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BurmaNet News March 12, 1996: FBC C



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Subject: BurmaNet News March 12, 1996: FBC Campaign Update


------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
----------------------------------------------------------

The BurmaNet News: March 12, 1996
Issue #360    SPECIAL ISSUE - FREE BURMA CAMPAIGN UPDATE

HEADLINES:
==========
FBC: MARCH 13TH APPEAL: RELEASE STUDENT PRISONERS NOW
REPORTS FROM STUDENT AND CITY FREE BURMA GROUPS
MEDIA UPDATE AND USEFUL RESOURCES
CRITIQUE OF "ROAD TO MANDALAY" BROCHURE
LETTER TO COMPANY SELLING CLOTHING PRODUCED IN BURMA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BURMANET EDITOR'S NOTE:

This is only a partial update of everything that has been happening in the Free
Burma Campaign over the last month.  Many other colleges have been 
active, showing movies about Burma, inviting guest speakers, and organizing
protests and petitions.  There have been several news reports in local and 
campus papers about local  FBC chapters' activities as well. The movement is 
growing and groups are collaborating more effectively.  Updates on FBC activities 
are compiled and posted approximately once a month.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FBC: MARCH 13TH APPEAL: RELEASE STUDENT PRISONERS NOW

"Call for the release of Burmese student activists inside SLORC's jail"

Burmese pro-democracy students inside Burma and members of the National 
League for Democracy are very encouraged by our international efforts.   Our 
fellow students inside Burma have urged us to call for the release of Burmese 
students who are still in SLORC's infamous jails. The SLORC has never 
issued a general amnest to student activists, and many have been languishing
in jail for over five years.  Despite the claim that Burma's economy is growing 
with an impressive speed, most people live in destitution. They are counting 
on the FBC and other pro-democracy organizations and activists who continue 
to raise critical voice against the SLORC and its highly repressive rule.

                The address to write to:
                Lt. General Khin Nyunt (Dear Lieutenant General)
                Military Intelligence Chief
                Secretary #1, SLORC
                c/o Ministry of Defence
                Signal Pagoda Road
                Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar)

The NLD leaders including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo, and 
U Kyi Maung are working very hard and doing everything in their power 
to retain and increase the momentum for the movement.

All of them appreciate the work we all are doing internationally.  Our
fellow activists in Burma want us to understand that even where
multinational corporations such as PepsiCo doesn't do business **directly**
with SLORC, they can only work with rich Burmese business tycoons 
who are strong supporters of SLORC.

UREGENT ACTION ALERT

All FBC groups should launch petition drives in support of Burma Freedom 
and Democracy Act as soon as possible. 

Free Burma Coalition just received a grant for the dissemination of 
posters, Burma info packets, and videotapes to our FBC groups.  So if 
your group has not sent us your snail mail address, please do so.

Also, For those of you who have signed on to the Free Burma campaign recently, 
we want to invite you to be part of one or more focus groups.  We have several
focus groups including Pepsi, Oil, Tourism, Media, Outreach, and speakers
bureau.  The purpose of working in this fashion is to ensure the effeciency 
of our work, as this has linked up Burma freedom fighters with similar 
concerns (such as alumni trips to Burma, Pepsi's support for SLORC, etc.).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STANFORD UNIVERSITY ACTIVITIES

On February 27th and 28th, bunches of Stanford students gathered to make 
phone calls regarding the Senate bill. Other groups our following our lead
and doing similar things on the same day and in the following days to really put 
concentrated pressure on the House and the Senate.

Stanford SEAC has had a much-more-succesful-than-we
thought-possible campaign against Taco Bell (ie... Pepsi + Burma).
One of the main reasons it has worked so well is because we have been able to
use the support and success of so many other schools as as a bargaining chip
in every situation. I hope all of you can use what happened here
to help your own campaigns.

So, it started when the Dean of Students announced that Taco
Bell was under serious consideration to open a franchise in our student
union. We responded immediately with a letter to the Stanford Daily and
then in a weekly column. After that we decided that we would set the
ambitious goal of getting 1000 signatures (on a campus of 5000
undergrads) specifically opposing Taco Bell and asking for a student
government resolution against all products from corporations directly
invested in Burma.

We hit up all the dorms, the center of campus, the campus movie theatre etc... 
After one day we had gathered 500 signatures and sent out press releases titled
"The South Africa of the 90s!!!." and explained how we were exceeding our
goal far beyond our expectations. We also explaied that we were "part of
the largest student organization in the country."

Witthin the next days we got endorsed by most of the student government,
other organizations and got on the local radio, local TV and then The San
Francisco Chronicle and the big radio stations at their news hour.
Tomorrow, we plan a public presentation of 2000 signatures to the Dean of
Students and are completely convinced he will abandon Taco Bell - he's
been very friendly so far and it is pretty obvious at this point that
about 90% of the student body opposes Taco Bell. If anyone wants a copy of
the news reports, we'll be very happy to send them.

some things we learned:

it really helped us to identify with the S. Africa campaign; Newspapers
remember how crazy that was and would love to pick this one up just as it
is getting off the ground.

a lot of people, at least here, read the local
paper and can be convinced by solid arguments and, while signing a
petition is pretty easy, people haven't been nearly as apathetic as we
thought. Clearly, infiltrating the campus paper is a good idea.

If you send a press release out saying that you've "more than
accomplished your goals" it looks really cool. We also found that as this
campaign got going some people who hadn't been as active before, really
took ownership and did some amazing things. It also helped to talk to the
Dean of students before the campaign kicked off so that he didn't feel
like there was any antagonism.  After all, he is the Dean of Students;
he's here for us.

Stanford-Palo Alto Burma groups have also embarked on getting a selective
purchasing ordinance passed by Palo Alto City Council. They have gotten 
several articles into local papers on their activities.

contact: Nick Thompson (nickt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABSDO AUSTRALIA ACTIVITIES

We have set up a student net work called Free Burma International Students 
Solidarity Network whose members are Burmese and non-Burmese students 
and youth activists from more than 20 countries. The FBISSN will be 
coorperating with FBC. 

We the Burmese students in Australia (ABSDO) and the Australian
National Union of Students will organize a protest rally at the Thai
commision and Thai airways office in coopreation with the initiative of FBC
to launch the second wave of Internation Day of Action on 13 th of March . 
We have also urgedthe FBISSN network to organize the activaties in their 
countries.
---------------------------------------------------------------

WISCONSIN FREE BURMA CAMPAIGN UPDATE

We have written letters and made petition calls in support of the 
Sanctions Bills to Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl and 
Congressman Klug as part of the March 13 Action. 

On March 4, 1996, there was be a panel discussion on socially
responsible investment and University of Wisconsin's illicit role (via its
investment in Pepsi, Texaco. and other multinationals) in political
oppression and human righst violations in countries including Burma, East
Timor, Nigeria, and Tibet.

We are looking into pursuing a statewide campaign to introduce a law
that would require corporations to merge ethical and moral values with
their economic practices.

Free Burma group here has been working with the Coalition for Socially
Responsible Investment in getting Burma and other country-specific issues
on the agenda of Business and Finance Committee, UW Board of Regents.
There will be a petition drive for "socially responsible investment"
practices by the Board of Regents.

Activist organizations from various UW campuses have endorsed the petition
and are actively working on the issue.  The UW System-wide activist meeting
is scheduled for March 9 and "socially responsible investment" and procurement 
are the two major issues on the agenda.

Boycott Pepsi campaign has picked up momentum in Wisconsin schools at
both college and high school levels.  Soon we will be forming a US high
school coalition (FBC) with Nathan as the organizer. Nathan orchestrated a
highly successful high school protest in Madison's West High School.

Contact:  zarni at zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
------------------------------------

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

We are planning to launchpetition/signature drive on campus for the 
Burma Freedom & Democracy Act before the spring break to send 
letters to senators from Indiana and other states. 

There are already about 50 signed letters to be sent to Senator Lugar and
Senator Coats of Indiana.  The members of Asian Student Union at Indiana 
University helped petition drive last week.

There are numbers of arranged movie shows around campus and Bloomington 
community.  We will be showing Burma Deception, Life On The Line, and 
Beyond Rangoon 

The Amnesty International, Commission Of Multicultural Understanding 
(COMU), and the Burmese Student Association are sponsoring Daw Aung 
San Suu Kyi's keynote address tape to be shown in WTIU, the Indiana 
University Television channel.

On Feb 26, the Indiana Campaign for Free Burma sponsored a Burma benefit 
concert with a local music group.. 

>From April 4th to 7th, Free Burma Campaign is going to have workshop and 
information booth at Midwest Asian American Students Union Spring 
Conference. There are many possibilities that the MAASU would do to help 
FBC activities.

contact: tmyint@xxxxxxxxxxx  iuburma@xxxxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------------------------------------------

HARVARD UNDERGRAD COUNCIL PASSED BURMA RESOLUTION

Resolution 14S-17:  Free Burma Act (Simons), passed on March 3, 1996
The resolution states that the Undergraduate Council shall not, wherever
possible, knowingly purchase goods or services from corporations which
invest in Burma. The Council will also call on the governing boards of 
Harvard University and all departments to adopt policies prohibiting the 
purchase of goods and services from corporations which invest in Burma;
In addition, Undergraduate Council calls on the governing boards of 
Harvard University, and specifically the Advisory and Corporate Committees 
on Shareholder Responsibility, to adopt policies of voting in favor of resolutions 
which promote human rights and democracy in Burma and call on corporations 
to withdraw from Burma.

*************************************************

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

We held our Burma Action Day on Feb. 29th and put tables out on the 
Commons, selling our "Boycott Pepsi" tee-shirts, "decorating" all campus 
Pepsi machines with signs and stickers, and of course petitioning for the 
Burma Freedom and Democracy Act. Before Burma Action Day, we
already had over 60 letters signed and mailed out to the Virginia senators. 

On March 13 or 14 we will have a potluck dinner and watch Beyond Rangoon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

OHIO UNIVERSITY

Lisa and Burma folks have recently launched a Burma campaign at Ohio
University in Athens.

Edith Mirante, the author of "Burmese Looking Glass" (Atlantic Monthly
Press, 1993) and Director of Project Maje) recently gave a series of lectures 
and slide presentations on Burma.

Contact: Lisa at lb252689@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Greg from Earth Matters at NYU has been working on Pepsi Boycott on campus
and wants to campaign for a selective purchasing resolution at the University.

Greg at gph6574@xxxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------------------------------------------

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

About 60 students attended a talk by Ma Khin Ohn Mar last week.  There is
an on-going Burma Action on campus by a group of concerned students. They
are interested in introducing a selective purchasing ordinance there.

Contact:  Viriane at vl5191A@xxxxxxxxxxxx or 
Jawaludin at jm79149@american .edu
------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

We recently conducted a Burma workshop and representatives from
various campus and community groups attended the workshop.  A 
successful Burma rally was held in Dinky Town, Minnespolis.

As a result of the workshop, four new Burma Groups were formed: at the 
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and -Osh Kosh campuses, St. Cloud 
State University, MN, and University of Minnesota. 

St. Cloud: Rogers at williR01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or (612)-255-2674
U. of M. : Chris at mill0901@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or jay at pso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
U. of Wisconsin at Milwaukee: Bill at bilobong@xxxxxxxxxxx
U. of Wisconsin at Osh Kosh:  Heidi at (414)232-0394

Activists from U. of M. and Twin Cities are working on getting Burma
resolution passed by Minneapolis City Council. They are also putting 
pressure on local politicians to endorse pro-democracy Burma Action at
the federal level.

Contact:  Drew (Free Burma) at 612-298-8489
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MILLS COLLEGE, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
        	
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's keynote address from the Beijing Women's
Conference will be shown on April 13, 1996

Contact: Edna Mitchell, Director, Women's Leadership Institute
 (510) 430-2365
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY (LOGAN)

There will be showing of Beyond Rangoon on campus.
Contact:  Jennifer at SLWFN@xxxxxxxxxx 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COALITION

The entire New York SEAC (Student Environmental Action Coalition) is
now on board.  They adopted the Free Burma campaign as THE NYSEAC 
campaign.  That means we will have 25 more colleges and high schools on 
board with us.

Contact Dawn Grewer at djgremer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SARA LAWRENCE COLLEGE

There was a Burma workshop at the NYSEAC conference at Sara Lawrence
from March 1-3,.

Contact:  Scott at sdinsmor@xxxxxxxxxxxx
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARY WASHINGTON COLLEGE, VIRGINIA

A new Burma group was created recently and they are doing Pepsi Boycott
campaign.

Contact: Annebelle at ldanc7i6@xxxxxxxxx
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

The UNC group has been doing a Pepsi Boycott and is considering
asking local AIDS activists to work with them because of SLORC's 
inappropriate responses to the AIDS crisis in Burma.

Contact Katie at klkasben@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WARREN WILSON COLLEGE, NORTH CAROLINA

We have sent press relases to a number of newspapers about our campaign 
on campus. We recieved 200 Pepsi Boycott stickers from the Portland group 
and have been selling them. Half the porceeds of the contributions for
these stickers will go to the yearbook and our own advertisement for the
Free Burma cause.  We held an all campus Free Burma meeting on
Feb. 26th to address our Burma campaign.

Contact:  George at ghobart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADRIAN COLLEGE, MICHIGAN

There will be a Burma talk under the name of "Youth on Global Issues"
on March 13 at 7 p.m.

Contact:  Erin at ebarkey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

Our FBC group meets every Wednesday.  We have been
doing the petition drive for several weeks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAB SCHOOL

The school's Amnesty International chapter  is planning to do 
a Beyond Rangoon showing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

NYU and NY groups rallied Burma supporters for  the Feb. 23 NY City 
Council Public Hearing RE: Selective Purchasing Ordiance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BURMA ACTION GROUP, ENGLAND

Burma Action Group will hold a strategy meeting for Don't Visit Burma year
1996.  Also BAG's The Alternative Guide will be available soon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BURMA ACTION COMMITTEE: COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR NEWS 

1. Nationwide demonstrations planned for April 1. Anyone interested in doing
demonstrations in their city, please contact Matt at BAC (503) 786-9517. It's
a lot of fun- please get involved!

2. Four Columbia demonstrations have been held in the last 3 weeks - one in
NJ and three in Portland. Another Portland demo is planned for Sat.
Demonstrators leafletted the Dark Castle of Columbia HQ yesterday in an
effort to reach employees.

3. If you see any publicity about Columbia in your local media, please let us
know.

4. A press release is being sent out describing Columbia intransigence and
other issues.

5. REI members and shoppers - REI committed over a month ago to stop buying
Columbia clothing made in Burma. If you see any, let REI and us know.

6. Boycott Pepsi stickers with Unocal reference still available
Stickers cost US$1.00 for 5, $10.00 per 100, and $90 per 1000, shipping
included. For Canada please add US$1.00 per 100 for shipping. Overseas please
contact us for shipping. Send checks to Burma Action Committee, PO Box 1926,
Portland OR 97207, and we'll ship upon receipt.

Stickers are 3 1/2" circles and read as follows:
Stop financing Burma's dictators
The South Africa of the 90's!
(large Pepsi logo with "BOYCOTT" stamped over it)
Tell Pepsi: (800) 433-COLA, Somers NY 19589 USA
Info:  //danenet.wicip.org/fbc/freeburma.html- Boycott Unocal too!

(Stickers are pictured at that web site)

Contact: Brischmidt@xxxxxxx
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COLORADO COLLEGE ACTIVITIES

We are doing a Beyond Rangoon showing and we have been working on 
getting the selective purchasing ordinance project going at the City Council
in Colorado Springs.

Contact: Jon Shay  at ERC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE

We are doing petition drive for Burma Freedom and Democracy
Act.  Also there will be Burma documentary film series followed by
discussion on Burma's political situations.

Contact: Lee at lccS95@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SANTA BARBARA

Our FBC group will do "Beyond Rangoon" screening on UCSB campus.

Contact: Ben at uflamb00@xxxxxxxxxxxx or
 Dr. Carol Richards at 73030.64@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

The UA group will do the Beyond Rangoon showing.

Contact:  Naomi at naomi@xxxxxxxxxxxx or Christopher at 
crf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

There was a Burma Action at NW on March 6 We recently had a Beyond
Rangoon showing, and we went and raised the issue of Unocal's bankrolling 
Slorc at a public lecture by Donald Jacob, the 27 year old member of Unocal 
Board of Directors and Dean of Kellog Graduate School of Management.

Contact: Brad at simpsonb@xxxxxxx
------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

There was a Burma talk at the Institute for Human Rights Law on March 6th.

Contact:  Mary at mbunker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ACTIVITIES

The Georgetown Law Center student bar association (student government)
passed a resolution supporting our push to get Georgetown to adopt a
Burma policy.   The vote by the student government is only a resolution
but it will help us when we meet with university administrators.  We'll be 
meeting with the University's Vice President for Financial Affairs and also 
with the student organization that runs the campusstores.  There is a good 
chance the student stores will agree to take Pepsi off the shelves.

There was a Burma panel at the Peace Conference at Georgetown 
on Feb. 24).  Contact:  Jeanette Cecilia Voss
<jeanette@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> who is  Amnesty International Student
Coordinator for DC area.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR

"Abby, Amnesty Internationals secretary and I have put together a
packet of Burma info. for our Alumni Assoc.. .  .
I also talked to Gene Carlberg (Ann Arbor-D) today about the selective
purchasing legislation.  She said that resolution will hopefully be moved
near the end of Feb. .  ."

UMichigan group has collected hundreds of petition signatures from students
there to present to the Ann Arbor City Council.

Contact:  Ryan Dobson Friedrichs at ryandf@xxxxxxxxx

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MASSACHUSETTS BURMA BILL PASSED FIRST READING

The Massachusetts Burma selective purchasing bill (H2833) could come up for
its Second Reading vote of the full Massachusetts Senate as early as the
week of March 11.  The bill was reported out of the Steering and Policy
Committee last week.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL: SELECTIVE PURCHASING LEGISLATION

The Feb. 6 hearing of the Finance and Legislation Committee to
consider legislation for a stringent Oakland selective purchasing law
was postponed until Feb. 27. We think it will pass without problems 
and Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris now appears to be on board as well.

The reconstructed draft is now a generic 10 page document with
language that will apply equally to Burma and Nigeria. We will simply
plug in different WHEREAS sections at the front of the bill dealing
with the specific human rights situation in Burma.

 If this schedule holds, the final passage date is now set for March
12. Perhaps by then San Francisco will be ready to pass a bill!

Contact Conrad MacKerron 
---------------------------------------------------------------

COMPANY BOYCOTT LIST AVAILABLE

The updated list of companies that are presently in Burma is now finished!!!
 This is an important list for those who are working on the selective
purchasing campaign and are engaged in socially responsible investing and
other forms of protests such as boycotts, etc. The list has the company's
name, the contact person, their address, a brief business description, and
the extent to which they are involved in Burma.  I have combined my original
list with Ken Bertsche's list from IRRC to make this new and improved guide
for activists.  If you want a copy, please send me a message at
YUCFCAA@xxxxxxx and I will expedite your request as soon as I get a chance.  

The original list is now broken into three smaller lists so that activists
can receive the ones that are relevant to their regions.  They are:

     1)  Asia/Pacific
     2) Europe
     3) North America/Canada

Please tell me which list you would like for me to send to you.  As always,
you are more than welcome to receive all three if you want. 

This list was originally compiled by Harn Yawnghwe and David Arnott.  I am
now working on their behalf on the research and  dissemination process.  I
would appreciate any comments and further input on this roster.  Also, if any
of you would like to help me with this list,  I can always use some help.  

Cheers!

Chris Yu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: GREAT TOOL FOR FBC

I just received the latest edition of the standard version of "Congress At
Your Fingertips."

It contains comprehensive information on Members of Congress, Congressional
Committees and members of the Administration. It also includes a succinct
guide to writing your Members of Congress and setting up personal meetings.
This is the best (and least expensive) guide to Congress that I have come
across.

Students should note that the guide lists each Member of Congress's
educational background. You could use the guide to find which Members of
Congress are alumni/ae of your school and then use the connection to write
to them urging them to support and co-sponsor the "Burma Freedom and
Democracy Act of 1995."

The guide is available from:

Capitol Advantage
PO Box 1223, McLean, VA 22101
(703) 734 3266
(800) 659 8708

The standard version costs about $10 and you can charge it over the phone.

Simon Billenness
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MEDIA COVERAGE

INC. magazine is writing a story about the Free Burma Campaign
and the use of internet.

A French-owned International Newswire Service (AFP) based in Washington,
DC has just filed a story on the Free Burma Campaign.

The VOA just filed a story on March 13 Second Action Day and so did the
Chronicle of Higher Education on Madison's socially responsible investment
campaign.  Burma is a major component and a winable battle.

John Pilger, Austraian-born documentary film-maker, is making a
film on Burma.  Pilger is an internationally acclaimed artist who has twice 
won the prestigious BBC documentary award,  and has made "Death of a 
Nation (about East Timor) and one on Cambodia. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A SEED EUROPE AND X MINUS Y: HEINEKEN

A SEED Europe and Solidarity Fund XminusY has launched a campaign
in the Netherlands to demand that Heineken pulls out of Burma. This 
campaign kicked off very well and the press is very interested! 

Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd. (APBL), a joint venture of Heineken (it 
has 42,5% of the shares and a 50% management share) and the Singapore 
based Fraser and Neave, founded a joint venture with the Union of 
Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. (UMEHL), to construct a brewery in 
Rangoon, Myanmar Brewery Ltd. APBL holds 60% of the shares and 40% is 
held by UMEHL. The brewery is being built under the supervision of 
Heineken Technical Services. The brewery is expected to be completed 
in September 1996. Shares in UMEHL are held by the Ministry of 
Defence, Defence Service personnel, regimental institutes 
and senior ex-servicemen. 40% is owned by the Directorate of 
Procurement of the Ministry of Defense, the department responsible for 
the buying of arms.

Contact aseedeur@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

The USC Academic Student Senate unanimously voted to condemn the 
Trojan Traveler tour to Burma, and students have been handing out
the flyers and info. critiquing Thomas P. Gohagan & Associates' travel 
brochure for the "Road to Mandalay" tour.

			Cover Page 	
The Brochure...
"To find an unspoiled country today may seem impossible, but Myanmar, called
Burma in the days of the Raj, is such a place."
	The Reality 
        Since 1988, Burma (the name still used by those opposed to the
military junta, though the "days of the Raj" ended in 1948) has suffered
under the iron grip of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC.   

The Brochure...
"Myanmar's pagodas and temples, scattered among great forests and rolling
plains, remain living objects of veneration." 	
	The Reality
        The SLORC has systematically destroyed hundreds of mosques and
temples, and continues to destroy the great forests.  The SLORC has taken
over farms along the rolling plains, using forced labor to work the fields. 

The Brochure
"Through this remarkable landscape runs the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River--
Kipling's river and the country's great natural highway." 	
	The Reality
        Burma has four great rivers.  The brochure doesn't mention the
Salween, which is effectively a highway for teak logs.  Trojan Alumni won't
be cruising the Salween.  Occasionally, when forced porters for the military
grow too exhausted from mistreatment and malnutrition, they are beaten to
death and dumped in this river. 

The Brochure
"The deluxe river cruiser M.V. Road to Mandalay is your base for exploring
the Ayeyarwady and its temples, plains and hills."
	The Reality
        What better way to prevent tourists from interacting with the
millions of people who oppose the SLORC? 

The Brochure...
"Nothing can prepare you for the sight of Bagan, the former capital and now
a ghost city that stretches for twenty miles along the Ayeyarwady." 
	The Reality
        Perhaps nothing can prepare you for the awful truth about Bagan: the
town is a "ghost city" because the SLORC forcibly relocated Bagan's 5,000
residents in 1990. 
		
"Dear Trojans" cover letter from USC Travel Coordinator Jan Sturgeon	
The Brochure...
"It is not just the ruins' majesty nor the fervent devotion of this quiet
people..." 
	The Reality
        The people of Burma aren't any more "quiet" than you or I.  A more
accurate term would be "silenced". 

The Brochure...
"Myanmar now freely welcomes visitors from the West." 
	The Reality
        The SLORC "freely" welcomes visitors -- so long as they don't try to
meet with proponents of democracy, don't visit the home of Nobel Peace
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, don't hand out any literature, don't ask too many
questions, don't demonstrate for democracy, don't represent the governments
of the United States, Norway or Japan, don't ask to see political prisoners,
don't represent the universities of Stanford or Michigan, and don't travel
too far from tourist-designated areas.   

The Brochure...
"Visit the villages of Mingun and Sagaing, their hillsides decorated with
both temples and fragrant blossoms." 
	The Reality
        A Burmese couple from Sagaing may never smell the fragrant blossoms
of their         hometown again.  They had to leave Burma or face
imprisonment.  Their crimes:         delivering two 45-minute speeches to
the people, and organizing union support         for democracy in Sagaing's
salt factory.   

The Brochure...
"The capital city of Yangon (Rangoon) is the home of the impressive
Shwedagon Pagoda and a holy site for Buddhists." 
	The Reality
        Rangoon is also the location of the U.S. embassy, in front of which
thousands         of students, monks and common citizens were massacred in
1988.  Trojan         Travelers probably won't get to visit the University
of Rangoon, where         students who ask the wrong questions and
professors who give the wrong         answers face interrogation.  Travelers
aren't particularly welcome on         University Avenue, home of Nobel
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and site of her         six-year house arrest.
Each weekend since her release, some 8,000 Burmese         from throughout
the country come to hear her speak. 

			Wed. March 6 	
The Brochure...
"During a concise city tour, visit the Nandaw Kyaung (Golden Palace
Monastery)... and see the Royal Palace, now known as Fort Mandalay."
	THE REALITY
        As early as August, 1994, the New York Times reported of Mandalay's
500,000         residents receiving orders to clear the moat around the
Royal Palace to         prepare for tours like "Road to Mandalay".  The
forced laborers included         children and the elderly.  A concise tour
here is a good idea, as the forced         labor stints have made Mandalay's
residents somewhat resentful. 
			Thurs. March 7
The Brochure...
"Sagaing/Bagan" 	
	The REALITY
        That Burmese couple from Sagaing, incidentally, has already been on
the USC         campus to urge USC to cancel sponsorship of the "Road to
Mandalay" tour.
  
			Friday March 8 	
The Brochure...
"Bagan: Royal temple-building (according to the Buddhist tradition) secured
merit for the king and his subjects, gaining them an easier path to nirvana." 
	The REALITY
        SLORC's generals have tried to use the noble tradition of volunteer
labor at         Buddhist sites to convince foreigners that forced labor on
tourist sites,         railroads, and streets, is also a noble tradition.
Street construction,         though, is plainly not sanctioned by Burma's
Buddhist monks, many of whom            participated in the 1988
demonstrations and were jailed for it.  

The Brochure...
"After dinner, enjoy a delightful performance of Burmese marionettes."
	The REALITY
        You probably won't be seeing Burma's most renowned comedy troupe
after         dinner.  Following a performance at Suu Kyi's house a few
weeks ago in which         they mocked the ruling SLORC, members of the
troupe have been imprisoned. 

			Saturday March 9 
The Brochure...
"After checking in at the Hotel Summit Parkview, spend the remaining day at
leisure." 
	The REALITY
        Be careful in your "leisure."  Though there's a U.S. embassy,
there's no         ambassador and there may not be a consular treaty --
meaning that travelers         will have no U.S. protection if they run into
trouble with temperamental         SLORC officials.  More likely than not,
Trojan Travelers will be followed by         SLORC agents who will
subsequently question any Burmese they come in contact         with.  While
in Rangoon, Trojan Travelers may get a glimpse at some Padaung
"longneck" women, whose ornamental neck rings have made them targets for
forcible relocation into a SLORC-sponsored "ethnic zoo."  USC Alumni will be
lucky to see them alive: not many of these mountain people are expected to
survive in Rangoon's hotter climate.   
The Brochure
"Gather at the hotel for dinner this evening..." 	
	The REALITY
        ... and ask yourself, is this one of the hotels with foundations
built by children lucky enough to be paid thirty cents per day? 

			Monday March 11 
The Brochure...
"This morning, fly from Yangon to Hong Kong via Bangkok... "
	The REALITY
	...from the Rangoon Airport, also built with forced labor!
		
Drafted by the Los Angeles Campaign for a Free Burma.  
Email: freebrma@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 	 	 
-----------------------------------------------------------

LOS ANGELES CAMPAIGN FOR A FREE BURMA: LETTER TO ROSS

Ross Dress-for-Less is selling men's underwear produced in Burma.

Mr. Norman Ferber, CEO
Ross Dress-For-Less
8333 Central Avenue
Newark, CA  94560

Dear Mr. Ferber:


o   Burma's textile factories are owned in part by a brutal military junta, the   
ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC).  According to recent 
United Nations and human rights reports, SLORC continues to commit wide-scale 
human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and summary executions, 
torture, forced labor, forced portering, and suppression of freedom of speech and 
freedom of association, and violations of basic property rights.  SLORC is 
holding thousands of political prisoners, most recently detaining members of the 
party voted into power in 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD).

o   Levi-Strauss & Co. have stopped sourcing from Burma, finding it "impossible" 
to do so "without supporting the military regime and its pervasive violations of 
human rights."

o   The U.S. has no ambassador to Burma, but the last one there, Burton Levin, 
said that the SLORC is "so single-minded that whatever [income] they obtain from 
foreign sources they pour directly into the military."  SLORC's only enemies are 
the people of Burma who want democracy and the right to self-determination.

o   Macy's has stopped sourcing from Burma, finding it impossible to operate 
there without potential to violate the U.S. Corrupt Foreign Practices Act 
(bribery is so pervasive in SLORC's business relations as to be systematic).

o   Citing a growing awareness campaign about the situation in Burma, Eddie Bauer 
has stopped sourcing from Burma.  Liz Claiborne has also withdrawn.

o   After Petro-Canada canceled a joint venture with the SLORC, Petro-Canada 
executive John Ralston Saul referred to SLORC leaders as "thugs, criminals and 
drug dealers."

o   Due to human rights concerns, Reebok has committed to not doing business in 
Burma.

o   National League for Democracy leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu 
Kyi was held under house arrest for six years.  Following her June 1995 release, 
Suu Kyi has said "we are no where near Democracy yet" and that foreign investors 
should "jolly well wait" before jumping into business ventures in her country.

o   Included in the mission statement of the Free Burma Coalition, which now has 
more than fifty (mostly student-based) participating organizations, is a 
commitment to "fully support Aung San Suu Kyi" and the drive to restore Burma to 
democracy.  

In addition to these facts, women's organizations are increasingly concerned 
about the SLORC's use of gang rape in the bordering ethnic regions to humiliate 
and "ethnically cleanse" groups opposed by the SLORC.

I'm certain that your company had no idea about the implications of selling 
clothes made in Burma.  Ross is in a special position to make things a little 
easier on the people of Burma by canceling all contracts and future orders from 
Ron Chereskin Studio and Chano International until these companies withdraw from 
Burma.  This shouldn't have a great financial impact on Ross, which carries only 
a couple of clothing items from this company; but it will have a tremendous 
impact on the SLORC and may in fact lead to a lessening of human rights 
violations and swifter recognition of the NLD, which represents more than seven 
million voters in Burma.    

Already, the cities of Berkeley, Madison and Santa Monica have passed tough South 
Africa-style selective contracting measures preventing them from doing business 
with companies involved in Burma.  Ross ought to enact a similar policy.  

Frequently, a clothing wholesaler will respond to inquiries about sourcing from 
Burma by claiming that factory conditions there "meet or exceed international 
standards".  Whether or not this is true, it has nothing to do with our position 
that supporting the SLORC in any way is reprehensible.  Dozens of Nobel laureates 
agree.

Burmese members of my group in Los Angeles would like to meet with you.  We can 
also arrange a meeting with concerned people in the San Francisco Bay area, 
closer to your headquarters.  In the coming days, I will be notifying the other 
Free Burma organizations of Ross' sales of Burma-produced textiles by copy of 
this letter.  The only thing that binds these organizations is a commitment to 
halt U.S. investment in SLORC-controlled Burma, so it will be up to each group to 
respond as it sees fit.

In recent weeks, we have acquired more information pointing to a new round of 
crackdowns by the SLORC against pro-democracy activists in Burma.  We also have 
access to video footage of forced labor taken in January of 1996.  Time is of the 
essence in Burma, so please respond soon.

Sincerely,

David Wolfberg, Director
Los Angeles Campaign for a Free Burma 

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