************************** BurmaNet ************************** "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ************************************************************** The BurmaNet News: Tuesday, February 6, 1995 Issue #106 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Contents: *************************INSIDE BURMA************************* NATION: 23 MORE POLITICAL PRISONERS FREED NATION: U.S. FIRMS GIVEN BURMA OIL CONCESSIONS BRC-J: LETTER FROM BURMA *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** NATION: REGROUPING KAREN SET UP NEW 'MOBILE HEADQUARTERS' BURMANET: SEIGE AT KAWMOORA BKK POST: INSURGENTS KICK OFF GUERRILLA CAMPAIGN BKK POST: KNU LEADERS ANNOUNCE NEW HEADQUARTERS REUTERS: BURMESE RULERS SEEM COOL TO TALKS WITH KAREN REBELS ****************************THAILAND*************************** BKK POST: ARMY TO KEEP CLOSE TAB ON REPATRIATION OF REFUGEES *************************INTERNATIONAL************************* SCB: UNOCAL ACTION PACKET AVAILABLE BURMANET: TEACH-IN AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY BKK POST: BURMA'S ONLY WAY TO END ITS VILE STIGMA BRC-J: LETTER TO SLORC BKK POST: NOT ROUGH ENOUGH ON RANGOON AUSTRALIAN GOVT: PUBLICATION OF BURMA HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTS **************************************************************** The BurmaNet News is an ********************************* electronic newspaper * * covering Burma. 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By email: burmanet@igc.apc.org In Washington: Attention to BurmaNet c/o National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) Information Office 815 15th Street NW, Suite 609 Washington D.C. 20005 Tel: (202) 393-7342, Fax: (202) 393-7343 In Bangkok: Attention to BurmaNet c/o Burma Issues PO Box 1076, Silom Post Office Bangkok 10504 Thailand Tel/Fax: (in Thailand) (66)(2) 234-6674 [The NCGUB is the government-in-exile, made up of the people who won the election in 1990. Burma Issues is a Bangkok-based non- governmental organization that documents human rights conditions in Burma and maintains an archive of Burma-related documents. Views expressed in The BurmaNet News do not necessarily reflect those of either NCGUB or Burma Issues] ************************************************************** **************THE BURMANET NEWS, FEBRUARY 6, 1995************* ************************************************************** *************************INSIDE BURMA************************* NATION: 23 MORE POLITICAL PRISONERS FREED 6 February 1995 Kyodo RANGOON_ Twenty-three political prisoners, including Aung Khin Sint of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), were released from prison on Saturday, government radio and television reported. Aung khin Sint was an elected NLD candidate in the 1990 general elections and also a delegate to the ongoing national convention. He was arrested in August 1993 for allegedly sending anonymous threatening letters to other delegates at the convention and later sentenced to 20 years in prison. With Saturday's release, a total of 2,132 political prisoners have been freed since Gen Than Shwe became State Law and order Restoration Council (Slorc) chairman in April 1992. (TN) *************************INSIDE BURMA************************* NATION: U.S. FIRMS GIVEN BURMA OIL CONCESSIONS 6 February 1995 Texaco, newcomer get rights to survey in wake of PTT deal PICHAYA CHANGSORN The Burmese government will give two more petroleum concessions to two American companies following last week's controversial signing of the Burmese gas purchase agreement with the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT). U Pe Kyi, managing director of the Burmese national oil company_Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE)_ told The Nation that one of the new concessions to be awarded to an American firm covers blocks 12, 13 and 14 in the Gulf of Mataban, near the Yadana gas field. However, he declined to name the firm, only saying that it is a newcomer. Another new concession will be awarded to US oil giant Texaco Inc, which is expected to receive the rights to survey petroleum block number 10, also located near the Yadana gas field. If that is the case, the latest concession will mark the fourth gas deposit track in Burma which Texaco has received the right to survey. Texaco is a shareholder of Caltex Oil Co, which has a substantial retail network in Thailand. Dallas-based Caltex is also investing in a massive refinery complex in Rayong. Texaco is also negotiating with PTT to supply the natural gas from Yetagun track in Burma to PTT. On Thursday, PTT signed the agreement top buy natural gas from Yanada gas field in the Gulf of Mataban for 30 years. It marks the first time in history that Thailand has bought natural gas from foreign sources. Momentum Sources said that after the PTT contract with the Burmese government, foreign investors appeared to be more enthusiastic about exploring opportunities in Burma again. The commitment from Thailand and rthe gas pipeline to be invested in by the Yadana gas developers immediate markets for future discovered gas. U Pe Kyi agreed that the Thai-Burmese gas deal has given momentum to the petroleum development activities in Burma as represented by the two additional deals with the two American companies. Foreign investor interests have been undermined in the past because they failed to profit from petroleum exploration. Under the contract which was signed last week, France-based Total, Unocal from the US and PTTEP will jointly develop the Yadana gas field, which is expected to have 5.7 million trillion cubic feet of oil reserves. The consortium will invest US$ 700 million to develop the Yadana gas field, and also lay down a pipeline from Burma to Thailand. The source noted that a number of foreign investors who have already received concessions have yet to seriously develop the gas field in Burma. The PTT contract with MOGE should encourage these reluctant investors to pay more attention to surveying the natural gas site. Burma has a number of oil deposit sites which have yet to be surveyed. U Pe Kyi said that the Burmese government has given survey and exploration concessions for five offshore gas fields. All the inland gas field explorations to date have been done by MOGE. Besides natural gas, Kyi believes there are also crude oil deposits in Burma, "It's only a matter of time [to find the oil reserve]," he said. Previously, PTT had jointly invested with Unocal to survey the petroleum site at Block F in central Burma. The joint investors, however, decided to withdraw from the multi-million dollar project later on after falling in commercial terms. Marty F Miller, vice president of Unocal Corp, said that the Yadana gas field project, in which Unocal holds 33.25 per cent of the total investment, said that Unocal might have to use company capital to finance the investment because the banks might find the project too risky. "But we will test the [money] markets; if the [interest] rate is too high we will use our own [financial resources]," said the Unocal executive. (TN) *************************INSIDE BURMA************************* BRC-J: LETTER FROM BURMA January 31, 1995 We have just received this letter from a friend in Burma. We would like to share it with you. Of course, the author must remain anonymous. Dear Friends, Happy New Year. I would like to encourage efforts to organize and publicize against Visit Myanmar Year '96, The sheer amount of hype for VMY '96 is amazing-Pre-VMY Trade Fairs (with nothing a tourist could possibly want to buy), VMY Logo Contest, VMY product endorsements, ad nauseam. Rumor also has it that Mr VMY, Minister of Tourism Kyaw Ba has recently okayed 10 new major hotels for Upper Prome Road--just what the city needs. According to one of the Thai engineers working on the Novotel Mandalay construction project (right next to Mandalay Hill) their company had to avour for two years and had to pay him a "gift' amounting to 10% of their budget. With ten new hotels, KB will turn quite a nice profit, I'm sure. Traveling in Upper Burma in December, a student I know was struck by how many tourist guides-guest house owners quietly suggested that they hoped VMY '96 failed--and these are people who stand to make money from increased tourism. They were also curious: just how could the government make Westerners come visit now, when they couldn't in years past? In Mandalay, work on the moat continues. The entire moat has been dredged and is being rebanked (at regulation 45-degree angles) in ugly concrete and stone by teams of forced labour. The army's idea of tourist appeal? Many workers have been brought in from Mandalay Prison (though the Army also uses its own men now too, after the bad press in the NY Times last summer). Many more of the labourers are from surrounding villages. I spoke with one of the villager conscripts. He was an old Indian man (60+), a farmer from a village north of Mandalay. He said the Army conscripts 5000 villagers (or even poor Mandalay locals) for 10-day shifts at no pay. They must do service or pay 100Ks per head per day, and they must bring their own tools, blankets, mats, firewood, cooking implements, and food, (if second-time service, they receive 500Ks total food allowance). The labourers are housed in zayats or lesser temple buildings, work from 7:30AM to 5PM. Add to this the mass demolition of house facades facing onto the moat-road earlier this year and the horrible reconstruction job on the Palace--cast concrete pillars not even sanded smooth to resemble teak, "carving" with no detail or depth--and it's not hard to see the Army will justify anything in the name of "beautification" for the coming tourists. In Pagan (Nyaung U), a tourist guide told a friend about local concern among the young men about Army plans to build a railroad from Pakkoku to Sagaing. They were expecting the Army to begin conscripting labourers from nearby villages in January. (Incidentally, the upper terraces to the eight of the largest major temples in Pagan have been closed to all visitors since November--these are the temples that most people take their photos from! And of course, they didn't reduce the FEC$10 entrance price. Rumors of a Light and Sound Show to come.) On my trip to Myitkyina, I was stopped repeatedly by Military Intelligence and Immigration, even with proper authorization and identity papers. Over three days, I was routinely questioned twice a day--where did I go? whom did I meet? how did I know them? what did we talk about and for how long? where did I eat? how many photos did I shoot? of what? Tourists like to go see the confluence of the Upper Irrawaddy Rivers, why didn't I? Tourists like to visit Indawgyi Lake, again why not me? Did I meet with the opposition Council of Ethnic Minorities? No, I wouldn't even know where to find them. Minorities meeting a foreigner would be highly suspect, also highly visible; if they were doing their job, they wouldn't need to ask. Myitkyina is supposedly an approved "white area," but the regional authorities haven't changed since BSPP days, much less can conceive of tourists actually visiting. The train service to Myitkyina--not the trains or the track--has just been privatised, so they can up prices. No insurgent threat anymore, but that doesn't much improve the safety--shortly after I took this route, the same train plummeted into a gorge killing 102 people. The upper class carriage now shows Chinese karaoke videos. I was informed by one Immigration Officer that there should be "no problem" to go overland to Bhamo, so I ferried across the river to Wainmaw to check car departures, and immediately I was stopped by other Immigration Officers. They claimed no knowledge of the first "Immigration Officer" who gave his okay to cross (probably MI). But there I was, staring at a brand new road--80 mi (5 hrs) straight to the Chinese border--counting a long queue of Chinese trucks hauling bicycles and machinery and who knows what else to be exchanged for loads of Burmese teak, listening to two local workmen talk about the Chinese bridge slated for early '96. Everyone whispers about all the Chinese crossing over from Yunnan with forged Burmese Nationality Cards. Why doesn't the Immigration squad ever question them? The next day four Immigration Officers saw me off at the station. One Inspector actually walked up and down the carriage aisle until the train pulled out. When we stopped midway at Mogaung, jumping off point for jade-prospecting, half the passengers got off. A Kachin woman in the seat across started telhat the hills of Pakan up there are crawling with Yunnan Chinese who buy favour from the Army, yet speak neither Burmese nor Kachin. Mining concessions have been sold from right under Buddhist temples, etc. The influx is escalaigtemendously. During his visit to Burma, Li Peng negotiated the '96 return tour of the Sacred Relic of the Buddha's Tooth, loaned from Yunnan earlier in the year "as a token ol." (China later requested $500,000 for transportation costs, a monk in Mandalay told me). A "Sweet Tooth" for Visit Myanmar Year? Or perhaps Myanmar dim-sum? All for now. *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** NATION: REGROUPING KAREN SET UP NEW 'MOBILE HEADQUARTERS' 6 February 1995 YINDEE LERTCHAROENCHOK ETHNIC Karen guerrillas are reappraising their military and political strategies against the Burmese junta and have already re-established "a new mobile headquarters" to replace Manerplaw, which was captured by the Burmese army over a week ago. The strategies include some changes in the leadership of the karen National Union (KNU). Some of their leaders have expressed a wish to retire because of old age and failing health. In an interview yesterday, KNU spokesman Arthur Shwe denied that the reshuffle was the result of the religious conflicts inside the karen organization which led to an eventual breakaway of some 300 to 400 Buddhist troops. The Buddhist mutineers, led by Kyaw Thant, on Dec 21 formed a rival faction, call the Democratic Kayin (Karen) Buddhist Army, and assisted the Burmese army, which unexpectedly broke its unilateral cease-fire, to attack the KNU headquarters. The mutineers have accused KNU leaders of discriminating against Buddhist followers and failing to promote Buddhist members to high positions. "Some of our elderly leaders may choose this as the moment to step aside, but not because of the split," a statement issued by Arthur Shwe said, also secretary of the KNU foreign affairs. "They want to step aside to make room for the younger generation," he added in the interview. He identified Padoh San Linn, KNU deputy secretary-general, as having stated his desire to step down because of old age and poor health. KNU President Gen Bo Mya still commands popular support and respect from KNU rank-and-file members, he said. The KNU, he said, remains united despite the fall of Manerplaw and the breakaway and is determined to continue its fight against the Burmese junta, known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc). The Karen spokesman said the KNU has already established "a new mobile headquarters.... somewhere inside Burma" and most of the leaders, including Gen Bo Mya are there now. He declined to reveal the location of the new stronghold citing security reasons. "It only be a temporary headquarters because at this stage it is not viable to establish a permanent one," he added. "We told Slorc that we are always ready for peace talks" but "Slorc is intent on wiping out the KNU by force and has no intention of solving the problem peacefully," he said. Shwe accepted that KNU had a thorough reassessment of its military strategies after the major Burmese offensive in 1991-1992 to capture Manerplaw, were the KNU suffered tremendous human and weaponry loss in defending the stronghold on the Moei River. His view resembled those of other KNU officers, who said in separate interviews last week, that the KNU had, since the 1991-1992 offensive, widely known as the Sleeping Dog Hill offensive, changed its "defensive military strategy" into "fully mobile guerrilla warfare." The KNU has since then decided that it would not deploy a large number of troops to defend static strongholds, particularly Manerplaw. (TN) *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** BKK POST: INSURGENTS KICK OFF GUERRILLA CAMPAIGN 6 February 1995 Armed Karen insurgents loyal to Gen Bo Mya have split into many small units to wage guerrilla warfare deep inside Burma against government forces, a Karen rebel source said yesterday. About 2,000 armed Karen began the guerrilla campaign soon after the Karen National Union Headquarters in Manerplaw was overrun by Rangoon forces late last month. Thai border patrol police said the Democratic karen Buddhist Organization, a splinter group of karen, was supporter by 20 Burmese battalions in taking over the KNU headquarters and six other satellite Karen outposts. The KNU's 4th Brigade in the Tennasserrim mountainous area, across from kanchanaburi province, was also to dissolve if Burmese forces made a serious attack. Karen civilians from the KNU headquarters at Manerplaw and its satellite villages have taken refugees along Thai- Burmese border. But most are at Mae Moei village in Thailand. Thai officers from the Third Army area, led by Task Force 34 commander Col Direk Yaemngarmrieb, have visited the fleeing karen at Mae Moei village where 1,500 live. The KNU's Forestry Minister, Padoe Aung San, told the Thai authorities the displaced Karen had brought with them some food. He said Karen soldiers who fled to Thailand did not carry weapons with them and would not cause any problem for Thailand. Border patrol police said about 1,500 Burmese troops, guided by the karen splinter group, had moved fro the former KNU headquarters to the south, reportedly to attack Bho Paw Hta, a KNU market opposite Tha Song Yang district. Third Army commander Lt-Gen Surachet Dechatiwong, who made an official visit to the refugees camp at Mae Hong Son province, said Thai authorities would not force the displaced persons back to their homeland because fighting between the KNU and Burmese troops was continuing. "For humanitarian reasons, we will not send these people back. We will send them back after the situation in their area has returned to normal," he said. Aid for these people would be the deputy of Mae Hong Son provincial authorities, he said. Some private relief organisations would also help. House foreign Affairs Committee chairman Suthin Noppaket and his team also visited Mae Toh Lah village to collect information on the border problem. The United Nations was trying to solve the problem, Dr Suthin said. (BP) *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** BKK POST: KNU LEADERS ANNOUNCE NEW HEADQUARTERS 6 February 1995 The Karen National Union, whose Manerplaw headquarters was captured by Burmese government forces late last month, has set up a new HQ deeper inside Burma where most of the KNU leaders are now holed up, a KNU spokesman Arthur Shwe claimed yesterday. He said KNU president Gen Bo Mya and senior KNU officials have left the Manerplaw area to establish a new temporary base in Karen-held territory inside Burma. The new HQ will be a temporary one "so that it can be easily shifted for security reasons." He did not elaborate on the location. Arthur said the military situation at the border remains highly unstable, with the Slorc concentrating on reforming troops to attack the KNU stronghold at Kawmoora, the headquarters of its 101st battalion, north of Myawaddy, opposite Mae Sot , Tak. He also handed out a press release to a small group of reporters at a press conference in which he said that after the withdrawal of the KNU from its headquarters at Manerplaw under an intense artillery attack by Slorc forces, many Karen people had crossed the border to seek refugee in Thailand. Manerplaw was also the headquarters of pro-democracy dissidents and student guerrillas who fled to the Karen zone following the 1988 crack-down on democracy demonstrations in Rangoon and other cities and towns. Arthur said he expected the Karen's partners in the opposition alliance to join them at their new headquarters soon. Arthur reiterated that the KNU was always ready to hold peace talks with the ruling military body in Rangoon. "The door is always open to talks," he said. A senio Burmese military intelligence official hinted to reporters in Rangoon on Friday that the government might be reluctant to open peace talks with the KNU after a mutiny in the group late last year. "We many have to consider whether the KNU is representing the majority of the Karen armed group members or not," Colonel Kyaw Win told a news conference. About 500 karen guerrillas mutinied against their leaders in December and later assisted Burmese forces in their offensive on Manerplaw. (BP) *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** BKK POST: DAB'S PLAN TO HOLD MEET SEEMS DOOMED 6 February 1995 The Democratic Alliance of Burma's plan to call a meeting of its 21 members to discuss the fall of Manerplaw and map out strategies to cope with the dismal situation on the Thai-Burma border appeared doomed yesterday. "The situation is very sensitive," said Tin Maung Win, second vice-president of the Alliance. "The DAB leadership has no intention of embarrassing the Thai Government which has been very understanding." In the past, DAB meetings have been held annually in the liberated area on Manerplaw. He said that to meet now would be extremely difficult. "Besides, it's time to keep a low profile and keep our mouth shut." The DAB formed in November 1988, is an umbrella organization of 21 groups: ethnic armed groups, Burmese expatriate organisations, former politicians and student leaders. Also included are members of the All Burma Young Monks Union and the All Burma Students' Democratic Front. The two were formed after the 1988 democracy uprising in Burma. On the issue of meeting Karen National Union leader Gen Bo Mya, Tin Maung Win said he definitely wanted to see the DAB chairman, especially in a time of crisis. "The KNU is fighting for a just cause and also is the major alliance of democratic forces opposing the Rangoon military government," he said. All Alliance members have committed themselves "to stick together". The whereabouts of the karen leader was unknown early yesterday. The fall of Manerplaw, base of the Burmese democratic forces, is a major setback for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and member of the DAB. Exiled premier Dr Sein Win is head of the NCGUB. The paralled government was formed in December 1990 at the KNU's now- fallen headquarters by MPs elected in May that year. However, Tin Maung Win, the 1962 student leader, appears undaunted by the setback. He described it as nothing but a "temporary slowdown" and vowed that the Alliance would continue with its resolutions adopted at its last meeting. The second congress of the DAB central committee was held in Manerplaw last October 24-26. U Aung, son of former premier U Nu, has returned to Rangoon, according to a source who recently visited the Burmese capital. U Aung is an American citizen and has been in Bangkok since 1988. He is president of the Alliance Democratic Solidarity, Burma, one of the many Burmese opposition groups formed after the 1988 uprising. Another recent self-exiled Burmese expatriate who return to Rangoon is Maw. He is a former president of the Alliance Democratic Solidarity, Burma. U Zali is the son of Dr Ba Maw, president during the Japanese occupation of Burma. (BP) *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** REUTERS: BURMESE RULERS SEEM COOL TO TALKS WITH KAREN REBELS February 6, 1995 RANGOON (Reuter) - Burma's military government might be reluctant to open peace talks with ethnic Karen guerrillas after a mutiny in the group and the capture of their headquarters in southeast Burma, a Burmese official said. Military intelligence deputy director Colonel Kyaw Win told a news conference late Friday it was not clear if the Karen National Union (KNU) guerrilla group, whose Manerplaw headquarters was captured January 27, still represented the majority of Karen guerrillas. ``We'll have to decide according to the present situation of the KNU,'' Kyaw Win said when asked about the prospect of ceasefire talks. ``We may have to consider whether the KNU is still representing the majority of the Karen armed group members or not,'' he said. Karen guerilla commander General Bo Mya, speaking to Reuters in Thailand after his headquarters had been captured, said the KNU was always willing to begin talks with the government. Burmese military authorities repeated their assertion that it was the Karen mutineers, who in December formed their own breakaway group, had captured Manerplaw, not Burmese government forces. The breakaway Democratic Kayin (Karen) Buddhist Organization had been assisted by the Burmese army in the capture of Manerplaw, military officials told the news conference. has been fighting for greater autonomy since 1949, one year after Burma's independence from Britain. ****************************THAILAND*************************** BKK POST: ARMY TO KEEP CLOSE TAB ON REPATRIATION OF REFUGEES February 3, 1995 ARMY Commander Gen Wimol Wongwanich yesterday said the Army will be "careful" about the repatriation of Karen refugees, which will be done through proper border channels. Gen Wimol said he does not want the Burmese government to misunderstand and think that the Thai army is backing the rebel forces fighting against Rangoon. He said the refugees have stated their desire to return to a specific area in order to regroup, but if they are repatriated to such a location it will be tantamount to providing military support to the rebels, which would not be proper. "We have to be c areful about this," he said. It is natural that when fighting erupts along the Thai-Burmese border it leads to an influx of refugees, which causes problems for Thailand, the army chief said. "When we try and send them back somebody always comes out and says we aren't showing respect for human rights, which isn't true because we've been careful to look after them and to repatriate them to the proper place," he said. Assistant army chief Gen Chetha Thanajaro said the Army will fire warning shots if any artillery shells fall on Thai territory. Gen Chetha said that although Thailand and Burma have a close relationship, the Army must protect the country's sovereignty in the event of an intrusion. He said armed refugees will not be allowed refuge in the country unless they agree to be disarmed, and they will be repatriated if the fighting ceases. "The Army has a clear policy from our commander-in-chief," Gen Chetha said. Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai will visit the border in Tak and Mae Hong Son provines on Sunday to observe the security and refugee situation. *************************INTERNATIONAL************************* SCB: UNOCAL ACTION PACKET AVAILABLE ranla@igc.apc.org soc.culture.burma 10:04 AM Feb 5, 1995 The Burma Forum and L.A. Rainforest Action Project have prepared a Unocal Action Packet. This can be used to approach Unocal / Union 76 outlets in your area. For this to be sent to you, please email your mailing address to Tamar Hurwitz of the Rainforest Action Network at this address. Sincerely, David Wolfberg L.A. Rainforest Action Project **************************INTERNATIONAL************************** BURMANET: TEACH-IN AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY February 7, 1995 There will be a teach-in on Burma at Harvard University on February 11, 1995. The teach-in will be held at Harvard Law School's East Asian Legal Studies Program office (Pound Hall 419). It is scheduled from 2 to 7 in the afternoon. **************************INTERNATIONAL************************** BKK POST: BURMA'S ONLY WAY TO END ITS VILE STIGMA 6 February 1995 United Nations investigator Yozo Yokota travels to Burma again this week in his continuing campaign to improve human rights. Next week, undersecretary for political affairs, Alvaro Desota, will arrive in Rangoon. On the one hand, the visits of these officials are an optimistic sign. Rangoon could, after all, have simply banned such visits. Often, it appears the Burmese regime gives no consideration to the ideals of outsiders. Although it has recently grasped the chances for diplomatic contact with the work and Southeast Asian nations, it has shown reluctance to accept any questions about its darker side. Mr Yokota, a Japanese academic, is the best-known and more respected of the two UN investigators who will visit Rangoon. He has focused on problems in Burma for several years. It is depressing that the Rangoon regime has taken little action on his reports of human rights violations. Mr Yokota's reports over the last couple of years have been clear. they have pointed out specific abuses of Burmese by their government. They have detailed general Slorc police which fail to meet even minimum respect for citizens by the government in today's world. Mr Yokota has been diplomatic throughout his contacts with Burma. He has welcomed "moves to expand cooperation" between the Slorc and both UN and private human rights groups. The United Nations official has been scrupulous and fair in welcoming the occasional releases of political prisoners by the Burmese government. The two meeting between the Slorc leaders and the detained political leader Aung San Suu kyi drew favourable comment from Mr Yokota. State-controlled media in Burma have tried to give the impression that this is all that Mr Yokota has addressed. In fact, the bulk of his reporting on Burma has been critical. It would be impossible for any objective person to do otherwise. Since Slorc came to power in a bloody suppression of popular political demonstration in 1988, Burma has been one of the world's most repressive countries. As Mr Yokota has reported, that human rights situation in Burma is "grim' and there is an all but total lack of basic freedoms. He has cited numerous allegations of extra-judicial killing by the country's armed forces, especially of civilians suspected of supporting or sympathising with insurgent groups. The UN reports by Mr Yokota have described a "serious restriction on civil and political rights in Burma." It is difficult to ignore, and impossible to slough off, his illustrations of "a generalised fear among the population that anything they or their families do or say in the political sphere could put them at risk of arrest." Nor has he been blinded by the welcome releases or some political prisoners. Hundreds more, as he says, remain in detention. Mr Desoto is preparing a report on Burma for the current session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The UN General Assembly last year urged Burma to improve its human rights situation. Mr Desoto will be gathering information to see if Rangoon has complied with this call. As we all known, there will be precious little to indicate the lot of Burma's people is improving. The recent attack on the Karen people near the Thai frontiers is an example of how Burma uses force in preference to negotiation. The two UN investigators are bound by the niceties of diplomacy when they make their reports. In fact, human rights abuses in Burma are widespreade, systematic and a matter of government policy. Slorc treats its citizen in an appalling manner. It does this without credible justification. It has created refugee problems for neighbouring countries - particularly Thailand and Bangladesh - without a shred of apology. It can only be hoped that Mr Yokota and Mr Desoto will point out Slorc's enormous shortcomings on human rights in clear language in their reports. There may be disagreement among members of the world community on how to try to convince Rangoon to improve its record. But there should be no disputed about the fact of that record. There is only hope for the future of Burma if Slorc realised the error of its ways and moves to correct that error. It cannot achieve progress in today's world without national reconciliation. It cannot move towards national reconciliation at the point of a gun. The two UN officials must try to convince Rangoon of the value of ending human rights abuses and moving Burma forward. Otherwise, the Slorc will continue to reap the results of the violence it is sowing. (BP) **************************INTERNATIONAL************************** BRC-J: LETTER TO SLORC February 6, 1995 This is a letter some friends have sent to SLORC Embassies around the world. We feel it deserves an even wider audience. To SLORC and its friends: The only evils in this world are greed and fear, and they are behind every thought you think and every action you take. The recent attack on Manerplaw is only the latest addition to 33 years of crimes against humanity. In the name of "preserving the union," you steal, you rape, you torture, you kill. You preserve nothing but your own power and privilege; you destroy everything that stands between you and them. In destroying Manerplaw, you may think that you have won some great victory. You are deluding yourselves. You have merely betrayed your desperation and duplicity for all the world to see. Around the world, you are being condemned, even by your supporters, and you have generated great sympathy for the people you persecute. The 40 million people of Burma are already against you. Day by day, they are being joined by people in other countries who abhor your atrocious behavior. You pretend to be patriots, but you owe all your power to foreign businesses and foreign governments. In attacking Manerplaw, you have weakened that support. Arid when they stop supporting you, where will you be? In a word, doomed, as all dictators ultimately are. Know this: democracy will win in the end, for it dwells not in some roughhewn buildings at the confluence of the Moei and Salween, but in the hearts of Burma's people. >From Carol Schlenker and Aung Thu How superior The tactics of war How potent The weapons! Without gathering in The hearts of the people, Without relying on The strength of the people, The sword edge Will shatter, The spear Will bend. --Let-We Thondara **************************INTERNATIONAL************************** BKK POST: NOT ROUGH ENOUGH ON RANGOON 6 February 1995 The visit to Burma, for private trade purposes, by the former prime minister, Mr Bob Hawke, has naturally aroused concern. The foreign minister, Senator Gareth Evans, has criticised Mr Hawke's failure to use the opportunity to press Burma's military rulers to free Aung San Suu Kyi from the house arrest she has been under since 1989... There are, of course, different schools of thought about how the international community should deal with the repressive regime which continues to rule Burma... One, led by the US, insists that the only way to encourage reform in Burma is to maintain economic sanctions and other diplomatic pressures. The other - to which Mr Hawke presumably subscribes - says that isolating Burma and punishing its rulers has not worked and that the best way to free up political life inside Burma and to promote change generally is through increased trade, investment and dialogue ... Far from being too tough on the regime in Rangoon, the international community may will have failed the Burmese people by not being tough enough. After the democracy movement was crushed in 1990, several countries imposed aid and trade sanctions. But not all. ..(BP) **************************INTERNATIONAL************************** AUSTRALIAN GOVT: PUBLICATION OF BURMA HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTS >From uneoo@physics.adelaide.edu.au From: U Ne Oo Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT FOR BURMANET & HRNET To : BurmaNet, HRNet, soc.rights.human, soc.culture.burma, soc.culture.thai, seasia-l From: Dr U Ne Oo, uneoo@physics.adelaide.edu.au Dear Friends: --------------------------------------------------------- In a response to inquiry made by the Australian Parliament on the "Situation of human rights and lack of progress towards democracy in Myanmar(Burma)", number of organizations and individuals interested in Burma sent their written submissions to the Human Rights Sub-Committee of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades. These submissions, totaling 17 items, has been compiled in two volumes and kindly made available by the Secretary. Anyone who wish to have those documents can contact the Secretary of Human Rights Sub-Committee. Address and phone no. are given below. To Burmese nationals, it is our duty to expose and publicise the injustice of the Military Government of Myanmar upon the people of Burma. For the others, it is a just cause for humanity that the oppressed been helped. I am very encouraged to see that there are quite a number of Burmese as well as foreigners who being able to speak-out about human rights abuses in our home country. My submission, which I also sent to 1994 UNGA, is also included amongst these documents. With an exception to the one submission from a pro-SLORC person, all other materials reach to a great length in explaining the situation of human rights in Burma. Anyone wishing to have these documents can contact: MS MARGARET SWIERINGA PH: (06) 277 4306 THE SECRETARY FAX: (06) 277 2221 HUMAN RIGHTS SUB-COMMITTEE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE PARLIAMENT HOUSE CANBERRA, ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA ----------------------------------------------------------------- - DECEMBER 21, 1994. VOLUME - I SUBMISSION NO. PAGE NO. -------------- -------- 1. Tribal Refugee Welfare in Sough East Asia(Inc) & 6 Attachments 1 2. Mr Michael Nyunt 21 2a. Mr Michael Nyunt 27 3. Mr Ivan Brabant, President, Human Rights for Burma 44 4. Dr U Ne Oo 45 5. Mr Philip E Smyth, Overseas Burma LIberation Front 92 5a Mr Philip E Smyth, Overseas Burma Liberation Front 94 6. Mr Hugh Wood 101 7. Mr Ken Khin Maung Gyi, Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Burma(Vic) Inc. 125 8. Confidential 134 9. Dr Htin Kyaw 135 10. Anonymous 150 11. John Scott-Murphy, Diplomacy Training Program 174 12. Mr Max Ediger, Burma Issues, Bangkok 179 VOLUME - II 13. All Burma Students League 215 14. Ko Benya Aye 217 15. Soe Soe, Burma Support Group Melbourne 223 16. Amnesty International 246 17. Australia Burma Council and the Burma NGO Forum 285 ************************************************************** 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; UP TO 150 KYAT-US$1 BLACK MARKET 106 KYAT US$1-SEMI-OFFICIAL 6 KYAT-US$1 OFFICIAL MOA: MIRROR OF ARAKAN NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK) NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (DAILY STATE-RUN NEWSPAPER, RANGOON) R.T.A.:REC.TRAVEL.ASIA NEWSGROUP 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 **************************************************************