------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: September 30, 1995 Issue#242 Noted in Passing: I intend to bring the matter before the Senate in the very near future. No one should doubt my resolve to have the US Senate fully debate the deplorable situation in Burma and bring about the trade and investment sanctions I propose against the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). - Senator Mitch McConnell (quoted in BKK POST: SENATE THROWS OUT SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA) Headlines: ======== BKK POST: SENATE THROWS OUT SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA NYT: GOP SENATORS ANGERED BY UNAPPROVED CHANGED TO AID BILL L.A.TIMES: MOVIE HELPS CAUSE OF MYANMAR CRITIC AI: MYANMAR: TORTURE AND APPALLING CONDITIONS CONTINUE CHE: PORTRAIT - COLLEGE COUNSELOR ON LOCATION MYINT: INVITATION FROM MAYKHA-L LISTSERV BKK POST: ENVOY STATES CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE BURMA TIES BKK POST: KHUN SA: MONG TAI SPLIT WAS PLANNED BY SLORC NATION: A BURMESE TALE OF HORROR BKK POST: ANDAMAN CLUB SET FOR OPENING ON KO SONG BKKPOST: DIETHELM SET FOR BURMESE HINTERLAND ---------------------------------------------------------- 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. For a free subscription to the BurmaNet News, send an e-mail message to: majordomo@igc.apc.org In the body of the message, type "subscribe burmanet-l" (without quotation marks) Letters to the editor, comments or contributions of articles should be sent to the editor at: strider@igc.apc.org ------------------------------------------------------------- INFORMATION ABOUT BURMA VIA THE WEB AND GOPHER: Information about Burma is available via the WorldWideWeb at: FreeBurmaWWW http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/freeburma.html [including back issues of the BurmaNet News as .txt files] BurmaWeb: http://www.uio.no/tormodl Burma fonts: http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~lka/burmese-fonts/moe.html Ethnologue Database(Myanmar): http://www-ala.doc.ic.ac.uk/~rap/Ethnologue/eth.cgi/Myanmar TO ACCESS INFORMATION ABOUT BURMA VIA GOPHER: gopher csf.colorado.edu. Look under the International Political Economy section, then select Geographic_Archive, then Asia, then Burma. ---------------------------------------------------------- BURMANET SUBJECT-MATTER RESOURCE LIST BurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of different topics related to Burma. The scope of the subjects involved is simplytoo broad for any one person to cover. BurmaNet is therefore organizing a number of volunteer coordinators to field questions on various subjects. If you have questions on any of the following subjects, please direct email to the following coordinators, who will either answer your question or try to put you in contact with someone who can: Arakan/Rohingya/Burma- [volunteer needed] Bangladesh border Art/archaeology/: [volunteer needed] Campus activism: [on summer vacation] Boycott campaigns: [Pepsi] wcsbeau@superior.ccs.carleton.ca Buddhism: Buddhist Relief Mission, c/o NBH03114@niftyserve.or.jp Chin history/culture: plilian@asc.corp.mot.com Fonts: tom@cs.colgate.edu History of Burma: zni@students.wisc.edu Kachin history/culture: 74750.1267@compuserve.com Karen history/culture: 102113.2571@Compuserve.com Karen Historical Society Mon history/culture: [volunteer needed] Naga history/culture: Wungram Shishak, z954001@oats.farm.niu.edu Burma-India border [volunteer needed] Pali literature: "Palmleaf" c/o burmanet@igc.apc.org Shan history/culture: [volunteer needed] Shareholder activism: simon_billenness@mail.cybercom.net Tourism campaigns: bagp@gn.apc.org "Attn. S.Sutcliffe" World Wide Web: FreeBurma@POBox.com Volunteering: christin@ksc.net.th [Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage] ******************************** BKK POST: SENATE THROWS OUT SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA September 29, 1995 by Ralph Bachoe Washington TOUGH sanctions against Burma, approved last week by the US Senate, have been thrown out of Capitol Hill. The architect of the Free Burma Act of 1995 has acceded to the wishes of a fellow Republican senator and withdrawn the bill. In a tersely-worded statement released to the press on Wednesday, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said: "Today, I acceded to the wishes of Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) and withdrew my Free Burma Act of 1995 as an amendment to the Foreign Assistance Appropriations Bill currently under consideration by the US Congress." The bill, which needed reconciliation with comparable legislation in the House of Representatives, would have banned all US trade and investment with the illegitimate Burmese military regime, including travel to that country by US citizens. The bill also would have suspended aid to countries selling arms to the Rangoon government. Its withdrawal was fully anticipated by the sanctions proponents in Washington. McConnell's decision appears to have been the result of intensive pressure from McCain, and, according to a knowledgeable Republican source, the obvious political clout the US oil companies, Unocal and Texaco, have over Congress with their powerful lobbying capabilities. The oil companies have billions of dollars at stake, and the SLORC more than $400 million a year to lose, should the bill become law. The senator from Kentucky has lost this battle but definitely not the war in his fight to pressure the Burmese military regime to restore democracy to the country of 43 million, and to honour the result of the 1990 elections won overwhelmingly by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. The defeated but unbowed McConnell said. "I intend to bring the matter before the Senate in the very near future. No one should doubt my resolve to have the US Senate fully debate the deplorable situation in Burma and bring about the trade and investment sanctions I propose against the State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc). McConnell was not alone in his defeat. The National Coalition of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), the parallel Burmese government-in-exile which has lobbied intensively for the bill's passage, also expressed its disappointment at the outcome. It, however was pragmatic saying that "this process of invoking economic sanctions ,against Slorc is a step-by-step process", and thanking McConnell for his efforts. Dr Sein Win said: "I want to thank Senator McConnell for his outstanding efforts on behalf of the Burmese people in responding to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's call for economic sanctions against Burma. "The senator has set aside $2 million in funds that will be used for humanitarian aid for ethnic groups and support for democracy groups working inside Burma." Dr Sein Win is an elected MP in the 1990 election and is prime minister of the NCGUB. He is also the cousin of Suu Kyi who was released by Slorc on July 10 after nearly six years of house arrest. "I look forward to assisting the Senator over the following weeks when a full Senate floor debate will take place spot-lighting Slorc's atrocious human rights record, their refusal to engage in a dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the continued arrest and detention of democracy advocates, and Slorc's role in narcotics trafficking," he concluded. In an interview with the Bangkok Post, Senator McCain said he does not believe that sanctions against Slorc would work. He instead proposed that a step-by-step approach, which the US adopted against Vietnam in normalising relations, be applied in dealing with the Burmese military government to restore democracy He said he was glad to hear that Suu Kyi had been released from her house arrest. Of the Slorc, he said there are signs that the military government is "very interested in bettering relations, not only between themselves and the US, but more importantly in the region. "What I would really like to see if it were at all possible, and I am not sure that it is, is to lay out a road map for the Burmese like we did with the Vietnamese, that if they do certain things we would in return try to do certain things as well. "What we did with the Vietnamese was a very reasonable and logical step-by step process." He said he would like to see the US begin a similar process with Burma. In theory a process similar to Vietnam's would be a great idea. "But here is the problem. It was clearly in Vietnam's interest to have better relations with the United States and have the embargo lifted and normalisation of relations. ******************************** NYT: GOP SENATORS ANGERED BY UNAPPROVED CHANGED TO AID BILL September 28, 1995 by Steven Greenhouse A disagreement has broken out among Senate Republicans over an amendment quietly stuck into the foreign aid bill that would withdraw most-favored-nation trading status to any country that does not back sanctions against the Burmese military government. While floor managers of bills often insert amendments that have unanimous support, several lawmakers criticized Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who managed the foreign aid bill, for inserting an amendment, without unanimous backing, that could have huge repercussions. Several lawmakers said the bill could, for instance, cut off China's most-favored status because Beijing does not honor sanctions against Burma. After the Senate approved the bill last Thursday, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a leader on foreign policy, took to the Senate floor to attack the way the amendment on Burma was inserted. ``I was quite upset about it and thought it was highly inappropriate to do it,'' McCain said in an interview. ``I have a special concern about Burma - 60 percent of the heroin coming to the United States comes through Burma - and if there was an amendment on the issue, I wanted to be involved in the debate.'' Joining this unusual intraparty feud, Sen. William Roth, R-Del., who is chairman of the Finance Committee, wrote a letter to McConnell expressing his great disappointment with the amendment. Roth complained not only that the provision involved matters that were the jurisdiction of his committee, but also that its call for withdrawing most-favored-nation trading status would violate trade treaties. In an interview Wednesday, McConnell said he inserted the amendment without a vote to apply some quick pressure on the Burmese military dictatorship. The foreign aid bill, approved 91 votes to 9, would cut overseas assistance by 10 percent. In addition to calling for suspending trade privileges to countries that do not honor sanctions against Burma, McConnell's amendment calls for banning travel to Burma, barring Burmese imports and withholding money to the International Monetary Fund if it provides aid to Burma. ``I do think there is some urgency about this - the situation there is quite terrible,'' McConnell said. ``I thought it would be helpful to the situation in Burma to have some language in the bill.'' He called McCain late Wednesday to say he would move to delete the amendment when House and Senate lawmakers meet to rework the bill in conference. Nonetheless, McConnell vowed to continue trying to pressure Burma and ``fight this another day and soon.'' Several Republican Senate aides said they had been reassured by Robin Cleveland, a top aide to McConnell, that no Burma amendment would be put into the foreign aid bill. Several Republican aides said they were stunned to learn that a Burma amendment had been inserted into the overall bill, especially since several senators had expressed reservations about a bill on Burma that McConnell had been floating for several months. McConnell defended his decision to insert the amendment. Speaking about McCain, he said, ``What was unusual was that John wanted to clear every amendment we handled,'' he said. ``That's just not possible. You can't manage a bill that way.'' But a senior Republican aide said, ``It violates all Senate rules of tradition and comity to surreptitiously insert an important amendment that does not have unanimous consent.''< ******************************* L.A.TIMES: MOVIE HELPS CAUSE OF MYANMAR CRITIC 27 September 1995 Orange County Edition Colleges: Campus Scene - Costa Mesa For more than 30 years, U Kyaw Win has been an outspoken critic of the brutal political system in his native Burma. But getting American policy-makers to listen was difficult--until he went to Hollywood. Win took a leave of absence two years ago from his job as a counselor at Orange Coast College to work on "Beyond Rangoon," a film about the early days of the revolution in Burma, now called Myanmar. Win said the movie, released last month, has been a windfall for groups that collect food and clothing for Burmese refugees and has drawn the attention to his cause. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) introduced a bill in Congress that would restrict U.S. trade and investment with Myanmar. The bill has been passed by the Senate and awaits action in the House of Representatives. "If we can get this through," Win said, "that will be a big step." ************************** AI: MYANMAR: TORTURE AND APPALLING CONDITIONS CONTINUE IN LABOUR CAMPS AND PRISONS (Amnesty International) AI INDEX: ASA 16/23/95 embargo until 0001 hrs gmt 22 September 1995 (This News Service is posted by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 8DJ (Tel +44-71-413-5500, Fax +44-71-956-1157) Sender: Amnesty_International@io.org Precedence: bulk AMNESTY-L) New information about torture and appalling conditions in labour camps and prisons in Myanmar are highlighted in an Amnesty International report released today. Unofficial sources report details of torture, prolonged shackling, lack of proper medical care, and insufficient food for both criminal and political prisoners. "Torture techniques, which include beatings -- sometimes to the point of unconsciousness, being forced to crawl over sharp stones and being held in the hot sun for prolonged periods, are used by Myanmar's security forces to punish and intimidate prisoners, " the organization said. Amnesty International has also received new information about nine labour camps throughout the country where hundreds of prisoners have died from ill-treatment, lack of food and medical care. Thousands of criminal prisoners are forced to work on infrastructure projects breaking rocks and constructing roads for long hours, often to the point of exhaustion. The organization is further concerned about the transport of convicted criminals from prisons to act as porters for the military during counter-insurgency operations, many of whom die as a result of ill-treatment and disease. Myanmar's military government has stated publicly that prisoners can reduce their sentences by contributing voluntary labour. Although Amnesty International recognizes that some prisoners do volunteer for such work, it remains concerned at current reports of thousands of other prisoners who are forced to work in terrible conditions. Thousands of political prisoners remain in prisons throughout Myanmar, including at least 800 in Insein Prison near Yangon, the capital. Some have been held in iron shackles for two months at a time. They are kept in overcrowded conditions and are given an inadequate diet. Prisoners sometimes die from untreated illnesses, receiving medical care only when desperately ill. These new reports confirm a documented pattern of human rights violations. Amnesty International is calling on the Myanmar military government to end torture and ill-treatment and to allow international monitoring of its prisons. {You may re-post this message onto other sources but if you do then please tell us at AINS@GN.APC.ORG so that we can keep track of what is happening to these items. If you want more information concerning this item then please contact the Amnesty International section office in your own country. You may also send email to amnesty-info@igc.apc.org, an automatic reply service. A list of section contact details is posted on the APC conference. If there is not a section of Amnesty International in your country then you should contact the International Secretariat in London.} ********** CHE: PORTRAIT - College Counselor on Location September 29, 1995 (The Chronicle of Higher Education) by Amy Wahl (With photograph by Tim Rue for The Chronicle) Before answering any questions, U Keat Win has a few of his own: "How many people were in the theater? What percentage full? How many people have seen Beyond Rangoon?" Mr. Win is not worried about revenues from the movie, which was released last month. He wants to know how many people are learning about what has happened in his native Burma. When British film director John Boorman asked him to be his adviser for the film, Mr. Win told him he would do it free. If a movie was finally to be made about Burma and his people's struggle for democracy, he wanted the filmmakers to get it right. So in December 1993, Mr. Win took a five-month unpaid leave from his job of 26 years, counseling students at Orange Coast College. CHECKING EVERYTHING He flew to Malaysia, where he was on call to anyone in the film crew. "My job was to check their work," he says, and he did. He taught actresses how to dress and walk like Burmese women. He helped the set designers build Burmese villages, boats, bridge Beyond Rangoon tells the story of an American doctor, played by Patricia Arquette, who travels to Burma in 1988 and finds herself caught up in the democracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The historical background is accurate, Mr. Win says. "That scene when Aung San Suu Kyi walked and the soldiers tried to shoot her, it really happened. The shooting in front of Rangoon General Hospital did happen. The general chasing after students, tha Ms. Suu Kyi is no fictional character. Her leadership of the democracy movement won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, along with six years of house arrest, which ended only last month. She is a hero and personal friend of Mr. Win's. He monitors her sa Born in 1934, he is the son of a Buddhist priest who converted to Christianity. The young Mr. Win left Burma to be schooled in India, then came to the United States for his higher education. He studied psychology, eventually earning a doctorate in couns LONG-TIME ACTIVIST At Orange Coast, Mr. Win taught psychology before turning full time to counseling students. A banner with "Peace" written in Burmese hangs in his office with a world map close by. He is quick to point out his homeland to anyone who is curious. Mr. Win's feelings about Burma are no secret. He supplies newspapers with a stream of letters and edits a newsletter, The Burma Bulletin. The movie was heaven-sent, he says. "All these letters to editors, articles. I speak here, there, at the Kiwanis Club, the Rotary Club. All these little things put together are nothing compared to the impact of this film." MILITARY RULE SINCE 1988 Most people have no idea of Burma's internal problems. The Texas-sized country, sandwiched between India, China, and Thailand along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, has been an independent nation since 1948. Its current military government assumed Mr. Win says he worked hard to bring accuracy to the film. He corrected the make-up crew, the wardrobe crew, the production crew, even the director when they erred. He says he learned one useful phrase for the Sri Lankan sign painters in their native Sinhalese: "ah-ing-karang," which means "erase it." They had no idea what the Burmese alphabet looks like and had trouble with its various semicircles. "A little mispl Mr. Boorman talked Mr. Win into playing two small roles. For one scene, he shaved his head and donned the saffron robes of a Buddhist monk. In the other he played the elder escort of Ms. Suu Kyi. He found himself weeping, overcome with emotion. "I jus Filming in Malaysia was difficult. Along with snakes, heat, and rain, the Malaysian government had the film crew under surveillance and sent daily reports to the Burmese Embassy, he says. "We shot under very edgy circumstances." He knows the Burmese government will go through the film frame by frame. "I don't care," he says. Mr. Win's family history is all over Beyond Rangoon. A tour boat bears the name of his birthplace, Thon Gwa. He listed relatives' names on some of the storefronts on the set. BANNED FROM COMIMG HOME Because of his political views and anti-government writing, Mr. Win has been banned from returning to his country since 1962. "I don't keep quiet. I write. I talk," he says. "My father said, 'You want to live long, don't come back.'" However, Mr. Win does go back, usually under the cover of night and always escorted by the rebels who roam the Burma-Thailand border. He says he has made dozens of clandestine visits, bringing food and medical supplies to the rebel forces. Once he asked a BBC correspondent what it would take for the press to pay more attention to Burma. The man told him, "Blood; lots of it." But when blood has been spilled in the past seven years, no one was around to document it. The government expelled foreign reporters from the country. That is why this film is so important, Mr. Win says. The massacre at Tiananmen Square, in Beijing, ha "My mission is to talk about Burma," he says, "let the world know about Burma." ************************ INVITATION FROM MAYKHA-L LISTSERV From: Tun Myint Dear Burmese Scholars and Students; As a result of the Burmese Student Educational Seminar hosted by Indidna University International Services from July 28 to July 30, the MAYKHA-L listserv came out to serve Burmese Scholars and Students for communication purpose. MAYKHA-L is now active and we would like to invite all Burmese Scholars and Students to joine the list. To subscribe to MAYKHA-L, just send a note to: LISTSERV@IUBVM.INDIANA.EDU , in the body place the command: SUBSCRIBE MAYKHA-L 1stname Lastname e.g SUBSCRIBE MAYKHA-L Maung Hla Your contribution of knowledge and resources will help Burma's young generation to educate themselves and prepare for the future of them and their country. Burma interest scholars and researchers are also invited to join the list. It is our goal that the listserv will facilitate all list subscribers to do successful research, discussion, sharing resources, and preparing for the future of Burma. It is the time for us to prepare for 'what is next after democratic revolution in Burma?' We would like to respectfully request especially to Burmese scholars to share and contribute knowledge with young generation of Burma. This knowledge contribution can be made by sending your postings to MAYKHA-L@IUBVM.INDIANA.EDU since this list is going to facilitate for communication among the scholars and students. The generation which lost almost a decade of formal study have now luckily get opportunity to continue their studies in many countries around the world. However, we still have many things to learn and many ways to be mature in order to be able to handle country's many delicate and important issues when the country become an open society. And it is our duty to serve for the social justice and national development at the same time. With that in mind, all 120 scholars and students who attended the Educational Seminar at Indiana University agreed to proceed with their group research in the following panels: I. SOCIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (SEDP) There are 15 panel mambers who are preparing to draw national development plan for future Burma. II. AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (ARDP) There are 7 panel members who are preparing for the research paper and plan. III. TECHNOLOGY, ENERGY, AND TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (TETDP) There are 27 panel members who are planning to launch varieties of programs and development plans. IV. PLANNING FOR EDUCATIONAL REFORM & MEDIA (PERM) There are 11 panel members who are preparing for the plan. V. PUBLIC HEALTH & CLEAN ENVIRONMENT PLANNING (PHCEP) There are 12 panel members working on the plan. VI. ETHNIC CULTURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION OF BURMA (ECHFB) There are 10 panel members working on the plan. These all panels and members of each panel are working on the voluntary basis. They are not associated with any individuals or associations. They are Burmese students and scholars who volunteered to do so. Therefore, any one who would like to participate in any panels should send the message to: IUBURMA@indiana.edu Then IUBURMA will send your name to the selected panel. Mostly the communication among the panel members will take place in MAYKHA-L listserv group. Thank you. Moderator of MAYKHA-L, Tun Myint. ******************** BKK POST: ENVOY STATES CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE BURMA TIES September 29, 1995 A FORMAL trade agreement, demolition of the structures encroaching on the Moei River, and recognition of the last meeting of the Thai-Burmese Joint Regional Boundary Committee _ these are the steps which must be taken if there are to be better Thai-Burmese ties, according to Burma's envoy in Bangkok. In an interview with the Bangkok Post on Wednesday, Mr Tin Winn urged Thailand and Burma to conclude a trade agreement to regulate the flow of trade and guarantee the safety and interests of traders from both countries. He said the agreement will pave the way for the reopening of three strategic checkpoints closed earlier this year as a result of misunderstandings between the two sides. The volume of cross-border trade between the two countries is estimated at 10,000 million baht. Illegal trade is said to be six times higher. Tachilek-Mae Sai checkpoint in Chiang Rai and Myawaddy-Mae Sot in Tak were closed in March in retaliation for what Rangoon claimed to be Thai support for ethnic groups fighting its control. Victoria Point-Ranong was closed early last month following the brutal murder of at least five Burmese fishermen working on a Thai trawler. "If border trade is formally legalised, we could expect economic development of the border areas on both sides, which would in turn contribute to peace and stability in these regions," said Mr Tin Winn in his written answer to questions submitted earlier. Both Thailand and Burma have been trying to conclude some form of formal agreement for the past few years. Both have worked on their own drafts. Concerned Thai officials will be meeting next week to review the Thai draft before opening talks with the Burmese side. Both sides have also reached a common position that a new border trade committee need not be established, as the existing Thai-Burmese Regional Border Committee can do the job. Thailand initially wanted a new border trade committee. Burma has signed border trade agreements with three of its five neighbours: China in 1988, India and Bangladesh last year, leaving out Thailand and Laos. Mr Tin Winn expressed confidence that a formal agreement will not deter the mostly unofficial trade between the two countries, but instead will facilitate trade between the . people from both sides of the border. Regarding the structure encroaching on the Moei River, a natural border line between the two countries, Mr Tin Winn said he had found out yesterday that all owners had agreed to the demolition. Initially six out of the 15 were going to take their case to court. He said he had informed both the Foreign and Interior ministries about the new development yesterday morning. He expects the Burmese side to send a fact-finding team to inspect the site and discuss border demarcation soon. The Thai side has already nominated the officials to negotiate the issue with the Burmese side, he said. Burma suspended construction of the Friendship Bridge, which links Thailand's Mae Sot and Burma's Myawaddy, alleging that buildings on the Thai side were encroaching on the Moei River and altering the natural border line. It said it would not resume construction of the bridge, initially expected to be completed in April 1996, unless all structures are removed, "the quicker the better," he said without setting a timeframe. "When all these buildings are removed, both sides have to inspect the site and after that the construction can be resumed," he said. Regarding the security issue,: Mr Tin Winn repeated the view of the Thai side that all issues can be solved through Thai-Burmese border committees at the local and regional levels. But he pointed out that for the Thai-Burmese Regional Border Committee to hold its next meeting, both sides have first to recognise the talks of its last meeting held in April in Phitsanulok which the Thai side ended abruptly. The Thai side walked out of the meeting in protest against the intrusion onto Thai soil of the pro-SLORC Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army, the breakaway group of the Karen National Union. The Burmese side was proposing six points which were quite a challenge for the Thai side. One of the points was that Thailand deny support and refuge for anti-SLORC groupings on its soil and for drug kingpin Khun Sa. The Burmese side also felt it had lost face. Outgoing Army chief Wimol Wongvanich also declined to accept their courtesy call. Mr Tin Winn stressed that Burma was not setting any conditions for the improvement of ties. Not even that Senior Gen Than Shwe, Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) asked Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh during his official visit to Rangoon early this month. He quoted Senior Gen Than Shwe as explaining "frankly, openly and very brotherly" to Gen Chavalit that there was no dispute, only a "misunderstanding" which can be resolved by both sides. He said Burma has recognised that Thailand has made a serious effort and in regard to the murder of Burmese fishermen, Thailand has taken "the necessary steps," he said. A similar incident occurred five years ago, when a crew of 20 Burmese fishermen were killed by the former Thai owner of a trawler seized and later auctioned by Burmese authorities. The case remains unresolved today. As for ethnic minorities and drug warlord Khun Sa, Mr Tin Winn said: "It is up to the Thai government. We are not suggesting, asking, or demanding. When we mention it, the Thai side knows what they should do." ***************************************************************** BKK POST: KHUN SA: MONG TAI SPLIT WAS PLANNED BY SLORC September 29, 1995 THE recent breakaway by a number of Mong Tai Army personnel was the work of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, claimed drug kingpin Khun Sa. Khun Sa accused the Slorc of being behind the defection of between 500-1,000 MTA soldiers led by Lt-Col Gunyod in mid-June. Lt-Col Gunyod might be backed by someone in the Rangoon junta in a trick to spilt the unity of the people of Shan State, claimed Khun Sa. Such a stratagem will help the Slorc easily drive Shan nationals to fight against each other and eventually there will be no more Shan people left in the state, said Khun Sa. Rangoon has also successfully applied the same trick to splinter the forces of the Karen National Union (KNU) noted the drug warlord. Khun Sa blamed Lt-Col Gunyod for not bothering to spare his feelings and likened him to an "untamed tiger". "When a tiger is sleeping we can see only its tail swishing. But when it stands up, we are able to see its stripes." In 1988, Gunyod, who was then an exiled Rangoon student, joined Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army with the rank of lieutenant. Due to his outstanding performance in MTA affairs, Gunyod became most trusted by Khun Sa who later promoted him to battalion commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Shortly after Gunyod and other military personnel left the MTA umbrella, however, there was a major change in the Shan State. On August 12, Shan State National Congress (SSNC) president Zao Gunjade, in collaboration with 10 other high level military officers, seized power over the MTA congress and the organisation itself. They then set up a group called the Central Executive Reform Committee (CEC). The 11-member committee, chaired by Mr Gunjade, included key men from the SSNC and prominent MTA administrators. Khun Sa's name, however, was not on the list. Sources close to the committee said the CEC was trying to (last part lost) ***************************************************************** NATION: A BURMESE TALE OF HORROR Aung Zaw on the persecution and torture of dissidents. Recently, London-based Amnesty International (AI) accused Burmese military leaders of increasing the use of torture against political detainees. But the question is who can prove AI's allegation? The junta's leaders will probably deny its existence, and brand it as a "baseless accusation". However, there is at least one person who is ready to tell the world how he was treated in prison. Aung Ze Ya left Rangoon soon after the Burmese military staged a bloody coup in September 1988. When he arrived at the Thai-Burmese border, he was determined to topple the ruling military government in Rangoon known as Slorc (State Law and Order Restoration Council). He joined the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) upon reaching the Three Pagodas Pass. But he only encountered more frustration, and this resulted in depression. Worse, he was arrested in Thailand and charged with illegal entry. He was beaten up by Thai policemen while in custody as he had the same name of a former Burmese king, Aung Ze Ya, who led an invasion against Ayutthaya. Finally, he decided to return home upon hearing Slorc's pronouncements on state-owned radio, asking students and democracy activists who went to jungle or Thailand to come back. As a newly established military regime, Slorc promised that the returnees would not be harmed. On September 1991, Aung Ze Ya went to the Burmese embassy in Bangkok to surrender without any inkling on what was in store for him.He was brought to Kawthaung (Victoria Point) where he was interrogated for almost a week by military intelligence unit No 19. During his stay there, Aung Ze Ya saw the physical condition of some inmates who were severely tortured. He was warned by his interrogators: "Tell the truth and give us the information we need. Otherwise, you will be beaten up like those people." >From 7:00 am to 2:00 am, Aung Ze Ya was forced to write his "autobiography". Ml 19 demanded that he write at least 30 pages on his previous involvement with the democracy movements particularly on his role there and on the people he met in Thailand and insurgent-controlled areas. Finally, they sent him to Rangoon. Upon his arrival at Rangoon Airport, he neither saw his family nor his relatives. The welcoming party was made up only of military intelligence officials. He was taken to Ka Ba Aye interrogation centre. Again, Aung Ze Ya was asked to write his autobiography. He refused and paid for it dearly. After being interrogated the whole night, he was beaten up and forced to crawl over sharp stones. "I was locked in a small cell for three days," said Aung Ze Ya. He was given only one meal a day. Soon after, military intelligence officers asked him to write a new autobiography. He was detained at Ka Ba Aye interrogation centre for about a month. He was then taken to the office of the township law and order restoration council where he met his family whom he had not seen since his "official return". They were all asked to sign a paper wherein they agreed not to get involved in politics again. If not, he and his family members would be punished. But his ordeal was not yet over. He was kept under surveillance and had to inform the authorities if he wanted to visit other provinces. During Christmas eve of 1991, Aung Ze Ya was taken to Burma's most infamous military intelligence unit No 7. One of the Karen insurgent groups had launched an unexpected attack in the Irrawaddy region. Therefore, surveillance on all suspected activists was increased, while some persons were ordered detained. His interrogation would have been brief but, unfortunately, Aung Ze Ya's photo appeared on a regional magazine and Bertil Lintner's "Outrage _ Struggle for Democracy in Burma". "Your photo is everywhere. You must be well-connected. Who did you work for while you were in Thailand?", a military officer asked him while holding the lighted end of a cigarette near his face. Aung Ze Ya showed his scars and said he believed other prisoners were tortured by electric shock. Aung Ze Ya said he was clubbed, beaten and later detained in a small and unlit cell. He was also naked. "I was there for almost seven months," Aung Ze Ya recalled. On the first day, there was no food or water. On the second day, I was given water but it smelled and was dirty," he added. Military intelligence officers forced him to chew stones. He was tied up and punched and soon fell into unconsciousness. In June 1995, Aung Ze Ya decided to leave again. This time, he may not go back, He; will try to settle in a third country. "Whenever the insurgency along the border flares up or when the anniversary of a previous uprising comes around the corner, we (former activities) are taken for interrogation, or are detained for a week," he noted. He said he cannot stand the interrogation anymore. "I've had enough," he said. ***************************************************************** BKK POST: ANDAMAN CLUB SET FOR OPENING ON KO SONG EARLY NEXT MONTH September 28, 1995 THE Andaman Club _ Thai-owned resort on Thahtay Kyun Island, Burma, is getting ready to open early October. Located on an 1,800-acre plot of the island (Ko Song), the 205-room resort began construction in April 1993 at a cost of 660 million baht. According to Danny Chan, executive director of the Andaman Club, the island is on the 30-year leasing contract. It is directly adjacent to Victoria Point, 10 minutes by ' sea from Ranong town. Although the border is still closed, the project development is going on with a positive conviction that both Thai and Burmese governments are trying to solve the problem. Its just received a letter from the government to receive guests," he said. It is also developing an 18 hole golf course on the island and further plan is to develop a safari park and a butterfly enclosure. For the rest of the island, it wants to maintain the natural surroundings. Assets of the property are proximity to Ranong and location in the southern part of Burma _ ideal for resort development and other leisure activities: sea sports, scuba diving. The resort is working very closely with the Burmese tourist and trade development authorities, allowing tourists to go over to Victoria Point on a day trip There are a lot of potential for leisure and business there: in Mergui and Tavoy. The company is actually ticking on another island nearby to develop a resort consisting of 45-50 chalets targeted for those who seek total relaxation. There are a lot of good diving sites in this area. On the Thai side, the firm has 300-room Ranong Highland Resort to be completed at the end of 1996. The project will target business markets, such as seminar, meeting groups and also leisure markets from Bangkok. There are several ways and more in the future to get to the island. Apart from land link from Bangkok and Phuket to Ranong, Bangkok Airways plans to fly to Ranong in October, making it more convenient. Since the airline has operated flight to Phuket, it will be a good link route. The company's office in Rangoon has received enquiries from Japanese tourists how they can approach the island. By air, from Rangoon to Victoria Point. Air Mandalay might fly to Victoria point if there is potential. Apart from air link, Sea-tran and Andaman Princess also plan cruises into this region. They will be a possible sea link that helps boost the increase of the market. While the resort on the island targets leisure market while the Ranong side's property targets both leisure and business markets. We; will come up with a lot of activities: scuba diving, fishing. One of the interesting things is it is in another; country although it is 10 minutes from Ranong, said Danny. The resort aims to attract mainly Thai leisure market and subsequently travellers from Asean countries, Hong ' Kong, Taiwan and even from mainland China. Ranong is in great potential to be developed as the southern gateway to Burma, a lot of trading. ***************************************************************** BKKPOST: DIETHELM SET FOR BURMESE HINTERLAND September 28, 1995 DIETHELM Travel is ready to greatly expand inbound tours to Burma now that the Rangoon office of Diethelm Travel Myanmar, a joint venture with local partners Myanmar Express Travel Ltd, is fully operational. Diethelm has been marketing inclusive tours to Burma for 28 years, figuring consistently among the leading producers by selling up to 7,000 five- to eight-day tour packages annually to markets worldwide. New opportunities are anticipated with the relaxation of entry formalities to Burma over the past year, including extension of tourist visas to 28 days, plus the surge in new hotel projects in anticipation of Visit Myanmar Year in 1996. The Rangoon office should enable Diethelm to control all aspects of ground handling more effectively, to improve quality of service and to price tour products more attractively. Specifications and costs are now complete for a new programme of five- to 15-day itineraries. These include a Five-Day Myanmar Classic package, aimed at a wider market and presented either as a weekly-departure extension out of Bangkok, or as a flexible group arrangement starting on any day in Rangoon. The "Classic" itinerary features Rangoon, Mandalay, Bagan and Mt Popa. Based on full-board, with all accommodation, domestic air and overland travel and sightseeing included, it costs under US$600 per passenger to agents for a group as small as six, out of Rangoon. Future plans include the development of a wider range of standard inclusive packages, stopover arrangements in key cities, and a "mix and match" programme designed for agents and tour operators who wish to market their own exclusive packages. Plans are also underway for outbound air-ticketing services in Rangoon for leading international carriers. The new Diethelm Myanmar operation is located at 1, Inya Road, Kamayut Township, Rangoon, telephone (95-1) 37110. 37117. fax 37135. ***************************************************************** Typed by the Research Department of the ABSDF {MTZ} 29.9.95 *****************************************************************