The BurmaNet News: December 3, 1998

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 "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: December 3, 1998
Issue #1151

HEADLINES:
==========
AFP: 467 MYANMAR PARTY MEMBERS RESIGN: JUNTA
NLD: STATEMENT #113 
AFP: MYANMAR GROUP CASTS DOUBT ON JUNTA CLAIMS 
RADIO AUSTRALIA: SPOKESMAN ON OPPOSITION DETENTIONS 
AFP: THAI MINISTER SAYS NO FINANCIAL AID OFFERED 
BBC: MORE ROHINGYA REFUGEES REPATRIATED 
AFP: PINOCHET RULING "BLATANT HYPOCRISY" 
FBC: SENTENCING OF 12 FBC PROTESTERS 
ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMESE LITERATURE TALK 
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AFP: 467 MYANMAR OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS RESIGN: JUNTA
30 November, 1998 

BANGKOK, Nov 30 (AFP) - Some 467 activists have left Aung San Suu Kyi's
Myanmar opposition in the biggest mass resignation from the party so far
announced by the ruling military, state media reported Monday.

The resignations resulted in the closure of the National League for
Democracy's (NLD) Htantabin township office in central Myanmar, the New
Light of Myanmar daily said. 

Seventeen executive committee members and some 450 regular party members
gave up politics of their own freewill when they resigned on November 25,
the report in the state-run paper said.

"(They) resigned of their own volition since they no longer wish to
continue to take part in NLD's political activities." 

Hundreds of NLD members have left the party in recent months following a
government campaign in which many have been detained in official "guest
houses."

Although many have since been released the NLD says the price of their
freedom was an agreement to leave the party.

The NLD won a sweeping victory in the country's 1990 elections but the
ruling military council ignored the result and has since refused to hand
over power or convene parliament.

The walkout constitutes the biggest mass resignation of party members since
the junta began turning up the heat on the party after its August
announcement it would convene parliament unilaterally.

Myanmar's military government has denied forcing members of the party to
resign after its countrywide sweep against the movement.

The government last week said 384 NLD members had been released and 467
"still remain as guests of the government."

According to NLD figures the number of MPs still in custody is 182, along
with 701 lower ranking members.

The NLD has mounted a long campaign for the military to recognise its
landslide election victory.

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NLD: STATEMENT #113
26 November, 1998 

National League for Democracy
No: (97/b) West Shwegondine Road
Bahan, Rangoon

STATEMENT 113 (11/98)

1. Having its goal as the establishment of a democratic system in the
country, the National League for Democracy sought and obtained registration
as a political party on 27 September 1998 under the Political Parties
Registration Law which was promulgated by the rulers who assumed state
powers. The provision of Chapter 2, Section 3 read:-

" x x x x x x  Application for registration by any one of the following
organisations is prohibited-

	(a) An organisation declared to be an illegal association under any of the
laws in force,

	(b) An organisation that is engaged in armed insurrection against the state,

	(c) An organisation that directly or indirectly receives and utilises any
moneys, buildings, motor vehicles, or any other property belonging to the
state,

	(d) An organisation that directly or indirectly receives and utilises any
moneys, or properties or support from a foreign government or religious
body or any other organisation,

	(e) An organisation that misuses religion for political gain,

	(f) An organisation whose membership comprises any member of the peoples'
armed force, peoples' police force or other security forces, any person
working in the civil service, state owned commercial enterprises, boards or
corporations earning salaries the state treasury,

2. The National League for Democracy obtained registration because there
was no infringement of any of the above prohibitions. This means that
registration would not have been obtained had there been a single
infringement at the time of application and can be cancelled if a
subsequent infringement occurred.

3. Registration of the National League for Democracy automatically includes
the registration of the Central Head Office, the branches at all levels,
States, Divisions, Townships, Wards/Villages, the different classified
sections and wings established by the central body such as the farmers, the
workers, the traders, the women and the youth.

4. The demolition and destruction of the limbs of an organisation
established in conformity with the provision of law made by the rulers,
through the military intelligence services that are under their control,
without any legitimate cause is a violation of law by the law makers
themselves.

5. The diabolical methods employed by the military intelligence personnel
in their acts of destruction are as given hereunder:-

	(1) NLD MPs elect who are holding positions of Chairman or Secretary of
organising committees at township level have been unlawfully arrested and
remain imprisoned for no legitimate reason.

	(2) Non MPs elect holding positions of Chairman or Secretary and all
members of organising committees in that township have been similarly
arrested and remain imprisoned.

	(3) Instead of honestly admitting these facts they are deceitfully
broadcasting that consultations are taking place. What is really happening
is that interrogations are conducted in a similar manner to persons
committing crimes. No courtesy or consideration is shown towards the
individuals in accordance with their positions or gender. The attitude and
manner of the interrogators is base and vindictive.

	(4) Permission for families to visit  them at the holding stations have
been granted to some but not to all. The crafty and foul methods employed
are intended to cause division and discontent among the members of the NLD.

	(5) By the use of force, threats, intimidation and torture they are made
to resign their positions in the organising committees and from the NLD.
Our information is that some have been beaten.

	(6) Obstructive tactics are used against the families so that they are
disadvantaged in matters relating to their jobs and personal well-being.

	(7) Where members and relatives of the families concerned are holding
government positions, they are forced to resign and illegally dismissed or
they may be transferred to outlandish posts.

	(8) NLD  members are illegally evicted from premises that are state-owned
in violation of the tenancy laws that are in force.

	(9) NLD branches that have been unable to effectively function for many
years have been made to close down to give the appearance that there has
been a voluntary dissolution.

6. Other tactics employed are through a deliberate campaign by the Military
Intelligence personnel who call at the homes and apply pressure by telling
lies and threats to dismember the organisation such as:-

	(1) The elderly members of the NLD should resign because the NLD had no
use for them.

	(2) When the NLD was dissolved, the members would all be sentenced to 7
years imprisonment and that it could be worse later. That the NLD would
soon be dissolved by the authorities.

	(3) That before matters got worse, the MIS was giving this warning. Later
they would not be in a position to do anything.

	(4) We, the Military Intelligence, are not telling you to resign.(note- it
is only a matter of giving illegal pressure)

	(5) There is no meaning in remaining a member of the NLD. It lowers the
reputation of the locality.

	(6) If you resign you will be given equal privileges in social and
economic matters. Some members have been falsely promised a sum of two
million Kyats to get their resignations.

	(7) Even if foreign ships enter Burma's waters, things will not change.

	(8) Some village councils have issued notices to members stating date,
time and place and required them to attend at specified military
intelligence units. This can be only for the purpose of obtaining
involuntary resignations.

7. The military intelligence personnel have taken it upon themselves to
individually campaign against the NLD by phone calls and house visits four
or five times a day to apply pressure and get resignations which reveals
with  what hatred and venom they regard the organisation.

8.	(a) Members of the NLD have resisted all pressure from the authorities
for ten whole years because of their strong conviction and determination to
obtain democracy and human rights for their country. This needs to be
commended and we do so accordingly.

	(b) Until and unless democracy and human rights are attained there is no
hope for stability, prosperity or social advancement for this country.
Democracy is our goal. Those who are placing obstacles in the path of
attaining democracy are solely responsible for lack of progress in the
country.

	(c) Democratic countries are enjoying economic and social advancement and
these democratic countries are the ones who are assisting the undeveloped
countries.

9. 	(a) The demolition and destruction of NLD branches in the township by
the military intelligence services is unlawful. The NLD has legally
constituted in accordance with the provision of law decreed by the
authorities and for the military intelligence to wilfully adopt crafty and
evil methods to dismember the organisation is disgraceful and roundly
denounced by us. We condemn all illegal, and unlawful use of power and
exercise of authority by the military intelligence services. All such
operations can never be for the advancement of peace and stability of the
country.

	(b) We urge the higher echelons in the military intelligence services to
order their underlings to immediately stop their illegal activities. If
they fail to do so the responsibility for consequential events will be
their entire responsibility.

10. We place on record the determination and laudable stand taken by the
members of the NLD who have not caved in despite the pressure and
persecutions rained on them by the military intelligence. Our
congratulations to the organising committee members for their courage and
persistence. We urge all our NLD MPs elect, members of organising
committees and ordinary members to strictly and steadfastly abide by our
policies and convictions with great determination and discipline. 

Central Executive Committee National League for Democracy
26 November 1998 

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AFP: MYANMAR GROUP CASTS DOUBT ON JUNTA CLAIMS OF OPPOSITION RESIGNATIONS
1 December, 1998 

BANGKOK, Dec 1 (AFP) - A Myanmar exile group on Tuesday branded a state
television film showing activists deserting Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition
party as lies and propaganda.

Quoting "inside sources," the National Council of the Union of Burma
(NCUB), said it was clear the 14 activists were forced to resign from the
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) in Be Lin township.

Myanmar's military government has been conducting a sweeping campaign
against the NLD in recent months, in an attempt to turn it into a "empty
shell" unable to challenge for power, diplomats in Yangon have told  AFP.

Hundreds of activists have been held in government "guest houses" and
resigned from the party after their release.

The programme, entitled "Happiness and Image of the People" which aired on
November 25, was "pure propaganda," the group, a coalition of exiled
opposition activists, said in a statement received here.

"The public could see their true feelings on their faces. They were not
enthusiastic and did not seem happy about what they were talking about,"
the statement said.

"It was also clear they were afraid.

"People understand that all the members of the NLD have resigned by force,"
it added.

"One member of the NLD organising committee in Be Lin township, who did not
want to be named, said that everything in the programme had been a lie.

"Before the interview the MI (military intelligence) prepared the answers
for the NLD organisers and taught them how to speak."

Nine of the 14 had previously been detained for their NLD activities, the
statement said. It also claimed the activists were under surveillance and
barred from travelling.

On Monday, the government said 467 activists had quit in the biggest mass
resignation from the party so far. The departures resulted in the closure
of the NLD Htantabin township office in central Myanmar, the New Light of
Myanmar daily said.

Officials said last week 384 NLD members had been released and 467 "still
remain as guests of the government."

According to NLD figures the number of MPs still in custody is 182, along
with 701 lower ranking members. 

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

MELBOURNE RADIO AUSTRALIA: BURMESE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON OPPOSITION
DETENTIONS
24 November, 1998 

[Announcer Di Martin]  Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has
refused to drop demands for the country's democratically elected parliament
to be convened. That is despite a threat from the ruling military junta
that detained opposition members may not be freed until she changes her
mind. [passage omitted]   With more, here is Tom Fayle.

[Begin recording]

[Fayle]  In September, shortly after Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD [National
League for Democracy] announced plans to convene the 1990 parliament,
Burma's military government started detaining opposition activists and
holding them in official guest houses.  More than 850 of these guests are
said to have been rounded up for what have been termed discussions -- the
aim, according to the government, to foster greater understanding of the
situation in the country and to help maintain the current peace and stability.

The regime says 384 of these guests have now seen the light and have been
allowed to return to their families, expressing their fulsome [as heard]
disagreement with the NLD leadership's confrontational approach. Lt. Col.
Hla Min is the man with the unenviable task of explaining the military
regime's policies to the diplomatic community in Rangoon and, on occasion,
to the Western media.

[Hla Min]  Those who are remaining for further talks are being comfortably
housed and well fed and they are being treated with courtesy and respect.
The government has no wish to detain them for any longer than necessary and
regret the inconvenience to those involved.  We hope that with the
cooperation and good will of the NLD leadership the rest of the NLD members
will soon be home.

[Fayle] [passage omitted]  So with Aung San Suu Kyi's public rejection of
the demand to drop the planned parliamentary meeting, does that mean the
government's invited guests will be now looking forward to an indefinite
stay?  Government spokesman Col Hla Min:

[Hla Min]  Well, I would not put it that way, but of course we are in the
process of exchanging views.  The more they understand the importance of
national security and the more they accept that it is much more important
than party politics, and once we come to that agreement, I think it will no
longer be necessary for the government to keep continuing exchanging views.
 We don't want to invite them there in the first place, but the situation
the NLD has put the government in, we have no choice but to do whatever is
necessary to safeguard our national interest and national security.

[Fayle]  Tell, me frankly, Colonel: Is it the government's ultimate
intention to see the dissolution of the NLD?

[Hla Min]  I would say no, because if we had that in mind the NLD would
have been dissolved a long time ago.  We are trying to avoid that from
happening by sort of trying to convince the members of NLD [of] the
importance of national security.  Actually, this is the task the party
leadership has to do, but unfortunately since they are not doing it the
government has to come in and tell those people that national interests,
national security is the thing that everybody in the country has to give
priority [to].

[Fayle]  Aung San Suu Kyi has argued over the last 24 hours that the winds
are in the opposition's favor.  If she is right, wouldn't it be better for
the country if the government did recognize her leadership and open direct
negotiations as soon as possible?

[Hla Min]  I don't understand what she means by the wind is blowing in her
favor, because I think probably she has been misinformed, or probably she
cannot see reality.  We have already initiated the talks with the NLD
leadership which, unfortunately, was unilaterally rejected by the NLD for
further meetings. [end recording]

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

AFP: THAI MINISTER SAYS NO FINANCIAL AID OFFERED MYANMAR JUNTA
2 December, 1998 

BANGKOK, Dec 2 (AFP) - Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra
said Wednesday that the UN and World Bank had offered Myanmar "technical
assistance" but not money in exchange for political dialogue.

"The United Nations and World Bank want to give technical assistance to
Myanmar. They never discussed financial aid," Sukhumband said.

He rejected a recent press report that the two organisations had proposed a
billion dollar lifeline to Myanmar in exchange for dialogue between the
junta and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

A junta official told AFP in a statement last week that the report in the
International Herald Tribune was "making everybody jumpy" but it was
"premature to make any comment at this stage."

Aung San Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy (NLD) party to a
landslide victory in 1990 elections but the junta -- the State Peace and
Development Council -- has refused to recognise the result.

Political talks have stalled over the junta's refusal to negotiate with
Aung San Suu Kyi about the formation of the elected government. 

Sukhumbhand said the technical aid offering depended on the reconciliation
of all political groups in Myanmar.

He said Thailand did not support the idea of giving Yangon financial aid,
but he said technical assistance would "make the Myanmar government realise
that reconciliation is worth it."

"We do not support extending a huge loan to Myanmar, and the World Bank and
the United Nations have never discussed any amount of money," he said.

The UN General Assembly's human rights commission last month sharply
criticized "continuing violations of human rights" in Myanmar and called on
the junta to hold talks with the opposition.

The European Union and the United States, among others, enforce trade and
aid sanctions against the junta over its poor human rights record and its
refusal to recognise the NLD's election victory.

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

BBC: MORE ROHINGYA REFUGEES REPATRIATED
2 December, 1998 

A second group of Muslim refugees has left Bangladesh for repatriation to
Burma.

Twenty five refugees left Cox's Bazaar in south-eastern Bangladesh but ten
others who'd been cleared to return by the Burmese authorities refused to go.

Yesterday, Bangladesh rejected offers by some donor countries to build
health and education facilities in two refugee camps which house twenty
thousand of the refugees, who are known as Rohingyas.

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AFP: PINOCHET RULING "BLATANT HYPOCRISY"
26 November, 1998 

BANGKOK, Nov 26 (AFP) - Myanmar's junta Thursday said the possible
extradition of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to Spain to stand
trial for crimes against humanity would be an act of blatant hypocrisy. "If
we are to prosecute individuals or governments that have committed gross
human rights violations we must not for convenience sake promote
hypocrisy," junta spokesman Lieutenant Colonal Hla Min said in a statement
to AFP here.

"Nations that colonised other nations and enslaved its people and also
governments that are responsible for mass-murdering civilian populations,
for example at Hiroshima (and) Nagasaki ... must also be looked into." The
junta official was responding to the decision by Britain's House of Lords'
denying Pinochet immunity for alleged crimes during his rule and clearing
the way for his extradition to Spain.

Britain's three left-wing daily papers said the decision marked a giant
step forward for international human rights and should serve to hold the
world's dictators responsible for their actions.

British colonial rule ended in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, in 1948.
The country has been under tight military rule since 1962. The junta has
been widely condemned for human rights abuses including the use of forced
labour, summary executions, keeping political prisoners and the rape and
torture of ethnic minorities.

The junta denies all the allegations.

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

FBC: SENTENCING OF 12 FBC PROTESTORS
2 December, 1998 from <nculwell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 

Dear Fellow Free Burma Activists and Supporters:

In a federal court hearing in Washington, DC, a U.S. judge decided what the
sentence for the 12 protestors would be:  $22 fine each!  While all twelve
spiders pleaded guilty for having broken the law -- technically speaking --
every single one maintained that Burma was a cause that deserves all the
support and attention from all freedom loving Americans.

The judge allowed all the defendents to read their prepared statements
without any interruptions.

The 12 FBC protestors were arrested on October 26 for chaining themselves
to the junta's Washington, DC embassy entrance under a federal law that
protects foreign missions on U.S. soil.  

The Burmese programs in Washington, DC -- the Voice of American and Radio
Free Asia -- broadcast the news of the court hearings into Burma.

Thank you to all those who helped organize the successful protest on
October 26.

peace, love, and hope,
Free Burma Coalition

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ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMESE LITERATURE TALK
2 December, 1998 from <absdf88@xxxxxxxxx> 

"Burmese Literature Talk" (1998- Washington D.C.)

We warmly invite you to attend "Burmese Literature Talk", which has been =
arranged as an effort to escalate and preserve Burmese literature and =
bring a new taste into away-from-home Burmese community.=20

The following writers, artists and academics will be speakers of the = talk.

Cartoon Win Tun	A Cartoonist in cartoons

Kyi May Koung	My journey of poem

Maung Aung Mon	Critic Literature

Matmyin		What is literature and my lovely writer

Mya Maung		Reminiscence of a musician

Win Phye		My life and my literature

Program 

Date December 5, 1998
Time 9.00 a.m to 3.00 p.m.
Place Calvary Baptist Church
755 8th St, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001

Burmese food will be served. Program details will be distributed on that day.

Celebrating Committee

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