From: BurmaNet ------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: September 15, 1995 Issue #227 Noted in Passing: As far as it is concerned, Karnyord will be redubbed a drug trafficker if he decides to go back to the MTA. And if he does attack the MTA, the issue of `who's the traitor and who's the real freedom fighter' will throw great confusion among the populace and the resistance.And both outcomes are fine with the SLORC. - anonymous source (see MTA MUTINEERS) HEADLINES: ========== S.H.A.N.: MTA MUTINEERS BEING ENGINEERED BY SLORC INTO ARMED CONFLICT WITH MTA ABSDF-DNA:EXCERPTS FROM "MILITARY BUREAUCRACY OF SLORC" THE NATION: RANGOON SEEKS MORE AIRLINKS THE NATION: WILL SLORC RESPOND TO US ENVOY'S ULTIMATUM? BKK POST: AUSTRALIA TEAM VISITS CAMP ---------------------------------------------------------- Produced with the support of the Burma Information Group (B.I.G). The BurmaNet News is an electronic newspaper covering Burma. Articles from newspapers, magazines, newsletters, the wire services and the Internet as well as original material are published. The BurmaNet News is e-mailed directly to subscribers and is also distributed via the soc.culture.burma and seasia-l mailing lists and is also available via the reg.burma conference on the APC networks. 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Sutcliffe" World Wide Web: FreeBurma@POBox.com Volunteering: christin@ksc.net.th [Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage] ---------------------------------------------------------- S.H.A.N.: MTA MUTINEERS BEING ENGINEERED BY SLORC INTO ARMED CONFLICT WITH MTA September 8, 1995 Muangmai (note: S.H.A.N. stands for Shan Herald Agency News) The breakaway MTA group, renamed the Shan National Army, is being forced into beginning open armed clashes with its erstwhile mother-organisation, reported a source coming into Thailand. Unlike the DKBO, the breakaway Karen group which enthusiastically cooperated with SLORC forces during their campaign against the KNU, the SSNA of Major Karnyord during its three-month long seperate existence from the MTA has carefully refrained from starting a civil war with the MTA, among whom are the mutineers' close friends, relatives and life long comrades.Above all, the presence of Gunjade,Karnyord's most respected exsuperior in the vicinity proves an almost tangible deterrent.Instead, it has turned to the tactic of persuading the dissatisfied soldiers to desert their units, which has had some success. However, the ambitious SLORC commanders have not been impressed with Karnyord's exploits, and have so far refused to bankroll his psychological operations, except to print and distribute his anti-Khun Sa pamphlets. " Everytime he turns toward the SLORC for funds and arms", says the source, " they keep asking him when his military operations will start. So far, he has received only K 1 million from General Khin Nyunt, who sent his aide, Col San Pwint, to talk to him in his stead." In the meantime, the MTA, under the new leadership, has made a series of concessions to Karnyord's demands, which includes the recall of controversial commanders Yiapmong and Kaw-hat, collective leadership and an end to summary executions without trial. It also promises amnesty and reinstatements for all returnees including Karnyord.Many prominent Shan individuals and agencies are also mediating in order to head off an armed conflict, which once begun would go out of control and and play directly into the hands of SLORC. Everything seems to rest on the decision of Karnyord, who is badly in need of raw cash to upkeep his splinter army. The SLORC does not seem worried , so says the source; " As far as it is concerned, Karnyord will be redubbed a drug trafficker if he decides to go back to the MTA. And if he does attack the MTA, the issue of `who's the traitor and who's the real freedom fighter' will throw great confusion among the populace and the resistance.And both outcomes are fine with the SLORC." ******************* ABSDF-DNA:EXCERPTS FROM "MILITARY BUREAUCRACY OF SLORC" (We found only a few civilians in the whole report and only one woman. But then what kind of official delegation did SLORC send to Beijing?) "Military Bureauracy of SLORC" September 4, 1995 13 pages from the Documentation and Research Centre, ABSDF P.O. Box 42, Mae Hong Son P.O. Mae Hong Son 58000, Thailand (caroline@comnet4.ksc.net.th) INTRODUCTION Since the military coup led by General Ne Win on 2 March 1962, the military has launched a systematic militarisation by replacing almost all the intellectual civilian posts in every adminstrative sector with the officers in uniform. With the lack of experience in individual fields, every civil and professorial administration has been ruined by the monopolisation of the military. That mismanagement led the country into the Least Developed Country (LDC) with 4000 million US$ foreign debt in December 1987. Consequently, Burmese people called for an end to one party dictatorship and restoration of democracy in their motherland. Although one party rule was at its sunset because of the nation-wide uprisings , the military took over power and established a new junta in Sptember 1988 in order to safeguard the military dynasty and the hierarchy of the outgoing regime. Claiming to introduce the "Free Market Economy" in Burma, the SLORC military junta reformed the bureaucracy. But they readopted the old and unpopular model of militarisation, assigning army officers to all civil administration posts. At the same time, SLORC has been convening "National Convention" to legitimise the role of the miltiary in Burma's future politics. We do hope that this "Military Bureaucracy of SLORC" will help you improve your awareness of how the regime monopolises the civil administration. Documentation and Research Centre All Burma Students' Democratic Front September 4, 1995 (1) STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL 1 Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman Prime- Minister, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Service, Minister for Defence 2 General Maung Aye, Vice-Chairman, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services 3 Vice-Adm. Maung Maung Khin Member Deputy Prime- Minister 4 Lt-Gen. Tin Htun Member Deputy- Prime-Minister 5 Lt-Gen. Phone Myint Member Chairman of Security & Management Committee 6 Lt-Gen. Aung Ye Kyaw Member Member of Security & Management Committee 7 Lt-Gen. Sein Aung Member Minister for Industry No. 1 8 Lt-Gen. Chit Swe Member Minister for Forestry 9 Lt-Gen. Kyaw Ba Member Minister for Hotel & Tourism 10 Lt-Gen. Maung Thint Member. Minister for Progress of Border Area & National Race & Development 11 Lt-Gen. Aye Thaung Member Minister for Labor 12 Lt-Gen. Myint Aung Member Minister for Agriculture 13 Lt-Gen. Mya Thin Member Minister for Interior Affairs 14 Lt-Gen. Htun Kyi Member Minister for Trade 15 Lt-Gen. Myo Nyunt Member Minister for Religious Affairs 16 Lt-Gen. Maung Hla Member Minister for Immigration & & Manpower 17 Lt-Gen. Kyaw Min Member Minister for Mines 18 Maj-Gen Soe Myint Member Minister Social Welfare & Resettlement 19 Maj-Gen Nyan Lin Member No Portfolio 20 Lt-Gen. Khin Nyunt Secretary-l Director of Defence Special Intelligence Director of Military Strategy Study 21 Lt-Gen. Tin Oo Secretary-2 Chief of Staff Special Operation No.(1) Commander (2) CABINET MEMBERS OF THE SLORC RANK NAME POSITION 1 Senior General Than Shwe Prime-Minister and Defence 2 V.Adm Maung Maung Khin Deputy Prime-Minister 3 Lt- Gen. Tin Tun Deputy Prime Minister 4 Lt-Gen. Sein Aung Industry 1 5 Lt-Gen. Chit Shwe Forestry 6 Lt-Gen. Myint Aung Agriculture 7 Lt-Gen. Kyaw Ba Hotels & Tourism 8 Lt-Gen. Maung Thint Border Areas Development 9 Lt-Gen Mya Thinn Home 10 Lt-Gen. Kyaw Min Mines 11 Lt-Gen Tun Kyi Trade 12 Lt-Gen. Aye Thaung Labor 13 Lt-Gen. Myo Nyunt Religious Affairs 14 Lt-Gen. Thein Win Transport 15 Lt-Gen. Min Thein Office of the Chairman of SLORC 16 Lt-Gen. Maung Hla Immigration and Population 17 Ohn Gyaw Foreign 18 (Ex-Lt-Col) Pang Aung Education 19 (Ex-Col) Win Sein Rail Transport 20 (Ex-Lt-Col) Khin Maung Thein Energy 21 SoeTha Communication, Post & Telegraph 22 Than Aung Co-operative 23 V-Adm Than Nyunt Health 24 Maj-Gen Kyaw Than Industry - 2 25 Maj-Gen Soe Myint Social Welfare & Resettlement 26 Maj-Gen Aye Kyaw Information 27 Maj-Gen Saw Tun Construction 28 Brig-Gen. Win Tin Finance & Revenue 29 Brig-Gen. David Abel Planning & Economic Development 30 Brig-Gen. Maung Maung Livestock & Fisheries 31 Brig-Gen. Thaung Myint Culture 32 Brig-Gen. Myo Thant Office of the Chairman of SLORC 33 Brig-Gen. Lun Maung Prime Minister's Office 34 Col Pe Thein Prime Minister's Office 35 (Ex-Col) Than Shwe Prime Ministers Office 36 Khin Maung Yin Deputy Prime Minister's Office 37 Brig-Gen.Tin Aye Deputy- Minister (Tourism) 38 Brig-Gen. Maung Kyi Deputy Minister (Social Welfare) 39 Col Tin Hlaing Deputy, Minister (Home) 40 Col Aung Thaung Deputy Minister (Trade) 41 Col Than Zin Deputy Minister (Health) 42 Col Kyi Maung Deputy Minister (Education) 43 Dr. Than Nyunt Deputy Minister (Education) 44 (Ex-Col) Nyunt Swe Deputy Minister (Foreign) 45 (Ex-Col) Than Nyunt Deputy Minister (Industry 1) 46 Saw Tun Deputy Minister (Industry 2) 47 Aung Phone Deputy Minister (Forestry) 48 Aung Thein Deputy Minister (Livestock & Fisheries) 49 (Ex-Lt-Col) Soe Nyunt Deputy Minister (Culture) 50 (Ex-Col) Aung Khin Deputy Minister (Religious) 51 Kyaw Tin Deputy Minister (Border Areas) 52 (Ex-Col) Win Hlaing Deputy Minister (Mines) 53 Myint Thein Deputy Minister (Mines) 54 Tin Hlaing Deputy Minister (Agriculture) 55 (Ex-Lt-Col) San Wai Deputy Minister (Transport) 56 (Ex-Lt-Col) Thein Sein Deputy Minister (Information) 57 Tin Tun Deputy Minister (Energy) 58 (Ex-Col) Aung San Deputy Minister (Construction) 59 Kyaw Aye Deputy Minister (Labor) 60 Win Naing Deputy Minister (Finance and Revenue) **************** THE NATION: RANGOON SEEKS MORE AIRLINKS 15 Stember 1995 Rangoon BURMA'S government is trying to help increase the influx of tourists ahead of next year's "Visit Myanmar Year" by launching air links with mire countries, media and officials said. The Burmese government hopes for 500,000 tourists next year. A delegation from Lao Airlines Co and Burma's Civil Aviation Department met Transport minister Lt Gen Thein Win on Wednesday to discuss starting a link between Laos and Burma in November. Lufthansa Airlines' regional director Michael Uhlmann also met the minister on Wednesday to talk about matters relating to air services and increasing tourists arrivals, the media reported. A German Embassy official said that Lufthansa planned to fly between Bangkok and Rangoon via an agreement with Thai Airway International Plc. The airlines already have approval from German and Thai authorities and plan to start the operation in October as soon as Burma gives the go-ahead. Lufthansa has no current plans to fly directly between Rangoon and Europe because airports in Burma are not equipped to handle large planes. Two international airports with the capacity to handle big aircraft are being built in Burma's second city Mandalay and Pago, about 50 miles from Rangoon. Discussions are also underway to start airlinks with India, a Transport Ministry official said. Initially fights would be between Madras and Rangoon, and services may also be extended to Calcutta later. (TN) **************** THE NATION: WILL SLORC RESPOND TO US ENVOY'S ULTIMATUM? 15 September 1995 State media suggest Rangoon has limited view of dialogue Aung Zaw comments THERE was little in the way of pleasantries ;last week when Burma's powerful military intelligence chief, Lt Gen Khin Nyunt met US ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright, in Rangoon. The ambassador made sure that the Burmese junta, understood clearly Washington's position regarding the restoration of democracy and respect for human rights. Albright also urged Slorc's leaders to begin a dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released in July after spending six years under house arrest. As he has done to other visiting dignitaries, Lt Gen Khin Nyunt explained the development of the National Convention, which is supposed to draw up a new constitution and set Burma back on the path to democracy. Khin Nyunt described the National Convention as a process for dialogue. Albright dubbed it "phoney," saying it was part of Slorc's long term plan to stay in power indefinitely. One hopeful sign that emerged from the meeting, however, was Albright's assertion that the junta leader had hinted they may be ready to talk to "the ;ready." Speaking at a press conference in Bangkok, Albright said the US was "modestly encouraged" to hear that Slorc was considering talking to Suu Kyi. Khin Nyunt, however, stressed that the dialogue with Suu Kyi will come only after "internal consultations" within the top brass. But the question that remains is, exactly what sort of dialogue will take place? Is Rangoon's intention only to appease the public and the world community, or will it be a meaning dialogue that will lead to the restoration of genuine democracy? There is still much to suggest that Slorc is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of sitting down with the Suu Kyi-led democracy groups. An article entitled "Dialogue... Dialogue" that appeared in the Slorc-controlled New Light of Myanmar recently argued that dialogue might not be needed. "Dialogue... Dialogue... Meet? Talk! Seek a solution at a negotiating table! Don't seek a military solution! Very easily said. Very easy to make exhortations. But it is not at all easy in practical terms," the article's author Sithu Nyein Aye asserted. The writer cited conflicts in Bosnia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka as examples where he said dialogue had failed. Then he went on to attack the Western bloc and dissidents whom he said had been telling Slorc to open a dialogue. Referring to Slorc's ceasefire agreements with armed ethnic groups, he said, "No praise, no congratulations and no happiness was expressed from the Western bloc and their political pundits who keep advocating patching up differences through dialogue have kept mum." The agreements reached between Slorc and ethnic groups_specificially ceasefire agreements, so far offer little guarantee for lasting peace. Sithu Nyein Aye said Western bloc and dissidents are turning a blind eye on the biggest dialogue forum consisting of representatives of all national races, of all parties, of all elected deputies, of the peasantry, of workers, of artists and the intelligentsia, of all the strata of people_ the National Convention." He asked: "Are there any other forums more important than the National Convention?" Far from being representative, however, most of the delegates at the National Convention were handpicked by Slorc. Despite this, they are not allowed to speak out. Khin Nyunt said to Albright that Slorc had "broad public support" and that the Burmese people "smile a lot." But Albright, saying repressive societies, replied that, such "people often smile not because they are happy, but because they are afraid." Albright, also had an extended meetings with opposition politicians, including Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and her close associates Tin Oo and Kyi Maung. Suu Kyi has repeatedly expressed a readiness to start a dialogue with the junta. "This is the only way to solve problems," she told the BBC World Service. Albright said she made it clear to the Rangoon generals that they have two choices: "A choice between its present isolation and reintegration into the international community. As a result of my visit, the Slorc leadership undoubtedly knows what it must do. The choice is theirs." She warned Khin Nyunt that Burma's "isolation would deepen unless concrete steps towards political freedom are taken." "The sooner the dialogue begins, the better," Suu Kyi has said. (TN) ************************ BKK POST: AUSTRALIA TEAM VISITS CAMP 15 September 1995 Mae Sot AN a Australia delegation led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Harry Jenkins yesterday visited a Karen refugee camp at Ban Huay Kalok of Tambon Mae Pa in this northern border town. Tak Governor Kasem Nakarat along with local officials led the delegation consisting of 10 Australian MPs on an inspection of the camp, which now accommodates more than 6000 refugees. The Ban Huay Kalok camp was set up in 1984 after Rangoon forces launched a major suppression drive against a number of Karen National Union bases. The refugee camp is supported by many Australia non-governmental organizations. This year, the Australian government and NGOs have provided eight financial aid, medical and personal assiatance programmes costing upwards of 8.5 million baht for the refugees in the camp. The Australian delegation also inspected the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge linking Mae Sot and Myawaddy across the Moei River. (BP)