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The BurmaNet News: August 5, 1999



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

The BurmaNet News: August 5, 1999
Issue #1330

HEADLINES:
==========
REUTERS: JUNTA FLOUTS VISIT BY AUS RIGHTS MINISTER 
MYANMAR ALIN: CLUES TO THE SPIRIT 
XINHUA: NEARLY 300,000 TOURISTS VISIT IN 1998-99 
AFP: REGIONAL SECURITY HINGES ON MYANMAR STABILITY 
RADIOSTANTSIYA: ENVOY CLAIMS BURMESE AMONG TALEBAN 
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REUTERS: JUNTA FLOUTS VISIT BY AUSTRALIAN RIGHTS MINISTER 
4 August, 1999 

YANGON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government on Wednesday hailed
a visit by Australia's human rights commissioner, saying it would bring
"better understanding and cooperation" on rights. 

Chris Sidoti earlier wound up a three-day visit to look at the feasibility
of a human rights commission for Myanmar after meeting several senior
government officials and the vice chairman of the opposition National
League for Democracy, Tin Oo. 

He did not, however, meet NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who, according to
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, has expressed doubts that any
commission would be independent. 

A spokesman for the generals, who took power in 1988 by bloodily crushing a
nationwide pro-democracy uprising then ignored an election result two years
later when the NLD won by a huge margin, called Sidoti's visit "fruitful
and successful." 

"The government feels these talks are helpful and will help its citizens
enjoy their rights and also learn to accept responsibilities as well as
obligations in maintaining a stable and responsible community as the nation
makes its systemic transition to democracy." 

Australia's ambassador to Yangon, Lyndall McLean, said the visit had been a
good one but declined to say why Sidoti did not meet Suu Kyi or make any
further comment ahead of a news conference Sidoti plans in Sydney on
Thursday. 

The commission envisaged would be along the lines of those in the
seven-member Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, of
which Australia is a member. 

Such a commission was set up during Indonesia's Suharto regime in the early
1990s, under mounting pressure at home and abroad. 

Sidoti's mission was just the latest foreign initiative aimed at progress
on rights in Myanmar. 

However, as it began on Monday, official media dampened hopes for a
softening of treatment of the pro-democracy opposition by accusing Suu Kyi
of "brazenly spoiling peace" and calling for legal action against her. 

Military treatment of Suu Kyi's party has prompted U.S. and EU sanctions
and been an embarrassment for Yangon's fellow members of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations. 

Last month an EU mission visited Myanmar to look into the possibility of
restoring a dialogue with the government and between the generals and the
opposition, but Yangon quickly poured cold water on reconciliation hopes. 

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

MYANMAR ALIN: CLUES TO THE SPLIT
10 July, 1999 by Ye Yint Kyaw Gaung 

[Translated from Burmese; excerpted.  Myanmar Alin is an SPDC-run
newspaper in Burma.]

I don't have any reason to comment about some journalists dubbing a famous
actress, a vocalist and video star, as Burma's "Demi Moore" because of she
had shaved her head for a stint as a [Buddhist] nun at a convent. 

However.. 

There are reasons for me to express my views about the foreign media
designating the puppet princess as Burma's opposition democracy leader. As
if she was foreclosing a mortgage, she had seized total control of the
National League for Democracy [NLD] and has become an absolute monarch. 

Four types of politicians have emerged from NLD's intra-party meetings,
discussions and aimless group talks and people do not know if they should
be interested about it. By that I do not imply the NLD is not socially
accepted. The four types [printed in English] are: 

- Aggressors, 
- Withdrawers, 
- Recognition seekers, and 
- Dominators 

Aggressors are those who stubbornly refuse to accept the proposals and
suggestions by other party members during intra-party meetings, discussions
and meaningless chatter. They are hostile, view things in a negative light
and denounce anything that does not conform to their will. 

Withdrawers can be seen taking copious notes assiduously in a book
pretending to be deeply interested during intra-party meetings, discussions
and idle chatter but they never utter a word. 

Recognition seekers are those who at these gatherings seek to be recognized
by others as someone important by relating his experiences, his work and
ability to achieve success even though the main topics being discussed had
no relation to them. Also someone who with poise spends a lot of time in
discussions but presents little of import. 

Dominators will take the longest time in attempts to dominate the meetings,
discussions or aimless chatter. The people who attend NLD meetings,
discussions and gossip groups already know which persons belong to the
categories stated. It will not be wrong to say that the NLD Central
Executive Committee members should be ashamed for the situation. 

The NLD is a gathering of overbearing, useless and inferior class of
characters. If a floor price has to be placed on the historical value
[preceding two words printed in English] of the NLD over the past 10 years
one would be wary about going beyond zero. That is a unanimous decision on
the current worth of the NLD. 

"...Whenever some members of our party get up and raise a question, I feel
that our declarations aren't being read by them. This should not have
happened in Yangon Division, especially our Yangon Division." 

NLD Mother could not hide her hurt and made those remarks at a worthless
impromptu speech contest held inside a ramshackle public shelter on West
Shwegondine roadside on May 19. I believe it was an indication that NLD
declarations are worthless and should perhaps be sold off by weight as
scrap papers. 

The majority of NLD members from the townships in Yangon Division who are
leaving the party because they have no faith in NLD manifestos are
expressing their honest opinion about the NLD. 


The NLD "Politburo" members had treated township NLD members in Yangon
Division as hired hands and used them many times to stage political shows
of force that never materialize as expected. Now that problems are emerging
in Mandalay Division, it will not be wrong to describe the situation as a
leper contracting scabies. On 6 April 1999, the NLD headquarters assigned
three members of Mandalay Southwest, Northwest, and Northeast Township
Committees to cooperate and work with previous organizing committee members
so as to improve the efficacy of the NLD Mandalay Divisional Organizing
Committee. It would be necessary to find out if the move by the NLD
headquarters was in accordance with democratic principles. 

On receiving the assignments from NLD headquarters the present acting head
of the Divisional Organizing Committee U Hla Myint felt aggrieved and filed
a complaint to NLD headquarters to try and confirm if such a move conforms
to party regulations. But doing things outside the system procedure is
nothing new to NLD. 

In response to the complaint submitted by U Hla Myint, NLD "Politburo"
members who do not have a precedent of considering any matters submitted to
them from the lower hierarchy strongly censured U Hla Myint and Kyaw Kya of
Southwest Township for failing to carry out the directive from NLD
headquarters. 

NLD headquarters letter No, 026/Ma-Ta-La (Si)/99, dated 6-4-99 contained
among other things the words that it was not appropriate to entrust the
responsibility to any one person. Would it be proper for me to put myself
in U Hla Myint's place, as he must have felt like being kicked in the
chest? I reserve commenting about that. 

In view of prevailing circumstances the acting Regional Organizing
Committee chief U Hla Myint gave an ultimatum to Regional Organizing
Committee member U Ko Gyi and a regular visitor to the office to move the
Regional Organizing Committee Office from a building situated at the corner
of 83d and 42d street, Shwephone Shein quarter, Maha Aungmya Township, as
well as the NLD Southwest Township Office located in his house as he would
not continue to have these offices there. This is a testimony to the
inclinations within the NLD to monopolize the party with money. 

Such instances show that people use money to buy positions at different
levels of NLD and act as if they are devoting their life for the party and
democracy. But when there is uncertainty about their own positions, they no
longer take the party into account and dumped it like trash for dogs and
crows to feed on. It would be needless to say that those remaining in the
NLD are there only because of the hope of getting positions in the party. 

Therefore, things got rather hectic as arrangements were made to move the
Mandalay Regional Organizing Committee Office within 20 days to a building
owned by the Honorary Chairman of the Regional Organizing Committee, U Sein
Tin (Thukawadi Press), between 84-85 streets and 30-31 streets in Aye Chan
Tha San Township. 

During its little over 10 years existence, the NLD township, divisional,
and state offices have been moving around like dogs unable to find resting
places and frequently issued statements by the NLD "Politburo" said this
was because of the threat from the authorities. It is unnecessary for me to
say that the accusations are barefaced lies. 


[ ... ]

The problems in Mandalay Division reflect the prevailing suspicion and
mistrust among NLD members who are trying to build personal power within
the party. The Mandalay Division NLD was never united even from the onset
and the present struggle is like beggars fighting for turf. It will not be
worthwhile to study if the NLD headquarters is under curse. Acting head of
the Regional Organizing Committee U Hla Myint was unhappy with the NLD
headquarters over the problem and, on 26 April, he started banging on
office desks, verbally abusing the white-haired and toothless members of
the "Politburo," and kicking the party signboard around after it was
brought down. The behavior reflects the peculiarities of NLD politics and
cultural standards. 

Just as a thief on the job cannot yell out when bitten by a dog, NLD is
keeping quiet and the "Politburo" is trying a one-shot cure for its
long-standing disease by accusing the members concerned as "revisionists"
and "traitors." 

While shouting at the top of its voice high-flown words like national
reconciliation the NLD cannot even manage to effect reconciliation at its
own lower levels. It's like the saying the plant's growth is slight because
the seed is not pure. 

In present day Myanmar, there is no doubt that the effective way to cure
old wounds resulting from national unity problems is the Defense Services
Government's simple and powerful approach, or powerful simplicity
[preceding two words printed in English]. 

NLD Mother and the "Politburo" members, while struggling with divisions
within the party, are clamoring for national reconciliation to advocate
their own cause. Their approach can be said to be oriented toward advocacy
[preceding three words printed in English] and quite evidently it will lead
to enslavement and disintegration of the country. 

I do not wish to search for an answer to chaos and disintegration because I
am one thrown out as a result of chaos and rifts within the NLD. 

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

XINHUA: NEARLY 300,000 TOURISTS VISIT MYANMAR IN 1998-99 
4 August, 1999 

YANGON (Aug. 4) XINHUA - A total of 292,282 foreign tourists visited
Myanmar in the fiscal year 1998-99 which ended in March, of whom 172,007
came by land routes through border points. 

According to the latest figures published by the country's Central
Statistical Organization, the number of tourists who visited Myanmar in the
fiscal year increased by 27,160 as compared with the previous year. 

Despite some rise in the number of tourists, Myanmar's tourism business
climate is still unfavorable as partly impacted by the Asian financial
crisis. Hotels occupancy rate is low with most of the rooms left vacant. 

By the end of 1998, there were 523 hotels with 14,714 rooms in Myanmar,
while there were only 39 hotels with 1,240 rooms 10 years ago in 1988,
according to the statistics. 

Since Myanmar adopted the open-door economic policy in 1988, foreign
investment in the sector of hotels and tourism has reached 1.1 billion U.S.
dollars in 30 projects. 

To promote the development of its tourism industry, Myanmar has signed a
memorandum of understanding on cooperation with other member countries of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. 

The country targets to boost the number of tourist arrivals to 500,000 in
the current fiscal year of 1999-2000. 

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

AFP: REGIONAL SECURITY HINGES ON MYANMAR STABILITY 
4 August, 1999 

YANGON, Aug 4 (AFP) - The Myanmar junta Wednesday warned that regional
security hinges on stability in the country which is at risk from "vested
interests" such as the political opposition and its foreign backers. The
latest public assessment by the junta's Office of Strategic Studies (OSS)
paints a gloomy picture of regional stability if Myanmar's diverse
opposition groups succeed in overthrowing the military regime. 

"If Myanmar's economy collapses or the country becomes unstable, the entire
region will suffer the consequences," the OSS study received Wednesday said. 

"An unstable Myanmar with an internal revolution will definitely not serve
the interest of the region." 

The junta is known to be nervously watching opposition groups in the leadup
to the anniversary of the bloody August 8, 1988 uprising, when the army
brutally crushed street demonstrations calling for democracy. 

Rumours are also rife that opposition groups including ethnic rebels are
planning to mirror the so-called "8-8-88 uprising" with demonstrations on
September 9, 1999. 

Unconfirmed reports say Myanmar banknotes with "9999" stamped in indelible
red ink have begun circulating throughout the country in recent weeks. 

The OSS study said the junta viewed with "great concern" all actions to
upset "peace and stability" in Myanmar. 

"If the actions of vested interests become successful, Myanmar will not
only be once again spinned into a nation of warring ethnic groups and proxy
war but the entire region will suffer the consequences," it said. 

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright recently told the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations that the junta in Myanmar already constituted a
"threat" to regional security. 

The regime, known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), is
condemned around the world for gross human rights abuses as well as
ignoring the result of 1990 elections won in a landslide by the National
League for Democracy (NLD) party under Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. 

The economy has disintegrated under the weight of the regional economic
crisis and Western economic sanctions designed to force political change. 

The OSS blamed the United States for having a "negative attitude" and
"unrealistic expectations" which could force Myanmar back into its previous
policies of "isolation."

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MOSCOW RADIOSTANTSIYA EKHO MOSKVY: AFGHAN ENVOY CLAIMS BURMESE CITIZENS
AMONG TALEBAN 
2 August, 1999 by Irena Merkulova

[Translated from Russian; excerpted.  Moscow Radiostantsiya Ekho Moskvy is
an private Moscow-based radio station known for its investigative news
coverage.]

[Presenter] This is Irina Merkulova in the studio. Good afternoon. Russian
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has recently stated that Afghanistan deserves
no less attention from the international community than Kosovo. Therefore,
our guest today is the Charge d'Affaires of the Afghan embassy in Russia,
Gholam Sakhi Gheyrat. 


[Gholam Sakhi Gheyrat] [passage omitted: The Afghan envoy criticizes the
Taleban movement for extremism, reviews the history of the conflict,
accuses Pakistan of supporting the Taleban and orchestrating Taleban's
military campaign] 

I received a report today - a very interesting one, by the way. Our forces
have captured, among other prisoners, three people from Burma. You know,
those three countries - Burma, Pakistan and Afghanistan - are the main
suppliers of drugs. There you have three people from Burma. Muhammad Sim
Ali Rasheed Rahmad of Burma lived in Pakistan and was trained in Karachi,
Pakistan. He is only 22 years old. Abdullah Sim Unis Ahmad, from Burmese
Arakan Province, also lived in Karachi. He was trained there and then sent
[to Afghanistan] by Taleban. Muhammad Rahid Sim Beshid Ahmad, from the same
Burmese province, also spent time in Peshawar with them. [passage omitted:
the envoy urging the international community to pay more attention to the
problem, accusing Taleban of intransigence]

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