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The BurmaNet News: September 7, 199 (r)



Subject: The BurmaNet News: September 7, 1999

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The BurmaNet News: September 7, 1999
Issue #1353

HEADLINES:
==========
IPS: ANNIVERSARIES SPARK NEW ATTEMPT AT UPRISING 
SCMP: JUNTA SECURITY DRIVE TO PREVENT UPRISING 
AP: MYANMAR STOPS ISSUING TOURIST VISAS 
BURMANET: BURMA INTERNET CONNECTION READY FOR TESTING 
SHAN: SSA DENIES BANGKOK POST REPORT 
NATION: BURMA POLICY MORALLY BANKRUPT 
NATION: BORDER VILLAGE WARNED 
ANNOUNCEMENT: AUGUST ISSUE OF THE IRRAWADDY 
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INTER PRESS SERVICE: ANNIVERSARIES SPARK NEW ATTEMPT AT UPRISING 
1 September, 1999 

BANGKOK, (Sep. 1) IPS - For decades, the number nine has been considered
the most auspicious of all numerals by the hated Burmese dictator General
Ne Win and his coterie of proteges in the military junta.

But now, Burmese pro-democracy campaigners are hoping that they can turn
the magical date of 9-9-99 into one of national uprising against the
military regime.

Though there is evidence that the anti-government campaign has gathered
some momentum inside Burma, many analysts believe that they are not likely
to have more than a symbolic impact on the country's harsh political
realities.

What the campaign, whether successful or not, could spark off however is a
serious rethinking of strategy among pro-democracy groups frustrated all
these years in their attempts to topple the military regime.

It was 11 years ago that Burma's pro-democracy movement first spilled into
the streets as a nationwide uprising on Aug. 8, which has been commemorated
since then as the 8-8-88 uprising.

Activists hope that a mix of the rising unpopularity of the Burmese regime,
deteriorating social and economic conditions and sheer superstition will
coax the Burmese people into repeating history -- but this time with a
decisive victory for the people.

During the last uprising the Burmese military, though initially shaken and
nearly toppled, used brutal firepower against unarmed protesters to keep
itself. Thousands were killed and several thousands more fled into exile
after the crackdown.

"Nobody can be certain about what the outcome will be but the 9-9-99
campaign has certainly caught the imagination of students and the general
population inside Burma," says Moe Thee Zun, a leader of the All Burma
Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), one of the main dissident bodies calling
for an uprising.

Dissident groups are hoping for a nationwide general strike against the
regime along with mass demonstrations in major towns and cities on Sept. 9.

The groups argue that social and economic conditions inside Burma cannot
get any worse and given an active push the country's oppressed masses will
spill over into the streets.

Apart from their already long list of political grievances against the
government in recent years, the public has had to bear the brunt of Burma's
crumbling economy.

Inflation is running at 40 percent with the price of rice -- Burma's staple
diet -- jumping 60 percent every year. The Burmese regime is experimenting
with liberalizing the economy, but foreign investment drying up and
previous investors are leaving due to fear of international sanctions as
well as the impact of the Asian economic crisis.

Among the activities by underground dissident activists inside Burma is the
secret distribution of anti-government pamphlets calling for a "9999
uprising" and with slogans like "8888 was the beginning of the battle, 9999
will be the end of it"; "We don't want military junta"; and "Let's revolt
on 9999".

Dissident groups are also using the novel method of circulating currency
notes with writings of "9999" on them to bring the significance of the date
to the attention of people.

According to the ABSDF, more than 120 people have been arrested so far by
the Burmese regime for organizing activities related to the campaign.

Students in Rangoon and other towns in Burma, it said, had held protest
demonstrations during the past few weeks, including one at a school outside
the capital city in the presence of Khin Win Shwe, the wife of Burma's
powerful intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt.

The Burmese military has confirmed arrests of 32 people for "instigating an
uprising" but charges that the ABSDF's claims of public demonstrations
taking place inside Burma are a "fabrication to attract media attention".

But reports from inside Burma indicate that the government is taking no
chances and has beefed up security in schools, government offices and
deployed police at key street corners in most towns and cities ahead of the
9-9-99 campaign date.

In a bid to appease government servants and army personnel the regime is
also reported to have given them a one-month salary and ration advance for
the month of September.

Reports also say that some sections of the population have already begun
hoarding food and essential items ahead of the approaching campaign date
apprehending widespread disturbances. As a result, the prices of various
basic goods have gone up.

Though Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has not given a formal
call to the National League for Democracy to join the 9-9-99 campaign, she
has lent it tacit support.

"This is not a campaign that we started but our policy has always been very
clear on such things -- we will never disown any of our allies, who have
fought for democracy," Suu Kyi was quoted as saying by a dissident Burmese
publication.

Despite all the preparations for an uprising and raised hopes among
dissident groups, some Burma analysts point out that going by the
experience of the past decade, the 9-9-99 movement could end up as a
non-event.

"The military's grip on the country's institutions and its intelligence
gathering apparatus has only strengthened during the nineties. Repeating
the 8-8-88 uprising is going to be extremely difficult if not impossible,"
says an Asian diplomat in Rangoon.

Within the pro-democracy camp itself not everyone is sure that the
campaign, using traditional methods of pamphleteering and calls for street
protests, will really be successful.

"We have to reinvent the Burmese pro-democracy campaign to make it more
creative, imaginative and come up with genuinely revolutionary ideas to
inspire the Burmese people," confesses a senior dissident leader.

He says the movement should try out new methods of protest in which the
masses can participate easily and not expect people to come out on the
streets every time, braving military bullets.

Some dissident activists point out that despite the regime's willingness to
use extreme violence against dissidents, given its unpopularity -- in and
outside the country -- overthrowing the junta should have been much easier
for any sophisticated political movement.

The fact that this has not happened, they say, indicates that either the
anti-junta movement lacks competence or has slipped into inertia and
complacency.

The hope now is that even if the 9-9-99 campaign is unsuccessful, it could
at least lead to the positive result of sparking off serious debate among
activist groups on radically new strategies against the Burmese regime. 

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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: JUNTA SECURITY DRIVE TO PREVENT UPRISING
7 September, 1999 

AFP (Rangoon) - Rangoon has imposed new security measures ahead of a
threatened uprising this week by dissidents intent on loosening the junta's
grip on power, witnesses said yesterday. Extra military and police had been
deployed at official buildings, temples and other important sites in the
capital, residents said, and tea-shops and restaurants where hundreds
congregate after work had been asked to close.

Dissidents hope to foment civil unrest on Thursday - September 9, or Four
Nines Day - to repeat the bloody uprising of August 8, 1988.

State media has stepped up attacks on "destructive elements" and the
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel peace laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has refused to condemn the planned uprising.

"Authorities appear anxious not to unduly unsettle the general public and
are trying to maintain the 'business-as-usual' atmosphere," an observer said.

"At the same time, they feel it necessary to take precautionary measures."

Officials were touring neighbourhoods reminding households to register all
overnight guests, a decades-old regulation rarely enforced except on
occasions regarded as significant, residents said.

Despite allegations by exiled dissidents, government schools appear to be
staying open, but officials said teaching staff had been told to keep a
close eye on students.

On Sunday the junta appealed to pro-democracy opposition forces to abandon
plans for a popular uprising this week and contribute "meaningfully" to the
development of the nation.

The junta has accused the NLD, which won a sweeping but officially
unrecognised election victory in 1990, of working with dissidents to
provoke unrest.

"The Government hopes that the groups [will] reconsider their stance and
contribute [in] a meaningful and positive way . . . instead of spreading
malicious rumours," a statement said.

"Their actions to create a revolution instead of a peaceful evolution is
not only irresponsible but hampering the country's development and
adversely affecting the life of the innocent mass population."

The junta said foreign governments were working with the opposition to
encourage the population to demand human rights.

"But in reality the very basic rights of the Myanmar [Burmese] people to
peace, development and prosperity have been prevented from materialising in
every imaginable possible way," the statement said.

"The current actions taken by one of the political parties in Myanmar in
collaboration with the anti-government quarters in this period of Myanmar's
transition to democracy is regretful."

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ASSOCIATED PRESS: MYANMAR STOPS ISSUING TOURIST VISAS
6 September, 1999 

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Myanmar's embassy in Thailand has stopped issuing
tourist visas to independent foreign travelers ahead of Sept. 9, the date
urged by opponents of the military regime for a popular uprising.

Nyan Lynn, minister at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, told The Associated
Press that the ban, which applies to applicants of all nationalities, came
into effect last week.

It was a ``temporary measure'' that would be in force ``until further
notice,'' he said.

He said it applied only to independent travelers, adding, ``It only applies
to free independent travelers. We are still issuing visas for group tours,
business visas and diplomatic visas.''

The ban is apparently motivated by fears that foreign activists or
journalists posing as tourists would try to sneak into the country in
anticipation of any street demonstrations on ``9-9-99'' day.

This date is viewed as auspicious by exiled dissidents from this
numerology-obsessed country. Mass protests that began on ``8-8-88'' day in
August 1988 nearly brought down the military regime in Myanmar, also known
as Burma.

Last week, a British activist, James Mawdsley, 26, was sentenced to 17
years in prison, after his arrest in a border town inside northeastern
Myanmar for passing out anti-government leaflets.

No reason was given for the visa ban, enforced by a directive issued from
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yangon, effective from Sept. 2. It was
not immediately clear if it applied to Myanmar embassies in other countries. 

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

BURMANET: BURMA INTERNET CONNECTION READY FOR TESTING 
7 September, 1999 

On September 2, MyaBuzz, an on-line business-related publication, reported
that "Myanmar expects to start using Internet before the year 2000.
Myanmar Post and Telegraph (MPT), as a provider will grant 500 connections
nationwide at the first stage. 400 connections will be for the capital
Yangon alone. Priority will be given to the business and other
organizations than to individuals."  Testing should begin soon.

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

SHAN HERALD AGENCY FOR NEWS: SSA DENIES BANGKOK POST REPORT
3 September, 1999 

Commanders of the Shan States Army flatly rejected the report made by
Bangkok Post that it had offered 100,000 baht to Burmese soldiers for the
return of lists naming people involved in the drug trade, said the SSA's
public relations officer yesterday.  [BurmaNet Editor's Note: Bangkok Post
article follows.]

Captain Htoon, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Shan States Army, told
S.H.A.N he had sent inquiries both to Yawdserk, Commander of the SSA, and
officers in the field as soon as he received the report.

"At 09:30 on 18 August, a 40-strong unit of LIB 525 Commanded by Maj. Khin
Maung Nyo, staged an ambush on the Township No.1 Administration Unit led by
Sgt. Khurhsang. His 8-man team was bivouacking in Doisaeng, southeast of
Homong, 1-1/2 hour walking distance from there. They were able to extricate
themselves intact from the battleground after a fierce 20-minute
engagement, which left 2 Burmese soldiers killed and 7 wounded. The SSA,
however, lost 1 carbine with 20 rounds of ammo, and Sgt. Khurhsang's
backpack which contained tax forms both used and unused", reported Captain
Htoon.

"According to the Khunsang Tonhoong Column, (the unit that operates in the
area), no effort was made to recover the contents of the bag by the SSA.
But, since names of businesspeople living in Homong and paying car and
timber taxes to the SSA were contained in the books seized by the Burmese,
Mahaja (ex-MTA officer-turned-businessman) was worried they might suffer
consequences from the junta and tried to buy them back, before the booty
was turned over to the authorities".

There was no news whether or not Mahaja succeeded in retrieving the books,
said Htoon.

"As for the SSA, there is no one who thinks the loss of the backpack would
put it at risk in any manner, because we are waging a vigorous campaign
against drugs".

Captain Htoon added he also received a reply from Commander Yawdserk. "He
said he had never contacted Mahaja for anything. During talks with Mahasang
(Mahaja's half-brother, who is fighting against the junta in alliance with
Yawdserk), he asked the latter whether the two brothers communicated with
each other. Mahasang also replied in the negative".

Yawdserk was also reported to have said, "Had we wanted to deal in drugs,
there wasn't any need to take up arms against the junta in the first place.
We could have done it under its protection".

[S.H.A.N. is a non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is not
affiliated to any political or armed organizations.]

***

The Bangkok Post: B100,000 for two lists of drug dealers, 30 August, 1999

Names of Thais said to be on the lists

Mae Hong Son

The anti-Rangoon Shan State Army has offered 100,000 baht to Burmese
soldiers for the return of two lists naming people involved in the drug
trade, including a number of Thai local leaders.

A source in Ho Mong, the former stronghold of Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army, said
the lists were seized by Burmese troops of the 525th Battalion in an attack
on an SSA stronghold in Doi Saeng area opposite Mae Hong Son's Pang Ma Pha
district on Aug 18.

The first list contained names of drug traders, including those in
Thailand, and the other named drug production plants which made a monthly
payment to the SSA.

The first list, in particular, if it got into the hands of Burmese
authorities, would affect the smuggling of drugs into Thailand and put
those on the list in trouble. The source said Col Yod Suek of the SSA had
contacted Col Maha Cha, a member of the administrative committee of Ho
Mong, to negotiate with the Burmese troops.

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THE NATION: BURMA POLICY MORALLY BANKRUPT 
6 September, 1999 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

It is rather surprising to see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs falling over
itself to praise the simple sending of a letter form Burmese Foreign
Minister Win Aung to his Thai counterpart, Surin Pitsuwan, about yet
another attack by troops form Burma against Thai villagers.

The Ministry's policy-makers must really have "soft ears" (huu bow) if they
take Rangoon's statement at face value that only the DKBA was involved. It
is common knowledge that the DKBA was created by the SPDC and continues to
be nurtured by them as a convenient tool to hit Thai targets when Rangoon
sees the need to apply pressure in its bilateral relations.

This fits with the regular SPDC pattern - create a problem for your
neighbours (in the case of Thailand, some of these problems include
hundreds of thousands of refugees and illegal migrants, armed incursions,
ya ba drug menace, and landmines), then volunteer to help solve it. And
rather than insisting that the SPDC stop creating problems, the Foreign
Ministry praises them for sending a letter promising to "investigate" one
incident. Foreign Ministry spokesman Don Pramudwinal' s praise for the SPDC
junta for just sending a letter shows how desperate the Foreign Ministry is
for any indication that their weak-kneed policy towards Burma is having
positive results. This is yet another clear indication that Thai foreign
policy towards the Burma junta is both intellectually and morally bankrupt. 

Border Observer

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THE NATION: BORDER VILLAGE WARNED
7 September, 1999 

LOCAL officials yesterday instructed villagers at a border village in Mae
Hong Son province to stay in their houses and turn off the lights after 9
pm amid reports that Burmese dissidents are planning an uprising to
replicate bloody protests 11 years ago in Rangoon.

The instructions for villagers at Baan Mae Sam Lap in the province's Sop
Moei district came into force yesterday and will be effective until Friday,
the village's deputy chief Sukhumbhand Charoenwongsa said.

''We have received confirmed reports that Burmese dissidents and the
anti-Rangoon movement are now very active along the Salween River,'' he
said. ''So to protect our people, we have issued the instruction for
villagers to stay home and turn off lights after 9 pm,'' he added.

The villagers are also instructed to stay away from the Thai-Burma border
during the period to avoid any misunderstanding.

The Burmese dissidents have said they are planning civil unrest on Sept 9,
or 9/9/99, to replicate protests 11 years ago on Aug 8, 1988, or 8/8/88,
when hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were gunned down and a junta took
power from dictator Gen Ne Win.

Meanwhile Gen Bo Mya, leader of the Karen National Union, warned in a
letter to leaders of anti-Rangoon Burmese movements of possible attacks by
pro-Rangoon Democratic Karen Buddhist Army on Sept 8.

Bo Mya also claimed the Burmese government may assign the DKBA to attack
camps for displaced Burmese which are on the Thai soil on that day.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: AUGUST ISSUE OF THE IRRAWADDY
6 September, 1999 from waddy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

The August issue of the Irrawaddy is a special edition, focused on the
events of 1988, and includes the following articles:

The feature article views the events of 1988 and utilizes over 30
interviews of participants.  Also, two reports on events beyond Rangoon in
Sagaing and Taunnggyi are included;

The editorial looks at the legacy and memory of 8-8-88 today;

Included is an assessment of the challenges and prospects of the 9-9-99
movement;

A report on the spread of amphetamines in the Northern Shan State;

A look at the French governments investigation of Total's involvement in
human rights violations and complicity with the Burmese government;

An evaluation of the recent Australian government's proposal for the
establishment of a human rights body to be set up by the Burmese government;

In our Culture, Society and Arts page, a look at Garava and Burmese
conceptions of respect and manners;

And regular features, including Quotes, News in Brief, Business, and
Intelligence.

The Irrawaddy is published by the Burma Information Group (BIG). BIG was
established in 1992 by Burmese citizens living in exile and is not
affiliated with any political party or organization.

The Irrawaddy seeks to promote press freedom and access to unbiased
information.

Subscription Information 

For subscribers in Southeast Asia, the subscription fee is US $15 per year;
for those who receive the Irrawaddy outside of Southeast Asia, a fee of $25
per year is requested. Please send a bank draft or postal money order
payable to "Irrawaddy". (Please be sure to ask if it can be cashed in
Thailand.)  Thank you. 

Contact address: 
P.O. Box 242 
Chiang Mai University Post Office 
Chiang Mai 50200 
Thailand 
(Please note the change of the postal code from 50202 to 50200) 

P.O. Box 14154 
Silver Spring MD 20911 
USA 
waddy@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
waddy2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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