The BurmaNet News February 19, 1997

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"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: February 19, 1997
Issue #643

HEADLINES:
==========
THAILAND TIMES: KAREN REFUGEES PLEAD FOR INTN'L HELP
BKK POST: ARMY ON ALERT AS BURMESE CLOSE IN ON REBEL BASE
REUTER: EU COMMISSION SEEKS END TO BURMA AGRIC. GSP
NATION: UN OFFICIAL PLANNING TO HOLD TALKS WITH SUU KYI
THE NATION: BURMA INTENSIFIES PUSH AGAINST KAREN REBELS
THE NATION: KAREN REFUGEE WAVE EASES
THE NATION: RIGHTS "NOT ON SUHARTO'S TOUR AGENDA"
THAILAND TIMES: THAI-BURMESE FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE TALKS
THE DAILY YOMIURI: MARUBENI INKS VENTURE IN MYANMAR
KNU INFORMATION CENTER : EYE WITNESS ON KAWTHOOLEI
THE NATION: 16 KNU MEN GIVE UP FIGHT
STRAITS TIMES: ASIA-EUROPE TIES AT CROSSROADS
BURMA SOLIDARITY GROUP MALAYSIA: PRESS STATEMENT 
BRC-JAPAN: JTB TARGETTED FOR BURMA PACKAGE TOURS
SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET NO.A-0022
VOA: BURMESE DOCTOR HONOURED BY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

THAILAND TIMES: KAREN REFUGEES PLEAD FOR INTERNATIONAL HELP
February 18, 1997
by Assawin Pinitwong

TAK: More than 5,000 Karen refugees from the torched Huay Kaloke refugee
camp yesterday staged a demonstration in the burnt remains of their former
shelter, calling on the international community to help them in their plight
and blasting the Burmese regime for their outrages against the Karen people.

The refugees, among them many children, held banners expressing their strong
condemnation of both the Burmese junta and the pro- Rangoon Democratic Karen
Buddhist Army (DKBA), who set fire to two Thai refugee camps, including Huay
Kraloke, late last month.

Several leading figures from among the refugees took turns to take the
stage, from where they gave speeches in both Karen and Thai, lashing out at
the military regime and the DKBA.

Mario, a leader of Huay Kraloke camp, told reporters that they had fled
across the border in search of rights, freedom, and peace, none of which
they were able to enjoy due to the barrage of assaults by the DKBA. 

"We live in fear of our lives, and urge the Thai government to provide
tougher security for us," he said.

Stephen, chairman of the committee of a Karen refugee school, said the
refugees, with no houses or places for their children to study, faced an
uncertain future.

"My plea goes out to countries around the world to provide us with safety,"
he said.

Their future remains uncertain however, with a fresh incursion yesterday by
a member of the DKBA. The DKBA soldier, who carried with him a hand grenade,
was apprehended along with a Thai police officer while crossing the border
into Ban Mai Wang Pha village in Mae Sot district, according to a Thai
military source.

The DKBA man claimed he was in charge of the local cross border logging
trade, and although the Thai officer refused to testify, the DKBA man
alleged that the officer was also heavily involved in the cross border trading.

Meanwhile news agencies yesterday reported the Burmese junta as having said
they would eradicate the anti-Rangoon Karen National Union (KNU) from
Burma's eastern border region, saying the KNU presence in the area
threatened Burma's "political, economic, and social development."

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

BKK POST: ARMY ON ALERT AS BURMESE CLOSE IN ON REBEL BASE
February 18, 1997

Local authorities were yesterday placed on "full alert" following growing
tension between Burmese troops and Karen rebels opposite Ban Duang Dee in
Tha Sae district.

Residents living along the border will be moved to safety in case of an
incursion and the Chong Kha Mew pass, which serves as the trade channel, has
been closed.

Border police and the army have been mobilised and arms and reinforcements
have been deployed to maintain peace in the area.

It was reported that Burmese troops have closed in on the minority rebels'
stronghold - about 1.5 kilometres into Burmese territory from the border.

The stronghold is home to more than 2,000 rebels who fled the 491 Strategic
Hill four years ago after it was seized by the Burmese army.

Authorities have turned down the Burmese troops' request to enter Thailand
in order to launch an all-out attack from the east.

Army chief Chettha Thanajaro yesterday urged Burma to respect Thai
sovereignty warning that cross-border assault from any side - even from
Burmese soldiers - would be dealt with by force.

Gen Chettha insisted the Thai army was neutral and would not interfere in
Burma's internal affairs noting that the army was a good ally - not only to
Burma but also to Karens from both the Burma-backed Democratic Karen
Buddhist Army and the Karen National Union.

"If they cross the border no matter if they are Burmese forces, DKBA or KNU
we will consider them enemies and push them out by force," he said.

According to reports released yesterday, brief fighting occurred opposite
Ban Prak Thake on Friday after the Burmese troops failed to persuade the
Karens to surrender.

The Burmese army later withdrew its force without any reports of injuries or
death.

Yesterday, troops were also moving against the last areas of southeastern
Burma held by the guerrillas, as the rebels' leader accused the government
of "trying to crush his fighters".

Government troops were approaching a strip of territory more than 200
kilometres long adjacent to the border with Thailand held by the rebels'
fourth brigade.

Aid workers on the border reported that over 700 refugees were lined up on
the Burmese side waiting to cross into Thailand.

About 2,000 rebel fighters were stationed in the territory, which runs along
the Tenasserim river adjacent to the Thai province of Kanchanaburi, where
the last KNU-held villages are situated, a rebel source said.

He added he expected the main thrust of the government attack to be against
Minthamee, the main KNU base in the area, where most of the rebel group's
fighters were concentrated.

A controversial pipeline project which the Burmese government is
constructing with the aid of French, Thai and US companies to supply natural
gas to Thailand from offshore fields in the Andaman Sea is located just
north of the area.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Karen National Union vowed to battle on against
the offensive and accused the military junta of trying to crush the KNU.

KNU chairman Bo Mya said: "We will continue to fight since they are
attacking us. In fact we are defending ourselves ... We are not going to
give up."

Aid workers in Umphang said shelling had been reported in areas formerly
held by the sixth brigade.

Shells landed near Beung Klueng in Umphang district, where some 9,000
refugees have gathered - both new arrivals and those who have abandoned
camps closer to the border.(BP)

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

REUTER: EU COMMISSION SEEKS END TO BURMA AGRICULTURE GSP
February 18, 1997

BRUSSELS, Feb 18 (Reuter) - The European Union may decide as early as Monday
to withdraw special trading privileges from Burma's agricultural products.
    Diplomatic sources said EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on
Monday will discuss a European Commission proposal made on Tuesday to strip
Burma of Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) benefits on agricultural
products.
    The move comes amid growing unease over Rangoon's human rights record.
    The Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that it would ask the
foreign ministers to revoke Burma's GSP following an investigation into
Burmese labour practices.
    The investigation follows complaints from international and European
trade union groups that Burma was using forced and child labour to boost its
exports.
    The Commission said Burma refused to cooperate with the Commission
during the investigation.
    In December, the European Commission scrapped Burma's industrial GSP
privileges for the same reason.
    The latest move comes less than a week after EU foreign ministers
agonised with their Association of Southeast Asian Nations counterparts over
the best way to bring Burma back into the international community.
    The EU, which favours isolating Rangoon, was warned by ASEAN ministers
that it had no say in whether Burma would be made a member of the Asian group.

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

THE NATION: UN OFFICIAL PLANNING TO HOLD TALKS WITH SUU KYI
February 18, 1997
Sa-nguan Khumrungroj, Yindee Lertcharoenchok 

A SENIOR representative of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is on
a brief official visit to Burma, the first trip by a UN delegation since the
latter half of last year. 

Informed sources in Thailand and the United States confirmed that Francesc
Vendrell, director of the Political Affairs Department, will stay in Rangoon
until tomorrow. 

He is on a tour of Southeast Asia and will next visit Cambodia and Laos. 

During his stay in Rangoon, Vendrell will meet leaders and officials of the
governing Burmese State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) and is
expected to hold talks with opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi and other pro-democracy leaders. 

The Burmese military rulers' earlier refusal to allow UN representatives
into the country was because of their concern that the UN officials would
also meet Suu Kyi, the strongest critic of the Burmese regime who has been
calling for tougher international measures and sanctions against the ruling
junta. 

Vendrell and his superior, Alvaro de Soto, assistant secretary-general for
political affairs, have visited Burma over the past few years on behalf of
the UN secretary-general. 

The UN chief was mandated by a UN resolution on Burma to help find a means
to improve the political and human rights situation in the country. 

The Burmese junta also rejected repeated requests by the new UN human rights
envoy to Burma, Rajsoomer Lallah, to visit the country. 

Lallah, an Oxford-educated judge from Mauritius, replaced Japanese professor
Yozo Yokota, who resigned from the post in May last year in protest over
having to constantly fight for funds to carry out his work. 

Slorc said it does not recognise Lallah's appointment as the regime was not
consulted on Yokota's replacement. 

In his capacity as human rights envoy, Yokota conducted annual visits to
Burma, usually at the end of the year, when he met Slorc officials and Suu
Kyi and her political colleagues from the National League for Democracy. He
also visited prisons and interviewed prison inmates, political detainees,
ex-prisoners and political activists. 

He also travelled to Burmese refugee camps along Thailand's border with
Burma to inquire about the human rights situation there before submitting an
interim report of his findings to the UN General Assembly in New York and a
full dossier to the plenary session of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights
Commission, which begins its annual meeting in February or March. 

Although he was not allowed to visit Burma late last year, Lallah still
submitted an interim report to the UN General Assembly in which he harshly
criticised the legal framework in Burma, saying that various existing laws,
by themselves, violate international norms in the field of civil and
political rights. 

He also criticised the Slorc's failure to implement its commitment towards
the establishment of democracy in the light of the general election in May
1990. 

Sources said De Soto and Vendrell had earlier refused to travel to Burma
unless they were allowed to organise their own itineraries. 

The fact that Vendrell is visiting Burma at the moment means that he must
have been allowed a degree of independence in his trip, the sources added. 

The sources said they could not confirm whether Vendrell would also visit
Thailand for meetings with Thai government officials and exiled Burmese and
ethnic dissidents, which he has been known to do when passing through the
Kingdom. 

His trip to Burma coincides with the current Burmese army's major military
operation against the Karen National Union after the armed group continually
rejected Burmese demands to surrender. 

The offensive, which began early last week, has driven tens of thousands of
refugees into Thailand. 

The Burmese offensive, which is still going on, took place shortly after
intrusions and violent raids against three Karen refugee camps in Thailand
by both Burmese and renegade Karen troops. (TN)

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

THE NATION: BURMA INTENSIFIES PUSH AGAINST KAREN REBELS
February 18, 1997
Yindee Lertcharoenchok 

THE Burmese army is pressing ahead in its efforts to capture the last
remaining sizeable area under the control of the country's Karen rebels,
while the combined number of refugees who have fled into Thailand since the
offensive began has reached a record 100,000, the largest number since the
Cambodian conflicts in the 1980s. 

Although the Thai Army has played down the impact of the major Burmese
offensive against the Karen National Union (KNU) on Thailand, arguing that
the fighting is a Burmese internal affair, officials from several government
agencies said that they foresee problems between the two countries as a
result of Rangoon taking control of the entire 2,500-kilometre common
frontier for the first time. 

They said that Thailand's national security policy towards its western
border will have to undergo a major overhaul and that the two countries,
which are yet to resolve several territorial claims, will face a surge in
new territorial disputes. 

Thailand, they said, also faces the heavy burden of housing more than
100,000 ethnic refugees from Burma, a number which excludes several hundred
thousand more illegal Burmese immigrants already seeking employment and
better economic opportunities. 

Thai officials said they have detected a new mass movement of Burmese troops
towards the area controlled by the KNU's 4th Brigade, which is opposite
Kanchanaburi. 

They said that about 2,500 Burmese troops from Bokpyin, Kawthaung and Tavoy
have been deployed to launch attacks from the north and southwest on the
brigade's headquarters in Thi Tha, while another Burmese contingent is
poised to attack Chong Kamin, opposite Thailand's Chumphon province, where
the KNU's 11th and 12th battalions are located. 

The officials said that the fall of the 4th Brigade would mean ''a virtual
end" to all of the KNU's stationary strongholds and its source of income
from fisheries, logging and mining. 

They said the KNU will not be able to resist the superior number of Burmese
troops and are certain to burn down their camps before pulling back and
transforming their forces into full mobile guerrilla units. 

Thai officials said that about 3,000 Karen refugees have already crossed
into Thailand around the Bong Ti Pass in Sai Yok district and that thousands
more are expected to flee across the border, should a full offensive be
launched in the Thi Tha area. 

A relief worker said yesterday that most of the civilians in the area under
the 4th Brigade's control were displaced within Burma after earlier
harassment from Rangoon and that as many as 5,000 were possibly making their
way towards Thailand's Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces. 

Some officials said that Thailand is facing a refugee crisis similar to that
which occurred as a result of conflicts in Cambodia in the 1980s, which
drove more than 500,000 Khmers into Thailand. (TN)

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

THE NATION: KAREN REFUGEE WAVE EASES
February 18, 1997

(AFP) Mae Sot - The tide of refugees fleeing fighting between Karen rebel
forces and Burmese govnerment troops is beginning to slow, aid workers on
the Thai border said yesterday.

Although some 1,200 villagers crossed the frontier near the Thai town of
Beung Kleung on Sunday, bringing the number of refugees in the vicinity to
around 9,000, the situation is stabilising, they said.

On Saturday, thousands of refugees crossed under fire from the Burmese Army
mortars. Junta troops are sweeping through territory controlled by Karen
National Union (KNU) opposite Tak province.

A Thai military border task force office said on Sunday that 11,300 new
refugees had arrived in the Umphang district of Tak. This brings the number
of Karen refugees in Thailand to more than 90,000. Most are housed in camps
along the border.

A further 2,000 to 3,000 refugees are believed to have crossed into Thailand
but are still sheltering in the forest, aid workers said.

Those in Umphang - which the Thai military put at 22,000 as of Sunday - are
in need of help.

Tak Governor Pongpayome Vesaputi said on Sunday that Thai authorities will
close down existing camps in Umphang and group the Karens at a single
facility away from the border. (TN)

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

THE NATION: RIGHTS "NOT ON SUHARTO'S TOUR AGENDA"
February 17, 1997

(Reuter) JAKARTA - President Suharto of Indonesia will visit Burma this week
during a Southeast Asian tour, but diplomatic sources and analysts said
human rights would not be on his agenda.

Suharto, the elder statesman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean), goes to Cambodia today, Laos on Wednesday and Burma on Friday
before returning to Jakarta on Feb 23.

All three countries are set to join the seven nation Asean, possibly later
this year when the organisation celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Current members are Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, the
Philippines and Vietnam.

Burma's military rulers came under fire from the European Union (EU) at a
meeting with Asean members in Singapore in the past week, with the EU urging
Asean to put pressure on Rangoon for political reform.

But analysts said Suharto was highly unlikely to raise such issues. Even if
other Indonesian officials did it would by "very low key very indirect, very
subtle", one source said. 

The sources said it would be totally out of character for Suharto himself to
discuss human rights in Burma and it was inconceivable that he would meet
Burmese opposition democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

"President Suharto's visit is yet another step to enhance our understanding
and friendship with Asean. This will show the outside world we are
together," a Burmese government spokesman said.

Indonesia has also come under fire from some Western states, notable
Portugal, over its human rights record in the former Portuguese colony of
East Timor which it invaded in 1975 and annexed the following year.

The European Union and Asean states pushed this issue aside during their
Singapore meeting, stressing instead a need for closer cooperation between
tow of the world's major economic blocs.

Asian diplomats and Indonesian sources played down the significance of
Suharto's trip in the contest of the Singapore talks and Western pressure on
Burma.

"The arrangements for the trip were made some time ago, so I don't see
anything new or controversial about it. I don't think the mood form outside
has any bearing on it, " one Asian diplomat said.

Indonesian State Secretary Murdiono, announcing the tour, said it had no
connection with Asean. The leaders of all three states had visited Indonesia
and Suharto was returning the courtesy.

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

THAILAND TIMES: THAI-BURMESE FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE TALKS RESURRECTED 
February 18, 1997

Bangkok ; The Burmese army chief has at long last agreed to resume
negotiations on the suspended Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge project, Thai
Army Chief Chettha Thanajaro said yesterday.

Gen Chettha said Gen Maung Ae had sent a letter asking for an appointment to
meet with his Thai counterpart to discuss the issue.

Burma ordered a halt to construction on the bridge in 1995, following the
controversial building of a causeway linking Thai territory to an islet in
the Moei river, which Burma claimed was on Burmese soil.

Although the bridge, begun in October 1994, is now 95 percent complete,
Burma recently said they were not prepared for construction to resume,
citing concern that the bridge would be aport of entry for "western culture"
to seep over form Thailand.  

Striking a conciliatory note to Burma's military regime, Chettha said
yesterday that the devastating arson attack last month on two Thai refugee
camps by the pro-Rangoon Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) was Burma's
concern and not an issue that Thailand should interfere in. 

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

THE DAILY YOMIURI: MARUBENI INKS VENTURE IN MYANMAR
February 8, 1997

YANGON--Three foreign companies led by Marubeni Corp. have joined a local
company in signing a lease with the Construction Ministry for land on which
to build a zinc roofing factory, the state-owned New Light of Myanmar
reported Friday.

The joint venture, called Dagon Steel Ltd., will  locate its factory on a
1.4 hectare site in  Hlaingthayar Industrial Zone in a western suburb of
Yangon. It will be the second roofing factory  in the zone. 

The venture, with capitalization of $US7.8 million and 7.2 million kyat
($1.24 million) in local funds,  will produce 18,000 metric tonnes annually of 
corrugated zinc roofing sheets for the domestic market, the newspaper reported. 

Speaking at the signing ceremony Thursday, Construction Minister Major
General Saw Tun said the government has leased land to five foreign
companies for various industries, and 10 more had applied for leases in the
Hlaingthayar 
zone. 

[Background on Marubeni Corporation] 

Marubeni Corp. (1-4-2 Ohtemachi, Chiyoda-ku,  Tokyo 100-88, Fax:
+81-3-3282-2331) is Japan's fifth largest general trading company (sogo shosha 
in Japanese). The top four sogo shosha are Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co.,
Itochu Corp. and Sumitomo Corp. According to FORTUNE Magazine 
(August 5, 1996), Marubeni was the sixth largest corporation in the world,
with 1995 revenues of 161,000 million US dollars. Marubeni is a major
importer of wood products (logs, sawnwood, plywood, woodchips, pulp) from
natural tropical (Sarawak, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, etc.), temperate
(Canada, US, Australia, Chile) and boreal (Siberia, Canada) forests, and is
a partner with 
Japan's Daishowa Paper Manufacturing in a pulp mill which uses boreal forest
wood extracted from the traditional lands of the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation
in northern Alberta, Canada. In 1990 Marubeni was fined by the Indonesian
Government for illegal logging of mangrove forests in Bintuni Bay, Irian
Jaya, one of the largest areas of natural mangroves in Southeast Asia.

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

KNU INFORMATION CENTER : EYE WITNESS ON KAWTHOOLEI
February 17, 1997

This morning when I awoke I wasn't sure what my "eyewitness" report for the
day would be.  The subject was chosen for me about 11 AM when there was a
knock on my hotel door and a Canadian couple providing health care in the
area came to ask us to accompany them  to the HWAY KALOK  camp 10 minutes
outside Mae Sot where there was to be a peaceful demonstration by some of
the refugees.  SLORC had announced they would force all refugees from that
camp back into Burma within the next two weeks.  By the time we arrived at
the camp all was quiet.  The demonstration was over but we had an
opportunity to talk to some of the bright young students living in the camp.
One young man was 21 years old and had been a refugee for 10 years.  He
spoke very good English and made the statement that the purpose of the
demonstration was to call attention to the situation in the camps.  They
especially hoped the UN would get the information they needed to help them.
The people in Hway Kalok
are very afraid of SLORC and  are unsure of what the Thai can or will do to
help them.  He said SLORC is trying to keep everyone scared and upset.  He
felt the biggest need in the camp at this time was a medical clinic.  They
had set up a make shift shelter under blue and white tarps and were
valiantly trying to treat the many sick refugees.  They are in dire need of
more medical supplies. SLORC troops warned them that they would come back
and the next time it would be much worse.  They will not just burn and loot
as before, but will shoot and kill if necessary.  We were told the enemy
forces came into the camp after dark and ordered everyone out of their homes
and told them they could take nothing with them.  Their homes were then
looted and burned.  It was evident everywhere we looked that they had
accomplished what they had set out to do. There were shells of partial homes
still standing in some areas, but mostly just a charred spot where the
houses had once stood.  Children played among the ashes, sifting  for
personal treasures.    We were told that SLORC leaders are claiming it was
the DKBA that raided the camp, but many refugees told of soldiers speaking
only Burmese carrying out the burning and looting.  At this point, I wonder
if the whole truth will ever be known about what the Karen have been
suffering for the past 48 years.   Everyday brings more hardship and heart
ache for these brave people.  Hopefully before I leave this area I can send
an eyewitness report of some good news.

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

THE NATION: 16 KNU MEN GIVE UP FIGHT
February 16, 1997

(AFP) Rangoon - Burma's military yesterday announced the surrender of 16
members of the Karen National Union (KNU) rebel group, whose positions are
currently under attack in areas along the frontier with Thailand.

The 16 rebels from the KNU's fourth brigade "gave themselves up" on Tuesday
in Mon state with their weapons, the official English-language New Light of
Myanmar newspaper said.

The announcement came as Burmese troops were moving into territory occupied
by the KNU in southeastern Burma and more surrenders are expected.

Unconfirmed reports reaching Rangoon say that hundreds of porters are being
rounded up to carry food and arms for the more than 100,000 troops believed
to be involved in the operation.

Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from trips to sites in Mon and Karen
states, located near the Thai frontier said that a number of their fellow
pilgrims had been taken away to serve as porters for the army. (TN)

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

STRAITS TIMES: EDITORIAL-ASIA-EUROPE TIES AT CROSSROADS
February 18, 1997

MYANMAR, a rogue regime in many Western eyes, took most of the flak in last
week's Asean-European Union ministerial talks. The 22 foreign ministers
spent much time discussing it, but all that was said on this in an 11-page
joint declaration was a terse one-liner: "We had an exchange of views on
Myanmar." The brevity reveals a great deal about Asean-EU differences on how
to deal with Myanmar's military rulers, whose human rights record and
treatment of political opponents will be a stumbling block in developing
Asean-EU relations when Yangon joins the South-east Asian grouping. What can
be done to minimise the difficulties? For starters, the Europeans have to
convince themselves that Asean-EU ties are broad-based and mutually
beneficial; ergo, these should not be held hostage to any single issue which
divides them. Only on this premise can problems such as Myanmar be put in
proper perspective. In this case, Asean's constructive engagement policy is
demonstrably superior to the EU's confrontational approach which penalises
and isolates the generals in Yangon. 

The Western countries have already acquiesced to Myanmar's membership in the
Asean Regional Forum because it makes sense to embrace all South-east Asian
countries on regional security. Indonesian President Suharto's visit to
Yangon this week underlines Asean's serious intent about engaging Myanmar.
The belief is that Asean's quiet diplomacy will bear fruit eventually when
Myanmar's military authorities heed friendly advice and start a dialogue
with their pro-democracy opponents at home. But this must happen soon or the
political impasse will make Myanmar stick out like a sore thumb. Can Asean
make a collective effort to help bring about political reconciliation in
Myanmar, its cherished principle of non-interference in each other's
domestic affairs notwithstanding? All that can be said now is that, unless
there is change for the better, Myanmar's membership will burden, not
strengthen, Asean's ties with many Western countries. As it is, the EU bans
all formal high-level contacts with the junta, and Myanmar's membership in
Asean does not automatically entitle it to take part in the Asia-Europe
Meeting (Asem), the highest political forum for Asian and European leaders.
Which means that Yangon's generals must take concrete steps to placate their
critics, at home and abroad. This is what they can do to reciprocate Asean's
goodwill. 

It would be ironic if the 20-year-old Asean-EU relationship falters on
account of the former's enlargement, and at a time when closer economic and
political ties promise bigger pay-offs for countries in the two regions.
Portugal's veto has prevented the EU from concluding a new cooperation pact
with Asean because of its quarrel with Indonesia over East Timor. This, in
effect, means that the dated Asean-EU cooperation agreement can neither be
updated nor upgraded. Should Asean-EU ties get caught up in what is
essentially a bilateral dispute? Surely such an obstructionist tactic is a
problem which the EU needs to address. 

Perhaps the Asem approach could provide the solution, because countries in
this forum deal on a government-to-government basis, unhindered by EU rules.
The first Asem foreign ministers' talks last week were largely exploratory,
to define the goals and set the parameters for political dialogue as they
pondered the future of the 11-month-old forum. It appears that Asem
countries want to proceed cautiously. But there must be something for
everybody at the end of it. This means that, whatever the East-West
differences on human rights and democracy, Asian and European countries have
to set up a collaborative, not confrontational, relationship. A Singapore
discussion paper on Asem's future noted that, despite the strong common
desire on both sides to enhance Asia-Europe cooperation, it would be wiser
to assume that the path ahead may not be smooth because there are many
obstacles and misperceptions to get rid of. With Asia-Europe ties at a
crossroads, this is something to work on. (ST)

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

BURMA SOLIDARITY GROUP MALAYSIA: PRESS STATEMENT 
February 14th, 1997

 ASEAN urged to ditch "constructive engagement"

The Burma Solidarity Group Malaysia together with some 50 NGOs throughout
the ASEAN region urge Malaysia and other ASEAN member countries to ditch its
policy of so-called "constructive engagement" with the SLORC (State Law and
Order Restoration Council). 

In a joint ASEAN campaign, the NGOs call upon the ASEAN Foreign Ministers
Meeting which is due to meet tomorrow in Singapore, to exclude Burma from
ASEAN as "constructive engagement" has thus far failed miserably in bringing
about democratic reforms in Burma.   

The NGOs urge  ASEAN to accept Burma as a member only when the military
junta accepts the results of the 1990 general elections which was
overwhelm-ingly won by the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu
Kyi. 

And in commemoration with the 50th anniversary of the Burmese Union Day on
Feb 12, NGOs in the ASEAN region are launching a poster campaign with the
slogan "Should ASEAN welcome SLORC?" These posters which are being
distributed widely in all ASEAN member countries is meant to increase public
awareness of and opposition to ASEAN's "constructive engagement" policy. 

Union Day is celebrated in Burma to commemorate the 1947 Panglong Agreement
in which ethnic leaders gave their support to nationalist hero Aung San
(father of Suu Kyi ) in his attempt to form a Union of Burma. The agreement
was widely recognised as a significant step towards the notion of federalism
which recognised the equality and integrity of  the diverse Burmese ethnic
groups.

However, the assassination of Aung San a year after the pact, witnessed the
letter and spirit of the agreement being severely abused by successive
Burmese military regimes, of which SLORC is no exception. Instead of
recognising the political, civil, democratic and cultural rights of the
ethnic nationalities, SLORC has persisted in waging military attacks against
the ethnic minorities. 

The Muslim Rohingyas in Arakan were particularly subjected to a barrage of
abuses from SLORC - continually being harassed, beaten, tortured, killed,
their property looted and women raped. Many were also conscripted into
forced labour. At the height of the attack, some 260,000 Rohingyas sought
refuge across the border in Bangladesh.

The latest atrocities against the ethnic minorities took place only last
week on Jan 28,  when SLORC violated Thailand's borders when it  raided and
burned 3 Karen villages near Mae Sot. They killed a Thai national and a
Karen baby, robbed the refugees and burned their homes, clinics and schools.

These attacks followed the Jan 3 mortar attacks and military raid on the
camps of the Karenni refugees and the dissidents from the All Burma Student
Democratic Front (ABSDF) near Mae Hong Son in the north-western border of
Thailand. Two people were killed and many more were injured. In addition,
SLORC has not relented in carrying out  its programme of forced relocation
and forced labour of the ethnic minorities. 

Moreover,  SLORC has lately been collaborating with the infamous drug lord
Khun Sa who is allowed by the military junta to establish a business empire
with his drug money in Burma. 

Obviously, the ASEAN "constructive engagement" policy has done more harm
than good. Indeed, the policy has given SLORC the green light to commit more
human right abuses against the Burmese people. 

We, therefore, call upon member states of ASEAN currently meeting in
Singapore, to play a CONSTRUCTIVE role - by discarding its "constructive
engagement"  policy which  favours the military junta and encourages it to
discard the democratic process.  

Instead ASEAN should recognise the results of the 1990 general elections of
Burma in which the National League of Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi has
won the elections. Besides,  ASEAN should also promote a genuine dialogue
between SLORC and the National League for Democracy with the aim of
achieving a peaceful resolution and help break the present political
deadlock in Burma, thus enabling Burma to embark on  the road to
democratisation and national reconciliation.

 Organisations that endorsed the memorandum
1)  Aliran 
2)  ALAIGAL 
3)  Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia ( ABIM )
4)  Community Development Centre ( CDC )
5)  Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth ( DAPSY )
6)  Democratic Action Party Women ( DAP Women )
7)  Integrated Development for Eco-friendly And Appropriate Lifestyle (IDEAL)
8)  Jawatankuasa Sokongan Peneroka Bandar ( JSPB )
9)  Malaysian Trade Union Congress ( MTUC )
10) Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia
11) Persatuan Sahabat Wanita
12) Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section
13) Society for Christian Reflections ( SCR )
14) Suara Rakyat Malaysia ( SUARAM )
15) Suara Warga Pertiwi ( SWP )

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BRC-JAPAN: JTB TARGETTED FOR BURMA PACKAGE TOURS
February 18, 1997

Six representatives from the Japanese New Otani Support Group went to the
main Osaka office of Japan Travel Bureau today.  During a meeting with two
JTB managers they presented a statement urging JTB to end package tours
using New Otani Hotels which are presently embroiled in serious labor
disputes and to Burma (Myanmar) where the military dictatorship is notorious
for its human rights abuses.  

The group cited JTB's organizing of package tours to Burma as another
example of their deplorable lack of morality in business.  

The meeting ended after lengthy but inconclusive discussions.  Further
actions are planned.

http://www2.gol.com/users/brelief/Index.htm

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SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET NO.A-0022
February 18, 1997

(1)     The National League for Democracy has been without much success
trying to hold week-end rallies in public places which has met with
opposition by local citizens and religious associations Mrs. Aris along with
her senior party leaders U Tin Oo, U Kyi Maung had attempted several times
to hold afternoon week-end rallies at the junction of Saya San and U Chit
Maung Road. The people living along this junction were very much disturbed
by Mrs. Aris's
week-end rallies which not only causes traffic jam on the public road but
also interfered with their daily life. Finally, it came to the stage where
the ward people of the junction area themselves came out to prohibit Mrs.
Aris from holding rallies and had also put out their own citizens patrols to
prevent the NLD from coming into their wards during week-end afternoons.

(2)     The NLD being unsuccessful in holding week-end rallies at the Saya
San and U Chit Maung Road junction attempted to hold rallies on the Shwe
Dagon Pagoda platform under various pretexts. In this regard, the
shop-keepers of the (4) stairways of the pagoda and (63) religious
associations base on the pagoda signed a petition urging the NLD to stop
exploiting the pagoda premises as a
political platform. On behalf of shop-keepers and religious associations on
the 16th of Feb. the Shwe Dagon Pagoda Trustees handed over the petition to
the NLD group leader who came up to the pagoda platform and they also sent
the petition to the NLD Headquarters and to the Chairman of Yangon Division
NLD office it is learnt.

Source : Myanmar Authority Concerned.

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VOA: BURMESE DOCTOR HONOURED BY THE AMERICAN SCIENCE ASSOCIATION
February 16, 1997
Tun Aung

The science and human rights program award was presented to Dr. Ma Thida by
the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at its annual
meeting held (Saturday, February 15) in Seattle, Washington.  Chinese
history student and democracy activist Wang Dan was also given the award at
the Reception.

Association science and human rights program director Audrey Chapman said
like many natural and social scientists in many countries around the world,
Dr. Ma Thida and Wang Dan have been persecuted for nothing more than the
expression of their opinions or beliefs, and for their peaceful efforts to
oppose human rights violations and promote political change.

Dr. Ma Thida, a physician and writer, is currently serving a 20-year prison
sentence.  She was one of a handful of physicians who risked their lives to
treat students injured during the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations
which followed the 1988 military takeover in Burma.

An assistant to Burmese opposition leader and nobel peace prize-laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi, Dr. Thida was arrested in August 1993 on charges of
endangering the  peace and distributing unlawful literature.  The American
Association for the Advancement of Science is concerned about Dr. Thida's
health and calls for her immediate release.

Dr. Ma Thida's award was accepted on her behalf by her friend and medical
school classmate, Ms. Myaing Myaing Nyunt.  She said the award was special
because it was given by the science group.

Dr. Ma Thida also received the Reebok human rights award last December.
Since 1993, the American Association for the Advancement of Science's human
rights program has honored persecuted scientists at its annual reception.
The reception provides participants with the opportunity to meet others
interested in the plight of natural and social scientists, engineers, and
health professionals whose human rights have been violated.   (signed)

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