------------------------- BurmaNet --------------------------- "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" -------------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: 23 June 1995 Issue #188 Contents: FEER: DENTED IMAGE BKK POST:CHECKPOINT TRADERS SEEK BETTER BORDER RELATIONS BKK POST: BURMESE START PROPAGANDA WAR AGAINST THAI PRODUCTS THE NATION:'CONFIDENCE' BOOSTS INVESTMENT IN BURMA -------------------------------------------------------------- o-------------------------------o The BurmaNet News is an | | electronic newspaper | Iti | covering Burma. 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The shortfall is being blamed on the international publicity attracted by the military junta's dry-season campaign against ethnic Karen rebel along the Thai-Burmese border. Burma is aiming to attract some 300,000 tourists to Burma in 1996. Last year, tourist arrivals, which include businessmen, stood at 67,000. (FEER) 'CONFIDENCE' BOOSTS INVESTMENT IN BURMA 21 June 1995 Burma hopes to see direct foreign investment reach Bt4 billion by the end of the year thanks to "growing confidence" in the business climate here, a government minister said yesterday. Brigadier General David Abel, who heads the military government's ministry of national planning and economic development, said Britain currently topped the investment list, followed by France, Thailand and Singapore. Addressing a news conference at the opening of an international exposition in Rangoon yesterday, Abel said there were already 139 foreign investment projects under way valued at $2.752 billion. "On the completion of these projects by the end of this year we hope that the amount will be four billion (dollars)," he said. Abel spoke of a notable increase in foreign investments which indicated "a growing confidence" on the part of foreign companies in the investment climate in Burma. Britain headed the list of investors largely due to the fact that companies from Hong Kong, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and other territories were registered around the world. But with charges taking place "almost by the minute" in the investment fields, other countries might surpass Britain, Abel said, adding that Thailand and Singapore had the largest number of companies doing business in Burma. Investment sectors included agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining, oil and gas production, manufacturing and services, he said. Some 116 companies from 18 countries were taking part in the four-day international exposition, 60 per cent of them returning after taking part in the first such fair last year, according to organizer Koh Kim Seng. "It also shows confidence in the overall environment in Myanmar and demonstrates investment has to be easy here," said Koh, of Applied Investments (Asia) Pte Ltd. Myanmar is the official name of Burma. The show was divided into three broad categories, Koh said - building materials and construction machines, garment and textile machinery and accessories, and computer, telecommunications and consumer electronics. (TN) CHECKPOINT TRADERS SEEK BETTER BORDER RELATIONS 21 June 1995 With the continued closure of checkpoints between Burma and Thailand restricting trade, northern businesses are calling on the Thai government to patch up relations with Burma before the situation worsens. "If this policy is not reviewed, we will lose our standing and then will face more difficulties with our neighbouring countries," warned Panithi Tangpati, vice-president of the Tak Chamber of Commerce. Burma has closed several checkpoints including one at Thachilek and may close the Victoria checkpoint opposite Ranong province in retaliation for the closing of Thailand's Mae Sai checkpoint. Concern over the border policy and the need for the private sector to give the Government more information about border conditions were among issues raised at last weekend's meeting of the Private Enterprise Committee, composed of members from nine northern provinces. Committee chairman Pravit Akarachinores said the border problem was an outgrowth of recent political games and tricks. The halt in construction of the Thai-Burmese bridge in Mae Sot has added fuel to the fire. Implementation of Thai policy toward Burma has been inconsistent, notably during the term of the Chuan Government, Mr Panithi said. He believes that officials unfamiliar with the highly sensitive issues involved in the border situation might be unwittingly exacerbating problems. Maintaining a balance in border areas involves effective juggling of a number of factors such as minority groups, border trade and foreign affairs. Frequent turnovers of foreign ministers have not helped alleviate tensions, said Mr Panithi. "The Thai government's support of the Karen minority group will spoil the country's reputation," he said, adding that Thailand is using the minority group as a "buffer state". According to Mr Panithi, Thais have also contributed to border tensions by burying earth in the riverbank in order to claim more territory, and some Thais are illegally constructing buildings along the Moei riverbank. This has led to anti-Thai sentiment among the Burmese; pamphlets denouncing Thai consumer goods are even being distributed in town markets, particularly in Myawaddy, the Burmese town opposite Mae Sot. Mr Panithi said that border closures seen as "economic sanctions" only against Burma are also hurting Thai merchants, since Burmese imports of Thai consumer goods and construction materials have been severely reduced. The Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce and Mae Sai merchants have asked Governor Kamroon Booncherd to reopen the border pass. Mae Sai traders hope that candidates for the July 2 election will be able to help remedy the situation, said Vivat Sirijangkapattana, president of the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce. (BP) BURMESE START PROPAGANDA WAR AGAINST THAI PRODUCTS 21 June 1995 Burmese authorities in Myawaddy have launched a campaign urging local people to boycott Thai products and purchase goods from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, Thai businessmen said. Anti-Thai leaflets, which were said to have been produced in Rangoon, were being distributed to public and civil servants at government offices in this eastern Burmese border town opposite Thailand's Mae Sot district, they said. Posters were also said to have been put up in several public places urging the boycott. No official explanation was given for the campaign, but some businessmen in Mae Sot suspect the move was initiated to help promote local products manufactured in the country by foreign investors from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Thailand and Burma have been at odds following several border incursions and the alleged safe haven provided to ethnic Burmese groups in both countries enabling them to carry out attacks across the border. Several Burmese traders, who regularly cross into Thailand on business said they did not think the campaign would succeed because people, including senior government officials, still preferred Thai products. "Thai goods are better in quality, and they have been very popular among the Burmese people for a long time," one trader said. Burmese sources in Myawaddy said the leaflets and posters were produced in Rangoon and dispatched to several Burmese border towns for distribution. The sources said acquiring Thai goods was still legal and the ruling Burmese junta was merely asking the public to promote everyday products and basic necessities locally manufactured by foreign investors. Suchart Triratwattana, general secretary of the Tak Chamber of Commerce , said he did not believe the campaign would affect the sale of Thai goods to Burma because most of the customers were from the country"s middle-class. But he said the campaign could have a psychological impact on the Burmese people in general. "The majority of those living at grassroots level do not buy Thai products, only the middle class have the purchasing power. But the move could have psychological effects on the population in general," Suchart said. The Tak Chamber of Commerce, he said, would not take any action over the campaign because the issue was a domestic affair. However, it would suggest to local Palang Dharma MP Udon Tantisunthorn the establishment of several committees to help resolve a number of pending Thai-Burmese disputes and disagreements, including the sudden halt to construction of a bridge linking Mae Sot and Myawaddy, he said. Mae Sot traders have cautioned the Thai government and the private sector against raising too many hopes of economic opportunities in Burma, saying Thai businessmen and investors were still lagging behind those from other countries in terms of trade and marketing strategies. They said the anti-Thai campaign was another move by foreign investors in Burma to break the Thai monopoly among the Burmese middle class. The investors were also targeting low-income earners, they said. (TN)