruitfully
carried out.
I am happy to apprise this Assembly through you, Mr.
President, that I have had two meetings with Mr. Marrack
Goulding, Under- Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the
United Nations earlier this month and that the dialogue between
the Myanmar Government and the United Nations is now well
underway.
Mr. President,
The global spread of drug abuse has become a major
international concern in recent years. The evil consequences of
illicit drugs transcend borders and the threat of illicit drugs
can only be overcome with effective international cooperation.
We share the view that concerted action is needed at national,
sub-regional, regional and global level.
Myanmar has always treated anti-narcotics measures as a
national responsibility. At the national level, the government
has adopted comprehensive plans for the effective implementation
of drug suppression measures. A new law against narcotic drugs
and psychotropic substances was enacted in 1993 encompassing
effective measures against the widening scope of the drug
menace, In our national strategies against drugs, a new approach
was launched in 1988, the key concept of which was to alleviate
the poverty of the peoples in the border areas by providing them
with a means of alternative income, while at the same time
working to raise their awareness of the magnitude of human misery
resulting from drugs. This approach is being carried out as one
of the main objectives of the Master Plan for the development of
the border areas and national races. It is evident that the most
effective approach towards eradication of poppy cultivation
would be to implement a comprehensive programme for the social
and economic development of the national races in the border
areas. We have now established a mechanism coordinating action
against illicit drugs in all their aspects.
We have also been coordinating our national efforts with
those of our neighbours to ensure a maximum impact in drug
eradication in the region. The Myanmar Government has signed
agreements with the People's Republic of China and the UNDCP as
well as with Thailand and the UNDCP. Bilateral narcotics
suppression agreements have been signed with Laos and India, and
we aim to work out a similar agreement with Bangladesh. In
October 1993, at New York, Myanmar, the People's Republic of
China, Laos, Thailand and the UNDCP signed a Memorandum of
Understanding which would further harmonize collective activities
aimed at reducing drug trafficking and production, eliminating
poppy cultivation, and reducing drug demand and consumption.
There have been two ministerial conferences at the sub-regional
level at which Myanmar has contributed active participation.
Myanmar is a State Party to the 1961 Single Convention on
Narcotic Drugs, and to the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit
Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Moreover,
on 7 June this year, Myanmar deposited the Instrument of
Accession to the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. We
are also carrying out a series of measures in the implementation
of the recommendations contained in the Global Programme of
Action adopted by the Seventeenth Special Session of the United
Nations General Assembly in February l990.
Mr. President,
Members of the Myanmar security forces are engaged in a
relentless war against drug trafficking. They may not be wearing
blue helmets like the men and women from different lands serving
as guardians of peace under the United Nations banner, but the
cause for which hundreds of them have sacrificed their life and
limb is no less internationalist and no less worthy. As to those
who are expressing doubt about our commitment to eradication of
narcotics, let me ask; "Which country in the world has
sacrificed the lives of over 190 soldiers with additional 350
wounded in the combat against drug traffickers in a matter of
only four weeks?" With this serious dedication and commitment in
the fight against illicit drugs, we in Myanmar are ready and
willing to cooperate fully with all our neighbour and the
international community for sustained efforts against this
scourge.
Mr. President,
Myanmar is a Union made up of over a hundred different
national races residing in Myanmar. Unity among the different
national races is essential for the preservation of our
independence and sovereignty as well as for the economic and
social progress of our country. Since regaining independence in
1948, Myanmar unfortunately had to face internal strife started
by various armed groups. Because of this, the country had
suffered immensely and lagged behind in economic development in
comparison with other nations of the region.
Under these dire circumstances, it would only be natural
that the State Law and Order Restoration Council would place the
utmost importance on the preservation of independence and the
strengthening of unity and national solidarity among all the
national races of Myanmar. Since the time it took over
responsibilities of the State, the State Law and Order
Restoration Council has been giving priority to the achievement
of national reconciliation. Beginning from 1989, less than one
year after it assumed responsibility, the Government made
overtures to the armed groups to return to the legal fold. Since
April 1992, the Armed Forces have suspended military offensives
against the armed groups in the interest of national
reconciliation. Internal strife for over four decades has not
brought benefit to anyone. It has only caused death and
destruction and untold suffering for the people. No one
appreciates peace more than a soldier. It is therefore most
gratifying that a total of (12) groups having trust in the
sincerity of the offer by the government have returned to the
legal fold, and are working together with the Government for the
development of their regions. These groups are also being
provided with the opportunity to participate in the national
political process namely the National Convention to shape the
country's future. With the Shan State Nationalities Peoples'
Liberation Organization group which returned to the legal fold
on 9 October 1994, the number of armed groups back into
reconciliation process is now 13. They will be integrated in the
same manner as previous groups who are participating in the
National Convention. To the remaining groups who still have yet
to return to the legal fold, the Myanmar Government reiterates
its call to them not to miss this golden opportunity but to join
hands in building a peaceful, democratic and modern Union. Guns
have fallen silent in the country as never before in the history
of modern Myanmar and these groups should look at the greater
interest of the country and work for the benefit of all the
national races as they themselves have been proclaiming for so
long.
Mr. President,
At this juncture, let me turn to another aspect of the
Government's political objective - the drafting of a firm and
enduring constitution. Towards this end, a National Convention
has been meeting since the beginning of last year to draft a new
constitution. Consensus has already been reached on the 15
Chapter Headings on the 104 fundamental principles of the State
as well as the Chapters on State, State Structure and the Head
of State.
At the resumed session of the National Convention which
commenced on 2 September 1994, the Chairman of the National
Convention Convening Work Committee elucidated the points
relative to the matter of self-administered divisions or
self-administered zones in the Union, and of constituting the
Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary for detailed
discussions and deliberations among the delegates. As to those
who allege that the process is moving too slowly, let me ask: "Is
not the world today full of examples where too much haste had
led to chaos and confusion, even to armed conflict and
disintegration of nations?" At the same time, let me assure you
that the State Law and Order Restoration Council has no
intention to unnecessarily prolong the process or to cause
delays. However, a balance must be struck between the need to
reach consensus among the nearly 700 delegates on very urgent
and vital issues like the national races and the desire for the
completion of the process in appropriate time. Anyone following
these deliberations closely will realize that they give lucid
lie to the allegations that the deliberations in the National
Convention were orchestrated by the Government. At the same
time, I wish to indicate to some observers that in our society
reaching consensus among us is more important than debating who
is right or wrong, or who won the debate. We would like the
constitution to reflect as much as possible the wishes of the
national races while at the same time we would be most happy if
consensus on the remaining chapters could be reached as soon as
possible. What the Government has done and is doing at the
moment is to ensure peace, stability, law and order while
striving for economic development of the entire nation so that
the transition to democracy will be smooth and tranquil.
Mr. President,
Today, the National Convention is in full session for
further discussions on the fundamental principles to be
enshrined in the new constitution. The very fact that the new
State Structure will be a Pyidaungsu (Union) system is a
manifestation of the consensus that has been reached by the
Convention. The new Pyidaungsu Thamada Myanmar Naing Ngan-Daw
(Union of Myanmar) that is envisaged by the National Convention
will be a genuine multiparty democratic state in order to bring
the nation to a modern, united, stable, peaceful and harmonious
state. The new Constitution will have safeguards to guarantee
non- disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national
solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty and territorial
integrity.
As in the case with other modern Constitutions, the three
organs of government -- the Legislature, the Executive and the
Judiciary, will be properly constituted and separated as much as
possible and will be able to exert reciprocal control with
checks and balances amongst themselves. Among the fundamental
principles already laid down, independent administration of
justice in accordance with the law; administration of justice in
public except where restricted by law; and the right of defence
and the right of appeal will be guaranteed. Furthermore, there
will be Constitutional remedies and the Pyidaungsu Taya Hluttaw
(the Supreme Court) will have the powers to issue writs.
Citizens will be able to enjoy the rule of law which is the
fundamental legal safeguard necessary for a democratic state.
Because of the separation of power envisaged in the new
Constitution, the Judiciary will be the ultimate guardian of
fundamental rights. Freedom of thought, freedom of expression,
freedom of belief, freedom of worship, freedom to seek a
livelihood and freedom of organization will be guaranteed. There
will be equality of status, equality in opportunity and equality
before the law.
Mr. President,
The entire Myanmar nation is presently engaged in our
national endeavour to establish a truly democratic and modern
society in accordance with the aspirations of our people. We,
the people of the Union of Myanmar, are doing our utmost to
advance the on-going political and constitutional process and
the current programme of national economic development in the
interest of all our national brethren. We have a popular saying
in Myanmar:
"As we sow in our deeds, so shall we surely reap
in our future destiny."
We are therefore fully confident that, with our continued
dedication, determination and diligence in our national
endeavour, we will surely be able to successfully establish a
democratic society, based on universal values of justice,
liberty and equality.
I thank you, Mr. President .
**************************************************************
KYONB: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS FROM THE SLORC
Karen Youth Organization News Bulletin
No. (4) October 1994
On August 5, 1994, anti-insurgent militia men and troops from
Burmas Army Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 96 came to Shwe Yaung
Pia village and seized villager Saw Kor Mia, aged 37. He was
told to show the way to the rebel hide-out. When he could not,
he was told to find a cow or cash. He was executed later when he
failed to find either.
On August 6, 1994, Thitsabauk Thanmani and men with Burmese army
troops from Mijaung Aing, seized villagers Saw Mor ChaLay, Saw
Bla Lar and village head Saw Nor Nolar and demanded cash. Saw
Bla Lar was released after paying 6000 Kyats, but the other two
were tortured when they could not pay any.
Date 2-21-94
Column No. 2, from Company No. 5 of Burmese army Battalion No.
32, led by commander Than Htit Tun arrested Saw Aung Pan and
asked him about the numbers of Karen National Liberation Army
(KNLA) troops. He asked Saw Aung Pan to show him the way in the
jungle where a battle ensued later. They then seized Saw Aung
Pan and tied him with a rope and kept him like that for five
days without any food. He was tortured and questioned. After 5
days, he was released. Saw Aung Pan had been suffering from a
gastric ulcer and after being kept without any food for five
days, his gastric problem has become worse and is in danger of
death.
Date-1-4-94
Starting from 1-1-94, the SLORC troops from Battalion No. 48
issued an order to every village on the west bank of Kabaung
Chaung river in Toungoo district, instructing each household to
send half of their harvest and the bamboos they had cut to the
army camp.
The order added that action would be taken according to law
against those who failed to comply with the order.
On account of this extortion, the villages have to face great
hardship, as it is quite difficult for them to make ends meet
even with full produce from their land. One of the villages, In
Waing, is said to be facing starvation starting from the month
of March.
Date 2-26-94
On February 26, 1994 troops of IB No. 61 entered Ma-u village of
Ye Township after a battle with KNLA troops and looted
properties from Daw Ma Ku house and the village monastery worth
about 2 million Kyats. Daw Ma Ku's house was burnt down after
looting. Military boot prints on the floor of monastery building
proper and faeces in the compound were found after the SLORC
troops left.
Date 2-1-94
On 2-1-94, No. 55 Division Operation Commander Aung Myit sent
Major Than Win and his column including 200 soldiers to set up
their camp in Ye Tho Kyi village of Thandaung Township. He named
the operation as Operation Animist King.
The SLORC troops staying in Ye Tho Kyi village with their
operation commander Aung Myint, cut down and destroyed all the
betel nut and other fruit trees in the village. The villagers
have to give eight porters each month in addition to having to
pay 300 Kyats per household as porter fees. There are 150 houses
in Ye Tho Kyi village.
Starting from (3-7-94) the SLORC troops started to force the
villagers to build a new motor road passing by the village. The
villagers have to collect stones for paving the road every day.
One person from each house has to take part in the work, and if
any one fails, the SLORC troops mete out severe punishment. The
drivers of the cars or trucks using the road also have to pay
10,000 Kyats each. Often, the SLORC troops seize the cars for
logistical purposes.
Date 2-12-93
On 2-12-93, the SLORC combined-forces from IB Nos. 135, 39 and 48
led by column commander Hsan Aung went to La Maing Pya village
of Tantabin Township in Toungoo District. They seized one woman,
Naw Kaw Kaw, aged 35, and accused her of being a rebel contact.
Later, they forced her into a room and raped her. Moreover, the
SLORC troops took the jewelry from Naw Kaw Kaw, a gold necklace
and a pair of earrings she was wearing.
Date 6-5-93
On 6-5-93 SLORC troops from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No.
351, led by operation commander Thet U Maung, entered into Ma Gu
Taung village of Thandaung Township in Karen State. In the
village, Naw Aye Mya who was coming back from gathering
firewood, was seized by operation commander Thet U Maung. She
was tied up with a rope and taken away for a week during which
she was raped five times by the operation commander.
Date 3-26-94
On 3-18-94, No. 2 Column commander Major Nyunt Tin, of SLORC LIB
No. 343 called a meeting at Taungbaw village of Ye Township. In
the meeting he said that the villagers had to move to a place
near Ye-Tavoy motor road within two days of March 20 and 21. He
said that he would burn down the houses in the village if the
villagers did not obey his orders.
Not wanting to abandon the land of their forefathers and having
very limited means to settle in a new place in so short a time
the villagers remained in their village beyond the deadline. On
the 26th of March, Major Nyunt Tin and his military column No. 2
showed up in the village and beat up the villagers and ordered
them at gun point to dismantle their houses in two hours, saying
also that they would burn down the houses of those who failed to
finish in time. Ten houses of the villagers who failed to tear
down their houses in time were burnt down by the troops. The
village had had a total of 60 houses with a population of 280.
In the new place, the villagers had to face great difficulties,
due to a lack of enough water supply, wild vegetables and
building materials. Every day from dawn to dusk, the villagers
have to collect stones for paving the road. As the limited
amount of food they had brought with them ran out quickly, in
the absence of supplementary food sources, the villagers now
have to survive on boiled rice. As if that were not enough, the
SLORC troops forced the villagers to pay cash of l00 Kyats a
month, a month after their arrival in the new place.
(K.Y.O. reporter.)
++++++++++
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
Dear friends,
This News Bulletin will try to publish two issues per month. If
any individual or group wants to contribute, please contact us.
Be happy and successful.
K.Y.O. News Bulletin
P.O. Box 22,
Mae Sod 63110, Tak,
THAILAND
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ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET:
AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS, AFP: AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
AW: ASIAWEEK, AWSJ: ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL
Bt.: THAI BAHT; 25 Bt.=US$1 (APPROX),
BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, BI: BURMA ISSUES
BIG: BURMA INFORMATION GROUP, BKK POST: THE BANGKOK POST
BRC-CM: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-CHIANG MAI
BRC-J: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-JAPAN
CPPSM: C'TTEE FOR THE PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND
FEER: FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW, KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
S.C.B.:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP S.C.T.:SOC.CULTURE.THAI NEWSGROUP
SEASIA-L: S.E.ASIA BITNET MAILING LIST, XNA: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
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