BurmaNet News: August 2, 1996

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"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: August 2, 1996
Issue #480

HEADLINES:
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
IHT: INTERVIEW WITH THAILAND FM ON BURMA
ANNOUNCEMENT: US STRINGERS FOR THE BBC
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IHT: INTERVIEW WITH THAILAND FM ON BURMA
August 1, 1996 (International Herald Tribune)

IHT : Do Thailand and other members of ASEAN , the Association of=20
South East Asean Nations, share Western concerns about political=20
repression and human rights abuses in Burma ?

AMNUAY VIRAVAN: Myanmar, or Burma, as you call it, is part of=20
Southeast Asia. The political situation in Myanmar is of concern to=20
everybody who wants to see it contribute to regional stability. For=20
Thailand, an immediate neighbor that shares a 2000-kilometer (1,200)=20
common border, a stable, progressive and prosperous Myanmar would=20
help bring mutual benefits to both countries.
If Myanmarr runs into problems, it will affect us. For example, we=20
already have a large number of Burmese working more or less illegally=20
in Thailand. While we welcome some, we would like to see a better=20
situation for them at home so they don't have to make a living in=20
Thailand.

IHT : Will Western-led calls for release of political detainees in Burma=20
and the opening of negotiations between the Burmese government and=20
the opposition National League for Democracy to pave the way for=20
national reconciliation  and democratic rule have any influence on=20
Rangoon's policies ?

AV : I am sure that the Myanmar government is well aware of the=20
questions and positions aired by Western governments, their legislatures=20
and the international media. I think it is sensitive to some of these conce=
rns.
As a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum on political and security=20
matters, Myanmar has a commitment to make positive contributions to=20
regional peace and stability. They dare not shy away from those=20
responsabilities.=20

IHT : Why does ASEAN believe that its policy of constructive engagement=20
is a more effective way of bringing about change in Burma than=20
international pressure, including sanctions ?
AV : Isolating Myanmar with economic sanctions won't achieve the desired=20
results. ASEAN's use of economic, political and other contacts to engage=20
Myanmar will have a more positive outcome, although it will take time.

IHT : Do you see any progress yet ?
AV : Myanmar is opening up. It plans to join ASEAN as a full member.=20
It is subject to international opinion and pressure. There's no reason why=
=20
you cannot have a two-pronged approach. ASEAN has one approach. If=20
other countries want to apply some pressure, they can do so. We can't stop=
=20
them.=20

IHT : Are you saying that Western pressure on  Burma that stops short of=20
sanctions is actually helpful ?

AV : I'm not advocating anything. It's up to each country. But we are all=
=20
members of an international community, and we are all sensitive to what=20
the rest of the world thinks of us. Each country must play its own tune.

IHT : Burma is an official observer of ASEAN and a candidate member of=20
the group. Thailand, a democracy, is a founding member of ASEAN. Won't=20
the reputation and credibility of Thailand and its partners in ASEAN be=20
tarnished if Burma doesn't abide by interntional norms of behavior by the=
=20
timeit becomes a member of the group in the next few years ?

AV : Countries have different forms and degrees of democracy, if you=20
measure them by political freedom and civil liberties. ASEAN has never=20
put the adoption of a certain political system as a qualification for=20
membership.
We see that democracy is a worldwide trend. We want Myanmar to finish its=
=20
new constitution, hold elections and move toward democracy. We think it=20
is heading in this direction, and we are encouraging it do so.

IHT : Does ASEAN see the National League for Democracy and its leader=20
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi having a legitimate r=F4le in the political life of=20
Burma ? After all, representatives of the league won the elections that=20
were held in 1990 overwhelmingly.

AV : We see the League (NLD) as a political party which has every right=20
to perform a political function in Myanmar. But the 1990 elections were to=
=20
chose delegates to draft a constitution, not for the right to rule the coun=
try.
ASEAN is not making a judgement  about how Myanmar goes about=20
drafting a constitution and conducting its politics. That is an internal af=
fair.=20
But all people have the right to set up political parties. And I am sure th=
at=20
the constitution Myanmar is drafting will allow for a multiparty=20
democratic system and have room for the league.=20

IHT : You will visit Rangoon in August. Will you be urging the Burmese=20
government to hasten the pace of political reform ?

AV : The primary purpose of my visit is to promote trade, investment and=20
other forms of economic cooperation between Thailand and Myanmar.=20

IHT : Won't you take the opportunity to quietly nudge the Burmese=20
military regime on the political front ?

AV : ASEAN believes in quiet diplomacy, not noisy diplomacy.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: US STRINGERS FOR THE BBC
August 1, 1996

We are looking for two people - one in Washington and one in New York -
who would be interesting in filing reports, on a free-lance basis, for=20
broadcast by the Burmese Service.=20

The job:
You would file straight voice pieces, interviews, and radio features in
Burmese for broadcast in our news and current-affairs programmes or=20
in our weekly special interest features.
=09
We are primarily interested in first-hand coverage of developments of
interest/relevance to Burma (such as conferences on Burma; the consumer=20
boycott campaign; the developments in US policy towards Burma; the=20
activities in the US Congress/the UN, etc.), and on major US stories=20
(the presidential campaign; American foreign policy, etc.). The=20
Washington stringer would follow developments in Congress/the=20
administration closely, and the New York stringer would concentrate=20
on developments at the UN.

You would be paid per piece broadcast, according to the BBC stringer
rates (currently a minimum of U$ 66.00 for a straight voice piece of up to=
=20
four minutes).

The qualifications:
Ideally, you would be a journalist (radio, print or TV) but if you:
 . are a graduate/under-graduate;
 . are interested in journalism, and in international and Burmese
current-affairs;
 . have good English and your Burmese is of mother-tongue standard;
 . are well-informed about US policy and developments and follows
developments of =09interest/relevance to Burma closely;=20
 . and  are interested in contributing to the  independent and objective
news coverage that we broadcast to Burma;=20
we can provide training in radio broadcasting and BBC editorial policy
and journalistic style.=20

We are hoping to select the stringers by mid-October, in time to invite
them to attend a five-day =09BBC training course in Boston in late
November/early December (at the expense of the BBC).

If you are interested and would like more details, contact=20
Daw Kyi Kyi May (Executive Producer) or Marcia Poole (Section Head) at
BBC Burmese Service, Bush House, Strand, London WC2B 4PH, United=20
Kingdom
e-mail: marcia.poole@xxxxxxxxx/ fax + 44 171 836 9466/ telephone + 44 171
257 2545

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BURMANET SUBJECT-MATTER RESOURCE LIST

BurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of different=20
topics related to Burma. If you have questions on any of the=20
following subjects, please direct email to the following volunteer=20
coordinators, who will either answer your question or try to put you=20
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Campus activism: =09zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Boycott campaigns: [Pepsi] ai268@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    =20
Buddhism:                    Buddhist Relief Mission:  brelief@xxxxxxx
Chin history/culture:        [volunteer temporarily away]
Fonts:                  =09=09tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
High School Activism:     nculwell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
History of Burma:            zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
International Affairs: =09 Julien Moe: JulienMoe@xxxxxxx
Kachin history/culture:      74750.1267@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx=20
Karen history/culture: =09Karen Historical Society: 102113.2571@Compuserve.=
com
Mon history/culture:         [volunteer needed]
Naga history/culture: =09Wungram Shishak:  z954001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Burma-India border            [volunteer needed]
Pali literature:            =09 "Palmleaf":  c/o burmanet@xxxxxxxxxxx
Resettlement info:=09refugee_help@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx=20
Rohingya culture=09=09volunteer needed
Shan history/culture: =09Sao Hpa Han: burma@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shareholder activism:       simon_billenness@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx=20
Total/Pipeline=09=09Dawn Star: cd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx =20
Tourism campaigns:      =09bagp@xxxxxxxxxx     "Attn. S.Sutcliffe"  =20
volunteering: =09=09refugee_help@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
World Wide Web:              FreeBurma@xxxxxxxxx

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