************************** BurmaNet ************************** "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ************************************************************** BurmaNet News: January 16 Issue #96 ************************************************************** Contents: ***************INSIDE BURMA*************** **AUNG SAN SUU KYI NATION: SPECULATION ABOUT RELEASE OF SUU KYI STIRS RANGOON **BUSINESS BKK POST: JUNTA PAINTS BRIGHT PICTURE FOR BURMA JAPAN TIMES: MYANMAR TO AIR FAMOUS JAPANESE TV SERIES ************************************************************** The BurmaNet News is an ********************************* electronic newspaper * * covering Burma. 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Tel/Fax: (in Thailand) (66)2 234-6674 By snailmail: Attention to BurmaNet, care of Burma Issues PO Box 1076, Silom Post Office, Bangkok 10504 By email: strider@igc.apc.org *************************INSIDE BURMA************************* AUNG SAN SUU KYI ************************************************************** NATION: SPECULATION ABOUT RELEASE OF SUU KYI STIRS RANGOON 16 January 1995 It is more likely to be a victory of experience over hope, but Burmese say January may be the month, AUNG ZAW writes. Again, Rangoon is rife with active rumours. Aung San Suu Kyi will be freed in January. But should they turn out to be true, the question remains: Will the Burma's military leaders let her go freely? U Rewatta Dhamma, London-based Burmese monk who is serving as a go-between, is in Rangoon in the hope of meeting the detained opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate again. The monk, who has good contacts with the State Law and Order Restoration Council, told reporters just before he went to Rangoon in December that Suu Kyi may be released in January. Many analysts and journalists do not believed so -- but they have been trying to get visas to Rangoon to make sure they do not miss out if there is any dramatic event before the end of the month. They argue that Suu Kyi will not be released till Slorc wrenches a guarantee from her that she will not re-enter Burmese politics. They maintain that even if Slorc freed her, she will remain under some form of surveillance. She will still like everyone else. "If they don't release her this year, Slorc will definitely face more international protests and I don't think Burmese people will be tolerate," a Bangkok-based diplomat said recently. Indeed, Suu Kyi is still supported by Burmese people -- but to Slorc leaders who rule the country for six years without mandate, she is a danger or a thorn inside their boots. Recently, Ohn Gyaw of Burmese Foreign Minister replied to UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights on why Slorc has to detain Aung San Suu Kyi. Ohn Gyaw charged Suu Kyi that she had been influenced by anti-government, opportunist politicians and insurgent groups in their attempt to seize political power for their own end. Ohn Gyaw said, "For her own good and for the good of the country she had to be restrained in order to prevent her from promoting the cause of these unsavoury political elements who found their way and got themselves into positions of influence around her to create disunity among the only unified establishment left in the country, the tatmadaw (military), which was endeavouring to stabilize the situation created by the political vacuum." On the other hand, Burmese people have been trying to find out real happenings between Suu Kyi and Slorc leaders. The two-publicised-meetings between Suu Kyi and Slorc leaders at the Army Guest House have not been informed to public. Suu Kyi was appeared in Burmese TV but no voice. Burmese in Rangoon said, "We are not being informed so we just guess; what will they talk and discuss? In fact, regarding the talks there are plenty of rumours. Some even said there more than two times they (Suu Kyi-Slorc leaders) have met. Burmese say they don't know who and what they going to believe. A London-based observer said recently, "To make up for the lack of official information, there is plenty of a less definable kind." The meeting with detained-NLD members U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung may not be true, he said. It was reported that Suu Kyi and her fellows Tin Oo and Kyi Maung, met at Army Guest House Number One on November 1. Because of this at the time Suu Kyi's mother-in-law, Mrs Evlen Aris was visiting and staying at Suu Kyi's house. The observer asks, Could someone perhaps have noticed Evelyn Aris leaving the compound that morning in an official car, and mistaken her for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? But analysts believed that meeting with her National League for Democracy (NLD) members will be one of Suu Kyi's demands she would have asked. There was also another rumour that Suu Kyi had met Burma's strongman Gen Ne Win on 30 October. But some sources in Rangoon denied. Additionally, regarding her meeting with Slorc leaders the observer said: there are rumoured that Senior Gen Than Shwe, chairman of Slorc lectured Suu Kyi on Slorc policies, spent whole of the first meeting. And then in the second meeting, the judge advocate Brig-Gen Than Oo delivered a similar lecture on the Slorc-sponsored National Convention. However, the observer in London said there was a proper dialogue really did take place between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Slorc -- not just a one-way lecture. At any event, the most important question is still: when will she be freed and will she be allowed to participate in Burmese politics? Slorc leaders repeatedly told Suu Kyi to leave for foreign country. But she insisted not to leave the country not even for five minutes. So if the Slorc released Suu Kyi in January of this year, there must be some conditions. The observer in London said, "They (Slorc leaders) have worked hard to push through the National Convention, and do not seem to have left much room for flexibility. Some people say the Slorc will offer her some kind of a job, working with them for some worthy objective." He asks: Have the Slorc been persuading her to suspend her participation in Burmese politics, after her release? In fact, Suu Kyi cannot become head of State as Slorc leaders have been holding the National Convention which the Slorc insisted must guarantee the military a "leading role" in politics. It has also introduced Clauses that would effectively bar Suu Kyi from ever becoming Burma's leader. So Slorc may release her when they have completed a new constitution. But opposition members in exile said they do believe Suu Kyi will talk about 1990 election results with Slorc leaders. Suu Kyi's party - the NLD won a landslide victory. "She is in difficult position, but I don't think she will give up very easily. She knows how Burmese people keep their faith in her. Besides, she will not mar/damage her father's reputation." said a former NLD member now in exile. A former University Lecturer and political activist, Tint Zaw said now is time put more pressure on Slorc to free Suu Kyi. But the London-based observer said Suu Kyi will only be released on a date least expected by analysts. Aung Zaw *************************INSIDE BURMA************************* BUSINESS ************************************************************** BKK POST: JUNTA PAINTS BRIGHT PICTURE FOR BURMA 16, January 1995 Fiscal year 1994-95, ending March 3, had been dubbed "The Year of All-Round Development" by Burma's ruling military which has painted a moderately bright picture of the country's economy. But for the country's 43.91 million people it has been a peri- od of continued tightening of belts to cope with the rising cost of living resulting from increases in prices of energy and electricity. As of last October, Burma had already exported more than half of its target of $729.83 million for the current year includ- ing 290,000 tons of rice sold by the trade ministry alone, according to Trade Minister Lt Gen Tun Kyi, a member of the Slorc. Rice exports could well exceed 1.2 million tons, setting a three-decade record, by the end of the fiscal year when exports by other ministers and the private sector are taken into account, said Deputy Trade Minister Aung Thaung, a recently retired army colonel. Agriculture Minister Lt Gen Myint Aung, also a Slorc member and military adjutant-general, had a more modest figure - about a million tons at the end of the fiscal year. Burma has been doing its best to regain its highest rice export level of 3.4 million tons recorded in 1934 by increasing cultivation acreage, per acreyield, and agricultural inputs. The country is also promoting mechanisation, modern techniques and multiple-cropping, the agriculture minister said. He said the record export level could be easily achieved if paddy production from the 16 million acres - 12 million under monsoon paddy and four million under summer paddy - hit the 20.54-million-ton mark, resulting in 12.5 million tons of milled rice. Burma aims this year for a paddy production of 18.48 million tons (or 11.25 million tons or rice), according to official plan figures. Deputy Agriculture Minister Tin Hlaing gave a different figure at a conference in Manila organised by the Untied Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) - 20 million tons, three million tons more than the 1993 harvest. Burma plants to export 30,000 tons of sugar (total production target is 59,00 tons) and 10,000 tons of jute, he said. Lt Gen Khi added that the ministers of industry, agriculture and trade had already surpassed their export targets. The country, which currently imports annually 100,000 tons of cooking oil worth $60 million (the production target for the year is 210,000 tons), wants to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oil within the next three years by increasing the cultivation acreage of groundnut, sesamum, sunflower and oilpalm, said Gen Aung. The European Union, United States, Australia and other major donors continue to call for improvements in the country's human rights record, the release of Nobel laureate and political detainee Aung San Suu kyi and other political prisoners and the speedy transfer of power in accordance with the results of May 1990 elections won by the National League for Democracy (NLD) by a landslide. Building of roads and bridges, railroads, hospitals and schools are going on in the remote border regions while plans were afoot for the construction of more than 30 dams, two international airports, and natural gas pipeline to Thailand to be completed by 1998. (BP) ************************************************************** JAPAN TIMES: MYANMAR TO AIR FAMOUS JAPANESE TV SERIES Posted to seasia-l Jan 13, 1995 moe@MINERVYO.AC.JP The Japan Times: Myanmar to air 'Oshin' TV series 14 January, 1995 Rangoon (Kyodo) A state-run television in Myanmar will begin broadcasting "Oshin", a famous Japanese TV drama series, in the mid of this year, station officials said. It will be the first time for Myanmar station to air a Japanese series. Broadcasts of the weekly 30-minute program in English will run for one year. "Oshin" portrays a Japanese woman's arduous rise from severe poverty to the presidency of a supermarket chain. It was a big hit in Japan 10 years ago when it was aired by NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corporation). Since then, "Oshin" has been broadcast in more than 40 countries and regions and has created a sensation in many places, especially in Asia. "Japan was still a poor country at the time when the heroine was alive. It is significant to convey to people in Myanmar that Japan's present prosperity was brought about after the country underwent such painful days," said an executive at the Myanmar station. ************************************************************** NEWS SOURCES REGULARLY COVERED/ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET: AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS AFP: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE AW: ASIAWEEK AWSJ: ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL Bt.: THAI BAHT; 25 Bt.3 DUS$1 (APPROX), BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION BI: BURMA ISSUES BKK POST: BANGKOK POST (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK) BRC-CM: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-CHIANG MAI BRC-J: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-JAPAN CPPSM: C'TEE FOR PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND FEER: FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW IRRAWADDY: NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY BURMA INFORMATION GROUP JIR: JANE'S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP Kt. BURMESE KYAT; 150 KYAT3DUS$1 BLACK MARKET 100 KYAT3DUS$1 SEMI-OFFICIAL 6 KYAT3DUS$1 OFFICIAL MOA: MIRROR OF ARAKAN NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK) NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (DAILY STATE-RUN NEWSPAPER, RANGOON) S.C.B.:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP S.C.T.:SOC.CULTURE.THAI NEWSGROUP SEASIA-L: S.E.ASIA BITNET MAILING LIST SLORC: STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL USG: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT XNA: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY **************************************************************