BurmaNet News: October 26, 1994

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************************** BurmaNet ************************** 
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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BurmaNet News: Wednesday, October 26, 1994
Issue #43

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Contents:

NATION: FOREIGN FISHERMEN FACE STIFF RANGOON FINES
NATION: PEACE THE ONLY HOPE FOR BURMA
NATION/AFP: DIAWA SPONSORS STOCK EXCHANGE SEMINAR

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NATION: FOREIGN FISHERMEN FACE STIFF RANGOON FINES
26 October 1994

RANGOON  courts will impose stiffer penalties on foreign
fishermen caught in Bur- mese territorial waters with violators
facing jail sentences of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of
500,000 kyat or more than US$8,300, according to a statement
released yesterday by the Burmese foreign ministry. Under a
revised law on immigration and fishery concession, passed in
October last year, violators can be sentenced to an extra one to
three years in prison if they refuse to pay fines imposed by the
courts, according to the statement. Trawler captains convicted of
illegal fishing can now face a maximum jail sentence of 10 years
and fines of 500,000 kyat (over Bt200,000). Crew members can be
impris- oned for up to seven years and fined a maximum of 50,000
kyat for the same offence. Captains convicted  of illegal entry
can be sent down for 10 years and fined 3,000 kyat(over
Bt12,000). Crew members face up to five years in jail and fines
of 1,500 kyat. Illegal fishing and contract violations by Thai
fishermen apparently prompted the Burmese authorities to bring in
the tougher measures enacted last October. According to the
foreign ministry release, there are currently about 300 Thai
nationals serving time in Burmese prisons, 90 per cent of whom
were convicted of fishing in Burmese territorial waters without
permits. The remainder were convicted on illegal logging, drug
trafficking and illegal entry charges. Most of the Thai fishermen
in Burmese jails, convicted of violating contracts with Rangoon,
were employed by the Hongsawadee and General Fishery companies.
The two companies apparently ceased operations last August for
fear that their crew would be jailed and their vessels
confiscated under the newly-amended laws. 

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NATION: PEACE THE ONLY HOPE FOR BURMA
October 26, 1994

Some thoughts on the Kachin ceasefire:   

1. The increase of Burmese army troop strength in Kachinland has
been taking place since 1987 when it launched operation Yan Myo
Aung and successfully captured the Kachin independence Army (KIA)
headquarters at Nahpaw and the Kachin Independence Organization
(KIO) headquarters at Pajao. It is reported that the Burmese army
could not have accomplished the feat without real-time satellite
intelligence from a foreign country. Ultimately, the increased
presence of the Burmese army and its many successful operations
may have been a factor leading to the ceasefire agreement. Of
course, the military build-up  in Kachinland is of great concern
to the Kachin population but, considering Burma's historical
propensity to attack its neighbours the continuing militarization
of Burma should be of great concern to all its neighbours.    

2. The KIO has only been asked to desist from the practice of
forcible conscription of recruits in Slorc control areas. So far
it has not stopped the KIA from conscripting soldiers from other
areas.    

3.  Surely it is up to the KIO whether it wants to collect
revenue in the from of taxes (the right of a government), dues
(the responsibility of members), protection money (in the from of
"an offer you can't refuse"), donations (out of charity or in
some countries by "arm twisting"), or from profits (through
business, ie the jade business). Ultimately, Slorc can do nothing
to stop the KIO from collecting revenue if the KIO wishes to.    

4.  Hopefully anti-insurgency laws will soon become a thing of
the past. Article 17/1 which makes it illegal for anyone to
associate with the insurgents is a left-over from the pre-
ceasefire days and negotiations are presently under way to remove
the offending article.    

5.  People have been moving to Kachinland for hundreds of years
but the recent influx of Burma and Chinese emigres is worrying to
many Kachins who could soon become outnumbered if not already.
This influx of outsider is only partly due to the ceasefires in
the adjacent Shan State etc.and may actually represent a more
sinister stratagem by the Slorc. The natural resources of
Kachinland provide another "draw" to immigrants and
"businessmen".       

6.  Racism and religious intolerance has existed since Pagan, and
there is no evidence that it has particularly increased as a
result of the ceasefire. If anything, the long standing
unresolved conflict has caused increased racism and religious
intoler- ance. Only peace is conducive to national reconciliation
and development of tolerance for one another's beliefs and
practices.    

7.  Burmanization and monopolization of the civil service has
been taking place at least from the time of Burma's independence
and has become worse as a result of the civil war. The
commander-in-chief of Burma use to be a Karen but when the civil
war broke out he was replaced by Gen Ne Win. If the Slorc
understands the meaning of "union" then they will need to concede
rights and privileges to the nationalities in order to preserve
the "union" in peace because without the nationalities there can
be no peaceful "union".    

8.  In regard to the seeming lack of progress in implementing
"promised" development programmes, the KIO itself is party to
blame for not coming forward with any development or
reconstruction plans or programmes of its own for its own people. 
 

9.  It is signficant that the Slorc has not launched any major
campaign against the KIO/KIA or the Kachin people since the
ceasefire negotiations over a year ago. It is the lack of KIO
leadership and initiative since the ceasefire that has bewildered
the Kachin people. The destruction of church property is actually
less significant than the proliferation of pagodas in Kachinland
which is now being implemented by the Slorc as part of its plans
and policies.  Instead of forcing the local population to carry
out construction projects and be accused of human rights
violations, with the ceasefire in place, both the Burmese army
and the KIA should deploy their troops in the task of rebuilding
the country and thereby really serve the people they have sworn
to protect.   

10.  There is strong evidence that the KIO was effective in
stopping the production of opium in its "control areas". But the
programme is not sustainable without outside assistance, a
complete end to the civil war throughout the country, and
voluntary public support and participation in the program in the
from of UN, NGO and grassroots involvement. The KIO checkpoints
were never that effective in controlling the flow of drugs
because trafficking was already taking place under the protection
of the Burmese army.   

11.  Without the ability to enforce its laws, the KIO will lose
its status as a "government" and eventually its respect by the
people of Kachinland, and it will become ineffective and impotent
as a political organization. State sponsored terrorism as a means
of coercion has its limits and all organizations capable of
forcibly coercing the population should abandon violent means and
learn to cultivate the good will of the people and thus earn
their respect and support.   

12.  Drug addiction has been a big problem in Kachinland for
quite a number of years now. This can be attributed directly to
the long-drawn out civil war which has resulted in the
fragmentation and displacement of all the peoples involved and
led to the  increased production and availability of opium and
heroin. As a result of peer pressure and a sense of hopeless
despair and alienation in there youth of country , the increased
available of drugs has encouraged to addiction. Many have become
IV drug user and are now infected with HIV.    

13. Political organization should particularly be careful about
engaging in business. The KIO is gong to have to decide whether
they are primarily a political organization or a business
organization. Unclear thinking will leave it open to ineffective
vacillation and ultimate disintegration.   

14. The uncertainty with which the KIO leadership was plagued
during the convalescence and death of its charismatic leader,
Chairman, Brang Seng, is understandable. He is certainly sorely
missed by all who knew him. He will be remembered as a man of
peace and as one of Kachinland's greatest leaders and statements.
His untimely death has severely shaken citizen confidence in the
ceasefire agreement. Confidence will only be restored when the
citizen begin to reap the "peace-dividends" and experience the
benefits of the ceasefire. Perhaps the time has come for the KIO
to demonstrate their commitment to democracy by electing a set of
new leaders through a more demo- cratic and representative
process.   

15. If "the situation in Kachinland" refers to the current
atrophy of social and economic development in Kachinland then
every organization engaged in the present civil war should take
note and consider "rectifying the situation" by first suing for
peace in the interest of its own people instead of continuing to
fight.   

16. If "the situation" is referring to the seeming loss of
political clout by organizations seeking a ceasefire, then every
organization should "rectify the situation" by doing some earnest
introspection while adhering to the principle "First, to thyself 
true" and try to determine exactly why they are fighting and why
they are losing clout and in what area they are capable of
meaningful negotiations and then if there is an advantage to try
to negotiate a deal before it is too late.   

19. As a result to its desire to single-mindedly pursue the
"ceasefire" route, the KIO is in serious danger of being isolated
from its own Kachin people, from its (former) fellow compatriots
in the Democratic alliance of Burma (DAB) and the National Coun-
cil of the Union of Burma (NCUB), and from the international
community which it so effectively lobbied. The KIO needs to take
bold steps to rectify this situation. 

20. For the first time in  over 30 years the guns are silent in
Kachin State; citizens are not being rounded up as porters for
the army (although villagers are now being forced to provide
labour for construction projects); villages are not being burned
down; and human rights violations are way down. It is time now to
concentrate on the tasks of peace, national reconciliation and
the rebuilding of a war-ravaged country. The path of the peace
offer the only hope for the people of Burma.
       
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NATION/AFP: DIAWA SPONSORS STOCK EXCHANGE SEMINAR

RANGOON - Over 120 senior government officials and private
entrepreneurs have attended a seminar on securities, capital
markets and  privatization, sponsored by the Burmese government
and Diawa Institute of Research of Japan, State press reported
yesterday. New Light of Myanmar said Zenichi Ishikawa of the Diwa
Institute of Research, and Takeji Yasashita and Hideaki Yamashita
of the Tokyo Stock Exchange led the two day seminar on Monday and
Tuesday in Rangoon. 38 officials of state economic enterprise and
89 private entrepreneurs also attended.  Speaking at the opening
ceremony, National Planning and Economic Development Minister
Brig Gen david able thanked the visiting officials Daiwa
Institute and the Tokyo Stock Exchange for sharing their
knowledge on subjects new to  Burma. "I would to urge all
participants to take full advantage of the seminar, to
participate actively and explore needs for a stock market in
Burma, for qualified brokers and intermediaries, and for training
of officials and educating the Burma public at large," he said.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong Bang said it had received permission from
the Burmese military authorities to open a representative office
in Rangoon to facilitate international businesses in that
country. "We were informed of the permission today" to open a
representative office in Ran- goon, said Pamela George,
spokewoman for Hong Kong based core unit of London based HSBC
Holding plc. But she was unable to say when it would set up the
representative office.


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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
 JIR: JANE'S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
 KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
 Kt. BURMESE KYAT; 110-120 KYAT =US$1 BLACKMARKET
                    6 KYAT=US$1 OFFICIAL
 NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
 NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
 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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