The BurmaNet News: January 12, 1999

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 "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: January 12, 1999 
Issue #1183

Noted in Passing: 
"We learned that these are only speculation by news agencies. There is no
definite proposal from the World Bank. It is just speculation among reporters.
I do not comment on unfounded and groundless speculation." - Aung San Suu Kyi
(See BBC: WORLD BANK AID FOR NLD TALKS SPECULATION) 
 

HEADLINES:
==========
BBC: SUU KYI-WORLD BANK AID FOR NLD TALKS SPECULATION 
INSIDE SOURCE: UPDATE SALWEEN DAM PROJECT IN SHAN STATE 
REUTERS: MEDIA WARNS SUU KYI MAY BE PUT ON TRIAL 
BKK POST: US CONGRESSMAN TO MEET SUU KYI AND JUNTA 
THE STARS ONLINE: UMW TO TAP MYANMAR'S HEAVY EQUIPMENT 
XINHUA: MYANMAR EXPECTS MORE JAPANESE INVESTMENT 
BKK POST: BURMESE AID SOUGHT IN ARREST OF DRUG LORD 
BBC: AMNESTY DECLARES WAR ON CHILD ARMIES 
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BBC- BURMA: SUU KYI: WORLD BANK AID FOR NLD TALKS SPECULATION 
7 January, 1999  

Dear listeners, recently the BBC Burmese Section had a telephone interview
with
Aung San Suu Kyi, the general secretary of the National League for Democracy
[NLD]. 

According to recent news, the Burmese military government will be offered US$1
billion in aid by the World Bank if they hold talks with the NLD. The NLD
secretary general was also reported to be displeased with the decision. When
BBC inquired whether these reports were true Aung San Suu Kyi replied; 

 "We learned that these are only speculation by news agencies. There is no
definite proposal from the World Bank. It is just speculation among reporters.
I do not comment on unfounded and groundless speculation." 

At present, there are many announcements on the resignation of NLD members and
the NLD, on its part, has credited the resignations to pressure  from the
government. When we asked Aung San Suu Kyi to shed some light on this matter,
she said; 

"Everybody knows about the pressure [on the NLD]. They say this party member
and that party member have resigned. Some have been astray from the party and
have had no contact with the party for a very long time. As far as I know, in
some townships, non-party members were even forced to sign the party
resignation form. Many of party members who resigned include those who have
been away from the party for a long time. The resignations are due to pressure
from the government and for the government's propaganda purposes. These
matters
do not actually reflect our party's condition." 

 When asked about the NLD's opinion regarding these resignations, she said; 

"The NLD has already given its opinion. These acts of pressure are illegal.
They violate the law and are unjustified. Another thing is, it goes to show
how
concerned the authorities are about the NLD. They are reporting everyday in
the
news how many NLD members have resigned. U Maung Maung Than [the interviewer],
think for yourself which country in the world would report daily about the
resignations in a local political party and broadcast it as national news. Do
you realize what these acts show? They show how concerned the present Burmese
military authorities are about the NLD. That's it." 

When asked about views on the reopening of medical institutions, she
replied;  

"We have no comments at this time because the medical institutions have just
been reopened. In fact, they should reopen all the colleges and universities
nationwide."  

Another thing is there are rumors about putting Aung San Suu Kyi into internal
exile. When asked about her views she gave the following response;  

"We do not see anything. Many of our members are already in Insein jail,
Tharrawaddy jail and in jails all over the country. They are also in some kind
of internal exile. For our NLD it is all very clear, we do not need to give it
a second thought."

 When we finally asked what the Committee Representing Peoples' Parliament
[CRPP] is engaging in right now, Aung San Suu Kyi replied;  

"Our 10-member CRPP has now formed various affairs committees and these
committees have begun functioning. We will let you know of the outcome once we
have received the reports from the various affairs committees."  

[Description of Source: BBC--official radio of the British Government]

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INSIDE SOURCE: UPDATE ON THE SALWEEN DAM PROJECT IN SHAN STATE
12 January, 1999

[BurmaNet Editor's Note: This report was compiled by a coalition of NGO's
interested in development projects' social and environmental effects.  Much of
the information at this point is speculative, and BurmaNet will continue to
pass along information as it becomes available.]

Surveying for the dam on the Salween River in Shan State is now seriously
underway, according to inside sources. 

The first serious reports of the surveying on the main body of the Salween
started coming out in October 1998. These mentioned the main company involved
as MDX Power Co., whose staff were crossing the Thai border at Nong Ook (up
from Chiang Dao in northern Chiang Mai province) and travelling up by road to
the Salween River northwest of Murng Ton. The site being surveyed was reported
to be in the region of the Ta Sang river crossing that links the roads between
Murng Pan and Murng Ton in southern Shan State. 

Further reports received in December '98 and early January '99 have confirmed
that the dam is being planned in the Ta Sang area. There is currently a major
bridge being built across the river at Ta Sang, and there is a heavy Burmese
military presence in the area. 

Surveying for the dam is being conducted at a site that lies one and a half 
hours by boat upstream from the bridge site, in an area south of the Nam Hsim
River, a large tributary of the Salween and north of the village of Ta Sala. 
The site where most of the observed survey activities are being carried out is
where the Salween passes through a steep gorge. The surveyors, assisted by
Burmese army engineers have reportedly begun dynamiting and drilling a number
of deep holes into the rocks at the base of the gorge and along the river. 

According to the reports, a series of teams including about 20 Japanese have
been travelling together with Thai staff from MDX up from Nong Ook in Thailand
up by road and boat to the dam site. SPDC troops have been providing
security. 
The dam is ostensibly being planned to divert water from the Salween into
Thailand, as well as to produce electricity for Thailand and Burma. It is said
that it would produce an estimated 3,700 megawatts of electricity. 

One report from inside Shan State has mentioned that the water diversion
scheme
will bring the water through Murng Paeng east of the Salween and across 300 km
into Thailand. It is unsure whether the water will be brought into the River
Kok (in Chiang Rai province) or the River Ping (in Chiang Mai province) or, as
some opponents of the dam speculate, into both river systems. 

The studies of the dam projects are reported to have received funding through
the Electric Power Development Co. a large Japanese quasi-governmental
institution involved in previous surveys of the Salween. 

A dam high enough to raise the water level to the point where 10 percent or
more of the Salween's flow could be diverted into Thailand's rivers would have
to be extraordinarily high. Such a dam would have a massive reservoir, and
many
serious environmental impacts. 

Even the most modest version of such a scheme would involve a very high dam
wall, elaborate canals and tunnels, and may also require pumping of the water.
The cost would be very high. 

Figures quoted by local sources familiar with the project for the cost of the
planned dam range widely from 4 billion to 7 billion US dollars. 
Under normal economic circumstances the cost of building such a project would
make it unthinkable. However it is thought that some of the US$30 billion
provided under the Miyazawa Fund initiative of the Japanese government is the
driving motivation for the potential dam builders. 

The region where the dam is being planned is already ravaged by a forced
relocation program by the Burmese military that has driven over 300,000 Shan
villagers from their homes during the last 3 years. The building of the dam
will certainly lead to further relocations of the villagers in the area. 

The planned site of the dam is in the heart of the operating area of the Shan
States Army-South, the main active Shan resistance group. There are obviously
considerable strategic benefits for the SPDC in building the dam, similar to
those gained by the activities of the Thai and Chinese loggers and the
builders
of the Yadana gas pipeline. 

A senior MDX advisor, ex-Democrat MP and government minister named Dr. Subin
Pinkayan has approached the Shan opposition not to obstruct the surveying of
the dam. The logging company Thai Sawat, who have held concessions in the area
since the late '80's, are closely cooperating with MDX to conduct the
surveying.

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

REUTERS: MYANMAR MEDIA WARNS SUU KYI MAY BE PUT ON TRIAL
8 January, 1999  

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's government-owned media warned Friday that
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi may be put on trial for what it said were
anti-national activities. 

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said the leader of the National League for
Democracy (NLD) party had broken the law by divulging state secrets to foreign
nations, and kept in contact with outlawed expatriate and rebel groups. 

"She not only divulges secrets of the State to foreign nations but also called
for destruction of the State openly," an article in the paper said. 

"She is breaking the existing laws, keeping in contact with outlawed
expatriate
group(s) that rebelled with arms and Karen National Union group, declared as
(an) unlawful association," it added. 

"Daw Suu Kyi is warned that action can be taken against her anytime with
sufficient evidence according to law," it said. 

The article predicted the NLD, which is at political odds with the ruling
military State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), would break up if Suu Kyi
was no longer in the party. 

It said that Suu Kyi, daughter of Myanmar's independence hero Aung San, had
been tolerated by the government for so long because of her late father. 

But she was taking advantage of that, causing some Myanmar people to demand
Suu
Kyi's deportation, it added. 

Suu Kyi was not available for comment. She is prohibited from having regular
contacts with foreign media. 

Suu Kyi, released from six years of house arrest in July 1995, has been the
military rulers' nemesis. 

She led the NLD to a landslide victory in the 1990 general election, but the
military refused to recognize the results of that poll. Since then the NLD and
the government have consistently waged a political war. 

The military has detained and later released thousands of NLD activists and
curbed the party's activities as Suu Kyi and the NLD grab world attention with
calls for greater democracy and freedom for Myanmar people. 

The NLD has set up a committee to press for the convening of a Peoples
Parliament comprising elected representatives from the 1990 elections. But the
SPDC has rejected the NLD's call for a parliament. 

Local media also reported that 7,168 NLD members had resigned from the party
since October 1998 after anti-NLD rallies organized by pro-government
organizations in 19 towns across the nation. 

But the NLD has said that such statements are government propaganda and
some of
its members were being forced by the military to leave the party.

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

BANGKOK POST: US CONGRESSMAN TO MEET SUU KYI AND JUNTA LEADERS
12 January, 1999  

United States congressman Mr Tony Hall said yesterday he will meet Burma
opposition leader Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi as well as junta officials over the
next
few days to assess the human rights situation in the military state. Speaking
after talks with Thai foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan, Mr Hall said he
reserved
judgement on the plight of the Burmese people until he heard both sides of the
bitter political divide in Rangoon. 

The US has imposed harsh trade bans on the junta, citing evidence of ongoing
human rights abuses such as forced labour and the presence of political
prisoner. 

Mr. Hall said he would also visit Laos to discuss issues such as drug
trafficking and the continuing work to recover the remains of US soldiers
reported missing during the Vietnam War.

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

THE STARS ONLINE: UMW SET TO TAP MYANMAR'S HEAVY EQUIPMENT MARKET 
9 January, 1999 by Yvonne Chong 

UMW Holdings Bhd plans to tap the potentially huge market for heavy equipment
in Myanmar by setting up a company there to distribute Komatsu products. 

The wholly-owned subsidiary, UMW Machinery Ltd, was set up last month and will
import and distribute the full range of Komatsu products--from heavy
construction and mining equipment to industrial machinery and material
handling
equipment. 

The group is also in the process of setting up another wholly-owned company,
UMW Engineering Services Ltd, which will act as its service agent in Myanmar. 

UMW general manager for group public affairs, Rasila Hamzah, told Star
Business
that based on the findings of its representative office in Yangon during the
past two years, there was potential for developing such business in Myanmar. 

"Though the overall economic situation in the Asian region is not too good at
present, we are confident of getting business and growing in Myanmar,
especially since Komatsu Asia and Pacific has given us the exclusive rights to
distribute its products there," she said yesterday. 

The UMW group had been given those rights because of its proven track record,
having worked together with Komatsu for more than 30 years, Rasila said. The
group has similar exclusive rights in Malaysia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea
and
the Solomon Islands. 

"However, the two new companies (in Myanmar), being small compared to the
group
itself, are not expected to have any material impact on group earnings in the
first few years," Rasila said. 

The UMW group earned a hefty pre-tax profit of RM391mil in 1997 but suffered a
pre-tax loss of RM22.9mil in the first half of 1998. 

Yangon-based UMW Machinery is expected to begin operation in the first quarter
of the year. Both this company and UMW Engineering Services will be headed by
operations general manager Christopher D'Cruz. 

Komatsu will provide technical support and assist in training the local
employees. 

UMW group member-company UMW Corp Sdn Bhd has subscribed to a total of 500,000
ordinary shares of one kyatt each in UMW Machinery (equivalent to about
RM305,000), and 300,000 ordinary shares of one kyatt each in UMW Engineering
Services (about RM183,000).

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


XINHUA: MYANMAR EXPECTS MORE JAPANESE INVESTMENT
11 January, 1999 

YANGON (Jan. 11) XINHUA - Myanmar hopes that more Japanese investors and
entrepreneurs, making good use of their financial and human resources, will
come to Myanmar in developing its rich natural resources, a Myanmar's diplomat
was quoted by Monday's The New Light of Myanmar newspaper as saying. 

In his article, carried on the paper, L Zau Goone, Charge d'Affaires of the
Myanmar Embassy in Japan, pointed out that with the drop in commodity prices
and the surplus of skilled labor in the region due to the present economic
setback, opportunities abound in Myanmar for investors, especially in the
field
of natural gas and electric power in addition to the agro-based enterprises. 

"Even though Japan is currently confronting its own economic difficulties and
political pressure from the West, it has made enormous efforts to extend
humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar to elevate their livelihood,"
he said, appreciating the Japanese efforts. 

Japan, one of Myanmar's major donors, has extended to Myanmar 21 grants-in-aid
for debt relief. 

According to official statistics, Japan's investment in Myanmar reached 218.87
million dollars in 19 permitted projects at the end of May last year, ranking
the ninth among 23 countries or regions which have a total of 7 billion
dollars
of investment in the country. 

Japan is also a major trading partner of Myanmar in Asia, having its export of
360.46 million dollars to Myanmar and import of 39.97 million dollars from
Myanmar in the 1997-98 fiscal year, favoring Japan in the balance of trade.

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

BANGKOK POST: BURMESE AID SOUGHT IN ARREST OF DRUG LORD
11 January, 1999 

Amphetamine tablet smuggling planned 

Thailand will asked for help from Burma in arresting drug lord Woei Sia Kang
following reports that his gang is planning to smuggle more than 200 million
amphetamine tablets into Thailand. 

Sorasit Saengprasert, deputy secretary-general Office of Narcotics Control
Board (ONCB), yesterday said he would raise the issue with Burmese authorities
during a two-day meeting in Burma's Tachilek town. 

The meeting, which starts today, will be attended by anti-narcotic agents of
the two countries and representatives from the United Nations International
Drug Control Programme (UNDCP). 

Mr Sorasit said the drug gang led by Woei Sia Kang, a Wa tribesman, was a
powerful force on the Thai-Burmese border are opposite Chiang Mai, Mae Hong
Son
and Chiang Rai. 

Woei Sia Kang's arrest would lead to the suppression of illicit drugs on the
border, said the ONCB deputy chief. He said the drug lord was also wanted
by US
authorities on a drug trafficking charge.

Thai and Burmese authorities have already raided a warehouse in Tachilek,
seizing 400,000 amphetamine pills along with large quantities of chemical
precursors. 

A Taiwanese woman identified as Julie Ju Wao, holding both Thai and Burmese ID
cards, was arrested. 

The raid led to a search of Ms Wao's house in Chiang Rai where police found a
large number of falsified passports and ID cards.

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

BBC: AMNESTY DECLARES WAR ON CHILD ARMIES
12 January, 1999

A new generation of weapons light enough for 10-year-olds to use is helping to
create armies of child soldiers, according to Amnesty International.

The human rights group estimates there are 300,000 child soldiers around the
world in a new report which supports a campaign to raise the recruitment age
for armies from 15 to 18. "The development of lightweight automatic weapons
that are light enough and simple enough means that 10-year-olds can carry and
use these weapons as effectively as an adult," says human rights lawyer Rachel
Brett.

"Once you indoctrinate the children and particularly if you provide them with
drugs and alcohol they become very effective killers, very effective
torturers.
Once you break that inhibition it tends to go on."

She adds that young children could not have fought in the same way in World
War
II because weapons were far heavier and more complicated. The minimum
recruitment age of 15 was laid down as part of what Amnesty describes as "a
weak compromise" when the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
was negotiated in 1989. It has since been ratified by every country except the
United States and Somalia.

Ms Brett says that in practice, because of a lack of birth registers in many
countries, children aged between 12 and 14 were being passed off as 15. And
some armed groups even recruited children under 10.

Girls used as sex slaves 

Uganda, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Sierra Leone are among countries where armed
groups recruit children. The Amnesty report, 'In The Firing Line', says the
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group in Uganda has systematically abducted
and recruited up to 8,000 children, mostly between 13 and 16.

"Children are beaten, murdered and forced to fight well-armed government
troops. They are chattels owned by the LRA leadership. Girls are raped and
used
as sexual slaves," it adds. 

One 15-year-old girl, forcibly recruited into the LRA, told Amnesty how she
was
ordered to kill another child who tried to flee, forced to watch as a boy was
hacked to death for failing to raise the alarm, and given 35 days' training
before being sent off to fight.

The release of the report coincides with a meeting of the UN Human Rights
Commission to deliberate an "optional protocol" to the 1989 convention to
raise
the minimum recruitment age. 

The protocol would be adopted by countries if they wished, and would not
automatically become part of the convention.

Amnesty also said it hoped the establishment of an International Criminal
Court
would make it possible to put on trial those who used child fighters.

Rory Mungoven, the director of Amnesty's Asia programme, says: "Sooner or
later
someone will be held accountable for the recruitment of children. That is a
precedent we can all look forward to."

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