------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: November 12, 1995 Issue #276 Noted in Passing: In the unlikely event that there is any truth in these allegations, it can only be repeated that unless and until the alleged victims bring their cases to the notice of the authorities concerned, nothing can be done to redress what they claim to have suffered. - SLORC response to UN Human Rights Report (see INDEPENDENT COMMENTARY: ON THE YOKOTA REPORT) HEADLINES: ========== S.H.A.N. : GLIMPSES OF KHUN SA AND GUNJADE S.H.A.N.: KHUN SA HAS DIABETES INDEPENDENT COMMENTARY: ON THE YOKOTA REPORT CNW: INT'L PANORAMA (ILP.V) ANNOUNCEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW RELEASE VIDEO DOCUMENTARY ON BURMA ---------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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S.Sutcliffe" World Wide Web: FreeBurma@POBox.com Volunteering: christin@ksc.net.th [Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage] *********************** S.H.A.N. : GLIMPSES OF KHUN SA AND GUNJADE 8 November , 1995 Whoever says Khun Sa has yet to learn patience should think again. People at the monastery are expecting Gunjade to be on time for the annual robe-offering ceremony, held as usual on the Full Moon Day of the twelfth Lunar Month, which falls today ( 6 November ) for this year. But when the clock strikes twelve, the scheduled time for the ceremony to begin, he is still at the Central Executive Committee's emergency meeting. Some look anxiously at Khun Sa, who in the past used to preside over such gatherings. However, the General is calm and tells the Master of Ceremonies, " We have to wait for him " . Twenty minutes later, Gunjade arrives, The Master of Ceremonies sights with relief and begins the ceremony. After it is over, the Abbot talks to both Khun Sa and Gunjade about the new pagoda that is scheduled to be crowned on November 22, which coincides with the Shan New Year's Day. Khun Sa then takes his leave. Gunjade is back in shape after ten days rest . And he is eager to know how he has to go about being a Chairman, after being a Vice Chairman for more than a quarter of a century to the late Kornzurng and, after his death, to Khun Sa. He certainly deserved a long recuperation. The last days of his trek back to the Homong base were engaged in breaking the Burmese cordon that was preventing him from making a successful crossing of the mighty Salween into the Shans' Free territory. To S.H.A.N.'s question about how he fared with his ex-officer Karnyord and his mutineers, he says, " You'll be hearing some news soon." Good or bad ? " Good, I hope," adding the inevitable cliche, " Let's hope for the best and prepare for the worst. " He then says goodbye to S.H.A.N. and goes off for another round of meetings with a CEC member. ************************************ S.H.A.N. : KHUN SA HAS DIABETES 9 November , 1995 From: "SHAN One Thai official recently said Khun Sa might end his days either in a Thai or Burmese or even American prison. But according to Khun Sa, as he disclosed in a public gathering, he may cheat his enemies out of any glory they may wish to claim. For more than ten years he has been suspected of having diabetes. But the first time the reports came out, it was discovered that it was not him but his late boss, kornzurng, who had it and then cured himself by taking generous helpings of tea made with phuk goom ( three-leaved caper ), a bitter plant, for two long months. Khun Sa may yet be able to overcome his own share of the malady provided that he does not allow himself to be pampered too much by his everpresent " eunuchs " as his critics derisively call his household personnel. However, that is not how he himself envisages apending the rest of his days, fighting against his own illness. He wants to do what the Central Executive Committee, that took power from him in August, is not doing : forget the SLORC, forget the Was, and just go after the mutineers and blast them out of existence. In his speech, he denounced the CEC heartily for being " too soft " on the " traitors ". As to be expected, his words caught his audience by surprise. Until now, they have always thought that whatever the CEC did had to have the blessings of Khun Sa, who, like Ne Win, is being kept behind the curtains. But now they are learning otherwise. It may not however necessarily mean that the CEC will from now on need to watch their backs. They may keep on doing things their own way, as long as Khun Sa goes along with it. And if he does so with a sneer or a curse now and then, it may even help to brighten things up. For a Revolution, however exciting and romantic it may sound, has its share of dull days too. ***************************** INDEPENDENT COMMENTARY: ON THE YOKOTA REPORT November 9, 1995 By David Arnott From: David Arnott ON THE REPORTS OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN MYANMAR The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar requires him to report to the Commission on Human Rights ("the Commission") and to the General Assembly ("GA"). He produces four public reports a year: an oral and a "comprehensive" report to the Commission, and an oral and an "interim" report to the GA. The reports complement each other. The report which has just been issued, namely the "interim" report to the GA dated 16 October 1995, consists of: 1) Introduction to the mandate of the Special Rapporteur; 2) Documents and factual statements regarding the Special Rapporteur's communications with the Government of Myanmar; 3) A summary of the allegations he received and which he transmitted to the Government of Myanmar; and 4) The Government's reply to the allegations. It does not contain views, conclusions or recommendations by the Special Rapporteur. The other three reports are based on the most recent visit by the Special Rapporteur to the country, as well as on materials received, and may contain views, conclusions and recommendations. David Arnott ................................................................. SELECTION OF STATEMENTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF MYANMAR'S RESPONSE TO THE MEMORANDUM OF ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE INTERIM REPORT: "No instances of summary or arbitrary execution can be permitted in Myanmar and no provision is made in the law for such." (para 1) "Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment are also illegal in Myanmar." (para 2) "In Myanmar, a person cannot be arrested and detained if it is not in accordance with the law. ...." (para 9) "There should exist no anxiety or fear of torture or ill treatment in detention as such practices are strictly prohibited in the Prison Manual and the Police Act, and the authorities concerned scrupulously follow the regulations laid down." (para 15) "It has always been a tradition in Myanmar culture to donate labour in the building of pagodas, monasteries, roads and bridges and in the digging and clearing of wells, ponds, dams and canals. A belief exists that doing so leads to mental and physical well-being. Those who can afford to donate money do so while those who cannot, donate their labour. This is all part of community work that raises the standard of living, both materially and spiritually. As such, the local populace, members of the local military units, government servants, as well as members of the armed groups who have returned to the legal fold, participate enthusiastically and conscientiously. United Nations agencies, foreign and local non-governmental organizations are also involved in these projects. The local populace is already enjoying the benefits of their own endeavours." (para 24) "The members if the Myanmar Armed Forces are but the sons and daughters of Myanmar nationals. They emerged from this society in which they were born and brought up. How can anyone from this society commit such outrageous crimes that were mentioned in the summary of allegations? Neither will such acts be knowingly condoned by persons in responsible positions." (para 45) "... In the unlikely event that there is any truth in these allegations, it can only be repeated that unless and until the alleged victims bring their cases to the notice of the authorities concerned, nothing can be done to redress what they claim to have suffered." (para 46) ................................................................. THE FULL TEXT OF THE REPORT HAS BEEN POSTED ON REG.BURMA IN THE IGC CONFERENCES AND ON SOC.CULT.BURMA ******************************* CNW: INT'L PANORAMA (ILP.V) ANNOUNCEMENT November 8, 1995 From: FreeBurma@aol.com (Full text of press release from Canada NewsWire) INTERNATIONAL PANORAMA RESOURCE CORP. - EXPLORATION LAUNCHED ON POTENTIAL BULK MINEABLE GOLD TARGET IN MYANMAR (BURMA) VANCOUVER, Nov. 6 /CNW/ - ^INTERNATIONAL PANORAMA RESOURCE CORP.@ (ILP) has commenced a 6 month US$160,000 work program on its Exploration Concession over Block 9 near Thayetkhone in central Myanmar (formerly Burma). A recent field assessment of the gold potential of Block 9 by the Company's geological consultants, Dr. Ian Gray and Dr. Duncan Large, identified an area 1.5km by 1.5km containing a well developed system of quartz gold veins and stockworking contained in locally sillicified and altered migmatites, peripheral to an intrusive granite. Individual veins are up to 1km long, 1.5m wide with gold grades to 1 ounce/ton and carry associated chalcopyrite, tourmaline and fluorite. The deposit has ^bulk mining potential@ with ready access to water, hydropower and rail transportation. The exploration program will initially focus on outlining the gold reserve potential of this area. Block 9 is located on the Shan Fault, a major 2000km long fault zone which is closely associated with alluvial and hard rock gold mineralization over a 1,200 km strike length in Myanmar. Following a gold rush to the southwest part of Block 9 in 1982, extensive surface work and some shallow drilling by the Myanmar Department of Geological Survey & Mineral Exploration (DGSE) outlined widespread gold mineralization east of Thayetkhone. Results from this work established the basis for subsequent small scale selective near-surface mining and production from an on-site 50 tpd. pilot gravity flotation mill. INTERNATIONAL PANORAMA has established a base camp at Thayetkhone and compilation of extensive DGSE geology and assay data is underway. The initial program will focus on outlining the gold resource potential at Thayetkhone. /For further information: Adrian Hartmann, Chairman of the Board (604) 687-7294/ -- Toronto Bureau 416 941-8100 **************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW RELEASE VIDEO DOCUMENTARY ON BURMA November 11, 1995 From: Douglas "CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE" A video documentary by Images Asia/Thailand Available on VHS PAL and NTSC systems ======================================================= Caught in the Crossfire is a stirring short documentary about the human rights abuses of women in Burma, perpetrated by the Burmese military. The footage and interviews with Burmese women and Burmese soldiers, were documented along the Thailand/Burma border between 1994 and 1995. Many of the interviews were conducted after the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and shoe that, as the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate stated: "I have been released. That's all. Nothing elsa has changed." Told through the voices of the women themselves, this documentary emphasises the important experiences of women, their suffering, fear and courage. These testimonies, inter cut with sequences from their everyday lives in the war zones and refugees camps, clearly portray the reality of their situation. These are contrasted with United Nations Conventions concerning women's rights, to further illustrate that women in Burma, especially in the border areas, are subject to wide-scale human rights abuses. Caught in the Crossfire was designed as one in a three-part documentary video series, with study-guides, to be used as an education kit about the human rights, devlopment and environmental situation in Burma. Despite initial problems with the Chinese authorities, the video was premiered at the United Nations Women's Conference in Biejing in September 1995. Images Asia is currently in the process of completing part one and three of the video series, and the accompanying study guides. Your support in purchasing this video as a lobbying and awareness-raising tool, will enable IMAGES ASIA to conclude this important task. It will also enable other people to become interested and active about the human rights, development and environmental situation in Burma. Contact: Images Asia P.O. Box 2, Phrasingha Post Office Muang, Chiangmai 50200 THAILAND or on e-mail above. Thank you in advance. ***************************************