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Subject: [theburmanetnews] BurmaNet News: Weekend of February 26-27, 2000



=========== THE BURMANET NEWS ===========

Weekend of February 26-27, 2000
Issue #1472

=========== www.burmanet.org ============

To view the version of this issue with photographs, go to-

http://theburmanetnews.editthispage.com/stories/storyReader$128

NOTED IN PASSING:  'There continued to be credible reports, particularly in ethnic-minority dominated areas, that [Burmese] soldiers committed serious human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings and rape'

>From the US State Department annual Human Rights Report on Burma (See AFP: US SLAMS MYANMAR ON HUMAN RIGHTS)


Inside Burma--
BURMANET: PHOTO ESSAY ON UNION DAY CELEBRATIONS IN BURMA
SCMP: PAPER TO EXERCISE SELF-CENSORSHIP
AFP: US SLAMS MYANMAR ON HUMAN RIGHTS
AFP: REGIME REJECTS DAMNING ACCOUNT OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
MIZZIMA: BURMA JUNTA TRIES HARD TO GET FOREIGN CURRENCY,
IMPOSES NEW REGULATIONS
NLM: PRODUCTION OF POPULAR, QUALITY CONSUMER GOODS STRESSED
BANGKOK POST: RIVAL TROOPS TRY TO MEND FENCES
BANGKOK POST:  SHAN STATE ARMY REJECTS TRUCE REPORTS

International--
UPI: REFUGEE CRISIS HITS BANGLADESH
AP: THAI PROVINCES TO BAN CAFFEINE
ANS: STATE EFFORTS TO EXERT MORAL INFLUENCE OVERSEAS UNDER CHALLENGE
 
Other--
FBC: 3D ANNUAL FBC DINNER AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY



=========================================


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
 INSIDE BURMA
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

BURMANET: PHOTO ESSAY ON UNION DAY CELEBRATIONS IN BURMA

February 27, 2000

A photo essay, "Separate Unions--Union Day 2000 ceremonies in Burma" is on the web at 

http://theburmanetnews.editthispage.com



The photo essay will not be available in the version of The BurmaNet News distributed by email because many readers do not have software or bandwidth to handle photos.


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AFP: US SLAMS MYANMAR ON HUMAN RIGHTS

WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (AFP) - The United States on Friday slammed Myanmar's military government for continued severe and brutal repression of its people accusing it of a wide array of human rights abuses.

"The government's extremely poor human rights record and longstanding severe repression of its citizens continued during (1999)," the State Department said in it annual global review of human rights performances.
"Citizens continued to live subject at any time and without appeal to the arbitrary and sometimes brutal dictates of the military regime," it said in a 
47-page section detailing the situation in Myanmar.
Yangon's crackdown on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy remained constant, the report said, adding that Suu Kyi's ability 
to travel or receive visitors was still highly restricted.

"Those suspected of or charged with pro-democratic political activity were subjected to increased surveillance and harassment," it said, maintaining that 
the government continued to "constrain their activities through security measures and threats."

Noting that the government, the State Peace and Order Development Council (SPDC), had more than doubled the size of the armed forces since 1988, the report said human rights abuses by members of the military were unabated especially in remote rural and border areas populated by Karen and Shan minorities.

"There continued to be credible reports, particularly in ethnic-minority dominated areas, that soldiers committed serious human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings and rape," it said.

Disappearances at the hands of the military as well a torture and severe beating continued as did arbitrary arrests, it said. The report also criticized the judicial system, stating flat out that "it is not independent" and took aim at orchestrated and widespread intrusions into 
the privacy of its citizens through eavesdropping, warrantless searches and forced relocation.

In addition, the State Department said Yangon restricted the freedoms of religion, press and assembly, those of workers and refused access to the country to outside neutral observers. Forced labor -- particularly peasants conscripted to serve as porters by the military -- "remained a common practice," it said. 


***

BurmaNet adds:

For the full text of the State Department Human Rights Report on Burma, go to:

http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1999_hrp_report/burma.html


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

AFP: REGIME REJECTS DAMNING ACCOUNT OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

YANGON, Feb 27 (AFP) - Myanmar's ruling military on Sunday rejected a damning US State Department human rights report claiming its accounts of widespread abuses were based on "hearsay."

The generals said Washingto had based its review of Myanmar in its annual global report on human rights performances on "wrong information and biased 
soruces."

"The government of Myanmar believes it is absolutely improper and insensitive to accuse other nations or governments just based on hearsay evidence," a statement from the spokesman's office said.

The statement accused the US using allegations of human rights abuses, including rape and torture of ethnic minorities as well as forced labour, to justify policies such as sanctions toward Myanmar.

It said the US allegations were "ridiculous" and ignored unspecified developments within the country. "(They) remind us of a popular Western expression, 'My mind is made up, do not confuse me with facts'."

Washington on Friday slammed Myanmar's military government for continued severe and brutal repression of its people accusing it of a wide array of human 
rights abuses during 1999.

"Citizens continued to live subject t any time and without appeal to the arbitrary ando smetimes brutal dictates of the military regime," the report 
said in a 47-page section on Myanmar.

"There continued to be credible reports, particularly in ethnic-minority dominated areas, that soldiers committed serious human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings and rape," the report added.

Yangon's crackdown on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) remained constant, the report said, adding her movements were still highly restricted.

The NLD won 1990 elections but were denied power by the military.


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

MIZZIMA: BURMA JUNTA TRIES HARD TO GET FOREIGN CURRENCY,
IMPOSES NEW REGULATIONS


Burma junta tries hard to get foreign currency, imposes new regulations

February 26, 2000
Mizzima News Group

The Burmese junta has, on February 23, established regulations for the persons who are seeking job and who wants to work abroad. The new labor regulations were announced and published in the government-controlled
daily paper, "Myama Allin" (New Light of Myanmar) on February 24.

These rules and regulations indicate that the Burmese government, in future, will tightly handle the matter concerning the persons who want to work in abroad.

As per the prescribed restrictions, the persons who wish to work abroad are to submit their applications with necessary documents to the authorities-concerned. They have to show their work permits, IPA or Call Visa and other valid documents including the original appointment
letters recommended by the Burmese Embassies in the respective countries. In case there is no Burmese Embassy in that particular country, they are to show the recommendations of a Notary Public of that country on the original appointment letters.

They also have to take their parents or guardians along with two guarantees before the offices concerned (of the Directorate of Labor Department) for signing the agreement that they must regularly remit the 10% of their income annually to the Burmese Embassy and 50% of their
monthly salaries to their families in Burma in foreign currency through Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank. Besides, they are to pay FEC (Foreign Exchange Currency) 200 as a non-refundable payment to the directorate of the labor department.

In the past, the Burmese citizens who wish to work abroad needed to submit their applications with the original appointment letters received by post from their employers in the respective countries to get passports and they were to pay the bond-money which is mostly Kyats 17,000 with respect to the countries they are going to work. And they did not need to send 50% of their income to their families. Still, they had to bribe the officers at the passport office with a lot of money and faced troubles to get the passports.

A Burmese worker who came to India in 1998 said: "It was very difficult to get a passport. It took almost a year for a person to get a suitable and reliable contact after inquiring the information of the said contact. One must give him (the contact) Kyats 25,000 per male and Kyats
75,000 per female for his services. After waiting about four months one will get his passport and after getting his passport he will have to go to the township income tax office to get the income-tax clearance certificate, that is form "17" by giving the officer of the respective
township income-tax office Kyats 3,000 and then, he will have to go to the Divisional Income tax office and pay 15,000 Kyats to get the form "19" which is also the income tax clearance certificate. After having
this form "19", he will have to go to the bank referred by the latter office to deposit Kyats 5,000 as a guaranty. This guaranteed money could be withdrawn from the bank after returning to Burma. Finally, one will
have to go to the Directorate of Immigration Department to get the departure form by giving the officer concerned Kyats 1,000. Having received all these documents from the respective officer, one must go to the Embassy concerned to get visa and then, he will have to buy air ticket and finally, he will prepare to leave Burma. So, one must spend round about 1.2 lakhs Kyats for the whole affairs of his purpose. Air fare is not included in the amount yet."

He further said that as the Burmese government has made these regulations, the persons who want to work abroad have to spend more money in future by bribing authorities concerned to get passport and permission. "Because of the new restrictions of the Burmese government, there must be more expenditure for the persons who wish to work abroad than ever before. 

If they are to send 50% of their salaries to their parents or relatives monthly, they will have no money left with them for their meals. These regulations of the government seem to aim getting more foreign currencies from the Burmese workers in abroad", said the Burmese.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*


SCMP: PAPER TO EXERCISE SELF-CENSORSHIP


South China Morning Post
Friday, February 25, 2000.


Independent English-language newspaper "the Myanmar
Times" will use self-censorship to skirt the military
regime's intolerance of criticism, its Australian
editor Ross Dunkley said yesterday.

The weekly tabloid, which claims to be the first
"truly free press" in Burma for more than three
decades, will publish its first edition early next
month.

"Am I going to start out by pushing people's buttons?
No I'm not," Dunkley said.

He also said it would "probably not be appropriate at
this moment" to try to solicit the views of opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi or her colleagues.

Nevertheless, the creator of the successful Vietnam
Investment Review said that, after Hanoi, working in
Rangoon was "incredibly refreshing".

The Myanmar Times has so far produced one trial issue.
"We don't have censors. Some people have looked at our
pages and just corrected spelling mistakes."

The Vietnam Investment Review, in comparison, had to
endure a seven-signature censorship process.

"The level of corruption in Vietnam is really becoming
a big drag on development. Frankly, it has been
incredibly refreshing to come here," he said.

Dunkley said that he in no way represented any kind of
reforming, liberalising faction within the regime.

Nevertheless he argued that in time the paper may be
able to stretch the editorial writing to gentle
criticism of the Rangoon junta.

"I don't want to turn down good stories. I will argue
the case for them, push for them," he said.

The publication has been sponsored by the military
intelligence establishment.

The only English-language daily is the New Light of
Myanmar.

The only other regular English-language publications
are the business magazine IT Myanmar, established with
Malaysian money, and the tourist-oriented Today
Magazine.

Dunkley said his biggest problem was trying to find
competent staff among a population that has suffered
extended closures of schools and universities and
where knowledge of English remained generally weak.

"I am trying to get Burmese graduates to write in
English, even if its very simple English. I had
thought we could handle copy in Burmese but by the
time its translated and edited it seems to lose the
original meaning," he said.

The  editor denied that the Australian money invested
in the Myanmar Times joint venture with a local
businessmen came from media magnate Kerry Packer, who
bought Vietnam Investment Review in 1998.

He explained that Mr Packer had seen the Vietnam
publication as primarily a way of getting into that
country's electronic media; an ambition that has so
far been stymied by the cautious communist
authorities.

Reported by: WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok.


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

NLM: PRODUCTION OF POPULAR, QUALITY CONSUMER GOODS STRESSED  [Minister inspect Suzuki plants]

Secretary-2 gives instructions on development of industries of Ministry of Industry-2

New Light of Myanmar

http://www.myanmar.com/nlm/enlm/Feb26.html

YANGON, 25 Feb - Patron of Myanma Industrial Development Committee Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo gave instructions on development of industries of the Ministry of Industry-2 being established in South Dagon Industrial Zone in the briefing hall of the ministry in South Dagon Industrial Zone this morning. Minister Maj-Gen Saw Lwin reported on locations of factories of the Ministry of Industry-2 and conditions of factories established by entrepreneurs and the Ministry of Industry-2 on a mutually beneficial basis and matters pertaining to investment. 
Managing Director of Myanma Automobile and Diesel Engine Industries U Soe Thein reported on establishment of Myanmar Suzuki Automobile Company Ltd, facts about automobiles and motorcycles manufactured by the company and present productivity and arrangements to boost productivity. 
Managing Director of Myanma Machine Tool and Electrical Industries U Kyaw Win reported on production of transformers on a mutually beneficial basis, Daewoo Electronic Appliances Industry, the oxygen factory, the acetylene factory, the LPG container factory, the bolt and nut factory and the lead-acid accumulator factory. 
Managing Director of Myanma Industrial Construction Service U Ye Tun reported on construction of factories of the Ministry of Industry-2 in South Dagon Industrial Zone. 
In replying to their reports, the Secretary-2 said the Government is providing necessary assistance for development of State-owned industries and private industries. 

The Ministry of Industry- 2 is directly concerned with heavy industries, and it can be seen that development of the Ministry of Industry-2 is the forerunner of all industries in Myanmar. 

In accord with the motto "Leap forward with industrial might," the Government is providing monetary and material assistance and fulfilling staff requirements with a view to ensuring development of industries of the Ministry of Industry-2. 

As market-oriented economic system has been initiated, factories and plants under the Ministry of Industry-2 are to be managed on the basis of market-oriented economic system. Research and development work is to be conducted systematically, and production done in accord with the objectives. Popular consumer goods are to be produced on a commercial scale, and the most important is to produce consumer goods of high quality. 
For the development of the entire industrial sector of the State, it is required to carry out production work in coordination with the State owned industrial sector and the private industrial sector. 
Minister Maj-Gen Saw Lwin and Deputy Minister Lt-Col Khin Maung Kyaw accepted donations in cash and kind presented for Upper Myanmar Industrial Training School by Myanma Fritz Warner Company Ltd, Myanmar A Caret Transformer Company Ltd, Myanma Suzuki Automobile Company Ltd, Myanma Daewoo Electronic Company Ltd, Myanma Matsushita Electric Work Ltd and Myanmar Daewoo Auto mobile Company Ltd. 

Then, the Secretary-2 had a cordial meeting with managing directors of the companies and officials and departmental personnel. 

Afterwards, the ministers, the deputy ministers and officials inspected Suzuki Automobile Factory, the LPG container factory, the dry cell factory, the lead-acid accumulator factory, the bolt and nut factory, A Caret Transformer Factory, construction of the paint spraying workshop of Myanmar Suzuki Automobile Factory, the acetylene factory, the oxygen factory and Daewoo electronic industries

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BANGKOK POST: RIVAL TROOPS TRY TO MEND FENCES
Sporting activities to break the ice
February 27, 2000

Wassana Nanuam, Lampang

Thai and newly-arrived Burmese soldiers competed in sporting activities on Friday, to "break the ice" in their relationship, in the no-man's land which once served as the headquarters of opium warlord Khun Sa.
The soldiers and their commanders temporarily put aside their weapons to compete in volleyball and takraw.

The games were hosted by the Thai unit to get acquainted with the newly-arrived Burmese troops.

The Burmese 226th Infantry Battalion has just been reassigned from Kengtung to relieve the 527th Infantry Battalion at this strategic hill.
Col Akkadet Songworawit, commander of the army's 135th Cavalry Battalion, said the sporting activity would foster a better relationship and help prevent any possible conflict in the future.

The Burmese military rotated its border units every four months, he said. Both sides needed to adjust to having new friends.

Thailand and Burma began deploying troops at Doi Lang in 1996, immediately after Khun Sa surrendered to Rangoon, pending a settlement of the disputed ownership of the border hill.

Col Akkadet met his Burmese counterpart Lt-Col Kyaw Shein on Feb 24 to reaffirm a joint agreement on the joint military presence at Doi Lang.
The invitation for the Burmese soldiers to participate in the sports day was then extended.

Thai and Burmese soldiers have agreed that they will not resort to military action, and to rely on peaceful negotiation to settle any conflict that may arise in the 32 square kilometres territory.



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BANGKOK POST:  SHAN STATE ARMY REJECTS TRUCE REPORTS

February 27, 2000
Somsak Suksai, Lampang

The Shan State Army has rejected reports that its troops will lay down their arms to pave the way for a ceasefire with Rangoon.

Chao Yodsuek, an SSA leader, told the Bangkok Post that the SSA would continue to fight for the Shan state's independence from Burma if Shan people still support its soldiers.

The army would carry on training its troops to deter the Burmese military's invasion of Shan territory, he said.

"We will go ahead with our fight. Now, we are running political campaigns against the junta.

"We will not lay down our arms. Shan people can have trust in me," Chao Yodsuek said.

He said attacks by Burmese troops on many towns in Shan state had prompted Shan civilians to flee fighting to a border area opposite Pang Ma Pha district, Mae Hong Son.

The SSA was now taking care of more than 200 displaced families, who were waiting for assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Chao Yodsuek denied SSA involvement in the drug trade. Rangoon and drug gangs affected by the SSA's active drug suppression were running propaganda campaigns against the Shan army, he said.

The SSA was willing to co-operate with Bangkok in combating drug trafficking.
Chao Han Khong, chief of a Shan refugee camp, voiced support for the SSA's plan to collaborate with other minority groups to fight the Burmese army.



*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
 INTERNATIONAL
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UPI: REFUGEE CRISIS HITS BANGLADESH

United Press International


Friday, 25 February 2000 0:06 (ET)

Refugee crisis hits Bangladesh
By RAVI R. PRASAD

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The refusal by the Myanmar military rulers to accept some 250,000 refugees back into the country has led to serious economic and demographic problems in neighboring Bangladesh.

More than 22,000 Rohingyas refugees living in two UNHCR-run refugee camps and in temporary shelters in eastern districts of Bangladesh, along the Myanmar border are unable to return home.

Having spent nearly a decade as refugees in Bangladesh, the Rohingyas, who are natives of north-western Myanmar, are eager to return home. But, the military regime of Myanmar has refused to take them back as its citizens.

"We have forwarded their names to the Myanmar government, but there is no response from Myanmar. Unless we get their consent, these families cannot be repatriated," a senior UNHCR official told United Press
International.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas had sought refuge in Bangladesh in 1991 when the Myanmar army cracked down on the Rohingya rebels. The rebel movement crumbled and the refugees were stranded in Bangladesh.

The UNHCR, which was assisting the refugees urged the Myanmar government to take the refugees back. The UN agency offered to help the resettlement and reintegration of the repatriated families.

The Myanmar government agreed to UNHCR's request and more than 220,000 families were repatriated. The UNHCR provided loans to these families to resettle and reintegrate into the society.

Initially, the UNHCR forwarded the names of refugees willing to return home and the Myanmar government allowed them to come back after verifying the details provided by the refugee families.

While the repatriation was in progress, Myanmar suddenly stopped granting permission to the refugees to return. Stranded in Bangladesh, these refugees have become a major drain on the resources of UNHCR and Bangladesh government.

The World Food Program spent more than $50 million in 1999 to providing food to those living in the refugee camps. This was in addition to money spent maintaining the camps.

The government of Bangladesh spends almost double that amount to feed refugees who are staying outside the camps. Many are employed in small scale government and NGO projects.

"We have appealed to Myanmar to resume repatriation, but there is no word from them. Myanmar says they are unable verify the particulars furnished by the refugees who are willing to return," the UNHCR official said.

Reports from eastern Bangladesh indicate that Rohingya refugees are continuing to arrive in the country, but not in large numbers. However, neither the Bangladesh government nor the UNHCR has exact figures of Rohingya refugees staying in Bangladesh.

"Every day hundreds of Rohingyas cross the border. They with valid permits as they are allowed to enter Bangladesh and stay here for a week. But, most of them never return. They find jobs and stay back," a
senior immigration official said.


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

AP: THAI PROVINCES TO BAN CAFFEINE

Saturday February 26 9:42 AM ET 

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Thai authorities will ban caffeine from six northern provinces beginning next month to prevent its use in the production of the illegal stimulant methamphetamine, a Thai newspaper reported Saturday. 

Caffeine will not be listed as a controlled substance but its shipment to the provinces in northern Thailand close to neighboring Myanmar will be prohibited, reported the Bangkok Post newspaper, quoting Prime Minister's Office Minister Jurin Laksanavisit. 

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is believed to be the source of most of the methamphetamine that is flooding into Thailand. In the past few years the stimulant has overtaken heroin as the greatest drug threat to the country, largely because it can be made and sold cheaply. Myanmar is also a major source of heroin and opium. 
The announcement of the ban came after an article in Myanmar's state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper accused Thailand, along with China and India, of being the sources for the chemicals in the manufacture of amphetamines. 

Thai authorities have angrily denied the allegation, and reports from various drug experts suggest that India and China are far more likely culprits. 

``Amphetamine continues to be the biggest threat among illegal drugs,'' Sorasit Sangprasert, the secretary-general of Thailand's Narcotics Control Board, was quoted as saying in the newspaper The Nation. 
 


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ANS: STATE EFFORTS TO EXERT MORAL INFLUENCE OVERSEAS UNDER CHALLENGE

American News Service

Article No. 1304
By William Bole

BOSTON (ANS) -- Five years ago, Simon Billenness and other social activists wanted to strike a blow for democracy in Burma, a military dictatorship in 
Southeast Asia. So they reached into the tool kit of human rights advocacy and pulled out a tried-and-true strategy: tapping the purchasing power of states and local governments to pressure tyrannical regimes abroad.

So-called selective purchasing laws in the United States had been credited with helping to bring down the system of apartheid, or racial subjugation, in South Africa. And, pro-democracy activists in Massachusetts lobbied 
successfully for an identical law targeting Burma and American companies that do business in that country.

But now, the "Burma law" in Massachusetts is facing a tough constitutional challenge, as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in the case on March 22. If lower-court decisions hold, this and dozens of similar 
statutes around the country could be wiped off the books.

Basically, the Massachusetts law says the state will not do business with any firm that has commercial ties with Burma, renamed Myanmar by the dictatorship there.

A decision in favor of international companies challenging the Massachusetts law would "repeal a key legacy of the anti-apartheid campaign," said Billenness, a senior analyst of Trillium Asset Management, 
a social investment firm in Boston, and coordinator of the New England Burma Roundtable.

"If the Supreme Court had ruled against South Africa selective purchasing laws, then Nelson Mandela might still be in prison today," he said, referring to the political prisoner who became president after the triumph 
over apartheid.

In their petition to the Supreme Court, lawyers for Massachusetts said a ruling against the statute in effect would grant a "heckler's veto" to those who don't like the decisions made by citizens democratically through 
their legislatures, about how their tax money should be spent at local levels.

 From that perspective, one of the hecklers in this argument is the National Foreign Trade Council. Representing 580 firms, the trade association in Washington has mounted the court challenge in a campaign 
against what it describes as local sanctions laws. The legal argument is that the Massachusetts law unconstitutionally intrudes on the exclusive 
foreign-policy-making powers of the federal government.

"Our system of government was not designed to allow the fifty states and thousands of municipalities to conduct their own individual foreign policies," said council president Frank Kittredge, noting that state and 
local governments have a combined purchasing power of $1 trillion.

The council says in its lawsuit that over 30 of its members are "currently affected by this (Massachusetts) law," although it declined to name the companies, saying it feared boycotts against them. Neither would it 
describe the nature of the companies' business ties with Burma.

A distant but powerful force in this debate is the European Union, which filed suit against the Massachusetts law in the World Trade Organization. 
Together with Japan, the EU cited international trade rules that require governments to base their procurement decisions solely on price and performance, not political considerations.

"We share the concerns about Burma. But this has become a serious issue of trans-Atlantic concern," said Charlotte Hebebrand, an economist with the trade section of the European Commission Delegation in Washington. "We're 
concerned about the further proliferation of sub-federal [state and local] sanctions laws."

Partly under pressure from U.S. trading partners, the Clinton administration has filed a brief siding with the National Foreign Trade Council.

Hardly anyone denies that Burma is ruled by one of the world's most brutal military regimes. Its human rights record includes forced labor, ethnic cleansing and the torture, rape and execution of political opponents, as 
documented by international rights groups and the U.S. State Department.

In 1990, the Burmese people voted overwhelmingly for the pro-democracy party led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. But the regime threw out the results and imprisoned many of the elected leaders. Under virtual 
house arrest, Suu Kyi has called for international sanctions against Burma, 
like those imposed on South Africa in the 1980s.

Nearly two dozen cities and municipalities, from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco, have adopted selective-purchasing measures that specifically target Burma. Massachusetts has the only statewide law, which 
effectively bars state agencies from awarding contracts to companies that operate in Burma. Those contracts amount to about $2 billion annually.

The debate coming to the Supreme Court is not over Burma's record, but whether state and local governments can use the power of the purse against human rights violators around the world. On another level, it amounts to a showdown between transnational corporations and grassroots activists, between global trade and local sovereignty.

According to WTO rules on government procurement, the only valid criteria in awarding contracts are whether the company can provide the right product or service at the right price. In ruling against the Burma law, the federal 
district and appeals courts cited the challenge filed with the WTO.

"Whether a company does business in Burma doesn't tell you anything about the company's ability to fulfill the contract," said Hebebrand, referring to the trade rules. "The qualifications have to be based on economic 
considerations. In this case, it's a purely political consideration."

But supporters of the Burma law say global trade isn't just about economics. "The issue is whether state and local governments have a right to apply standards of public morality and human rights to their purchasing," said Robert Stumberg, a professor of law at Georgetown 
University who filed a pro-Burma-law brief on behalf of 78 members of Congress. In addition, 22 state attorneys general have signed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the statute.

Stumberg pointed to the WTO procurement rules that exclude considerations apart from price and performance. "If that's the standard, then literally hundreds of local purchasing laws" could be affected by the outcome of the 
case, he said.

These include, according to his tally, 47 statutes that attach pro-environmental strings to contracts; 43 "buy American" laws stating local preferences; 33 laws using human rights criteria; and 19 in support of the "MacBride principles" of equal opportunity for companies doing 
business in Northern Ireland.

Countries targeted by selective purchasing laws include China, Cuba, Nigeria, Sudan and Switzerland (the latter involving Swiss banks and accounts once held by Holocaust survivors).

Without the legislative tool of selective purchasing, states and local governments would have to engage in "forced commerce," trading with dictators, Stumberg added. He explained that it is impossible to do 
business in Burma without associating at least indirectly with the military junta, which has a firm grip on the corporate sector.

Billenness, a "Free Burma" organizer and veteran of the anti-apartheid campaign, is worried about losing a reliable weapon in the human rights arsenal. He pointed out that selective purchasing laws have helped generate 
political momentum for action in Washington. The federal sanctions against South Africa in the mid-1980s came on the heels of local laws. And, within a few months of the Burma law's signing in Massachusetts in June 1996, 
Congress authorized, and the Clinton administration later imposed, more limited sanctions in the form of a ban on most new investment.

Furthermore, striking down the statute would "severely curb the ability of citizens to direct how their tax dollars are spent. It would be a significant infringement of local democracy," said Billenness. On March 22, 
when the Supreme Court will hear argue arguments in the case, he and other activists in the Free Burma Coalition will hold a rally on the steps of the Supreme Court, which is expected to render a ruling by June.


[Sidebar]

Cities With Selective Purchasing Laws Following is a list of two dozen cities (as well as one state and one county) with selective purchasing laws targeting Burma.

Berkeley, Calif., passed Feb. 28, 1995
Madison, Wisc., passed Aug. 16, 1995
Santa Monica, Calif., passed Nov. 28, 1995
Ann Arbor, Mich., passed April 15, 1996
San Francisco, Calif., passed April 22, 1996
Oakland, Calif., passed April 23, 1996
State of Massachusetts, passed June 25, 1996
Takoma Park, Md., passed Oct. 28, 1996
Carrboro, N.C., passed Oct. 8, 1996
Alameda County, Calif., passed Dec. 10, 1996
Boulder, Colo., passed Dec. 17, 1996
Chapel Hill, N.C., passed Jan. 13, 1997
New York, N.Y., passed May 14, 1997
Santa Cruz, Calif., passed July 8, 1997
Quincy, Mass., passed Oct. 20, 1997
Palo Alto, Calif., passed Oct. 20, 1997
Newton, Mass., passed Nov. 3, 1997
West Hollywood, Calif., passed Nov. 3, 1997
Brookline, Mass., passed Nov. 5, 1997
Somerville, Mass., passed Feb. 12, 1998
Cambridge, Mass., passed June 8, 1998
Portland, Ore., passed July 8, 1998
Newark, N.J., passed Sept. 21, 1998
Los Angeles, Calif., passed Dec. 15, 1998

Source: The Free Burma Coalition, Washington.







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 OTHER
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FBC: 3D ANNUAL FBC DINNER AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Feb. 25, 2000

By Sapna Chhatpar 
sc9517a@xxxxxxxxxxxx

On April 11, 2000, the American University Free Burma Coalition will host Burma Freedom Dinner 2000.  This year, the dinner counts on bringing 600 persons from the Washington, DC and surrounding area and raising $20,000 to be used to educate Americans about the democracy
movement.

The American University is known for its continuous support of the Burma movement.  In 1997, the University appointed Aung San Suu Kyi as its commencement speaker, where her late husband, Michael Aris delivered one
of Suu Kyi's first speeches in Washington, DC.  In the summer of 1998, four American University students were arrested, detained and deported from Burma for handing out pro-democracy leaflets.  Since then, AU has
remained a hotbed of support for Burma, hosting two international conferences and raising nearly $20,000 for the freedom struggle at the past two Burma Freedom Dinners.

This year, the dinner will include traditional Burmese dancing and cuisine, in addition to a slide show detailing student activism and the Burma movement.  Although speakers have not yet been confirmed for this
dinner, previous speakers at our dinners have included Hiram Ruiz, policy analyst of United States Committee for Refugees; Jack Healey former executive director of Amnesty/USA; and Dr. Sein Win, Prime Minister of Burma's government in exile.

Please reserve your seat today! Tickets can be purchased for $15 for students and $25 for non-students.  Tables for ten can also be reserved and ensures your organizations' name printed in the program.

Please email Sapna Chhatpar at sc9517a@xxxxxxxxxxxx for more information or call 202-885-3333 ext.5 for reservations.  You can also reserve your
space by sending a check made payable to:

The Free Burma Coalition
Kay Spiritual Life Center
American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016


The Free Burma Coalition can now accept donations on-line! (www.freeburmacoalition.org)  FBC encourages anyone who has the financial ability to donate to the campaign--the money will be used for campaign activities and allow FBC to do some things it previously couldn't such as
buying space in national newspapers, producing more campaign materials, and bringing more pressure to bear on the dictators in Burma!  

Contact Jeremy Woodrum 

jeremy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

for more information.


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The BurmaNet News is an Internet newspaper providing comprehensive coverage of news and opinion on Burma (Myanmar).  For a subscription to Burma's only free daily newspaper, write to: strider@xxxxxxx


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