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The BurmaNet News: December 2, 1998



------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
 "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
----------------------------------------------------------

The BurmaNet News: December 2, 1998
Issue #1150

Noted in Passing: "We would appreciate the world coming out with messages
of support and we would like elected parliaments of this world, especially,
to support our committee" - Aung San Suu Kyi (see REUTERS: INTERVIEW ...)

HEADLINES:
==========
REUTERS: INTERVIEW - AUNG SAN SUU KYI HITS OUT 
KNU: REPORT ON ORDER TO DESTROY IDP CROPS 
ASIAWEEK: MYANMAR PURGES ITS OWN 
BKK POST: FOREIGN COMPANIES "SHOULD PAY" 
REUTERS: UK SEES MYANMAR VISA REFUSAL AS "ACCOLADE" 
BKK POST: THE MILITARY AND FOREIGN POLICY 
BKK POST: CHETTHA TO SEEK BURMESE HELP 
BKK POST: SUU KYI DID NOT EVEN SEEK ELECTION 
ANNC: TEACHING POSITION IN THAILAND 
ANNC: CAN YOU CONNECT TO BURMASONG? 
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REUTERS: INTERVIEW - SUU KYI HITS OUT AT MILITARY GAG ATTEMPT
30 November, 1998 by David Brunnstrom

BANGKOK, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
accused the ruling military of trying to silence the pro-democracy movement
by making visiting journalists promise not to make contact with her.

The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, in a rare interview, also accused the
generals of making excuses to avoid a dialogue with her National League for
Democracy (NLD), which they have kept from power despite its landslide
election win eight years ago.

``I think the authorities are anxious to make sure the world does not get
to hear about us or hear from us,'' Suu Kyi said in Yangon last week in
videotaped answers to questions from Reuters.

``I understand there has been a campaign in recent weeks to persuade
correspondents to promise they would not see me -- that they would be given
a visa, they would be promised a journalistic visa, provided they make an
undertaking not to see me, not to talk to me.

``I think that's the main reason why you haven't heard much from the NLD,
because there has been a deliberate campaign to prevent the world from
hearing from us.''

She said it was vital for the NLD to be able to communicate with the
outside world.

``People all over the world need to be alerted to what is happening in
Burma...unless they are informed of what is going on it will be difficult
for them to voice their support for what we are doing. I think keeping
lines of communications open is very, very important.''

Asked how the world should react, she said:

``We would appreciate the world coming out with messages of support and we
would like elected parliaments of this world, especially, to support our
committee.''

She was referring to a committee the NLD set up in September to represent
the parliament elected in the 1990 poll.

Suu Kyi said that as of November 19, 182 NLD MPs and about 600 other party
members were in detention, although some had since been released.

Most were detained after the party vowed in September to convene parliament.

``Many, many continue to be under detention and I understand the health of
some detainees is not good.

``In general you can say they have released those whom they have either
coerced into making some kind of undertaking not to support the NLD any
more or those who are in a precarious state of health and they don't want
to be responsible if anything happens to them,'' she said.

``I understand the authorities say that if we give up the call for the
convening of parliament, they would release all the detainees, but we have
made it quite clear we are not going to give up our demand that parliament
be convened.''

Suu Kyi brushed aside calls in the military-controlled media for the
disbanding of the NLD and her deportation.

``We have made it quite clear that even if they did deregister the NLD we
would continue with our work...we'll carry on wherever we are, whether it's
in or out of prison.

She said she was not worried by calls for her deportation.

``Since I'm a Burmese citizen and a citizen of no other country, I can't
see how they can deport me unless of course they buy up the moon and take
me there.''

She said the NLD was not engaged in any dialogue with the military and
accused the generals of breaking an agreement on confidentiality after a
high-level meeting described by the government as a ``confidence-boosting''
step earlier this year.

``Certainly our confidence was not built up by what happened,'' she said.

Suu Kyi said the government's position that no dialogue was possible while
the NLD committee claimed to represent parliament was ``their latest excuse
for not having dialogue.''

``If they really want dialogue they would be ready at any time. As long as
they don't want dialogue they will come up with some excuse and this is
just one of the many.''

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

KNU: REPORT ON ORDER TO DESTROY IDP CROPS
10 December, 1998
 
UPDATE TENASSERIM SITUATION REPORT, KNU Mergui-Tavoy Information Department

Special Report of Internally Displaced People Situation in Tenasserim
Division 

Re: The Order to Destroy IDPs rice plantation operation.

On 28 November 1998, No-5 Operational Commanding HQ. sent a message
ordering No-3 Tactical Commanding HQ. IB 103, LIB 346, 372, 433 and 543 to
search and destroy all the hiding villagers and their rice plantations.

The message order mentioned that

(1). According to the Coastal Military Commanding HQ's message sent in 26
November, all the mentioned battalions must search whether there are hiding
villagers and their plantations and to clear it all in your responsible areas.

(2). If there are hiding villagers, investigate when it had settled and
report back sharply. If there are rice plantations and related items, you
must clear (destroy) it tactically.

(3). We sent information to Coastal Military Command to instruct some
necessary instructions.

According the search and destroy operation were started since in November,
'98 in several areas already. May be the information of seeing some hiding
villagers and destroying of those were received by CMC HQ. and CMC HQ. make
sure of it to be uniform all over its responsible area.
 
****************************************************************

ASIAWEEK: MYANMAR PURGES ITS OWN
4 December, 1998 by Dominic Faulder 

BUT THE TOP GENERALS' POLITICS ARE STILL SAME

Myanmar's economy is going nowhere. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is
still the regime's most intractable problem. But the generals ruling the
country are not exactly standing still. A year ago, the junta (now called
the State peace and Development Council, or SPDC) purged two heavy guns _
the minister of foreign trade, Lt-Gen Tun Kyi, and the minister of tourism,
Lt-Gen Kyaw Ba _ for alleged corruption. They are thought under house
arrest; some of their subordinates have been jailed.

This year, on Nov. 14, the junta unceremoniously dumped its most
high-profile cabinet member, Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw, promoted a relative
newcomer, Lt-Gen Tin Hla, as third deputy prime minister and reassigned or
retired nearly two dozen other senior officials. So far, none of those
ousted have landed in prison. If they weren't pushed out because of
corruption, then it might have been because of incompetence. Ohn Gyaw, for
one, was not regarded as particularly astute and, as a civilian, was well
removed from the inner sanctum of power. The SPDC has shot its songbird,
but it has not yet changed its tune.

During Ohn Gyaw's decade-long watch, Myanmar rejoined the Non Aligned
Movement. Relations with China, Myanmar's leading source of military
hardware, thawed dramatically. Despite strong Western opposition, Myanmar
finally joined Asean in 1997. But none of that worked to much advantage.
Indeed, ostracism of Myanmar has grown in the past year, even within Asean.
The International Labour Organization and UN have issued damning reports on
human rights, the EU is ultracritical and the US has imposed sanctions.

Meanwhile, Ohn Gyaw was often perceived as a rigid and, at times,
disingenuous champion of the regime. "He defended them tooth and nail, but
lacked innovation," says a Burmese exile in Bangkok. Ohn Gyaw's equally
unimaginative deputy, Nyunt Swe, (who as onetime ambassador in Bangkok
managed to alienate much of the foreign media) was axed too.

Significantly, Ohn Gyaw's replacement, Win Aung, 54, was an army colonel
until 1985 and Myanmar's most senior diplomat in Europe, serving as
ambassador in Bonn and London.

Win Aung's military background will give him greater latitude in executing
foreign policy than Ohn Gyaw ever enjoined. More important, Win Aung is a
favorite of Khin Nyunt, the powerful head of military intelligence, and was
the guardian of  one of strongman Ne Win's grandsons in London.

A veteran of countless international conferences, Win Aung has tangled with
some of the regime's most vehement critics. He has also played a
substantive role in debating and formulating policy; one way has been by
writing for the magazine NEW PASTURES, under the byline Sithu Nyein Aye.

"Win Aung is more sophisticated, but we're expecting the same message,"
says a Western diplomat. The foreign ministry's new skill at spin control
was recently evident. Lt-Col Hla Min, 44, a military intelligence officer
(and another rising star) suavely briefed diplomats about detained members
of the National League for Democracy. Hla Min said they "have been staying
at government guest houses since September 6 in order to foster greater
understanding of the situation in the country." He never once used the
world "hostage." 

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THE BANGKOK POST: FOREIGN COMPANIES "SHOULD PAY"
1 December, 1998 

Foreign companies should help lay the groundwork for a modern Burma by
setting up a human resources development fund for Burmese students,
according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra.

Addressing a seminar in the Philippines over the weekend, M.R. Sukhumbhand
also welcomed plans by the United Nations to encourage the World Bank to
provide assistance to the country.

"I have suggested to a number of foreign companies doing business with or
in Myanmar that they consider establishing an HRD fund to provide
scholarships to Myanmar students, who in the future will be able to assist
in the task of their country's development and to help take Myanmar into
the mainstream of the international society and into the twenty-first
century," M.R. Sukhumbhand said.

Assistance from the UN and the World Bank could serve to bring about
national reconciliation in Burma which in turn would lead to a return of
foreign assistance to the country, he said.

[ ... ]

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REUTERS: UK SEES MYANMAR VISA REFUSAL AS "ACCOLADE"
1 December, 1998 

LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A British government minister said on Tuesday he
saw Myanmar's decision to refuse him a visa as an accolade for his
criticism of its human rights record.

Foreign Office minister Derek Fatchett told parliament: ``I have been told
today that the Burmese authorities will not allow me to visit Burma, and I
see that probably as an accolade for the work that we have done and the
fight we have made for democracy and human rights in Burma.''

The Foreign Office earlier said that Myanmar was now refusing visas to
British ministers and government officials who want to visit the country.

Officials said they regarded the move, which was to take immediate effect,
as an acknowledgement of Britain's leading role in pushing Myanmar to
improve human rights and start talking with opposition leaders such as Aung
San Suu Kyi.

``I regret this move by the (Myanmar) regime. It will in no way dissuade us
from continuing to work for an improvement in the human rights and
political situation,'' Fatchett said.

The officials said the ban was directed solely at Britain, and did not
apply to other European Union states.

The 15-member EU is at present refusing visas for members of the Myanmar
military and security forces who benefit from moves to block the southern
Asian country's transition to democracy.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the last free elections in
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, in 1990. She has since faced periods of
house arrest and harassment at the hands of the military government which
refused to accept the result.

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

THE BANGKOK POST: THE MILITARY AND FOREIGN POLICY
1 December, 1998 

EDITORIAL

**The army chief is to be commended for leaving matters of foreign policy
in the hands of the foreign ministry. Good relations between regional
commanders can be helpful in themselves but in the area of foreign
relations, it is vital to see the bigger picture and leave it to the
experts.**

The decision by the army to leave diplomacy to the diplomats represents a
positive step in which the institution is showing that it is accepting a
changed role in a changing society. The decision, announced by Gen Surayud
Chulanont, the army commander, is important in that it also recognises that
the military has enough on its hands without busying itself with
responsibilities that are beyond its remit.

There is nothing wrong with our military chiefs maintaining close ties with
those of neighbouring countries. They do, after all, speak the same
language and share an understanding of conditions on the ground,
particularly in border areas, that can have a direct bearing on relations.
But there the relationship should end because the military is an instrument
of the government, essentially a blunt one, that is brought into play when
negotiations on a political or a diplomatic level fail.

The newly announced departure from a foreign policy role is particularly
appropriate in the context of Thailand's relations with its neighbours, not
least the junta in Rangoon. Indeed, there is little evidence to show that
much was gained by the close relations between our military chiefs and
those of the State Law and Order Restoration Council or the State Peace and
Development Council, its clone.

Certainly a few small border problems were cleared up, and many an unhappy
resident of Insein prison in Rangoon sent home, but the bigger problems
persisted because of the ambiguous way in which Thai foreign policy was
being executed. The policy blur, if it can be described as such, allowed
Rangoon, which is seldom given to compromise, to play the military off
against the foreign ministry.

Cordial and well-publicised meetings between brass of both sides,
characterised by pleasantries and embraces, failed to put a halt to
cross-border raids by Buddhist Karen renegades, failed to stem the flow
into Thailand of drugs, including amphetamines, and failed to stop the
arbitrary closure of border crossings. During the terms of recent
governments in which military chiefs had played a foreign policy role, the
flow of good will was very much a one-way affair. The Rangoon junta was
clearly exploiting personal ties between military commanders and Thailand's
foreign policy blur to get what it wanted.

Gen Surayud has hit the nail on the head in saying that it is diplomacy and
not personal connections that will play the leading role in foreign
affairs. His initiative comes at a time when the foreign ministry is
showing an eagerness to depart from Asean's policy of non-interference,
which committed member states to imitate the three monkeys who would hear
no evil, speak no evil and see no evil. If the actions of neighbours have
an adverse effect at home, it is only right that the government of the
affected country does its job and says so - in the most diplomatic of ways,
of course. Developments in regional countries are important to Thailand and
to Asean as a whole, particularly at a time when economic circumstances are
making exacting demands on our political and diplomatic capabilities.

During one of the many Gulf war warm-ups between Iraq and the United
Nations, a British foreign secretary visited the troops and was
photographed, in full military get-up, loading a round upside-down into a
mortar tube. His error caused a degree of consternation among the attendant
brass that might easily be forgiven. What it also showed quite clearly was
even that those with a talent for negotiation and diplomacy can be
something of a liability when dealing with matters that are not of their
concern.

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

THE BANGKOK POST: CHETTHA TO SEEK BURMESE HELP IN SEIZING BANG RON
1 December, 1998 

FORMER ARMY CHIEF SET TO LEAVE FOR BURMA

Gen Chettha Thanajaro will go to Burma tomorrow to seek help in catching
Surachai "Bang Ron" Ngernthongfu, the fugitive amphetamines baron.

During the one-day, unofficial visit, the security adviser to Sanan
Kachornprasart, the interior minister, will also seek Rangoon's cooperation
in drug suppression along the border.

The former army chief, who is close to Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, secretary-general
of the State Peace and Development Council, expected positive developments
in the hunt for Bang Ron.

"We are very confident we can capture Bang Ron soon," said Gen Chettha.

Banjerd Theeravet, a close associate of Bang Ron arrested on Saturday, told
police he believed Bang Ron was with Burmese minority groups.

Police took Mr Banjerd to the criminal court yesterday to extend his
detention without bail. Mr Banjerd said later he was close to Bang Ron, who
respected him "like his father".

Pol Gen Pracha Promnok, the national police chief, who expected Bang Ron to
be caught within the week, said arrest warrants would be issued for other
members of the amphetamine syndicate.

Gen Pracha declined to say if Mr Banjerd had provided details of military
officers involved in the gang but said his statements had been useful.

"We couldn't disclose the names of military officers involved in the drug
gang at this stage because of police ethics," he said.

Gen Surayud Chulanont, the army commander, and Gen Mongkol Ampornpisith,
the supreme commander, were concerned about the involvement of military
officers in the drug gang, said. They had given police assurances the army
would not protect military officers implicated.

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

THE BANGKOK POST: SUU KYI DID NOT EVEN SEEK ELECTION
1 December, 1998 

Letter to the Editor

Your Burma editorial (Nov 27) referred to Aung San Suu Kyi as "the winner
of the (1990) elections". This is a fallacy and goes to show how uninformed
the regional press can be when writing about politics in Burma.

You have somehow missed out on the fact that Daw Suu Kyi was never a
candidate in the 1990 elections nor has she ever been elected to any office
in Burma. She never sought national office before or since.

Before her arrest in 1989, Daw Suu Kyi was appointed secretary-general of
the party, a position in which she functioned as an NLD spokesperson. The
main NLD candidates in line for any potential premiership that might have
occurred if the 1990 election of MPs had been recognised by the current
regime were U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung, both ex-military men. It was widely
acknowledged, even back in 1990, that the current regime would never allow
a person of Daw Suu Kyi's background (ex-resident of Burma and married to a
Briton) to run for office.

It was equally acknowledged by the NLD that the candidates who best stood a
chance of acceptance by the military dictatorship were those with a
military background. Of course it turns out that even this was not enough
to make the ruling junta relinquish control.

Had the NLD been installed in government, Daw Suu Kyi may have been given a
high position, or she may have run for office in some hypothetical future
election, but as long as the NLD stand outside government we'll never know
for sure whether she would have eventually become any sort of electoral
candidate.

I just returned from a visit to Burma, one of dozens I have made since
1985. Among the rank and file in Burma today, as far as I can tell after
talking to people from all walks of life, the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi are
no longer considered viable alternatives to the much-hated government.
Unfortunately a general resignation has set in, so complete has the
government's choke-hold on dissent become.

For the international press to miss out on this fact is even more
surprising than the way the media often mistakenly describes Daw Suu Kyi as
an elected leader. Simply put, the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi are no longer
relevant to daily life in Burma. The SPDC is the only game in town and will
remain so unless or until the military leadership decides to relinquish
control and/or the NLD deigns to share power with the military, as the
recent US$1 billion UN offer pre-supposes.

Richard Brown, Chiang Mai

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ANNOUNCEMENT: TEACHING POSITION IN THAILAND
1 December, 1998 

Challenging Teaching Position for those interested in Human Rights
 
An opposition organization involved in the struggle to restore democracy
and human rights to Burma is seeking to recruit a qualified and experienced
teacher to prepare a group of young Burmese adults to promote the Burmese
pro-democracy cause to the international community. The training will be
six months in duration, and will take place between January 15th and June
15th 1999. An attractive salary will be offered to successful candidates
who will be based in Thailand.

The teacher will be responsible for advising on curriculum design,
development of materials, and teaching in the subject area of diplomacy
which will cover politics, economics, international relations, and
international law at a pre-university level.

The successful candidate will have a post-graduate degree in the social
sciences, preferably specializing in the Asian region, a teaching
qualification and at least five years experience teaching social sciences
at the high school or undergraduate level. 

Applicants with suitable qualifications and experience in the above
mentioned subject area, an interest in the advancement of human rights, and
experience working with Asian students, are kindly requested to send a
detailed CV and a cover letter specifying the position you are applying for
to PO Box 1102, Ramkamhaeng University, Hua Mark, Bang Kapi, Bangkok, 10250
before the 15th of December, 1998.

Interviews will be conducted by phone or in person in Bangkok between the
15th and 30th of December 1998. For further information contact
skirkw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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ANNOUNCEMENT: CAN YOU CONNECT TO BURMASONG?
30 November, 1998 from wtongue@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Friends,

Because of recent changes at Imagiware, you may have difficulty connecting
to the BurmaSong site or in getting the Realmedia files to play back.

It would be a great help if you would email me and tell me whether you were
able to connect and play or not. This will help us track down the problem
and correct it quickly.

http://users.imagiware.com/wtongue/dvb2.html

If that URL does not work, try

http://imagiware.com/~wtongue/dvb2.html

Thank you for your help.

Wrightson

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