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BurmaNet News June 20, 1996
----------------------------- BurmaNet -------------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-
The BurmaNet News: June 20, 1996
Issue # 447
Noted in Passing:
The two big issues of the Union have always been=20
=09=09Democracy and Non-Burman rights. - Marko Ban,
=09=09NCGUB Minister for Nationalities Affairs
=09=09(see S.H.A.N : IS THE SHAN PARTY LOSING=20
=09=09PEOPLE'S TRUST ?)
HEADLINES:
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
BURMANET: THE PLIGHT OF BURMESE FARMERS
S.H.A.N : IS THE SHAN PARTY LOSING PEOPLE'S TRUST ?
REUTER: JAPAN SAYS BURMA DENIES ARREST
MAINICHI SHMBUN: JAPAN HINTS AT TOUGH ECONOMIC ACTION
FBC: END OF RELAY FAST FOR A FREE BURMA
STRAITS TIMES: YANGON SEEKS FLEXIBILITY TO BEGIN TALKS=20
AP: SUU KYI CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
ASIAWEEK: ON HER OWN
PRNEWSWIRE: UNOCAL AWARDED ANDAMAN SEA
BKK POST: JOURNALIST VISA RULES TIGHTENED
BAG: PROTEST LETTER TO BURMESE AMBASSADOR TO BRITAIN
THE TIMES-PICAYUNE: LETTER TO THE EDITOR
WWW: BURMESE REFUGEE HOMEPAGE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BURMANET: THE PLIGHT OF BURMESE FARMERS
June 19, 1996
by the BurmaNet Editor
Burmese military-controlled TV frequently portrays a new generation of
farmers growing rich. Off the screen, the situation is vastly different.
Most farmers are struggling to make ends meet because of the high cost
of fertilizer and the regulation that they must sell a portion of their cro=
ps
to the government at artificially low prices.
Farmers in Bago Division produce roughly 50 baskets of rice per year. On
the open market, a basket of rice fetches 400 kyat (just over $3 at the=20
unofficial exchange rate). However, they must sell 12 baskets per acre to =
the=20
local authorities at a price of 50 kyat per basket. With fertilizer costin=
g=20
2300 kyat per 50 kilo bag, little money is left after the harvest.
In certain areas in the Irrawaddy Division, reports indicate that farmers=
=20
there are even harder hit. They are required to sell an extra 2 baskets to
the army as well as 12 baskets to the local officials.
Some farmers are able to make extra cash by planting beans during the=20
dry season. But again, the government takes a cut. Out of an average
production of 12 baskets per acre, the authorities demand two at a price
of just 600 kyat each. The market price is 1600 kyat. =20
When the crops fail, the farmers must still find a way to come up with=20
their quotas. According to one longtime farmer, many poor farmers must
sell their livestock so they can by rice on the market and sell it back to =
the
local authorities at the government price.
Those who do not come up with the quota on time are detained until=20
their families can bring in the required amount. While in detention, they
are not fed, and their families must bring them food or give the guards
money to buy their meals.
In the Delta area, farmers who cannot meet the quota are often treated
far worse. One resident related the following incident:
"Earlier this year, one farmer's field was ruined because of the weather. =
=20
He asked an official to come see the damage, but he didn't come. The
farmer couldn't give his quota and he was afraid, so he fled for 30 days.
Then he came back. When the official found out, he came and hanged
him from a tree. After the farmer died, he cut down the tree."
An NLD member who himself is a farmer said, "the authorities refuse to
accept the actual problems of Burma."
The government has developed some project areas where the farmers
receive fertilizer and gasoline at subsidized prices. However, the NLD
member insisted that these are mostly for demonstration to outsiders=20
and only 5% of the farmers are gettting rich. He estimated that 80% of
the farmers in his district supported the NLD.
Many farmers can no longer afford meat and have even had to cut back
on their consumption of rice and vegetables. Yet, local chapters of the
Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), a political=20
organization founded by the SLORC, have been profiting. In some areas,
the USDA is granted the privilege of buying fertilizer from the government
at a subsidized price and then selling it to the farmers at the market rate=
.
In one instance, the USDA was reported to be buying rice in advance of the
harvest from farmers who were desperate for cash. Paying only 50% of the=
=20
market value, the local USDA officials sold the rice at the full price afte=
r the=20
harvest and pocketed the profit.
Last year, rice exports rose significantly, but at what cost? Once the ric=
e=20
bowl of Southeast Asia, Burma was one of the top rice exporters in the
world. Today, the military regime appears intent on squeezing every last
grain out of the farmers in order to increase exports and provide rations
to its soldiers and bureaucrats. In the meantime, those who are spending t=
heir=20
days growing the crops are going hungry.
(Note: current unofficial exchange rate: $1 =3D 140 kyat)
**********************************************************
S.H.A.N : IS THE SHAN PARTY LOSING PEOPLE'S TRUST ?
June 15,1996
Reports that the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy ( SNLD ), popularl=
y
known as the Tiger Head Party ( in reference to its emblem ), the biggest p=
arty
in the Shan State and second only to the NLD in the whole Union of Burma du=
ring
the 1990 elections, might not follow the NLD and boycott the SLORC- held "
National Convention " have caused many people to feel let down and have mad=
e
some opposition parties scared.
The SNLD says it will continue to attend the next session of the NC when
re-convened. The fact that the party had in the past spoken openly in the
National Convention had been welcomed by every corner of the Union and thei=
r
statements had been considered as the true reflection of the people's wishe=
s,
even more so than the words of the NLD in the meeting, as they had been
excessively cautious until their leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released l=
ast
year.
" I hope I'm wrong, " says Marko Ban, the Minister for Nationalities Affair=
s of
the exiled National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, " but we t=
hink
the Tiger Head is helping the SLORC to win. It may think otherwise, but its
sitting on the fence stance will only benefit the SLORC and not the people.=
"
Asked to elaborate, Marko Ban, who is a Kayan from the Shan State, replied,=
=20
"The two big issues of the Union have always been Democracy and Non-Burman
rights. The SLORC's excuse for continued clinging on to power rests on eith=
er or
both pillars. One has gone with the NLD's boycott. However, the SLORC can s=
till
survive on the other pillar. The SNLD's refused to boycott is ensuring this=
. But
if it declares the National Convention invalid, and refuses to attend it
anymore, the other parties, most of them non- Burmans anyway, shall follow =
its
example and as a result render the National Convention meaningless. It is i=
n the
best interests of the peoples of the Union that its leaders act decisively.=
"
Asked what reasons might have turned the fierce Tiger into a cat, he said, =
" I
don't know, but there are reports that Khun Htun Oo ( the party's leader ) =
is
being silenced by business concessions from the SLORC. At least for the sak=
e of
the people of Shan State, I hope he refuses to exchange his own people's ri=
ghts
merely for his personal interests. "
However, S.H.A.N. could not as yet verify the reports of business concessio=
ns.
There is also speculation that the SNLD may have been under threat. One lit=
tle
piece of news that escaped the media's attention during the recent SLORC ar=
rest
of hundreds of NLD members was that they also took into custody the SNLD's
well-known and highly popular organiser, Sai Pha on 21 may.Though he was
released 5 days later, the ordeal might have served as a warning to the Sha=
ns
who are seriously considering the option of boycotting.
=20
**********************************************************
REUTER: JAPAN SAYS BURMA DENIES ARREST
June 19, 1996
TOKYO, June 19 (Reuter) - Burma's embassy in Tokyo told
Japan on Wednesday the Rangoon military government had no
intention of arresting pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a
Japanese government spokesman said.
``The Myanmar (Burmese) embassy in Tokyo said the government
is not considering arresting Aung Sang Suu Kyi or taking any
other measures, such as preparing an arrest warrant,'' Chief
Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama told a news conference.
Japan's Mainichi Shimbun, quoting unidentified sources in
Tokyo, reported earlier on Wednesday that the arrest of Suu Kyi
was possible and could take place by the end of this week.
Suu Kyi said in response to the Japanese daily's report that
she did not fear arrest, adding that such a move would damage
the military government more than her party, the National League
for Democracy (NLD).
``You can't participate in politics in Burma if you fear
arrest,'' Suu Kyi was quoted as saying in the evening edition of
the newspaper.
``A dictatorial government arrests anybody, anytime...But
the damage will be on the militaristic government, rather than
on the NLD,'' she said.
Kajiyama said Japan would continue to monitor the situation
in Burma ``not because we don't believe the Burmese government's
statement, but because the situation could change in the
future.''
Diplomats and analysts in Burma dismissed the report, saying
the rumours had been circulating in Rangoon for several weeks
with nothing to suggest an arrest any time soon.
******************************************************
MAINICHI SHMBUN: JAPAN HINTS AT TOUGH ECONOMIC ACTION IF=20
JUNTA ARRESTS SUU KYI
June 19, 1996
RANGOON (AP)
The government may take tough action against Burma if its military=20
regime arrests dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a top government=20
spokesman said Wednesday.=20
If (Suu Kyi) is arrested, the government should do more than just call on=
=20
the Burmese government for moderation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku=20
Kajiyama told a press conference Wednesday morning.=20
He thus hinted that the government may review its economic assistance to=20
Burma.=20
If Suu Kyi is arrested, the United States is highly likely to impose tough=
=20
economic embargoes against Burma and strongly urge Japan and other=20
Western allies to follow suit, government sources said.=20
In Washington, U.S. government officials said Secretary of State Warren=20
Christopher will call on ASEAN member countries during a ministerial=20
conference next month in Indonesia to join hands in pressuring Burma to=20
stop suppressing Suu Kyi and opposition forces.=20
Informed sources in Tokyo have told the Mainichi Shimbun that the=20
Burmese ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has=20
obtained an arrest warrant for Suu Kyi, secretary-general of the=20
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).=20
The junta may arrest her as early as the end of this week, the sources=20
added.=20
The sources said they do not know exactly what charges SLORC will press=20
against the opposition leader, but added that the junta is likely to invoke=
a=20
new law that outlaws political parties that threaten national safety and=20
order.=20
Late Wednesday, Kajiyama quoted the Burmese Embassy in Tokyo as saying=20
Rangoon is not thinking of taking any measure against Suu Kyi, and is not=
=20
preparing an arrest warrant for her.=20
The Japanese government has also obtained similar information from the=20
Burmese government, Kajiyama told an evening press conference.=20
The tension is rising there as two weeks have passed since the new law was=
=20
enacted. Information that an arrest warrant has been obtained came amid=20
such moves. But we haven=B9t confirmed it, Kajiyama said at the news=20
conference.=20
Meanwhile, Suu Kyi reacted calmly to the report that she may be arrested=20
soon.=20
In an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun, the Burmese opposition leader=20
said that dictators tend to arrest whom-ever they want to arrest whenever=
=20
they want to do so.=20
She added that those who are afraid of being arrested cannot participate in=
=20
any political activity in Burma.=20
Suu Kyi warned that if the junta arrests her, it will deal a much more=20
serious blow to itself than to the NLD. She was interviewed on Wednesday,=
=20
which is her 51st birthday.=20
Suu Kyi has led a pro-democracy movement in Burma since 1988, and was=20
appointed as secretary-general of the NLD in September of that year.=20
The military junta placed her under house arrest in July 1989, but was=20
released last July. She won a 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 during her=20
house arrest.
***********************************************************
FBC: END OF RELAY FAST FOR A FREE BURMA
June 19, 1996
Today participants in the Relay Fast for a Free Burma officially ended
their largely symbolic fast last night. The fast was begun on April 22
throughout the U.S. The end of the fast was intended to coincide with the
ceremony which is being held in Birk's Building US Congress today. The
weather in DC throughout the fast was a mixture of drenching rain and wind.
But our spiders held out even under not so favorable weather conditions
sharing with the houseless in Lafayette Park in front of the White House on
Pennsylvania Ave.
About 70 Burmese and American students from the following universities and
high schools expressed their outrage against the recent crackdown of
democrats in Burma by staging the relay fast:
East High (Madison, WI) =09=09Indiana University at Bloomington
Johns Hopkins University=09=09Montgomery College
Northwestern University=09=09Ohio State University
Pace University=09=09=09Santa Monica College
Stanford University=09=09UCLA
University of Wisconsin=09=09West High (Madison, WI)
West Los Angeles College
Importantly, pro-democracy Burma activists from Mon, Chin, Arakan, and Shan
from Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, and California showed their
solidarity with the people of Burma who continue to suffer at the hands of
the Nazi-like regime in Rangoon called SLORC.
The fast was covered by the print and broadcast media including the
Washington Times, Pacifica News Network, National Public Radio, the Voice
of America, BBC, and Oslo-based Democratic Voice of Burma.
FBC has been informed about how moved the freedom-loving people inside
Burma were by the fasters and their willingness to sacrifice food for
others' freedom. When one lives in the teeth of ruthless and seemingly
uncompromising power, news of solidarity and moral support give the
oppressed an uplifting and renewed energy. Our fellow democracy activists
in other parts of the world, particularly Thailand and India have expressed
their deep appreciation for the fast action as well.
Senator Mitch McConnell issued a statement in support of the fasters while
the Washington-based National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
lent both moral and material support throughout the fast.
To our American spiders, the FBC wishes to express our profound gratitude
for this highest act of solidarity with our fellow people in Burma's hour
of need.
*********************************************************
STRAITS TIMES: YANGON SEEKS FLEXIBILITY TO BEGIN TALKS=20
WITH SUU KYI=20
June 20, 1996=20
YANGON -- Myanmar's military government said yesterday it was doing=20
all it could to move towards dialogue with pro-democracy opposition=20
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to a newspaper commentary.=20
But the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) wanted the =
=20
opposition to show some flexibility if talks were to take place.=20
"We think the other side should have a flexible, constructive spirit which=
=20
is needed for dialogue, instead of a dogmatic, destructive spirit," the =20
commentary said.=20
At the same time, the Myanmar embassy in Tokyo told Japan that the =20
Slorc had no intention of arresting Ms Suu Kyi.=20
"The Myanmar embassy in Tokyo said the government is not considering =20
arresting Aung Sang Suu Kyi or taking any other measures, such as =20
preparing an arrest warrant," Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama =20
said.=20
Japan's Mainichi Shimbun, quoting unidentified sources in Tokyo, had =20
reported earlier in the day that Ms Suu Kyi's arrest was possible and =20
could take place by the end of this week.=20
Other state-run media in Yangon said in commentaries that foreigners =20
should not meddle in Myanmar affairs.=20
"A couple of agents of those who would like to see the government kowtow=
=20
to them just recently finished a tour of the region during which they did=
=20
some arm twisting to get our friends to toe the line. To no avail," one=20
commentary said.=20
It was apparently referring to a recent tour by two US envoys, Mr=20
William Brown and Mr Stanley Roth, sent to try to draw a coordinated=20
response to increased tension between Myanmar's military government=20
and the opposition.=20
Meanwhile, the State Department said in Washington on Tuesday that =20
Secretary of State Warren Christopher will discuss Myanmar's renewed =20
crackdown on dissent with his South-east Asian counterparts next month.
But a department spokesman said Washington was still considering =20
whether to send an envoy to the military-ruled country to convey US =20
concern or simply to continue talks with Myanmar's Asean neighbours. -- =20
AFP, Kyodo.
******************************************************
AP: SUU KYI CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY
June 19, 1996 (abridged)
By AYE AYE WIN Associated Press Writer=20
RANGOON, Burma (AP) Well-wishers celebrated pro-democracy leader=20
Aung San Suu Kyi's 51st birthday Wednesday, as a Japanese newspaper=20
reported that she faces arrest by the military government.=20
For Suu Kyi, this was the first birthday celebrated in freedom since she=
=20
was released from six years of house arrest in July. Burma's military=20
rulers had detained her without trial for allegedly endangering public=20
security.=20
Suu Kyi began her birthday celebrations at her home in a traditional=20
Buddhist manner by offering an early breakfast to five monks and six nuns.=
=20
Throughout the morning, friends and party supporters came to visit,=20
many bearing bouquets of flowers. Suu Kyi wore jasmine garlands and=20
orchids in her hair.=20
The state-controlled press, meanwhile, continued attacks on Suu Kyi=20
and her democracy movement, which angered the military regime last=20
month by holding a national democracy conference.=20
An editorial in the newspaper New Light of Myanmar suggested that Suu=20
Kyi and her colleagues ``are attempting to undermine the already restored=
=20
peace, tranquility and national reconciliation and hinder progress.''=20
It described their acts as ``traitorous in nature with ill intentions to=
=20
replay the turbulence of 1988 for their selfish aims,'' referring to the=20
pro democracy street demonstrations staged eight years ago. The military=20
killed hundreds of people to suppress the protests.
***************************************************
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
June 18, 1996 (excerpts)
Briefer: Nicholas Burns
MR. BURNS:
We were dismayed to see over the weekend continuing attacks on Aung
San Suu Kyi and her National League of Democracy. We are very
disturbed that more than 100 of the people in her movement who were
detained several weeks back are still detained.
Our Charge d'Affaires in Rangoon went into the government -- the SLORC
-- yesterday in Rangoon and made a very strong protest about the
continued detention of these individuals, who are jailed simply for
expressing basic civil liberties that in most countries are taken for
granted but, unfortunately, in Burma they are denied the people. So we
still strongly support the right of Aung San Suu Kyi and her
compatriots to express themselves about the political future of their
country.
Our own objective here -- short-term, tactical objective -- would be
to convince the Burmese Government -- the authorities there -- to
enter into some kind of political dialogue with the democrats and to
see if there is a way that they can begin to talk together. They have
spurned every opportunity to do that, and that's a great pity.
Q: Does that suggest you think there is a possibility of a regional
initiative involving Asian countries and the United States --
MR. BURNS: I don't know if there is going to be a possibility of an
initiative, but there certainly will be further discussions on this.
The United States will want to keep this issue in the forefront of our
discussions with these countries.
Excerpt from Press Briefing from June 19, 1996:=20
Q Nick, if I can just go back to Burma for one
second. You're aware that this report was in one newspaper,
of the impending arrest, and the Burmese Government has
denied it. Do you have independent information that an
arrest warrant has been issued for her, or are you relying
solely on this report in one Japanese newspaper?
MR. BURNS: We've seen the report. We can't confirm
it. I would be very glad, pleased to see a credible,
authoritative denunciation of this report by the Burmese
authorities. If that's the case, that would be at least
some good news.
Beyond that, if they choose not to issue an arrest warrant, they=20
should allow Aung San Suu Kyi to continue to act and speak freely, to=20
meet with her supporters, and they should release the 121 people who=20
remain detained by the Burmese Government.
********************************************************
ASIAWEEK: ON HER OWN
June 17, 1996
Aung San Suu Kyi will get little outside help in her battle with SLORC
By Susan Berfield and Ron Gluckman / Yangon=20
AUNG SAN SUU KYI describes her fight to bring democracy to Myanmar as=20
a battle of might versus right. But whether she, the generals who run the=
=20
country, and the international chorus of observers are involved in a=20
morality tale or just a political drama, everyone is playing their part wit=
h=20
conviction.=20
In the latest act, the generals on June 7 banned criticism of the=20
government, all but outlawed Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy and=20
threatened its members with up to 20 years in jail if they attended its=20
meetings. The next day, Suu Kyi defied the junta's dictate, met once again=
=20
with her NLD colleagues, and addressed 5,000 supporters at her=20
University Avenue compound. The military made no arrests, and Suu Kyi=20
promised the gatherings would continue. On Sunday afternoon 10,000=20
people showed up, and the military was again nowhere in sight.=20
It was the democracy activist's second run-in with the government since=20
her release from house arrest last July. When Suu Kyi scheduled a national=
=20
congress last month to commemorate her party's 1990 election victory,=20
the government detained 262 NLD supporters; some 100 may still be held.=20
The State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) warned the NLD not=20
to mistake its restraint last weekend for leniency. The generals, perhaps,=
=20
are just waiting for their cue. "Nobody can be sure what they'll do," says =
a=20
Yangon observer. "But they will respond, and the response will probably=20
be severe."=20
Myanmar's neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations=20
preferred to stay off stage. They said as little as possible, but what they=
did=20
say must have pleased SLORC. Officials in Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila=20
confirmed that Myanmar's Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw was still welcome to=20
attend ASEAN's foreign ministers meeting in Jakarta July 22 as an official=
=20
observer. And they signaled their continued support for Myanmar's=20
inclusion for the first time in the 19-member ASEAN Regional Forum on=20
security that will convene the following day.=20
The only chorus of disapproval last week came from outside the region. U.S.=
=20
President Bill Clinton dispatched two special envoys to visit four ASEAN=20
capitals and Tokyo. Their aim was to coordinate a regional response to the=
=20
stand-off between Suu Kyi and the generals. Retired ambassador William=20
Brown called for an "Asian solution." He was told that ASEAN was sticking=
=20
to its policy of "non-interference" and "constructive engagement."=20
Suu Kyi probably expected no more. ASEAN began drawing the generals out=20
of their isolation and investing in the country while she was still under=
=20
house arrest. Suu Kyi will "go the distance to bring democracy to the=20
country," said one of her confidantes. But the question is: How far will th=
e=20
generals go to stop her? "Nobody really knows what SLORC will do," Suu=20
Kyi told Asiaweek. "After all, these people can never be trusted."=20
In recent weeks the military has required households to each send at least=
=20
three people to applaud SLORC at rallies held outside of Yangon; the=20
punishment for not doing so was a fine or prison. State-run papers have=20
vilified Suu Kyi and her colleagues as a "handful of traitors fomenting=20
trouble at the instigation of their alien masters." And for the first time,=
=20
the government put up billboards at key intersections in the capital=20
denouncing Suu Kyi in English.=20
Because SLORC has invested both money and prestige in its Visit Myanmar=20
1996 effort, the billboards were, for some, a signal. "It shows that SLORC=
=20
is really serious, but perplexed about how to stop her and the NLD," said a=
=20
Yangon observer. Many believe SLORC's next step will be to round up NLD=20
supporters and outlaw the party for violating the new decree. "We of=20
course always considered this to be a possibility," Suu Kyi said. "We=20
believe in hoping for the best and preparing for the worst."=20
In the meantime, the NLD is likely to begin drafting a constitution,=20
challenging SLORC's own constitutional convention. "That would be treason,=
=20
an attack on the government and Myanmar," said a government official.=20
"SLORC can draw up any number of constitutions, but they will not be able=
=20
to win the support or the confidence of the people," Suu Kyi responded. "A=
=20
constitution is simply a piece of paper unless the people believe in it."
That is not the kind of comment that puts ASEAN leaders at ease. As K.S.=20
Nathan, a professor of international affairs at the University of Malaya in=
=20
Kuala Lumpur, explains: "ASEAN supports governments that are in place.=20
It will consider SLORC, even if it is brutal in some ways, to be an effecti=
ve=20
regime for Myanmar."=20
Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew believes just that. He defended=20
Myanmar's military at a Singapore function for foreign reporters last=20
week, saying it was "the only instrument of government" in the country,=20
and that without the power the military commands, Suu Kyi might not be=20
able to rule. She should stay "behind the fence and be a symbol," he=20
suggested. When told of Lee's remarks, Suu Kyi said: "I think that is a lit=
tle=20
strange, because Singapore is not ruled by an armed force, is it?"
ASEAN's support for SLORC may seem solid, but it is not necessarily deep=20
rooted. Just two years ago, Philippine President Fidel Ramos questioned=20
the merit of including Myanmar in ASEAN and said that "it is not about to=
=20
happen." While no fixed timetable for Myanmar's entry exists, some say it=
=20
could be a full member as soon as 1998; others believe it will remain an=20
observer for the next several years.=20
Myanmar's potential for investors -- and the government's promised=20
economic reforms -- have helped sway ASEAN leaders. Thailand has eyed=20
the country's vast forests and gem mines for years. Singapore has made the=
=20
development of Myanmar a national priority. Indonesia is heading to the=20
frontier, too: President Suharto's son, Hutomo Mandala Putra, is entering=
=20
the timber industry there.=20
Myanmar's ambassador to Indonesia, Nyi Nyi Than, says that it is cynical=20
to say his country is being courted just for its economic potential.=20
Myanmar has maintained good relations with its neighbors for many years,=20
he says. And the secret to such dialogue is, in a word, to whisper. "It is=
=20
instinctive in us Asians not to lose face even when there are differences,"=
=20
Than says. "Problems can be discussed quietly." Nathan believes that=20
ASEAN leaders will voice their concerns to Myanmar during the ARF=20
meeting. Sotto voce, that is. "These things we don't do formally,"=20
Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon told Asiaweek. "We talk=20
about them in informal dinners and golf games."
Even a suggested visit to Yangon by a seasoned diplomat such as Indonesia's=
=20
foreign minister, Ali Alatas, was deemed too risky. A Foreign Ministry=20
source says that Alatas believes that "Myanmar has been isolated for so=20
long that the potential exists for such pressure to send it back into=20
isolation." The only way Alatas might drop in, says a Bangkok-based=20
diplomat, is if he could use Myanmar's impending ARF membership as=20
camouflage. But that would not give him the pretext to meet Suu Kyi.=20
Indeed, no ASEAN leader seems keen to head to 54 University Avenue=20
anytime soon. "If Suu Kyi finds some middle ground with SLORC and=20
becomes more legitimate," says Nathan, "then ASEAN will accept her."=20
Until then, Suu Kyi must face the generals alone.
-- With reporting from Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila
*********************************************************
PR NEWSWIRE: UNOCAL AWARDED ANDAMAN SEA
June 19, 1996
=20
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 19 /PRNewswire/ - Unocal Corporation
(NYSE: UCL) today said its Unocal Bangkok, Ltd., subsidiary has
signed a petroleum concession agreement with Thailand's Ministry of
Industry for two blocks in the Andaman Sea under Thailand's 14th Bid
Round.
=20
The two blocks, W8/38 and W9/38, cover more than 18,750 square
miles in the Mergui Basin and the northern part of the North Sumatr=
a
Basin. The blocks are in deep water off Thailand's southwest coast,
approximately 30 miles west and southwest of Phuket. In the early
1970s, Unocal explored in the same area, discovering natural gas in
1976. The find was deemed sub-commercial at the time because no ga=
s
market existed.
=20
"These blocks are attractive in 1996 because natural gas has
become the fuel of choice for electrical power generation in
Thailand," said Brian Marcotte, president of Unocal Thailand, Ltd.
"If the prospects on these blocks prove to contain commercial
quantities of gas, we are confident we will have a market for it."
=20
Marcotte added that technological advances allow for the
economical development of deep water resources. Water depth in the
two blocks ranges from less than 1,000 feet to more than 3,000 feet=
.
=20
Unocal is focused on increasing its business activities in
Southeast Asia. Recently, the company signed a production sharing
contract to explore offshore Vietnam near Unocal Thailand's
operations in the Gulf of Thailand, and has proposed an integrated
energy project for Bangladesh. Unocal is also a participant in a
consortium that is developing the Yadana natural gas field in the
Andaman Sea, offshore Myanmar. This project will supply about 525
million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas per day to Thailand.
=20
Unocal Thailand has also concluded negotiations with PTT for a
fourth gas sales agreement to develop the Pailin field. Based on
drilling to date, Unocal estimates that the Pailin field contains
nearly one trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable gas. "We
believe that total recoverable gas could be as high as 2 tcf, but w=
e
will need to do additional delineation work," Marcotte said. Unoca=
l
has 35 percent interest in Pailin.
=20
In 1995, Unocal Thailand's gross production averaged 720 mmcf
per day of natural gas from eight offshore fields in the Gulf of
Thailand. Gross production for 1996 is expected to average 820 mmcf
per day, and this should rise to about 950 mmcf per day for 1997.
Unocal holds an average interest of about 65 percent (after-royalty=
)
in the producing contract areas.
=20
Unocal has a 46-2/3 percent interest in Blocks W8/38 and W9/38;
Total of France holds 33-1/3 percent; and Statoil, the Norwegian
company, holds 20 percent. There is an option for a Thai company t=
o
acquire a 10 percent interest in the venture. Unocal will be the
operator. The three-year work program for both blocks entails
seismic work and drilling.
********************************************************
BKK POST: JOURNALIST VISA RULES TIGHTENED
June 19, 1996
RANGOON has further tightened restrictions on the issuance of=20
journalist visas. Reporters from the Bangkok Post, Channel 3 and=20
Channel 7, who sought entry visas to cover the Yetagun gas deal=20
have had their applications rejected even though they applied as=20
part of an official Thai government delegation.
The Burmese Embassy on June 6 said all visa applications by=20
journalists must be approved by the foreign ministry in Rangoon.=20
The embassy also said journalists must travel within seven days=20
upon approval of their visas. (BP)
*******************************************************
BAG: PROTEST LETTER TO BURMESE AMBASSADOR TO BRITAIN
June 19, 1996
(On the occasion of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday this letter of
protest was delivered to the Embassy by Derek Fatchett MP, U
Uttara and Yvette Mahon of the Burma Action Group.)
Dear Ambassador U Hla Maung,
We the undersigned are deeply concerned that over seventy
supporters of the National League for Democracy are still being
held in detention by the authorities in Burma, and that some have
been charged and may be tried secretly. They include Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi's aide U Win Htein.
We condemn attempts by the State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC) to restrict the fundamental rights of the citizens of
Burma to freedom of association and expression, in particular
through the issuing of an order on 7 June 1996, which allows for
up to twenty years imprisonment for anyone making verbal criticism
of the SLORC's political strategy.
We urge the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release
all political prisoners, and to repeal this new law as a matter of
urgency. We believe that the only path to peace in Burma is
through dialogue, and we call on the State Law and Order
Restoration Council to initiate immediate and meaningful talks
with Burma's political and ethnic opposition. In so doing, we
support the statements already issued by the governments of the
United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States and Australia
deploring the current deteriorating state of events within Burma.
Yours sincerely,
Derek Fatchett MP (Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister) Archbishop
Desmond Tutu (Nobel Laureate) Mairead Maguire (Nobel Laureate) U
Uttara (Buddhist Monk and political exile from Burma) Yvette Mahon
(Burma Action Group)
******************************************************
THE TIMES-PICAYUNE: LETTER TO THE EDITOR
June 8, 1996
New Orleans, Louisiana
I thank the Times-Picayune for covering the recent show-down between Aung S=
an
Suu Kyi and SLORC, the ruthless military government in Burma.=20
Having recently returned from Burma where I interviewed Aung San Suu Kyi, a=
nd
asked questions of her that were posed by students at Trinity Episcopal
School, I know that many New Orleans children and adults care about the
injustices carried out there.
The young students I met at Trinity repeatedly told me that Burma's milita=
ry
government's actions were "not fair" and "really mean." Students also told =
me
they admire Aung San Suu Kyi for her bravery and her hard work for Burma's
democracy movement.
As I finish writing my young adult biography of Suu Kyi, I am kept off guar=
d
by the ever-threatening moves made by the military.
Recently, when the generals arrested over 500 people who supported democrac=
y,
as a way of obstructing Suu Kyi's democratic party (the National League for
Democracy) from holding a convention, cries for justice came from all over
our planet.=20
Australians, Japanese, Americans, and Europeans all sent messages to Burma'=
s
ruling junta that they must release their political prisoners or face great=
er
isolation from the international community.=20
Still, the generals pretend that they detained the democracy leaders to
prevent national chaos. Still they hold colleagues of Suu Kyi whose only
actions were to tell journalists Suu Kyi's side of Burma's story.=20
I fear for the life of Suu Kyi's press secretary, Aye Win, who so kindly
helped me arrange my interview with Suu Kyi. He may now be in a jail famous
for torture of democracy advocates.
Please continue to inform us of actions in Burma. I pray that people in New
Orleans who care about human rights will pay attention to the suffering in
Burma. Thank you.
Whitney Stewart
*****************************************************
WWW: BURMESE REFUGEE HOMEPAGE
June 7, 1996
Dear Friends,
Please Visit Burmese Refugee Project Homepage at:
www.kiss.uni-lj.si/sou/mp/slomsic/burma/burma.html
and feel free to send some suggestions & spread the information around...
Peace, Love & Betel,
g.
*******************************************************