6/3/98:LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

/* Written Sun 8 Mar 11:00am 1998 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* -------------" Letter to Prime Minister Chuan "------------- */

LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER CHUAN LEEKPAI(6/3/98)
**************************************************

Dr U Ne Oo
18 Shannon Place
Adelaide SA 5000
Australia.

March 6, 1998.

Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai
Office of the Prime Minister
Government House
Nakhorn Pathom Road
Bangkok 10300, Thailand.

Dear Prime Minister:

I should like to draw your attention to the issues surrounding the
Thailand-Burma gas pipeline and also to the situation of Burma's
ethnic minority refugees in Thailand. Regarding the Thailand-Burma
gas pipeline project, I am particularly concerned about the
possibility of large amount of revenue flowing into the hands of
Burmese military junta. Reports indicate that the Petroleum
Authority of Thailand (PTT), together with Unocal/TOTAL group, has a
contract with Burma for the purchase of natural gas starting on
1 July 1998. It has also been reported that in light of the possible
delay in the construction of the pipeline, the PTT may have to pay
some penalty fees or advanced payments to the Burmese side (report
enclosed).

Firstly, I should like to point out the Prime Minister and
Petroleum Authority of Thailand that the contract which PTT had
signed with Burmese military junta after Burma's general election in
May 1990 is considered to be an illegal contract. The contract is
also non-constitutional from Burma's point of view since the SLORC,
as a signatory to that contract, did not in anyway observe the
Constitution of Burma. Therefore, the State of Burma, at any given
time, will have no obligation to observe the terms of contract
signed by the SLORC. This point is deserving our attention
especially because of the long term nature of this gas pipeline
contract.

To remedy these problems, the Petroleum Authority of Thailand should
re-write their contract with the Executive Committee of National
League for Democracy, who are of legitimate representatives of
Burma. Any penalty fees concerning the delay in the construction of
pipeline should be waived and no advanced payments to the Burma side
should be made by the PTT. In fact, if the PTT insists on making any
payment - either in the form of penalty or advanced gas purchases -
to the military junta, it will be considered as illegal and improper
act of PTT and will likely to face international legal challenges.

I especially should like to emphasize that the Burmese concerns
regarding this pipeline project principally have been to prevent
large amount of revenue flowing into the hand of Burmese military.
We, the Burmese people, otherwise are very happy to see the Thais
utilizing such resources from Burma in the way of helping the
world's environment and to see all companies thriving from the
incomes. On this note, I  should also like to register with the
Prime Minister about our intention to divert the money from the
Burma's share of the sale of natural gas to our refugee and
humanitarian programs in the near future.

Secondly, I respectfully urge the Prime Minister to grant refugee
status, on a group basis, to all refugees living in the camps. This
will provide the necessary legal framework to the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees to solve Burma's refugee problem. We
are very much aware that Thailand currently is having difficulties
to cope with large numbers of illegal migrant workers from Burma. I
should  like to highlight about the fact that the Burma's
refugee problem, in the context of Burma's internal politics, must
be viewed as the core of illegal migrant workers' problem in
Thailand. Therefore, we can make improvements to these displacement
situation only by solving the refugee problem as a starter. In the
mean time, I appeal the Prime Minister and Thai authorities to
conduct the deportations of these illegal workers from Burma as
humanely as possible in accordance with international human rights
norms.

In connection with the construction of gas pipeline, there has been
concerns raised by the Thai environmentalists about possible damages
to natural forests in Thailand. I believe that these forests, no
matter they be in Burma or in Thailand, are important to the
humankind and therefore deserving of our care and protection.
Therefore, I respectfully made an additional appeal to the Prime
Minister to look into those issues raised by the Thai
environmentalists.

In closing, I thank the Prime Minister for your kind attention to
these matters. I also thank the Royal Thai Government for continuing
to provide refuge to the Burmese refugees and displaced people in
Thailand.

Yours respectfully and sincerely
Sd. U Ne Oo.

PLEASE ALSO SEND YOUR APPEAL TO:
--------------------------------
Hon. Laxanachantron Laohaphan
Ambassador, Royal Thai Embassy
111 Empire Circuit
Yarralumla, ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA.

/* Endreport */