RSF/Burma, Voa/HydroElectric Burma,

[cd@xxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: RSF/Burma, Voa/HydroElectric Burma, Voa/Nichols

>From Paris, UVI.net, 
Metta, Dawn Star

Headline: Burma / Protest RSF : International Day of the Free Press
Headline: BURMA/ARREST: VOA Report arrest of Suu Kyi?s Friend
Headline: HYDROPOWER PROJECT ATTRACTS INVESTORS TO BURMA


Headline: Burma / Protest RSF : International Day of the Free Press
Keywords: REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES
Date: 3 May 1996
Source: RSF2@xxxxxxxxxxx (REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES),cd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Paris - (UVI.net) Burma, China and Vietnam are countries of South East Asia, 
cited in the 1995 Annual Report of RSF, Reporteurs Sans Frontières,  marking 
the 7th International Day of the Free Press for the defense of journalists 
around the world. 51 journalists were killed, as oppposed to 103 journalists 
killed in 1994.  

RSF, in their 1995 annual report, published today, cites some 149 countries 
worldwide marking incidents of various forms forms of pressure, murder, 
torture and abuse of journalists. China is particularly  criticized for 
having arrested and condemned dozens of journalists for having violated 
Chinese " state secret " laws. Elsewhere, since January 1st, ten journalists 
have been killed, (seven in Algeria) and 106 remain in prison. 

___________________________________________________________________________
His Excellency General Than Shwe
President State Law and Order Restoration Council
c/o Ministry of Defence
Signal Pagoda Road
Rangoon
Burma
___________________________________________________________________________
Paris, 16 April 1996
Your Excellency,

Reporters Sans Frontières, a worldwide independent organisation working to 
defend press freedom, wishes to strongly protest against the additional 
prison sentence imposed on two journalists.

According to our information, on 28 March 1996 Win Tin, former Hanthawati 
newspaper editor and Myo Myint Nyein, What's Happening magazine editor were 
given additional sentences of five and seven years respectively. They were 
found guilty of passing information  to Professor Yozo Yokota, the United
Nations Special Rapporteur for human rights in Burma about ill-treatment and 
poor prison conditions. The trial took place in camera in Insein Prison, were 
they are both serving sentences. They had no legal counsel during the 
proceedings, which is contrary to international fair trial standards.

Those sentenced may have been charged solely for exercising their rights to 
contact the outside world as provided for in Articles 37 and 39 of the UN 
Standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. 19 other prisoners 
were also sentenced on the same grounds and in the same conditions.

In a former protest, Reporters Sans Frontières called on you to immediately 
stop the ill-treatment of Myo Myint Nyein and Win Tin and to provide them 
with proper medical care and access to their families. Our organisation also 
called for the immediate and unconditional release of Myo Myint Nyei and
Win Tin, who had not committed a crime punishable by such a prison term.

We reiterate these requests, and point out that reprisals against those who 
provide information to representatives of United Nations human rights bodies 
are contrary to UN Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/70.

We thank you for your attention and would welcome your comments.

Sincerely,

Robert Ménard
General Secretary

C.C :
Burmese Embassy, Paris - French Embassy, Rangoon - AFP - AP - Reuter - 
Amnesty International - Article 19 - Canadian Committee to Protect 
Journalists - International Committee of the Red Cross - United Nations 
Commission on Human Rights - Committee to Protect Journalists - International 
Federation
of Human Rights - International Federation of Newspaper Publishers - 
International Federation of Journalists - Fund for Free Expression -  Index 
on Censorship - International PEN - International Press Institute - 
International Organisation of Journalists - UNESCO - World Press Freedom 
Committee.


REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES
Sécrétariat international
5, rue Geoffroy Marie 75009 Paris - France
Tel: (33) 1 44 83 84 84 - Fax: (33) 1 45 23 11 51 - Email 
rsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<hr>
Headline: BURMA/ARREST: VOA Report arrest of Suu Kyi?s Friend
Keywords:
Date:  april 30 1996
Source:DAN ROBINSON, VOA

BANGKOK -   BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT RECENTLY ARRESTED A MAN IT 
SAYS PROVIDED FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE TO DEMOCRACY FIGURE 
AUNG SAN SUU KYI.  THE ARREST OF JAMES NICHOLS, A 65-YEAR-OLD 
BURMESE CITIZEN OF BRITISH BACKGROUND, HAS PROMPTED CONCERN IN 
SEVERAL EUROPEAN CAPITALS. 

BEGINNING IN THE 1970'S AND UNTIL RECENTLY, JAMES NICHOLS 
ACTED AS A FORMALLY-RECOGNIZED, AND LATER DE-FACTO REPRESENTATIVE
IN BURMA FOR A NUMBER OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.

FINLAND, DENMARK, AND SWITZERLAND USED HIM AS THEIR MAIN CONTACT 
PERSON IN RANGOON -- AUTHORIZED IN SOME CASES TO ISSUE VISAS.  
NORWAY APPOINTED HIM AN HONORARY CONSUL-GENERAL -- A POSITION HE 
HELD UNTIL THE EARLY 1980'S WHEN HIS STATUS WAS REVOKED FOR WHAT 
RANGOON SAYS WAS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

IN MID-APRIL, THE BURMESE MILITARY GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED MR. 
NICHOLS HAD BEEN ARRESTED FOR POSSESSING ILLEGAL TELEPHONES AND 
FAXES AND SAID ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST HIM UNDER BURMESE 
LAW.

MR. NICHOLS IS ALSO WIDELY-KNOWN TO HAVE CLOSE TIES WITH BURMESE 
DEMOCRACY LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI, AND IS REPORTED TO HAVE HAD 
GOOD CONNECTIONS WITH MEMBERS OF BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT.

SINCE HER RELEASE FROM HOUSE ARREST LAST YEAR, AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S
RELATIONS WITH THE MILITARY HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY TENSE, WITH 
THE RULING JUNTA RESTRICTING HER ACTIVITIES, AND ARRESTING 
MEMBERS OF HER NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY (N-L-D).

BURMESE DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS SAY MR. NICHOLS NEVER TRIED TO HIDE 
HIS TIES TO AUNG SAN SUU KYI, AND HAD LOANED HER A CAR.  THEY SAY
HE HAD NO FORMAL CONNECTIONS WITH THE N-L-D.

BUT, IN ITS LATEST COMMENT BURMA'S MILITARY ALLEGES MR. NICHOLS 
PROVIDED -- WHAT IT CALLS -- GENERAL EXPENSES FOR AUNG SAN SUU 
KYI.  AN OFFICIAL COMMENTARY ALSO ALLEGED HE HAD CONTACTS WITH 
OVERSEAS OPPONENTS OF BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT.

DIPLOMATS FROM DENMARK, NORWAY, FINLAND, AND SWITZERLAND FLEW TO 
RANGOON RECENTLY TO CONVEY THEIR GOVERNMENT'S CONCERN ABOUT MR. 
NICHOLS.

THE GROUP INCLUDED NORWAY'S CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN 
SINGAPORE, A FINNISH DIPLOMAT, AND THE SWISS AND DANISH 
AMBASSADORS IN BANGKOK WHO ARE ACCREDITED TO BURMA

THEY WERE REFUSED PERMISSION TO SEE MR. NICHOLS, AND A REQUEST TO
MEET BURMA'S FOREIGN MINISTER WAS ALSO TURNED DOWN.  DIPLOMATIC 
SOURCES SAY THEY ASKED FOR MR. NICHOLS TO BE RELEASED, FOR THE 
TIME BEING, ON GROUNDS OF POOR HEALTH.

SCANDINAVIAN DIPLOMATS SAY THEIR RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS ARE STILL
EVALUATING INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THAT VISIT.  THEY DO NOT 
RULE OUT A POSSIBLE FUTURE JOINT PROTEST TO BURMA'S MILITARY 
GOVERNMENT.

THE DIPLOMATIC SOURCES ALL DECLINED TO SPECULATE ON ANY 
ACTIVITIES MR. NICHOLS MIGHT HAVE CARRIED OUT ON BEHALF OF 
DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES IN BURMA.  THE SOURCES SAY FOR NOW, HE SHOULD
BE RELEASED ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI HAS SO FAR NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE
ARREST OF MR. NICHOLS