**************************BurmaNet*************************** "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ************************************************************* The BurmaNet News:11 APRIL 1995 Issue #144 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NOTED IN PASSING: Contents: **********************BURMA ON THE WEB************************ *********************CONTACT REQUESTS************************* ************************INSIDE BURMA************************* BKK POST: SELF-RULE FOR SIX BURMA ETHNIC MINORITIES AGREED BKK POST: BURMA REJECTS COMPLAINT BT THAILAND OVER INCURSION THE NATION; BURMA BIDDING TO BOOST REGIONAL SECURITY, CLAIMS KEY SLORC MAN THE NATION: BURMA DENIES THAI CLAIMS OF RAID *************************THAILAND************************ BKK POST: CALL TO EASE RESTRICTIONS ON CONSTRUCTION EXPORTS BKK POST: CHARAN : THAILAND NOT SUPPORTING KHUN SA ALONG NORTHERN BORDER BKK POST: MEKONG COUNCIL AGREES TO INVITE China, Burma TNE NATION: STUDENTS PROTEST FM'S VISIT TO RANGOON *************************ARTICLES**************************** BKK POST: DENY SLORC ACCESS TO WALL STREET ****************************LETTERS************************* THE NATION: BURMA A ROGUE ELEPHANT THE ANTION: RELIGIOUS WARS ***************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI********************** KHRG: WHITHER DKBA?: THE SLORC'S NORTHERN KAREN OFFENSIVE PART 3 of 4 ************************************************************** 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] ************************************************************** **********************BURMA ON THE WEB************************ Information about Burma is available via the WorldWideWeb at: BurmaNet News webpage: http://taygate.au.ac.th/~web/michael/bnn/bnn.htm BurmaWeb http://www.uio.no/~tormodl FreeBurma website http://199.172.178.200/freebrma/freebrma.htm. [including back issues of the BurmaNet News as .txt files] *********************CONTACT REQUESTS************************* This is a new section of the BurmaNet News that you can use in trying to contact someone whose address you do not have. If you are looking for someone, send a note to burmanet@igc.apc.org with your name and return address. Your contact request, but not your name, will be posted with the next issue of the BurmaNet news. If the person you are looking for responds, he or she will be given your name and contact information. Whether to respond is of course, up to them. Send contact requests to: burmanet@igc.apc.org ****** 1 Looking for Cham Toik, does he have an email address? Reply to burmanet@igc.apc.org [contact #001] ****** 2 Looking for volunteers to help put out the BurmaNet News, reply to burmanet@igc.apc.org CALL TO EASE RESTRICTIONS ON CONSTRUCTION EXPORTS ALONG NORTHERN BORDER 8 APRIL 1995 Businessmen in this northern province yesterday called for a relaxation of restrictions on the export of constructions mate- rials via the temporary Ban Pang-ha border pass in Tambon Koa Chang to reduce production costs. The proposal was discussed during a seminar yesterday between businessmen from Chiang Rai and Burma's Tachilek district as well as Thai Customs officials. Earlier this week, the Thai-Burmese Border Committee ordered the opening of the temporary border passes at Ban Muang Daeng in Tambon Mae Sai and Ban Pang-ha to improve the economic situation in border areas affected by recent fighting between Burmese Gov- ernment troops and Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army. However, it was decided that only consumer goods would be allowed to be transported through Ban Muang Daeng pass while construction materials such as cement could be exported through Ban Pangha pass. But Businessmen claim construction materials should also be al- lowed through Ban Muang Daeng pass to facilitate trading as it is closer to Mae Sai and Tachilek districts than is Ban Pangha pass. Meanwhile, traders from Tachilek have proposed that the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce call on the Thai Government to negotiate with the Burmese to reopen the Tachilek border pass as business in the area was suffering. They said the prices of consumer goods had increased three-fold in Tachilek and that people were also short of medicines. The proposal is to be raised with Chiang Rai's Governor Kamron Booncherd short for further action later. (BP) SELF-RULE FOR SIX BURMA ETHNIC MINORITIES AGREED 8 APRIL 1995 The convention drawing up guidelines for Burma's new constitu- tion agreed yesterday to grant self-administered status to six smaller ethnic groups living in regions dominated by larger mi- nority groups. U Aung Toe, chief justice of the Supreme Court and chairman of the convention's works committee, announced that , under the guidelines, the ethnic Naga group would be permitted to self- administer three townships in northwestern Burma. He said in the northeast, the ethnic Wa group would gain control over six townships, the Paoh group would be handed three and the Danu, Kokang and Palaung groups would each get two townships The 700-member convention representing political parties, eth- nic groups,workers, peasants, technocrats, civil servants and invited guests have been meeting since January 1993 to create the guidelines for the constitution. The convention, which adjourned until October 23 after making its announcement, spent six months discussing the question of self-administered areas before delegates reached the decision announced yesterday. There are 235 ethnic groups in Burma, a dozen of which fought for decades against the central government for greater autonomy. (BP) BURMA REJECTS COMPLAINT BT THAILAND OVER INCURSION Burma has rejected a recent Thai complaint over an alleged vio- lent incursion into Thailand by Burmese army troops, Burma's state-run media reported. The rejection, in a protest letter this week, is the latest in a series of complaints and accusations exchanged between the two countries and comes on the eve of a trip to Rangoon by Foreign Minister Krasae Chanawong. Burma's state television, in a news broadcast monitored in Bang- kok late on Thursday, said Thailand's ambassador to Burma Poksak Nilubol was summoned to the Burmese Foreign Ministry and handed a letter rejecting a March 20 Thai complaint over an alleged raid into Thailand by Burmese troops. "The protest letter presented by the Myanmar (Burmese) Foreign Ministry states that (Burmese) soldiers were in no way involved in that incident," the television said. The incident was connected to a split in Burma's Karen National Union (KNU) guerrilla group, the television said. Accusations that Burmese government troops were involved in such incidents could create unnecessary misunderstandings between the two countries, the broadcast added. Normally cordial relations between the two neighbours have been strained since the beginning of the year when a Burmese army offensive against the KNU sent thousands of refugees into Thai- land. Hundreds of Burmese army shells landed on the Thai side of the border in attacks on KNU bases on Burma's side, forcing hundreds of Thai villagers to flee their homes. Local Burmese army commanders accused Thai forces in February of assisting the autonomy-seeking guerrillas who operate out of areas of Burma on the border with Thailand. Thai commanders re- jected the accusations. Thailand has lodged several complaints about Burmese soldiers and members of a Karen guerrilla splinter faction which recently joined Burmese government forces crossing the border to harass and attack refugees and Thais. In another incident, Burmese media, citing an official from the ruling military body, last month deplored Thailand's refusal to hand over a raid on a northeast Burmese border town. Dr Krasae arrived in Rangoon yesterday and immediately met his Burmese counterpart Ohn Gyaw. He was set to meet the military government's intelligence chief Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt today, a Thai Foreign Ministry official said. (BP) MEKONG COUNCIL AGREES TO INVITE China, Burma The Mekong Council agreed yesterday to invite China and Burma to participate in the council's first formal dialogue in Phnom Penh in an attempt to draw cooperation of all riparian countries for sustainable development of the Mekong River. The council's decision came after Thailand responded to gestures from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in their welcoming messages Wednesday for the participation of the two other nations of the upper Mekong River basin. "China and Burma will be invited to participate in our first formal discussions both of the Mekong Council and the joint committee," said a Thai delegate. The Mekong Council chaired by Cambodia on alphabetical order, is scheduled to formally meet in Phnom Penh in July whereas the joint committee will meet in Vietnam in June, as arranged in reverse alphabetical order. The joint committee yesterday discussed the Basin Development Plan which will be used a base plan for the newly-formed Mekong River Comless community relocation. Mr Prathes said there is also a water diversion plan to draw from from the mainstream in Lao's Pak Lay city into Thailand's Nan River in the wet season through underground tunnels. Under the new Mekong agreement, water diveres. Cambodia proposed two projects, Prathes said. One of them is the Kirirom hydropower project which had its first preparatory meeting last year. The project is supported by Austria and Sweden. Another project is Prek Thnot which had been shelved due to the civil war between the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese-supported government since 1975. (BP) BURMA BIDDING TO BOOST REGIONAL SECURITY, CLAIMS KEY SLORC MAN 9 April 1995 MARISA CHAMPRABHA THE Burmese junta's attempts to bring about national reconciliation should be seem as a "plus factor" in ensuring regional security, not as a destablizing influence, Burmese Foreign