************************** BurmaNet ************************** "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ************************************************************** The BurmaNet News: Wednesday, February 15, 1995 Issue #108 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Contents: **********************INSIDE BURMA**************************** 1 NATION: UN ENVOYS VISIT RANGOON AS HOPES FOR REFORM DIM 2 VOA: UN OFFICIALS IN RANGOON FOR TALKS *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** 3 NATION: KNU LEADER SEIZED IN THAILAND BY DEFECTORS 4 BKK POST: KNU OFFICIAL KIDNAPPED FROM TAK REFUGEE CAMP **********************SHAN STATE****************************** 5 BKK POST: THE CASINO THAT NEVER WAS 6 SSA(USA): CALL FOR UNITY AGAINST SLORC ****************************THAILAND*************************** 6 NATION: SUTHIN BEMOANS FAILURE OF THAI POLICY ON RANGOON *************************INTERNATIONAL************************* 7 BKK POST: COMMITTEE RAPS BURMA JUNTA 8 BKK POST: BURMA LARGEST HEROIN SUPPLIER TO US, SAYS N.Y.T. 9 BURMANET: BOOK LAUNCH FOR LINTNER'S "BURMA IN REVOLT" 10 BKK POST: LETTER TO THE EDITOR--"A DISTORTION OF THE FACTS" 11 BKK POST: EX-AUST PM BOB HAWKE DEFENDS VISIT TO BURMA **************************************************************** The BurmaNet News is an ********************************* electronic newspaper * Iti * covering Burma. 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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 15, 1995************ ************************************************************** **********************INSIDE BURMA**************************** NATION: UN ENVOYS VISIT RANGOON AS HOPES FOR REFORM DIM 10 February 1995 Aung Zaw on the international body's latest efforts to engage Rangoon in dialogue A team of Un envoys, fresh from four day visit to Rangoon, headed yesterday for Geneva, where they will report their findings to debate human rights Commission that is to debate human rights condition in Burma later this month. Meanwhile, Burmese opponents to the military junta, are becoming disheartened by the international communities inability to win concessions from hardline regime in Rangoon. Alvaro de Soto, head of the UN political affairs department in New York, and Fransesc Vendrell, director of UN political affairs' Asia division, will be visiting Burma in the near future. The two will be meeting with Rangoon military leaders including Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw. Alvaro de Soto is preparing a report on Burma for the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The two will engage the Burma's military leaders in dialogue regarding democratisation, improvements on human rights, and national reconciliation. The visit is coincides with the Burma's major offensive against the Manerplaw where thousands of Karen soldiers and Burmese democrats have been fighting for their cause. The Burmese troops captured the Manerplaw last week. As a result thousands of Karen and Burmans refugees fled to the Thai soil. The informed sources reported: the upcoming visit by the two- member delegation will influence the UN debate in Geneva and its resolution on Burma. Since 1989 the UN General Assembly began its annual debate on Burma. Last year in December, the UN General Assembly expressed concern over human rights situation in Burma including attacks made by the Burmese army on a refugee camp at Halockhani where 6,000 Mon refugees were taking refuge. In November professor Yozo Yokota, UN special human rights investigator visited to Burma. He held several meetings with military leaders. Soon after his visit the BBC World Service in London and other human rights groups in Thailand received many protest letters from inside Burma. The Burmese people stated in their letters: "If we can talk to him (Yokota) freely as we wanted, I think a lot of people will go to see him. He will not have enough time to write." Another letter said: "In the presence of Slorc officials and military personnel what can we say?" It is hardly surprising Yokota did not have a chance to investigate independently what is really going in Burma under the State Law and Order Restoration Council or Slorc. Nevertheless, after his visit he made a strong report on Burma. His report said: "Particularly, the right to life, liberty and security of person, freedoms of thought, opinion, expression, peaceful assembly and association are widely ignored and seriously violated, especially in connection with forced labour including pottering, forced relocation, and political activities related to political parties and the National Convention." "Cases of torture, arbitrary killings, rapes, and disappearances and confiscation of private property seem to be taking place most frequently at the border areas by military soldiers in the course of military operations, forced relocations and development projects."he noted. Ohn Gyaw dismissed Yokota' report is just a ritual thing. But a letter from ordinary Burmese sent to BBC World Service said: "I don't think his (Yokota) report is enough." In his most recent report which was published last week said, Numerous allegations, often in considerable detail, have been received from various alleging that members of the Burmese military, intelligence and security services, and police, continue to torture people in detention or otherwise subject them to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment." Yokota's report also call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi "immediately and unconditionally." Yokota also stated that during his visit he had been told that many people wanted to tell him their stories, but were too afraid to come and see him. Yokota was not alone -- another visitor to Rangoon in November was Rafeeudin Ahmed, associate administrator for the UNDP. He had met the Slorc's top leaders including Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. He discussed a variety of human rights topics, including the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. It was the second stage of dialogue between Slorc and UN. Ohn Gyaw promised to open a dialogue with the UN while he was attending at Asean summit in Bangkok last July. Then he met high-ranking UN officials in New York during the UN General Assembly in New York. However, it is believed that no progress has been made between UN and Slorc. In Burma some people even expressed pessimism and skepticism about the UN and Yokota's visit. A letter stated that if every year it goes like this nothing will happen. "We will remain under Slorc," the letter said. Recently, a reliable source in Karen state reported a Karen activist died in prison last year while serving his life imprisonment. Yan Gyi Aung, 26, was from Pa-an -Karen state -- he went to KNU-controlled area soon after the Burmese military crush the uprising in 1988. He then returned to Burma in 1989. He was arrested and sentenced to death in 1990. But the influential monks in Karen state appealed to military court then he was received life imprisonment. He died from cholera and received no medical treatment. To date, approximately 50 political prisoners including monks, artists, students and politicians died in prisons as a result of torture and maltreatment. May believe that the number could be much higher. (TN) **********************INSIDE BURMA**************************** VOA: UN OFFICIALS IN RANGOON FOR TALKS February 7, 1995 INTRO: TWO SENIOR UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS ARE IN RANGOON FOR THREE DAYS OF TALKS WITH LEADERS OF THE BUREMESE GOVERNMENT. AS DAVID BUTLER REPORTS FROM BANGKOK, THE TALKS COME AS BURMESE MILITARY FORCES INTENSIFY THEIR PUSH AGAINST THE LAST STRONGHOLD OF KAREN REBEL NEAR THE BORDER BETWEEN BURMA AND THAILAND. TEXT: A REPORT ON BURMA'S STATE TELEVISION MONITORED IN BANGKOK SAID ASSISTANT UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL ALVARO DE SOTO MET MONDAY WITH BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTER OHN GYAW. MR. DE SOTO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE U-N'S TOP OFFICIAL FOR EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC. THE BROADCAST SAID THE U-N OFFICIALS AND OHN GYAW HAD CORDIAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST. BUT IT GAVE NO FURTHER DETAILS. LAST JULY, OHN GYAW TOLD A MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IN BANGKOK THAT BURMA'S RULING MILITARY COUNCIL HAD ACCEPTED A U-N INVITATION TO OPEN A DIALOGUE. ANOTHER SENIOR U-N OFFICIAL TRAVELED TO RANGOON IN NOVEMBER TO OPEN THE DIALOGUE. IN DECEMBER, THE U-N GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTED A MOTION THAT NOTED HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BURMA AND CALLED ON THE RULING MILITARY COUNCIL TO RELEASE OPPOSITION LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI, WHO HAS BEEN UNDER HOUSE ARREST SINCE 1989. MEANWHILE, RE THE THAI-BURMESE BORDER TUESDAY SAID BURMESE FORCES HAVE INTENSIFIED THEIR SHELLING OF THE LAST STRONGHOLD OF KAREN ARMED ETHNIC REBELS ON THE BORDER. THE REPORTS SAID THE BURMESE RAINED ARTILLERY SHELLS ON THE BASE AT KAWMOORA, AT A LOOP IN THE MOEI RIVER 300 KILOMETERS EAST OF RANGOON, BEGINNING LATE MONDAY AND CONTINUING TUESDAY. THAI OFFICIALS SAY SOME SHELLS AND MORTARS FELL ON THAI TERRITORY, FORCING ABOUT 70 THAI VILLAGERS ALONG THE BORDER TO MOVE TO A SCHOOL DEEPER INSIDE THAILAND. THEY JO THOUSAND KAREN REFUGEES WHO HAVE FLED TO THAILAND IN THE CURRENT BURMESE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE KARENS. NEB/DB/JWH 07-Feb-95 8:05 AM EST (1305 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** NATION: KNU LEADER SEIZED IN THAILAND BY DEFECTORS 13 February 1995 A key Karen guerrilla leader was kidnapped on Thursday night by a group of eight armed Karen Buddhist defectors who illegally crossed the Moei River into a refugee camp in Thailand's Tha song Yang district of Tak. Leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) in separate interviews yesterday said they did not yet know the whereabouts of Padoh Mahn Yin Sein, but believe he must have taken to Myaingnyingu Temple in Burma where the KNU Buddhist defectors have set up a headquarters. Thai authorities in Bangkok and Mae Sot said yesterday they were unable to take any action to prevent the kidnapping as they not promptly alerted of the incident which accrued late in night. A senior officer of Tak Force 34 in Mae sot said that his office will soon send a verbal message to Burmese authorities in Myawaddy to protest territorial transgression and the kidnapping of Mahn Yin Sein, a KNU administrative governor of Pa-an District, from the refugee camp at Baan Bae Kraw, about 60 km north of Mae Sot. KNU leader said they believe the defectors, who formed a rival group called the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Organisation (DKBO) in late December, would try to coerce Mahn Yin Sein, the top Buddhist in the KNU, to talk the leadership of the new group. They said the 55-year-old hostage "is a very nice and gentle men who commands wide respect from both KNU Buddhist members and local villagers" and that the DKBO "will probably force him to become their leader." In December and January the defectors kidnapped three other senior KNU Buddhist leaders including Mahn Yin Sein's deputy Ya Yu who is the first vice governor of Pa-an and Ban Yuang, a financial officer of the KNU's 7th Brigade, and forces them to enter the monkhood. The three leaders had gone to Myaingnyingu Temple in an attempt to resolve religious conflicts between KNU Buddhist and Christian members but were taken hostage and have not yet been released, according to a KNU officer. The DKBO, currently led by U Thuzana, a Karen Buddhist monk who follows a strict discipline and a vegetarian diet, has tried to recruit KNU Buddhist members, forces and villagers, accusing the Christian-led KNU leadership of discrimination against the promotion of Buddhist members and the practice of Buddhist religious activities. The junta, known as the Slorc, has been supporting the DKBO'a military wing, the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA), and used them in the military offensive to capture the KNU headquarters of Manerplaw. A Karen witness of Thursday's kidnapping told The Nation yesterday that a total of four person including Mahn Yin Sein were kidnapped from the Pa-an governor's house in Baan Bae Kraw by a group of eight DKBA forces armed with AK-47 rifles, an M-79 rocket launches and hand grenades. The kidnappers also captured two Karen villagers familiar with the locality to guide them to the governor's residence. The other hostages captured at the residence are Sim Bo, the governor's nephew, Sai Jed, a KNU judge, and Maung Aye, second vice governor of Pa-an and son-in-law of Mahn Yin Sein. Maung Aye was forced to drive the governor's Mazda pick-up, but managed to escape his captors with only minor injuries after driving the vehicle into a tree on the Mae Sot-Tha Song yang highway. However, his father-in-law and the two other hostages were later taken across the Moei River into the Burmese army camp at Moe Pa Zu, opposite Tak's Mae Ramat district and about 15 km south of Baan Bae Kraw. A witness said the incident took place about 10 pm on Thursday when the governor's family was watching TV and Mahn Yin Sein himself was listening to the radio. The kidnappers, according to the witness, told the governor that the DKBO leader and the monk U Thuzana "had told them to come and bring Mahn Yin Sein" back to Myaingnyingu Temple. "He (the governor) knew two of the DKBA kidnappers very well as they uesd to work for him," said the witness. The two kidnappers were identified as Maung Soe and Maung Tu. The witness said he believes the Burmese junta and the DKBA will not harm the governor and will try use him to campaign for support of the DKBO, especially in Pa-an district where the majority of the Karen population is Buddhist. (TN) *****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI*********************** BKK POST: KNU OFFICIAL KIDNAPPED FROM TAK REFUGEE CAMP February 15, 1995 A Karen National Union official was kidnapped from a refugee camp on Friday by unidentified members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Organisation according to the border patrol police source. The camp is in Tha Song Yang district. The police believe the members, about six, had crossed over the border along with Karen refugees escaping fighting between the KNU and the Bur- mese government army. The six reportedly used a handgun to force the official, Padomah, his close aide and a driver to take them to a border pass in Mae Lamat district. Before reaching the border pass, the driver abandoned the car and fled into the wood. Padomah was accompanied by the DKBO members to Mokkala Hill in a village on the Burmese side. There, the group accidentally came across and kidnapped another KNU official before handing him and the other two over to the Burmese Army's Ninth Battalion. Meanwhile, three students from the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) are missing after the long-tail boat they were in capsised on the Salween River opposite Mae Sariang district in Mae Hong Son on Thursday. (BP) **********************SHAN STATE****************************** BKK POST: THE CASINO THAT NEVER WAS 9 February 1995 We now have it straight from the horse's mouth: Burma's answer to Macau has closed its doors. In fact, the infamous den of iniquity that had Thailand's Interior Ministry expressing "serious concern" that "tourist will want to come to Chiang Rai not for sightseeing, but to gamble at Tachilek," never really existed at all. Recently I ventured across the border at Mae Sai, which turn into Tachilek as soon as you set foot on Burmese soil. "Where's the gambling den?" I asked an immigration official. "I don't want to gamble," I added hastily, "I just want to have a look." "Gambling den no have," was the prompt reply. At this point a rather surly but somewhat more articulate official who had been browsing over a back issue of the Bangkok Post raised his head and informed me: "The gambling den does NOT exist, has NAVER existed, and what's more, will NEVER exits." He angrily brandished the newspaper in formed me that the whole thing was a figment of some newspaper writer's imagination. Felling that the time had come to change the subject, I asked how much a tour of the area by samlor would cost. "Just bargain with them" he said tersely. "It's roughly 100 to 150 baht. For that they'll show you everything you want - temples, casinos, everything." "But I thought you just said the casino didn't exist." At this point his surly demeanour began to show signs of deteriorating alarmingly. Anxious to avoid triggering an international incident, I withdrew from the office and was immediately besieged by eager samlor drivers clamouring to take me to the gambling den. One in particular was a mine of information. "There's only one casino about half kilometer from the border," he confided in a hoarse stage whisper, "but it's run by Khun Sa [the infamous warlord and drug dealer]. I can take you there but we must be careful. Can only take photo from the samlor as we drive past. So you'll have to be quick. Take photo and go." I positioned myself inn the back of the samlor, clutching the camera with breathless anticipation. After a grand tour of various temples the driver suddenly announced: "Quick. Here it comes. Get ready." "Where?" I asked, mild panic starting to set in. "All I can see is a white wall with red crosses painted on it. It looks more like a hospital than a casino." "That's it, that's it. Quick, take photo," he yelled as we flashed past. I managed to capture a blurred image of a sinister-looking red building through a break in the fence. "Look, can we go back and have another go, and this time slow down a bit. There's no way I can get a good shot from a speeding, shaky samlor like this." I pleaded. He grudgingly agreed and we cycle back toward the building. By this time I was beginning to feel like Jonathan Harker approaching Dracula's castle. We slowed down sufficiently to obtain a couple of quick shots. You could see vague movement inside the building - obviously people including in all sorts of decadent activities. But it all seemed fairly quiet otherwise. "May be I could get out and try to get some better shots," I suggested. But by this time his eyeballs were fairly rolling with terror. He obviously expected us to beset upon at any moment by Khun Sa's hit men; otherwise he was a god actor. Either way, his fear was starting to become infectious so I decided to abide by the old policy of discretion being the better part of valour and we withdrew. Back in the market area I watched another game for more down market gamblers. It consisted of rolling three large dice down small ramp onto a platform at the base - a rather complicated Burmese version of porker dice. No one wanted to divulge the name of the game and I wasn't allowed to take photos, but the entrepreneurs running the game were doing a roaring trade. As I walked back to the border checkpoint a group of motorcycle taxi boys were indulging in a spirited game of poker. So gambling is alive and well in Burma regardless of the official denials. One theory advanced by Thai businesspeople for the Burmese government's reluctance to admit to allowing gambling on their soil was that they wanted to present a more wholesome image of their country to the world. Although one wonders why a country that practises slavery and genocide would worry about a spot of gambling tarnishing its image. Apart from gambling, there are a lot of other good reasons for visiting Mae Sai and crossing the border. There are all sorts of quaint objects to buy at the market including huge bottles of Chinese "champagne" at 80 baht apiece, and giant avocados at 20 baht a kilo. There are also skin and shrivelled portions of rare and endangered animals. Crossing the border involves having your passport photo copied and presenting this plus five American dollars at the check- point. Not everyone is aware of the Burmese preference for American dollars and roll up clutching baht. But no problem: friendly and helpful border official can change your baht for dollars at a very favourable rate of exchange - favourable for them, that is. The photocopy of your passport is stamped and the original is kept at the checkpoint and a receipt issued. On your return you present the receipt and get your passport back. It all sounds a bit dicey but seems too work like a charm. Mae Sai is a pleasant enough town. One of the best value-for money places to stay is also one of the most bizarre. The Mae Sai Plaza Guest house (150 baht a night) cling to the side of a mountain over looking the Mae Sai River and looks for all the world like some kind of Oriental Gothic castle. One piece of advice, through: bring your towel. The one provided by the guest house is about the size of a postage stamp and is so threadbare one is flat out just drying one's hands. >From Bangkok to Mae Sai by bus takes about 12 hours. Siam First Tour Co offers a 40 seat bus at 420 baht a head, which is OK if you enjoy travelling in a refrigerator. The farther north we got the colder the air-conditioning got. No amount of fiddling with the ducts had any effect and eventually most people resorted to stuffing them with tissue paper. however during the night the Arctic blizzard from the air-conditioning system blew all the paper out and by the time we reached Mae Sai were about frozen solid. V.I.P. 999 Tours runs a 24-seat bus at 565 baht a head - with adjustable air-conditioning. However, the seat on both buses are not the conducive to a good night's sleep. My personal choice, after experiencing both buses, would be to take the night train to Chaing Mai and a bus from there to Mae Sai. At least you'll get a good night's sleep. Up at Wat Tumpachom, a large temple on the outskirts of town, there once existed another way into Burma - one that would not doubt be frowned on by the present regime. According to Pun Kankaew, an old nun who's been looking after an intricate system of caves and underground shrines for the last 15 years, the cave actually runs under the Mae Sai River, emerging at Tum Papoon, 1,500 metres beyond the border. About 15 years ago, she says, two couples disappeared while exploring the cave. No trace of them has ever been found, al- though many of the temple's resident monks have reported see- ing the spirits of the missing four during meditation sessions. A huge subterranean lake exists in the cave system, and the four lost souls can sometimes be seen standing on the shore. Perhaps they drowned in the lake while trying to reach Burma. As a result of this tragic mishap, the cave was sealed and remains so to this day. So at least the Thai and Burmese authorities can rest assured that people are not sneaking in UNDER the border, avoiding the $5 entry fee, and squandering their money in mythical Burmese gambling dens. (BP) **********************SHAN STATE****************************** SSA(USA): CALL FOR UNITY AGAINST SLORC SHAN STATE ASSOCIATION (U.S.A.) P. O. Box 1144 Washington Grove, MD 20880-1144 FAX: (301) 208-8012 February 6, 1995 PRESS RELEASE For more than 40 years, the Burmese military has waged a ruthless war against the people of Burma, Burmans and non-Burmans alike. They have never bothered to resolve existing disputes peacefully, politically and legally. Recent attacks upon and the capture of Manerplaw have now proven once again that the Burmese military government has no intention of seeking a political solution. Manerplaw's significance has been as the seat of the Burmese opposition, in particular the headquarters of the Karen National Union, the main force that has protected, housed and fed the Burmese students who had fled after the 1988 massacres. Now encouraged by their successful campaign against the Karens, they have renewed their long-suspended attacks against the Shans on 2 February 1995, according to reports received by S.H.A.N. (Shan Herald Agency for News). While SLORC (the State Law and Order Restoration Council), as the Burmese military describes itself, deserves full blame, these developments should also serve as a costly lesson to all the Burmese opposition movements: that the failure to unite among themselves, especially between the Karens and the Shans (the two with the largest military organizations) has led to these unfortunate events. Had they been united, these events could have been avoided. It is more likely that, had they been working together, they could have put the Rangoon forces on the defensive instead of the offensive. However, the Shan Association does not think it too late for the opposition movements to remedy the situation. They may soon be the ones holding the dice, provided that they seriously start worrying about their disunity instead of worrying about what others say about their unity. The Shan State Assocation (U.S.A.) sincerely hopes that the democratic forces of Burma and Shanland shall take heed of our well-intentioned words and take steps as soon as possible to unite solidly against SLORC. ****************************THAILAND*************************** NATION: SUTHIN BEMOANS FAILURE OF THAI POLICY ON RANGOON 10 February 1995 THE Thai government should review its "constructive engagement" policy on Burma if it wants to help end the present fighting between Burmese troops and ethnic guerrillas along the command border, House foreign Affairs committee chairman Suthin Noppaket said yesterday. Suthin, in an interview following an inspection trip along the Thai-Burmese border in Mae Hong Son's Sub Moei district, said the policy has been in use for years but has yielded no "satisfactory results" for Thais, especially those living along the border." He said the Burmese government's aggressive use of force against ethnic rebels runs counter to the "principle" of the engagement policy, so the Thai government should do something to persuade Rangoon to "have more regard for human lief." "At the same time, I don't understand why the Thai government has decided to buy natural gas from Burma. Our government should make its counterpart honour the engagement policy and care more about human life." Suthin said the Thai government is only concerned about "business profits". "The Thai government should be brave enough to set up democratic conditions that Burma has to follow if it really wants to end the fighting along the border. Our government shouldn't just worry about business profits. Once the Burmese government gets money from us, it will continue spending it to kill ethnic rebels, Fighting along the border will never cause." Suthin said the Thai government should follow the US example of setting up democratic conditions for its global trading partners to follow. "Our government should also help solve Burma's internal problems, not just concentrate on making profit from the war- torn country," they said. Suthin suggest that the government act as mediator between the burmese government and the ethnic rebels. "We didn't want to interfere with Burma's internal problems, but we can help negotiate between the two sides and help solve the fighting along our mutual border."(TN) *************************INTERNATIONAL************************* BKK POST: EX-AUST PM BOB HAWKE DEFENDS VISIT TO BURMA 10 February 1995 FORMER prime minister Bob Hawke, under fire of his business dealing with Burma's military dictatorship, said yesterday that the junta has "positive feature" despite its record of human right abuse. Foreign Minister Gareth Evens has criticized Hawke for visiting Rangoon earlier this month to seek lucrative business deal, bur failing to raise the issue of human rights. Even said such as approach undermines others' attempts to include Burma to respect human rights. In letter to the Canberra Times and Sydney Morning Herald published yesterday, Hawke said Burma does not warrant sanctions by other countries because its offenses are not in the same category as the South African apartheid system which is now dismantled. "It does mean that if we are to be listened to with any respect we should be prepared to acknowledge the positive feature, achievements and intentions of regimes we would critise on other grounds," Hawke wrote in the Canberra paper. "In Burma's case, he said, "there are such positive, but you would not know it from reading your paper or listening to the critics of my visit," he said. Hawke letter did not cite any of positive aspects of the Burmese government that he may have had in mind. In this letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, Hawke asked,"Do we cause commercial contacts with Indonesia because our government and other in the community, disapprove of some od its international policies?" Earlier this week, Evans gave Burma six months to improve this Human rights practices or risk new international sanction. ON the eve of Hawke's visit, the Burmese military launched an all-out assault on the Karen guerrillas, who have been fighting for autonomy since 1948, from base near the Thai border. (BP) *************************INTERNATIONAL************************* BKK POST: COMMITTEE RAPS BURMA JUNTA February 13, 1995 The Asia-Pacific committee of the worldwide organisation of social democrats, Socialist International, condemned the Burmese junta yesterday for their anti-democratic actions and also called for greater democratization in Asia. The committee, which ended a two-day conference in the Philippine capital, assailed the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) of Burma for their refusal to release Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and for their continued totalitarian rule of that country. In their resolution, the social democrats also assailed the capture of the Karen and opposition base in Manerplaw and the continued military of offensive against the Karen ethnic guerrillas. The resolution also called on Thailand to help give refuge to those fleeing the fighting and called on the UN Secretary- General to find a solution to the Burmese problem. (BP) *************************INTERNATIONAL************************* BKK POST: BURMA LARGEST HEROIN SUPPLIER TO US, SAYS N.Y.T. 13 February, 1995 American officials say Burmese drug traffickers have become the largest suppliers of heroin sold in the United States, a newspaper reported yesterday. US narcotics officials said heroin production in Burma has doubled since 1988 and now accounts for 60 to 70 per cent of the American supply, according to The New York Time. Officials estimate that more than 20 tons are sold annually in the Unit- ed States. The American government should step up anti-drug cooperation efforts with Burma's government, the drug officials said. "As the world's major producer of heroin, Burma is a very ma- jor, major problem," said Lee P. Brown, director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy. The US Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that each year Burma harvests more than 2,400 tons of opium, the raw material from which heroin is derived. The recent increase in Burmese production has largely offset drops in production in Mexico and Thailand, the paper said. (BP) *************************INTERNATIONAL************************* BURMANET: BOOK LAUNCH FOR LINTNER'S "BURMA IN REVOLT" February 15, 1995 On Friday, February 17th at 7:00pm, the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Thailand will host a book-launch for Bertil Lintner's new book, "Burma In Revolt: Opium and Insurgency since 1948." The auther (and former FCCT president) will be there and admission is free. The FCCT is located on the top floor of the Dusit Thani Hotel in downtown Bangkok. >From the FCCT press packet: Bertil's Lintner's most recent book, BURMA IN REVOLT: OPIUM AND INSURGENCY SINCE 1948, was published in the United States last December and in Thailand this month. This important book deals with the complex nexus between the drug problem, military rule, and Burma's civil war. Millions of dollars have been wasted in a misguided effort to treat the problem as a localized vice, rather than addressing underlying historical, social and economic factors behind the drug explosion. This book deals with those problems, and Bertil will talk more about the Golden Triangle at this book launch at the FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB OF THAILAND (FCCT), TOP FLOOR, DUSIT THANI HOTEL. *************************INTERNATIONAL************************* BKK POST: LETTER TO THE EDITOR--"A DISTORTION OF THE FACTS" 13 February 1995 Sir: this is in reference to your article regarding the 25 Americans on tour as Merrill's Marauders of World War II fame (Page 3, Feb 3). Be it known that our group came from all over American for one sole purpose - to commemorate the 50th anniversary of our war's end against the Japanese in Burma. There was no political aspect to our journey. We came to observe, of our own free will, the political, social and economic well-being of the wonderful people of Burma. Your last paragraph of this news story is a blatant lie and a complete distortion of the facts. The allegation that Kala Kyaw Win was connected to our group is absolutely false. He had nothing whatsoever to do with this travel programme. I initiated every detail of the trip, from its inception to conclusion and our return to the States. Further, the inference of our being involved with, or having some collusion with the Slorc is totally inaccurate and I request that you set the record straight by printing a retraction. 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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) NCGUB: NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (DAILY STATE-RUN NEWSPAPER, RANGOON) NMSP: NEW MON STATE PARTY RTA.:REC.TRAVEL.ASIA NEWSGROUP SCB.:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP SCT.: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 *************************************************************