My apologies for the format. -glen ------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"----------------------------------------------------------The BurmaNet News: October 12, 1995Issue# 249Noted in Passing:In time, we shall need investment and we hope we shall have alot of very good, productive investment in Burma. But we do notwant to encourage any form of investment that goes against theprocess of democratization. - Aung San Suu Kyi in videotapedspeech at Manila Conference (qutoed in BKK POST: AUNG SANSUU KYI SUGGESTS IT'S TOO EARLY TO INVEST IN BURMA)HEADLINES:==========NATION: BURMA'S SUU KYI REINSTATED AS NLD GENERAL SECRETARYBKK POST: AUNG SAN SUU KYI SUGGESTS IT'S TOO EARLY TO INVEST IN BURMABKK POST: CONSULT SEES WORTHWHILE LONG-RANGE OUTLOOK FOR BURMAJAPAN TIMES: l.625 BILLION YEN GRANTED MYANMAR NURSE SCHOOLASIAWEEK: MYANMAR IS NOW OPEN FOR INVESTMENTBKK POST: OVERTURES TO BURMA NOT FAVOURED BY ALLBKK POST: BURMA PREPARES FOR TOURIST INFLUXBKK POST: VETERAN BURMESE JOURNALIST PAYS PRICE FOR BEING 'NEUTRAL'NATION: SUU KYI CALLS FOR STRONGER LABOUR UNIONSNATION: A BURMA FREED FROM NE WIN'S DREAMSCAPE?BKK POST: BURMESE SET NEW CONDITION FOR WORK RESUMPTIONBKK POST: AIR MANDALAY HELPS BUILD CHIANG MAI'S HUB STATUS------------------------------------- ---------------------Produced with the support of the Burma Information Group (B.I.G)and the Research Department of the ABSDF {MTZ}The BurmaNet News is an electronic newspaper covering Burma.Articles from newspapers, magazines, newsletters, the wireservices and the Internet as well as original material arepublished.The BurmaNet News is e-mailed directly to subscribers and isalso distributed via the soc.culture.burma and seasia-lmailing lists and is also available via the reg.burmaconference on the APC networks. 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The scope of the subjectsinvolved is simplytoo broad for any one person to cover.BurmaNet is therefore organizing a number of volunteercoordinators to field questions on various subjects. If youhave questions on any of the following subjects, pleasedirect email to the following coordinators, who will eitheranswer your question or try to put you in contact withsomeone who can:Arakan/Rohingya/Burma- Michael W. CharneyBangladesh Border GoMaha@aol.comCampus activism: tlandon@ewu.eduBoycott campaigns: [Pepsi] wcsbeau@superior.ccs.carleton.caBuddhism: Buddhist Relief Mission, brelief@gol.comChin history/culture: plilian@asc.corp.mot.comFonts: tom@cs.colgate.eduHistory of Burma: zni@students.wisc.eduKachin history/culture: 74750.1267@compuserve.comKaren history/culture: 102113.2571@Compuserve.com Karen Historical SocietyMon history/culture: [volunteer needed]Naga history/culture: Wungram Shishak, z954001@oats.farm.niu.eduBurma-India border [volunteer needed]Pali literature: "Palmleaf" c/o burmanet@igc.apc.orgShan history/culture: [volunteer needed]Shareholder activism: simon_billenness@mail.cybercom.netTourism campaigns: bagp@gn.apc.org "Attn. S.Sutcliffe"World Wide Web: FreeBurma@POBox.comVolunteering: christin@ksc.net.th[Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage]************************NATION: BURMA'S SUU KYI REINSTATED AS NLD GENERAL SECRETARYOctober 11, 1995 Associated Press (also printed in Daily Yomiyuri, Bkk Post)RANGOON _ Dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi was yesterdayformally restored to her former position as general secretary ofthe party she helped found, the National League for Democracy,party sources said.Suu Kyi, who was released from six years of house arrest in July,regained her position when a new 10-member party centralexecutive committee was chosen.The current party chairman Aung Shwe kept his post, while KyiMaung and Tin Oo, two prominent party leaders who were releasedfrom prison in March, became vice chairmen.The new list of central executive committee members has beensubmitted to the government's election commission, said thesources, who insisted on anonymity.Suu Kyi, who was detained but never tried on charges ofendangering national security, has been focusing since herrelease on rebuilding the party.The original central executive committee was forced to change itsmembership after Tin Oo, then chairman, and Aung San Suu Kyi weredetained in July 1989. Many other senior party members, includingcentral executive committee member Kyi Maung, were also later detained.Aung Shwe replaced Tin Oo as chairman in 1990, while Suu Kyi'sgeneral secretary post remained vacant.Under Aung Shwe's chairmanship, the party had to expel Tin Oo,Kyi Maung and Aung San Suu Kyi in 1991, in order to retain itsstatus as a legal party since political parties were not allowedto have members charged with offences by the government.The National League for Democracy was formed as a vehicle forpro-democratic forces to contest a 1990 general election. Theparty won a landslide victory, but was not allowed to take powerwhen the military government refused to convene parliament. Inthe post-election period many of the league's leaders, and otherBurmese opposed to the junta, were either imprisoned or fled into exile.The junta, which took power in 1988 after violently suppressing pro-democracy demonstrations, has not set a date for a return to civilian rule.Meanwhile an investigator for the United Nations Human RightsCommission met Suu Kyi and senior members of her National Leaguefor Democracy yesterday.It was the first time in five missions to Burma that Prof YozoYokota was able to meet Suu Kyi. The country's militarygovernment had turned down his previous requests to meet her.In reports from his previous missions, Yokota has been verycritical of the government for abusing human rights and failingto make democratic reforms.# Kyodo reports from Manila:Sein Win, leader of Burma's outlawed New Democracy Party, onMonday opposed the immediate entry of Rangoon into theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations, saying it would betantamount to rewarding Burma's poor human rights record.Sein Win, "prime minister" of the, National Coalition Governmentof Union of Burma, told reporters that human rights violationscontinue to be committed by Burma's military junta despite therelease in July of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi after sixyears of house arrest.He is in Manila to attend a conference on labour union repressionin Burma. His party has been banned by the ruling State Law andOrder Restoration Council (Slorc).Sein Win also accused China of selling almost US$2 billion worthof armaments to Burma and helping Rangoon set up a weapons factory."We are very much disappointed about that," he said as he urgedBeijing to use its influence over the Slorc to improve thesituation in Burma and hasten the national reconciliation process.In July, Burma acceded to Asean's Treaty of Amity and Cooperationin Southeast Asia, which is a step toward l gaining observerstatus, and later, membership in the association.*******************************************************BKK POST: AUNG SAN SUU KYI SUGGESTS IT'S TOO EARLY TOINVEST IN BURMAOctober 11, 1995 (similar version in The Nation from AP) Manila, AFPOPPOSITION leader Aung San Suu Kyi suggested yesterday that itwas too early for foreign investors to put their money in Burmaand that the* entry could hurt the democracy campaign there."In time, we shall need investment and we hope we shall have alot of very good, productive investment in Burma,Aung San Suu Kyi, released from six years of house arrest inJuly, said in a videotaped message to a labor and human rightsconference in the Philippine capital."But we do not want to encourage any form of investment that goesagainst the process of democratization," she added without givingspecific examples."Investments should be made in the right way at the I right time.To go into it too early will not only hurt the process ofdemocratization, it could also go against sustained economicdemocratization," the Nobel peace laureate said."In the long run, it will be the businessmen themselves who willbe hurt by investing at the wrong time."Aung San Suu Kyi also called for the organization of independenttrade unions, "not only to help democracy but to help the workersthemselves.""We need organizations to protect the rights of our people," sheadded.Britain, France and Singapore are among the top investors in oil-and resources-rich Rangoon, whose military Junta refused toaccept general elections won by the opposition m May 1990 placingits leader under house arrest and cracking-down on other members.An exiled Burmese opposition leader, Sein Win, said China washelping the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC}, theofficial name of the ruling junta, set up an arms factory there.He called on Beijing to stop selling arms to Rangoon and said itwas too early to contemplate integrating his country into theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN )."We are very much disappointed that China has sold almost twobillion dollars worth of arms to Burma, Sein Win told reporters,adding that Beijing was also helping Rangoon build an armsSein Win the self-declared prime minister in exile of Burma, said"we would like to have China (adopt) a more constructive policytoward Burma.""If they (the Chinese leaders) told SLORC that they could nothave this situation going on, they have to find a nationalreconciliation, then China, as our big neighbor, could use itsinfluence very much for constructive engagement," said Sein Win,here to attend the labor and human rights meeting.**********************************BKK POST: CONSULT SEES WORTHWHILE LONG-RANGE OUTLOOKFOR BURMA October 10, 1995REPORT: Special CorrespondentIS BURMA on the threshhold _ of a new era of economic developmentnow that Aung San Suu Kyi has been freed and I the country is onits way to I ASEAN? Or will the promise wilt in the bud as in the past?The most accurate answer is probably that there is light at theend of a long tunnel, according to consultant Christopher Bruton.The managing director of Dataconsult Ltd recently told anEconomist Conferences meeting in Bangkok that economicrestructuring and privatisation was under way, but that investorslack confidence and the government's credibility is improvingonly slowly.According to official figures, GDP growth was an impressive 6.8per cent last year, but when inflation of 23.2 per cent is takeninto account it does not amount to much."Real growth will remain flat until multilateral funding is moreavailable, which means waiting until the country is moreintegrated into the world environment. Only then will the fullpotential for infrastructure construction and natural resourceexploitation be set free," Bruton said.The brightest aspect is the agricultural performance which,despite the lack of funding, grew 7.2 per cent last year."Myanmar used to be one of the most developed countries InSoutheast Asia," the consultant noted."In the early 1960s there were 18 international banks in Rangoon,compared to only a dozen in Singapore."Myanmar probably isn't going to be the banking centre ofSoutheast Asia again, but it should become a major agriculturalsupplier," he said.Even without funding the country is one of the world's major riceproducers and it is catching up on the leaders.Meanwhile, investors, particularly from Europe, Japan andSingapore are showing increasing interest, although there ishardly a stampede."Investment has surpassed US$2.5 billion not much different tothe $4 billion or so actually invested in Vietnam as opposed toonly approved, and which will grow more rapidly."Most of the investment is going into oil and gas with the biggestsingle item being the $1 billion gas pipeline with Unocal andTotal working jointly with Myanma Oil & Gas and the PetroleumAuthority of Thailand to supply gas for Thailand to use ingenerating electricity.There is also strong investment in the hotel and tourism industrywhich will take off with Visit Myanmar Year in 1996."But to attract more manufacturing investment, the foreigninvestment law requires upgrading to improve incentives,including longer privilege times, wider sectoral coverage andbetter tax breaks."The current tax holiday is only three years and it dates from thecommencement of production, not the date when profits are earned.And when the holiday ends, profits are taxed at the standard rateof 30 per cent.Other basic problems include the foreign exchange rate disparity.Officially, the Burmese Kyat trades at six to the US dollar, butForeign Exchange Certificates, the currency which visitors mustpurchase, trade at 100 to the dollar, close to the street rate.The recent announcement of more relaxed foreign exchange termsfor tourists will still not help investors who, as things stand,are effectively prevented from remitting funds into the country.However, in principle the country is very. attractive, accordingto Bruton, despite the fact the political risk factor is neverfar from investors' minds. With 45 million people (compared toVietnam's 75 million) and 767,500 square kilometres(significantly bigger than Thailand and over twice the size ofVietnam) "there's not going to be much pressure on land or theabundant natural resources even through to 2010-2020.The business infrastructure is also attractive with the 1914British India Company Law still applying and English, widelyspoken. European investors in particular quickly feel at home,especially as they can now obtain one year unlimited entry visasthe same day they apply.*******************JAPAN TIMES: l.625 BILLION YEN GRANTED MYANMAR NURSE SCHOOLTO GET AID October 12, 1995, by Hisane Masaki , Staff writerJapan will provide 1.625 billion yen in grant aid to Myanmarfor the repair of a nurse training school in Rangoon, government officialssaid Monday, in yet another sign of the gradually warmingeconomic relations between the two countries.The officials, who requested anonymity, said the decision onthe grant aid - the largest official development assistance to be extendedby Tokyo to Rangoon since the military coup there in 1988will be formally approved at an Oct. 24 Cabinet meeting.The aid will also be the first ODA granted to the SoutheastAsian country since the release in July of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from nearly six years of house arrest.Following the 1988 military coup in Myanmar, Japan effectively frozeall types of ODA - yen loans, grants and technical cooperation.As a result, disbursement of low - interest official yen loanscommitted earlier by Japan for several infrastructure projects, includingsome 25 billion yen for repair and extension of an internationalairport in Rangoon, were suspended.In March, Japan took the first significant step toward gradually unfreezing ODA for Myanmar, providing 1 billion yen in grant aid to help the country increase agricultural production in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities.Japan has stressed the need for a policy of "constructive engagement" withMyanmar aimed at encouraging changes toward democratization and improvementson human rights records through dialogue, rather than international isolation.The government officials said, however, that grant aid foragricultural production and repair of thenursing school is for purely humanitarian purposes.Such aid should not be taken as a signal Tokyo will turn theaid tap on freely for Rangoon, given the lack of further progresson democratization and human rights protection, the officials added.Following Suu Kyi's July 10 release from house arrest, Japanbegan to prepare for a resumption of the yen loans it had alreadycommitted before the military leaders took power in the 1988 coup.Japanese officials say, however, that the suspended loans willnot be resumed during the current fiscal year for technical reasons,such as the need to re-evaluate the projects to be financed by the money.In addition, Japan seems in no hurry to resume the frozenyen loans because the West, especially theUnited States, insists that Suu Kyi's freedom alone is farfrom sufficient and opposes any economic aid to Myanmar.Suu Kyi herself has made remarks in interviews with theforeign media that are critical of Japanese economic aid, especiallylarge amounts of yen loans, although she does not seem to oppose aid forhumanitarian purposes.*********************ASIAWEEK: MYANMAR IS NOW OPEN FOR INVESTMENTOctober 13, 1995The Last FrontierThe release of oppositionist Aung San Suu Kyi three monthsago has sparked a burst of investmentactivity in Myanmar -- touted as perhaps the last get - rich - quick frontier in Southeast Asia. Amongthe pioneers is the Myanmar Fund launched by a subsidiaryof Malaysian billionaire Robert Kuok'sKerry Group. Richard Neville, 34, is the manager of theHong Kong - based fund, which started with$28 million in capital a year ago. Neville studied for aBachelor of Arts (Commerce) degree at theRoyal Military College of Canada and got his M.B.A. fromthe University of Western Ontario beforeembarking on a career in corporate finance and investmentmanagement. Last week, he spoke withAsiaweek's Senior Correspondent Assif Shameen.Why invest in a place like Myanmar?In the 1950s, Burma as it was then called, was the leadingeconomy in Southeast Asia and the biggestrice exporter. Myanmar is a reasonably large, resource-richcountry with 45 million people. A higherproportion of people there have a university degree thanThailand. It has a British legal system whichis a bit rusty but is still considered better than Vietnam's orChina's. There are internationalaccounting rules in place. Myanmar has all the sameattributes that Thailand had 15 or 20 years ago.If you had invested in Thailand then, you would be a veryrich person today.How are fundamentals?They have not been this good in decades. The economy isstarting off from a very low base. Between1962 and 1989 the country was closed, with no privateinvestment and no foreign investment. Eventhe corner grocery store and laundry were nationalized.Reforms started in 1989 and have taken rootonly in the last three years. The private sector has gone from2% of the economy in 1988 to 73% ofthe economy this year and the government is continuing toprivatize its holdings. Last year, GDPgrowth was 7.7% and this year it will again exceed 7%.What sectors are soaking up foreign investments?Two big offshore natural gas projects have been announcedthat will bring in investments worth $1.6billion over the next two and half years. The first consortiumhas Unocal, Total and PTT of Thailand.There is a second, smaller project with Texaco. But tourismhas taken the biggest chunk ofinvestment so far - not just in hotels and resorts but also intransportation and other infrastructure.Last year 98,000 tourists came through Yangon airport; thisyear 150,000 tourists will visit Myanmarand next year the number should be close to 250,000. Threeyears ago there just 300 decent hotelrooms in Myanmar. By the end of 1997 there will be 5,000rooms in Yangon alone, if all projects arecompleted on time. There are two joint venture airlines,controlled by Singapore companies, now thatthe government has opened up aviation services. Anotherarea soaking up investment is theagribusiness. The government has freed the price of rice,and better irrigation will make more landavailable for the crop. Myanmar has the potential to becomethe bread basket of Southeast Asia. Ithas the same climate as Thailand, with similar soil andone-tenth the labor costs.Are investors worried about political risks in Myanmar?Lack of western-style democracy has not prevented foreigninvestments from flowing into Asiancountries before or slowed down economic growth.Investors took at stability and returns. Theyworry whether their assets will be protected and whetherthey will be able to take out their profits in anefficient and timely manner. The Myanmar government hasgone a long way in assuring investors thattheir assets will not be nationalized, that stability will bemaintained and that they will be able torepatriate profits.Where are the best opportunities for investors?Because Myanmar hasn't had a private sector for 28 yearsyou can go into industries where you are theonly provider of goods and services and where annualgrowth is phenomenal. The manufacturing ofconsumer goods as well as the processing of commoditiesoffer the best potential. Manufacturing isjust 9% of GDP now compared to 20% - to - 30% for mostSoutheast Asian countries. The food - and- beverage sector is one area for growth, particularlyseafood, prawns, shrimp and chicken processing.Investors are also looking at packaging, textiles and lightindustries.Where has the Myanmar Fund invested so far?We are raising $28 million over the next few weeks, sinceprojects are increasing in size. We haveinvested in two four - star hotels, and have a stake in acompany that has a polypropylene bagmanufacturing plant, a small paper mill, timber processingand a warehouse in Yangon. We areinvestors in a consortium that is developing a businessdistrict on the outskirts of Yangon that willhave offices, a convention center, a hotel, shopping mail andapartments spread over a 34 - acre site.We have assets that have appreciated 30% - to - 40% overthe past 12 months. Yangon property hasappreciated 50% in the past year or so. We are getting in onlevel zero. There is no stock market inMyanmar, but there is some over - the - counter trading inabout 30 state companies. I believe theYangon market will start trading in early 1997, well beforethe Ho Chi Minh City stock market opensthat year.***********************************BKK POST: OVERTURES TO BURMA NOT FAVOURED BY ALLOctober 11, 1995 Some people think Thailand is paying too high a price for better ties with Burma.Nussara Sawatsawang reports.THAILAND has taken steps over the past month on issues that havesoured ties with Burma. A Thai delegation leaving for Rangoontoday is hoping to find out whether the leadership there seesenough progress on the issues to warrant better relations.Gen Pat Akhanibutr, as adviser to Deputy Premier and DefenceMinister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, is due to meet the firstsecretary-general of the ruling State Law and Order RestorationCouncil (SLORC), Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, during his stay in Rangoonthrough tomorrow.In what is an all-time low in Thai Burmese relations, Burma hasclosed three border check-points and stalled construction of theThai-Burmese Friendship Bridge.The preconditions for improving ties _ as were made clear to GenChavalit in early September by SLORC chairman Gen Than Shwe _include Thailand's removal of structures Burma sees asencroaching on an agreed no-man's land in the Moei River sharedby the two countries.Gen Than Shwe also made clear that Burma wants Thailand tocentralise security control along the northern part of theborder, and to bear responsibility for the murder of Burmesefishermen three months ago.The SLORC leader made plain Rangoon's preconditions during avisit by Gen Chavalit that showed the Banharn Silpa- archaGovernment's special attention to relations with Burma. Thedefence minister's trip took place only five weeks after theGovernment came into office.Thailand has acted on all three issues Rangoon has identified.What worries doubters is whether Thailand has paid too high aprice in terms of national dignity, and legal principles, andwhether that it will get what it wants after all.The most visible and controversial step was the demolition of the16 shophouses on a small island in the Moei River which led Burmato suspend construction of the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge inJune.Officials defending the move point out that the shophouses werenot demolished just to meet Rangoon's demands, but also to clearthe way for a legal 'ruling on the matter.At a date yet to be set, a factfinding mission made up ofofficials from the two countries will discuss the disputed areaon the basis of the 1868 Thai-British Convention, according to aforeign ministry source.The treaty provides for the respective river banks to demarcatethe two countries' border lines, and it will be consideredviolated if the mission finds that encroachment was manmaderather than caused by natural events, the source noted.After an initial appeal, owners of nine of the 16 shophousesagreed to have their structures knocked down under an order fromprovincial authorities in Tak.But the owners of the six others only agreed to follow suit afterthe Commerce Ministry gave them total compensation of 600,000baht. Deputy Commerce Minister Montri Danpaibul also promised tofind these shophouse owners a new place nearby to resume theirbusinesses.Local officials maintain that the shophouse owners should havebeen evicted without compensation because they went against theBuilding Regulation Act.According to Mae Sot District Chief Kasem Wattanatham, themerchants built permanent structures in the area despiteprovincial authorities only allowing them to set up temporarystalls. That permission was given to help relieve them of thedifficulties caused by floods last year, he said.Local as well as central officials also objected to the fact thatthe compensation was drawn from the Export Promotion Fund.The fund, derived from taxes levied on exporters, is intended topromote export activities, not law-benders, said one official whorequested anonymity.The money was taken out of the fund without the acknowledgment ofexecutive committee members, most of whom disagreed, a CommerceMinistry source added.Mr Montri, an MP for Lamphun Province with Gen Chavalit's NewAspiration Party, argued that giving the shophouse ownerscompensation was tantamount to indirect export promotion becauseTak served as a potential export centre for trade with Rangoon.Thailand could not afford the losses in trade that might stemfrom: the six shophouse owners holding out against furtherappeals, his party supporters said.Meanwhile, Gen Than Shwe's call for more centralised control ofsecurity along the northern stretch of the border found aneffective response on October 1, when the Defence Ministry putthe Army's Fourth Infantry Division in charge.Previously, a joint command made up of army and border patrolpolice units did the job.Rebels loyal to Shan warlord Khun Sa, who earlier found easyaccess to Thai hospitals in times of need, are said to havealready felt the pinch of the change of guard.Rangoon closed the Myawaddy-Mae Sot and Tachilek-Mae Sai bordercheckpoints in March in response to what it saw as Thai help forethnic Karen and Shan rebels during SLORC's drive to crush them.Regarding the murder of the Burmese fishermen who boarded Thaivessels in August, all three suspects including a skipper who issaid to have ordered the beating of the Burmese crewmen with awater pipe, are now on trial.SLORC's closure of the Victoria Point-Ranong border checkpointsoon after the incident was seen as intended to punish Thailandfor the murders.But some officials remain skeptical whether the steps taken byThailand will improve bilateral relations given the differentinterests and diehard suspicions.Rangoon still suspects Thailand of supporting Karen rebels, whoconstitute the main ethnic group resisting its rule after theMons became the 16th group to agree to a ceasefire earlier thisyear.Rebels with the Karen National Union (KNU) have relocated alongthe border after their stronghold at Kawmoora was overrun earlythis year. The rebels are believed to have found new shelter inseveral camps that have long been home to some 70,000 Karencivilians.Burmese Ambassador to Thailand Tin Winn, in a recent interviewwith Bangkok Post, confirmed the SLORC's perception, saying mostethnic people living on Thai soil are not genuine displacedpeople but families of the KNU.Part of Rangoon's stalling on the construction of theThai- Burmese Friendship Bridge could be due to the SLORC's viewof the link as another aid to KNU rebel in continuing theirstruggle for autonomy, sources point out.The bridge also does not promise as much for the SLORC in termsof border trade as it does for Thai entrepreneurs.Thailand is the far stronger partner in an activity that isestimated at some 10,000 million baht a year for legaltransactions, and six times more than that for illegal trade.To regulate the trade flow, the Foreign Ministry and other stateagencies are pressing ahead with the drafting of a border tradeagreement with Burma.Improving business with Burma was the mission of Deputy CommerceMinister Pairote Suwanchawee, who returns from Rangoon today justas Gen Pat leaves for the Burmese capital.The next 24 hours should tell where Rangoon's interest lie.*****************************************************************BKK POST: BURMA PREPARES FOR TOURIST INFLUXOctober 11, 1995 Rangoon, AFPBURMA is churning out large numbers-of tour guides to handle aninflux of tourists expected next year, a government official wasquoted as saying yesterday."More and more tourist guides are needed to cope with the growingnumber of tourists," the deputy minister for hotels and tourism,Brigadier-General Tin Aye, was quoted as saying in the officialEnglish-language New Light of Myanmar.Tin Aye, speaking at the opening of a government- sponsored coursefor tour guides, said there were now 900 licenced guides workingin Burma.He said there had been a dramatic increase in the number oftourists visiting Burma, citing comparative figures of 8,000 inthe 1991-1992 season and 100,000 last year."Even during the first six months covering the rainy season of1995-96, more than 45,000 tourists had already visited thecountry," he said.Burma, with attractions ranging from snow-capped mountains in thenorth sandy beaches in the south and an abundance of culturalsites, was increasingly being included in Asian tour programmes,he said.He added that Burma would be able to attract even more visitorsonce the country's tourism infrastructure _ including hotels,transport and guide services _ was improved.*************************************BKK POST: VETERAN BURMESE JOURNALIST PAYS PRICE FOR BEING 'NEUTRAL'Press battle brings three jail termsREPORT and PICTURE: Nussara SawatsawangSTRONG IN mind despite advancing years, Burmese journalist SeinWin has spent several years in jail _ the penalty for fightingfor freedom of the press in his country.Freedom, neutrality and responsibility are his rules, he says.They have put him behind bars three times.The first time was in April 1960 under U Nu's civilian governmentafter he published an article entitled "Tension Easy Meal", whichcriticised the government's traditional way of trying to dealwith the opposition by inviting them to share meals with it."I told the government not to concentrate too much on that(meals) but to carry on the progress made by the militarygovernment, because the military is watching over its shoulder,"he told Inside Indochina.The prime minister at the time, U Nu, allowed Gen Ne Win, themost powerful figure in the country, to resolve a messy politicalsituation in 1958 as a caretaker government.U Nu, who returned to power through a general election two yearslater, charged Sein Win with disrespect to the government forthat article and jailed him for a month.But Sein Win's warning proved timely. U Nu was ousted by amilitary coup d'etat in 1962.The new government, which introduced "The Burmese Way toSocialism", nationalised his English-language daily, TheGuardian, and jailed him from 1965-68 without lodging a charge.It termed the measure "protective custody" and applied it to manyprominent people, including businessmen.Sein Win was jailed again in late July 1988 during thepro-democracy uprising. He was detained and questioned about hisappearance at the teashop of his associate Aung Gyi, another out-standing political figure. The detention lasted almost one month.He explains he entered journalism, despite low pay, because heloves freedom and independence.As a young man, Sein Win wanted to be doctor but the universitythat provided these courses was closed down at the outbreak ofWorld War Two. He joined his brother-in-law's New Light of Burma,a private daily newspaper, as an unpaid translator in 1942.During the country's struggle for independence against theBritish, Sein Win was more than a reporter, he was also a spy, hesaid.Wearing an American military uniform, a 9mm pistol hidden in hisboots, and riding a motorcycle, Sein Win used to smuggle secretletters from the British government to the freedom movement.He also drove leaders of the movement when needed.His job was ended soon after Gen Aung San formed a government in1947, after independence."I fought for the country's independence, but as a reporter Iwould never join the government," he said.He served in various capacities as chief reporter, assistanteditor and editor at the Economic Daily The Nation, The LabourGazette and The New Times of Burma before taking over TheGuardian in May 1968.One year after his release in 1968, he joined the AssociatedPress as correspondent in Rangoon, where he worked for 20 yearsbefore joining the Kyodo News Service in 1989.The Zurich-based International Press Institute elected Sein Winto its executive board in 1963 and the International Federationof Newspaper Publishers in Paris awarded him the Golden Pen ofFreedom trophy the same year for his efforts in Burma.He is now president of the Foreign Correspondents' Club inRangoon.As a prominent reporter, his life is a constant balancing act.Some people suspected he was a spokesman for the militarygovernment, particularly on the release of Nobel Peace PrizeLaureate Aung San Suu Kyi from six years under house arrest, onJuly 10.Sein Win was first to break the news. He denied he was aspokesman for the government, insisting the news was based onanalysis of various events and long experience in establishingreliable sources.The State Law and Order Restoration Council had previouslyrepeated the military's stand that Suu Kyi's extended detentionwould be only for one year ending July 11, he said.This coincided with a message from Col Kyaw Win, deputy directorof the Directorate of Defence Services Intelligence, asubordinate of SLORC chairman Sen Gen Than Shwe, asking theforeign press at a Japanese Embassy reception three days earlierto stay in Rangoon on July 10- 19. No reason was given."I had already written about the release with all background inmy computer. Only the time of the release was needed. After Ichecked with my source, I Just added one word _ "unconditionally"_ about her release," he said.Sein Win reserves his right to criticise both SLORC and theopposition leader.He said the ruling junta, although it could build foreignreserves up to US$ 600 million, had failed to develop thecountry."We need good managers, technology and capital. If we have goodmanagers, we can pick up from where we left 30 years ago when wewere ahead of Thailand," he said.Suu Kyi probably could devote herself to the country in socialservices such as education, but could not get directly involvedin national politics unless the constitution is amended.The new constitution, which is being drafted by the militarysponsored national convention since early 1993, alreadystipulates that Suu Kyi cannot be elected to parliament becauseshe is married to a foreigner.Sein Win said it would be at least two years before theconstitution could be amended. The drafting process may takeanother year or so and, if elections are allowed, the newgovernment may or may not take up the Suu Kyi issue and throughthe required process to amend the constitution.He claims half of Suu Kyi's popularity stemmed from hatred of themilitary government.After a lifetime in the profession, Sein Win has a cautionaryword for aspiring journalists, referring to 20 cadet reporters ata journalism course organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club."They thought that a free press means they can write anythingthey want. In fact, the press has to be free and responsible. Youhave to separate feelings from wisdom. Be an observer, not aparticipant," he said.********************************BKK POST: AIR MANDALAY HELPS BUILD CHIANG MAI'S HUB STATUSOctober 12, 1995 By Thanin WeeradetNORTHERN Thailand's status as a regional tourism hub has receiveda boost with the recent debut of Air Mandalay's service fromChiang Mai to Rangoon.The airline now operates two flights a week on the Rangoon-ChiangMai- Rangoon route and may add another in December. A ChiangMai-Mandalay route may be offered at the same time, according toSim Kok Chwee, assistant marketing manager of the Air MandalayLtd.Regional air links out of Chiang Mai are on the rise, with LaoAviation offering t service to Vientiane, THAI to Kunming, andOrient Express Air to the Isan region.The result, said Mr Sim, is that Chiang Mai is poised to becomean important base for long-haul visitors wishing to travel withinthe Mekong region."Bangkok has long been the premier gateway for visitors intoThailand and Indochina, but one can spot a significant trendamong long-haul visitors to give Bangkok a miss," he said.Currently, more than one million visitors a year, particularlyfrom western Europe, stop in Chiang Mai and northern Thailand.The region's history, religion, unspoiled landscape and ethnicdiversity all attract their interest. Interest could intensify ifBurma is packaged with their itineraries.Some European tour operators as well as Thai operators based inboth Bangkok and Chiang Mai are on the verge of incorporatingBurma into their programmes, Mr Sim told Horizons.Since its inaugural flight, Air Mandalay has detected a healthyinterest among the local population in travel into Burma. Aswell, Rangoon's expatriate population is growing and seekingnearby destinations for holidays."This segment will take short but frequent trips, mostly over theweekend," said Mr Sim, noting that the airline is wooing businesstravellers as well.Air Mandalay had a very successful outing at the ITB'95 travelshow last March in Berlin, and it expects healthy passengervolume in the coming high season. It will also be represented atAsia Travel Mart in Singapore from October 1922, and at theITB'96 next MarchLater this month the airline will launch Golden Flight, aninflight magazine focussing on the history, culture, sights,festivals, art and business climate of Burma. It will also bemailed to major tour operators and corporate clients worldwide.In the coming year, Phuket is likely to be another stop for theairline, apart from route expansion within Burma. Air Mandalaydoes not intend to compete with flag carriers on the mainBangkok-Rangoon route."Our equipment and the nature of our operations makes AirMandalay more suitable as a carrier that caters to travel onsecondary routes," said Mr Sim.The airline also serves Bagan, Heho and Thandwe in Burma, soregional travel is a niche in which it feels very comfortable.Its fleet allows for efficient operation or these routes, sinceanything bigger than a Boeing 737 can not land ,at any Burmeseair ports except Rangoon.Great potential also exists for Air Mandalay to cooperate withcarriers such as Silk Air and Malaysia Airlines to packagenorthern Thailand and Burma, Mr Sim added.*****************************************************************