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BurmaNet News: January 16, 1995
- Subject: BurmaNet News: January 16, 1995
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 18:50:00
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BurmaNet News: January 16
Issue #96
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Contents:
***************INSIDE BURMA***************
**AUNG SAN SUU KYI
NATION: SPECULATION ABOUT RELEASE OF SUU KYI STIRS RANGOON
**BUSINESS
BKK POST: JUNTA PAINTS BRIGHT PICTURE FOR BURMA
JAPAN TIMES: MYANMAR TO AIR FAMOUS JAPANESE TV SERIES
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*************************INSIDE BURMA*************************
AUNG SAN SUU KYI
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NATION: SPECULATION ABOUT RELEASE OF SUU KYI STIRS RANGOON
16 January 1995
It is more likely to be a victory of experience over hope, but
Burmese say January may be the month, AUNG ZAW writes.
Again, Rangoon is rife with active rumours. Aung San Suu Kyi will
be freed in January. But should they turn out to be
true, the question remains: Will the Burma's military leaders let
her go freely?
U Rewatta Dhamma, London-based Burmese monk who is serving as a
go-between, is in Rangoon in the hope of meeting the
detained opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate again. The
monk, who has good contacts with the State Law and Order
Restoration Council, told reporters just before he went to
Rangoon in December that Suu Kyi may be released in January. Many
analysts and journalists do not believed so -- but they have been
trying to get visas to Rangoon to make sure they do not miss out
if there is any dramatic event before the end of the month.
They argue that Suu Kyi will not be released till Slorc
wrenches a guarantee from her that she will not re-enter
Burmese politics. They maintain that even if Slorc freed her, she
will remain under some form of surveillance. She will
still like everyone else.
"If they don't release her this year, Slorc will definitely face
more international protests and I don't think Burmese people will
be tolerate," a Bangkok-based diplomat said
recently. Indeed, Suu Kyi is still supported by Burmese people --
but to Slorc leaders who rule the country for six years without
mandate, she is a danger or a thorn inside their
boots.
Recently, Ohn Gyaw of Burmese Foreign Minister replied to UN
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights on why Slorc has to detain
Aung San Suu Kyi. Ohn Gyaw charged Suu Kyi that she had been
influenced by anti-government, opportunist politicians and
insurgent groups in their attempt to seize political power for
their own end. Ohn Gyaw said, "For her own good and for the good
of the country she had to be restrained in order to
prevent her from promoting the cause of these unsavoury
political elements who found their way and got themselves into
positions of influence around her to create disunity among the
only unified establishment left in the country, the tatmadaw
(military), which was endeavouring to stabilize the situation
created by the political vacuum." On the other hand, Burmese
people have been trying to find out real happenings between Suu
Kyi and Slorc leaders.
The two-publicised-meetings between Suu Kyi and Slorc leaders at
the Army Guest House have not been informed to public. Suu Kyi
was appeared in Burmese TV but no voice. Burmese in
Rangoon said, "We are not being informed so we just guess; what
will they talk and discuss? In fact, regarding the talks there
are plenty of rumours. Some even said there more than two times
they (Suu Kyi-Slorc leaders) have met. Burmese say they don't
know who and what they going to believe.
A London-based observer said recently, "To make up for the lack
of official information, there is plenty of a less
definable kind." The meeting with detained-NLD members U Tin Oo
and U Kyi Maung may not be true, he said. It was reported that
Suu Kyi and her fellows Tin Oo and Kyi Maung, met at Army Guest
House Number One on November 1. Because of this at the time Suu
Kyi's mother-in-law, Mrs Evlen Aris was visiting and staying at
Suu Kyi's house.
The observer asks, Could someone perhaps have noticed Evelyn Aris
leaving the compound that morning in an official car, and
mistaken her for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? But analysts believed that
meeting with her National League for Democracy (NLD)
members will be one of Suu Kyi's demands she would have asked.
There was also another rumour that Suu Kyi had met Burma's
strongman Gen Ne Win on 30 October. But some sources in
Rangoon denied. Additionally, regarding her meeting with Slorc
leaders the observer said: there are rumoured that Senior Gen
Than Shwe, chairman of Slorc lectured Suu Kyi on Slorc
policies, spent whole of the first meeting. And then in the
second meeting, the judge advocate Brig-Gen Than Oo delivered a
similar lecture on the Slorc-sponsored National Convention.
However, the observer in London said there was a proper
dialogue really did take place between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and
the Slorc -- not just a one-way lecture.
At any event, the most important question is still: when will she
be freed and will she be allowed to participate in Burmese
politics? Slorc leaders repeatedly told Suu Kyi to leave for
foreign country. But she insisted not to leave the country not
even for five minutes.
So if the Slorc released Suu Kyi in January of this year,
there must be some conditions. The observer in London said, "They
(Slorc leaders) have worked hard to push through the National
Convention, and do not seem to have left much room for
flexibility. Some people say the Slorc will offer her some kind
of a job, working with them for some worthy objective." He asks:
Have the Slorc been persuading her to suspend her participation
in Burmese politics, after her release?
In fact, Suu Kyi cannot become head of State as Slorc leaders
have been holding the National Convention which the Slorc
insisted must guarantee the military a "leading role" in
politics. It has also introduced Clauses that would
effectively bar Suu Kyi from ever becoming Burma's leader. So
Slorc may release her when they have completed a new
constitution.
But opposition members in exile said they do believe Suu Kyi will
talk about 1990 election results with Slorc leaders. Suu Kyi's
party - the NLD won a landslide victory. "She is in
difficult position, but I don't think she will give up very
easily. She knows how Burmese people keep their faith in her.
Besides, she will not mar/damage her father's reputation." said a
former NLD member now in exile.
A former University Lecturer and political activist, Tint Zaw
said now is time put more pressure on Slorc to free Suu Kyi. But
the London-based observer said Suu Kyi will only be
released on a date least expected by analysts.
Aung Zaw
*************************INSIDE BURMA*************************
BUSINESS
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BKK POST: JUNTA PAINTS BRIGHT PICTURE FOR BURMA
16, January 1995
Fiscal year 1994-95, ending March 3, had been dubbed "The Year of
All-Round Development" by Burma's ruling military which has
painted a moderately bright picture of the country's economy. But
for the country's 43.91 million people it has been a peri- od of
continued tightening of belts to cope with the rising cost of
living resulting from increases in prices of energy and
electricity.
As of last October, Burma had already exported more than half of
its target of $729.83 million for the current year includ- ing
290,000 tons of rice sold by the trade ministry alone, according
to Trade Minister Lt Gen Tun Kyi, a member of the Slorc.
Rice exports could well exceed 1.2 million tons, setting a
three-decade record, by the end of the fiscal year when
exports by other ministers and the private sector are taken into
account, said Deputy Trade Minister Aung Thaung, a
recently retired army colonel.
Agriculture Minister Lt Gen Myint Aung, also a Slorc member and
military adjutant-general, had a more modest figure -
about a million tons at the end of the fiscal year.
Burma has been doing its best to regain its highest rice
export level of 3.4 million tons recorded in 1934 by
increasing cultivation acreage, per acreyield, and
agricultural inputs. The country is also promoting
mechanisation, modern techniques and multiple-cropping, the
agriculture minister said.
He said the record export level could be easily achieved if paddy
production from the 16 million acres - 12 million under monsoon
paddy and four million under summer paddy - hit the
20.54-million-ton mark, resulting in 12.5 million tons of
milled rice.
Burma aims this year for a paddy production of 18.48 million tons
(or 11.25 million tons or rice), according to official plan
figures. Deputy Agriculture Minister Tin Hlaing gave a different
figure at a conference in Manila organised by the Untied Nations
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) - 20 million tons,
three million tons more than the 1993 harvest. Burma plants to
export 30,000 tons of sugar (total production target is 59,00
tons) and 10,000 tons of jute, he said. Lt Gen Khi added that the
ministers of industry, agriculture and trade had already
surpassed their export targets.
The country, which currently imports annually 100,000 tons of
cooking oil worth $60 million (the production target for the year
is 210,000 tons), wants to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oil
within the next three years by increasing the
cultivation acreage of groundnut, sesamum, sunflower and
oilpalm, said Gen Aung.
The European Union, United States, Australia and other major
donors continue to call for improvements in the country's
human rights record, the release of Nobel laureate and
political detainee Aung San Suu kyi and other political
prisoners and the speedy transfer of power in accordance with the
results of May 1990 elections won by the National League for
Democracy (NLD) by a landslide.
Building of roads and bridges, railroads, hospitals and
schools are going on in the remote border regions while plans
were afoot for the construction of more than 30 dams, two
international airports, and natural gas pipeline to Thailand to
be completed by 1998. (BP)
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JAPAN TIMES: MYANMAR TO AIR FAMOUS JAPANESE TV SERIES
Posted to seasia-l
Jan 13, 1995
moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Japan Times: Myanmar to air 'Oshin' TV series
14 January, 1995
Rangoon (Kyodo) A state-run television in Myanmar will begin
broadcasting "Oshin", a famous Japanese TV drama series, in the
mid of this year, station officials said.
It will be the first time for Myanmar station to air a Japanese
series. Broadcasts of the weekly 30-minute program in English
will run for one year.
"Oshin" portrays a Japanese woman's arduous rise from severe
poverty to the presidency of a supermarket chain. It was a big
hit in Japan 10 years ago when it was aired by NHK(Japan
Broadcasting Corporation).
Since then, "Oshin" has been broadcast in more than 40 countries
and regions and has created a sensation in many places,
especially in Asia.
"Japan was still a poor country at the time when the heroine was
alive. It is significant to convey to people in Myanmar that
Japan's present prosperity was brought about after the country
underwent such painful days," said an executive at the Myanmar
station.
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NEWS SOURCES REGULARLY COVERED/ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET:
AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS
AFP: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
AW: ASIAWEEK
AWSJ: ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL
Bt.: THAI BAHT; 25 Bt.3 DUS$1 (APPROX),
BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
BI: BURMA ISSUES
BKK POST: BANGKOK POST (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
BRC-CM: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-CHIANG MAI
BRC-J: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-JAPAN
CPPSM: C'TEE FOR PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND
FEER: FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW
IRRAWADDY: NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
JIR: JANE'S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
Kt. BURMESE KYAT; 150 KYAT3DUS$1 BLACK MARKET
100 KYAT3DUS$1 SEMI-OFFICIAL
6 KYAT3DUS$1 OFFICIAL
MOA: MIRROR OF ARAKAN
NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (DAILY STATE-RUN NEWSPAPER, RANGOON)
S.C.B.:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP
S.C.T.:SOC.CULTURE.THAI NEWSGROUP
SEASIA-L: S.E.ASIA BITNET MAILING LIST
SLORC: STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL
USG: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
XNA: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
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