My apologies for the format. -glen ------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"----------------------------------------------------------The BurmaNet News: November 16, 1995Issue #279Noted in Passing: In my own country there are large numbers of men and women who do not enjoy the protection of international recognition, daily risking their well-being, their liberty and even their lives for the sake of principles and rights that will guarantee our people a secure and dignified existence. - Aung San Suu Kyi (see: Aung San Suu Kyi's Speech at Nehru Prize)HEADLINES:==========SPEECH: AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S SPEECH AT NEHRU PRIZEABYMU: REPORT - SLORC'S ARAKANABSDF-MTZ: STATEMENT ON THE SLORC DEPUTY PM'S VISITNATION:THAILAND ASSURES BURMA OF STRONG ACTION AGAINST MTABKK POST: BURMESE DAZEBKK POST: ROYAL-SPONSORED KATHIN OFFERING HISTORIC FIRSTBKK POST: TRAWLER DEATHS TO BE RAISED WITH BURMESEBKK POST: THAILAND TO DISMANTLE MOEI RIVER CAUSEWAYBKK POST: BURMA MISSION--------------- -------------------------------------------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 are published.The BurmaNet News is e-mailed directly to subscribers and isalso distributed via the soc.culture.burma and seasia-lmailing lists. For a free subscription to the BurmaNet News, sendan e-mail message to: majordomo@igc.apc.orgIn the body of the message, type "subscribe burmanet-l"(without quotation marks) Letters to the editor, comments orcontributions of articles should be sent to the editor at: strider@igc.apc.org---------------------------------------------------------- BURMANET SUBJECT-MATTER RESOURCE LISTBurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of differenttopics related to Burma. If you have questions on any of thefollowing subjects, please direct email to the following volunteercoordinators, who will either answer your question or try to put youin contact with someone who can:Arakan/Rohingya/Burma volunteer neededBangladesh BorderCampus activism: zni@students.wisc.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: Karen Historical Society: 102113.2571@Compuserve.comMon 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.netTotal/Pipeline Christopher Dietrich: cd@utopia.EUnet.frTourism 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]**********************SPEECH: AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S SPEECH AT NEHRU PRIZENovember 14, 1995From: Caroline Lurie Address on the Occasion of the Presentation of the 1993 Nehru MemorialPrize for International UnderstandingMr. President, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Prime Minister, Members of theNehru Award Committee, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests and DearFriends,This is a occasion for mixed emotions. there are strong ties offriendship and shared political ideals that bind me to so many people inIndia. I do not remember a time when I did not know about India andPanditji as we always referred to Pandit Nehru in our family. To be awardeda prize for international understanding established in his memory isa matter of pride and joy for me. On the other hand I am well aware that theprize comes to me not as an individual but as a representative of the democracymovement in Burma. And that fills me with a sense of humility and gratitude,as is always the case when I am chosen to be the recipient of honours that areawarded to those who have rendered outstanding service to the cause ofhuman dignity the world over. In my own country there are large numbersof men and women who do not enjoy the protection of international recognition,daily risking their well-being, their liberty and even their lives for the sake ofprinciples and rights that will guarantee our people a secure and dignifiedexistence. I am thankful for the opportunity to draw attention to the strugglesof these brave men and women and to accept, in all humility, the NehruMemorial Prize for International Understanding in their names.It is as much the desire to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed so much inpursuit of a free and democratic Burma, as to re-establish and strengthenmy ties with India that I so much wish circumstances could have allowed me toreceive this honour in person today. However, as that family, friend and honoraryaunt, Daw Than E. She has lived and worked in India for many years and as thefirst Burmese to become a member of the United Nations Secretariat, she hasbeen an ardent advocate and a practitioner of international understanding. Iknow that she will accept the prize on my behalf with all the grace and dignitythe occasion merits.Pandit Nehrus contribution to international understanding go beyond thepart he played on the world stage during his lifetime to narrow the gap betweendiverse cultures and differing ideologies. His spirit continues to reach out topeople struggling to establish universal human values in a word increasinglypreoccupied with material power. During my years of detention the words andwork of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru were a constant source of inspirationand support. I count these two great Indians among my most revered guides,mentors and friends. Throughput the six years that I was cut off from the worldoutside, I had hanging in the front hall of my house a scroll on which I hadcopied extracts from Pandit Nehrus immortal words on discipline, law andorder. These words, to be found in my autobiography, made such profoundimpression on me I would like to quote the passage in its entirety:Law and Order, we are told, are among the proud achievements of British role in India. My own instincts are entirely in favour of them. I like disciplinein life, and dislike anarchy and disorder and inefficiency. But bitter experiencehas made me doubt the value of the law and order that states and governmentsimpose on a people. Sometimes the price one pays for them is excessive, andthe law is but the will of the dominant faction and the order is the reflex of anall-pervading fear. Sometimes, indeed, the so-called law and order might bemore justly called the absence of law and order. Any achievement that is basedon widespread fear can hardly be a desirable one, and an order that hasfor its basis the coercive apparatus of the State, and cannot exist without it; ismore like a military occupation than civil rule. I find in the Rajatarangiri, thethousand-year- old Kashmiri historic epic of the poet Kalhana, that the phrasewhich is repeatedly used in the sense of law and order, something that it was theduty of the ruler and the state to preserve is dharma and abbaya- righteousnessand absence of fear. Law was something more than mere law, and order was thefearlessness of the people. How much more desirable is this idea of inculcatingfearlessness than of enforcing order on a frightened populace?The sentiments expressed by Pandit Nehru in the above passage are exactly myown. Often I have felt that we shared much in common and regrettednot havingtaken the opportunity to get to know him better during the year I was in Indiawith my mother. At that time I looked upon him simply as a friend of my parentsand never imagined I would one day come to look upon him as my own friend.Pandit Nehru often broke through the barriers of race and generation byhis warm humanity. On his way to London for talks on independence for Burma,my father made a stop in Delhi to have talks with Pandit Nehru and other Indianleaders. Panditji immediately showed a fatherly concern for my father, twenty-sixyears his junior. He cast a critical but kindly eye over the younger man's shabby,thin cotton uniform and decided it would not do. He arranged for several smart,warm woollen uniforms to be run up hastily by his tailors. Hearing that Englandwas suffering from one of the coldest winters in living memory, Panditji alsocommandeered a greatcoat: a well-known photograph of my father shows himlooking somewhat swamped in this greatcoat which is rather too large for him.When my mother was appointed Burmese ambassador to India in 1960, PanditNehru cast over her the warm protection of his friendship, always makinga point of singling her out at public occasions to enquire after her well-being.It was with such gestures of human warmth that Pandit Nehru won the heartsof peoples of all races and creeds. And his intellect and integrity won himthe respect even of those who did not share his commitment to democracy andinternationalism.For us who believe that a democratic political system offers the best solutionsto the myriad problems that beset our imperfect world, the achievement ofPandit Nehru and India provide strong encouragement. This sub-continent ofmany races, languages and creeds; this nation that stepped forward proudly tokeep its tryst with destiny only months after its fabric had been rent by horrifyingcommunal strife; this great republic that has had to meet time and time again thechallenges of poverty, extremism and violence; this, the largest democracy in theworld, is proof supreme that there is no problem beyond the control of a systemthat respects the inherent dignity of man and honours him as a being fit forfreedom and self-rule. It is the heartfelt hope of the vast majority of the people ofBurma that our country too, on a day not far away, will become a democraticnation guided by the will of the people and ruled by dharma and abbaya. India and Burma share more than a common frontier. Buddhism whichis the backbone of Burmese culture sprang from India soil. The tolerance,loving kindness, compassion and self-control that Buddhism teaches are qualitiesthat are invaluable in a world made smaller but more complex and potentially verydangerous by the immense technological advances of our age. More than ever thereis a need to recognise that all peoples are bound by a common humanity, tocultivate those traits that help us to understand one another better. More than everthere is need for magnificent beings like Mahattama Gandhi and Pandit Nehruwho could reach out to win alien hearts with their breadth of vision.India today continues in the tradition of its great leaders. It is indeed an honourto have been chosen to receive a prize for international understanding fromthis nation that is so close to my heart. Mr. President and members of theNehru Award Committee, may I thank you for the honour you have done mycountry, my people and myself.Thank you.***************************ABYMU: REPORT - SLORC'S ARAKANNovember 13, 1995 (All BurmaYoung Monk's Union (Arakan))From: brelief@gol.comECONOMY:The economy of Rakhine state substantially depends upon theagriculture, fishery and forestry sectors. But it is deplorable tosee all these sectors go under the absolute control of theBurmese army. The way the army imposes control can only becompared with that of a feudal lord so that one just wonders iffeudalism is not being revived in Burma by the junta, State Lawand Order Restoration Council (Slorc).For every construction work, especially in developing theridiculously outdated infrastructure of the state, slave labour isin widespread use so that a large number of able villagers leavetheir homes in search of livelihood only to find a degradingoccupation and a life of endless misery. Homes broken andhopes vanished, they find life contemptible. Utter poverty anddesolation finally take the youth to the fold of the army. Strayyouths as a last resort are compelled to join the army.MILITARY RECRUITMENTFor recruitment, there are special military recruitment battalionsposted all across Rakhine. The method adopted to enlist is alsonovel! Take the example of the Enlistment Battalion 376 basedat Kyauktaw town. Through appointed brokers who are paid200 kyat for each recruit, the battalion collect the would- becandidates and send them to Sittwe where they with candidatesfrom 16 other townships are rounded up.On 30th April '95, on their way back from the recruitment driveup the Kaladan River, the E.B. 376 ordered all the young girlsof Tharaktabang and five nearby villages together to accord aformal welcome to the newly enlisted. The girls came no doubt,but flatly refused to obey the orders. The military commanderdid not expect such a curt denial. So the village leaders andelders were given a sound dressing- down and warned of direconsequences for any "such"' noncompliance in future.CONFISCATION AND FORCED LABOUR:Between April 20 and 28 the same month, the army seized threethousand acres of privately owned rice paddies from thevillagers of Lanmadaw village under Kyauktaw township for anartillery battalion centre to be constructed later. Theconfiscation went without any compensation to the helplessvillagers, who for generations had been working on the soil. Asa part of the Artillery Centre project, a 120 feet wide and 4 milelong highway across Lanmadaw - Tharaktabang road, runningright to Khaung-dok village in the north, was built. More thanthirty thousand people, at a rate of one person from eachhousehold, were conscripted as slaves and forced to work therewith food on one's own.In April the heat was scorching, and the corporals' behaviourdisgusting. As the plains dried up at that summer month, waterwas scarce. For the thousands parching in the fierce sunconsumption of undrinkable water from roadside pools andditches was not only essential but also compulsory for survival.In a short time therefore, enteric diseases broke out. Theimmediate death toll was counted 280, while ten times morecaught the ailments and about one thousand or so are feared tohave died from the after-effects.As usual, the Slorc shamelessly lied to the world at large thatthe people came to offer their share of "Buddhist merit-making" through voluntary labour. Well, Slorc junta, if thepoor Rakhine villagers made voluntary contribution of labour,why did you engage those corporals of yours with arms in theirhands and foul language in their dirty mouths? To applaud thecharitable task of "Buddhist merit - making"?The Slorc did not stop there. In the illegally confiscated ground,common villagers and the previous owners were intimidated intoraising paddy, harvesting and carrying it to the very silos made bytimber, bamboos and labour supplied by the villagers.In April 1992, an area of 1,800 acres of rice field was seizedfrom the villagers of Daung-daw-yo at Kyauktaw township forthe 376 Enlistment Battalion. The barracks and more than ninetyliving quarters for the battalion were made by utilizing slave labour.Till well through the end of 1994 slave labour was used to procuretimber and bamboo, and to fulfil their master plan.Loss of paternal land meant loss of livelihood and a life in ruinsfor the villagers. But it also meant a great achievement of theSlorc's part in materializing their concerted effort to wipe outthe identity of the ethnic Rakhines by bringing them to begging.The battalion's greed did not stop there. Soon they confiscatedall the ponds in the nearby villages. As behooves the Burmesearmy, the villagers were forced to supply the workers for thefisheries of the army. Till the catching and selling of the fishthe villagers had to work from sunrise to sunset, without anywages paid to any of them. The leftover small fishes could notbe sold so the village young girls were summoned to clean themand put them to dry. By the end of the day those girls who hadno husbands were detained for the night.Likewise in the dairy, livestock and poultry projects taken upfor the families of the Burmese army posted everywhere in thestate, wholesale slave labour is used. All the nearby villagersare forced to supply the quota of feeds and fodders by turnbesides attending the chicken, pigs and cattle of the battalion.Village girls are forced to work there routinely and subjected tophysical assault and gang rape.Between April and June 1993, irrigation canal projects wereimplemented at Kyauktaw township. In most of the projectsembankments of an average height of 15 feet had to beconstructed to connect natural hills and hillocks for the purpose.But the embankments were of different lengths; Gara Hillembankment runs 300 feet, Mintha- chaung Creek embankmentabove 1,000 feet. To force to work harder, the corporals ofBattalion 376 acted like feudal taskmasters over the impressed,maiming and grievously injuring dozens of the helplessvillagers. When the closing ceremony was to be held thebattalion arranged a grand gala. On the day when TV crewwould come and the project would be opened, soldiers wereengaged in a manner as if they had been working all along. Theentire show was videotaped for a nationwide broadcasting. Themilitary official in charge of the related department of irrigationin his address made it public that a total of 1.2 million - kyatwas spent to implement the entire project! Only on that verymoment in April 1995 people could know the truth at the grandgala opening of the irrigation project arranged at Pajaingchaungthat, they had been had! By that time there was nothing left toair their grievances, not one little proof! No outlet ofresentment would have been tolerated by the gun toting militarydemons, so silence was obviously the golden rule!The same method of immensely notorious exploitation andoppression was used to build Kyatiktaw -Paletwa road between1991 and 1994.Confiscation of one thousand acres of paddy fields andhorticultural hills of Lanmadaw under Kyauktaw township bybattalion 374 also carries a similar story. Stationed atKyauktaw sugar mill, this battalion is still taking oppressiveand repressive measures on the local Rakhines.STONE COLLECTIONPaving- stones for the roads mentioned earlier were quarriedfrom sites up the river Lemro. The stones and boulders werethen loaded on boats requisitioned from the public owners. Thewhole process was done by slave labour.As the army taskmasters goad on to hurriedly load the stones,the wooden boats (mechanized and unmechanized) are oftencracked and damaged, causing great loss to the owners. To becareful at loading, the army commanders and the labourers areusually bribed. All the villages along the river had to supplythe cost of the labour and bear the conveyances.In the last seven years the Slorc junta have aimed their everyeffort to crush the economy of Rakhine and destroy theeconomic viability of the Rakhine nationals.COMMUNICATIONS AND POWERThe power sector for the state can hardly meet the demands ofits 17 towns, while not one single village is provided withelectricity. Government generators produce about 2% of theactual demand and that is also for a few hours in the evenings,as it was done during the British rule.For the communications sector, the roads of Rakhine havealways been poorly built and maintained. A mere 56 miles ofearth road and about and equal distance of rock surfaced roadsserve the road communication of the entire northern part of thestate. Dilapidated jitneys and rickety trucks carry passengerson these roads taking a traveler into a journey of time warp.The waterways offer much of the communications needed forthe state. Yet the fleet of the Government Inland watertransport department consist only of nine motor launches,including three twin- deck remodeled versions of the SecondWorld War vessels trudging at 5 knots an hour, and one twin-deck launch with a speed of 7 knots an hour. Though there is ademand for better and larger vessels, the public sector have notbeen able to come up with any investments since the absolutecontrol by the military has made it financially unproductive.Therefore ancient rowing boats are heavily depended upon sothat perishables can hardly bring enough money for the farmersand fishermen. The government vessels ply two days a week onSittwe- Ann line, once a week on Sittwe-Taungup, three days aweek on Sittwe- Buthidaung, and twice a week on Sittwe-Kyauktaw lines.With military strategy in mind Pyay- Taunggup, Minbu- Ann,and Ngathaingchaung- Gwa roads were built previously. Verypoor conditions of these roads and dominance of militarycontrol have made these roads not much- usable by the public.BRICKFIELDSSince 1991 a big brickfield has been set up at the Mahamuni.The poor Rakhine villages have been impressed to work therewithout pay and without food. The villagers are also forced tocollect firewood for the purpose.SLAVE LABOUR IN SITTWEThe cross channel dam Project on the Aung- dainy river ofSittwe were taken up in October 1994 by the Slorc. Thepurpose has been to rear shrimp on commercial basis for themilitary.For the completion of the Project every family of Sittwetownship has to offer one worker's slave labour at least threetimes in a year. The Penalty in case of no- show is kyat 350.While working the towns people are subjected to roughbehaviour of the soldiers. If by any chance any one tries tomove a little while eating for convenience, he or she is quicklygiven a kick on the head. Such instance of cruelty have mademany People maimed, blinded, or seriously wounded. Throughthe work is temporarily stopped for the monsoon, it will betaken up as soon as the rain ceases, our correspondent added.INFORMATIONThe army, so hungry for information, pay 30 kyat for eachpiece of news to every informer they appoint throughout thatstate. People of every profession and religion are used for thispurpose.ESCAPEIn recent months about 1,000 oppressed villagers have fled theirhomes and made their ways through formidable jungles intoIndia (Mizoram state). As Bangladesh is not much willing toaccept and provide help to the Buddhist Rakhine refugees (incontrast with the Rohingya Muslim refugees), the escape toBangladesh is still insignificant.**************************************************ABSDF-MTZ: STATEMENT ON THE SLORC DEPUTY PRIME MINISTERVISITS THAILAND November 14, 1995The Deputy Prime Minister of the Slorc military government of Burma will visitThailand today. The visit follows hot on that of Thailand's foreign minister, KasemKasemsri to Rangoon and opens the way for a planned trip to Burma by Thai PrimeMinister Banharn.Relations between Burma and Thailand have been strained since the beginning of theyear due to a series of incidents on the border and between Thai and Burmesenationals and we understand the desire of the Royal Thai Government to maintainpeaceful and friendly relationship with all of its neighbours. We would like to urgecaution, however, in terms of what kind of friendly relations can be built between thedemocratically elected Government of Thailand and the Burmese military junta. Thismilitary regime is, after all, the most brutal in Southeast Asia with a record of humanrights violations second only to that of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.We urge caution since, on the one hand, there is no sign that Thailand's constructiveengagement policy towards the Slorc has produced any significant move towardsdemocratisation in Burma while, on the other hand, the Slorc continues to treat itsneighbour, Thailand, with the same high-handed lack of respect with which it treatsits own citizens.On behalf of the people of Burma, we the ABSDF urge the Royal Government ofThailand to pursue relations with the Burma in accordance with the assumption that ademocratically elected government will emerge in Burma in the very near future andto support the people of Burma in their efforts to restore democracy to Burma.We appeal to the Royal Thai Government to make use of very contact it has with theSlorc to urge the military junta to:1. Unconditionally release from prison student leader Min Ko Naing and all otherpolitical prisoners;2. Cancel all unjust laws, in particular those which restrict the freedom of Burma'scitizens;3. Abolish the sham National Convention, and4. Open dialogue with the democratic forces led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi andleaders of ethnic nationalities in order to bring national reconciliation, democracy andpeace to Burma.Central Leading CommitteeABSDFHeadquarters, 88 Camp***************************************NATION: THAILAND ASSURES BURMA OF STRONG ACTION AGAINST MTANovember 14, 1995Thailand has promised Burma there will be no repeat of anincident in which members of Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army werearrested on Thai soil and allowed to return to Burma withoutbeing disarmed, Foreign Minister Kasem S Kasemsri said yesterday.Kasem said he gave Burma that assurance when he met its powerfulsecretary-general Lt Gen Khin Nyunt during his two-day officialvisit to Rangoon at the invitation of his Burmese counterpart U Ohn Gyaw.Burma has accused Thailand of harbouring its minorities,particularly drug kingpin Khun Sa and his MTA troops. Thailand'ssupport of Khun Sa helped MTA troops attack Tachilek township inBurma's Kengtung province from the Thai side early this year,Burma claims. Tachilek borders Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district.Burma ordered the closure of border checkpoints in Mae Sai afterTachilek was attacked by the MTA. Burmese government troops arenow in control of the province."The incident in which Khun Sa's troops were allowed to returnto Burma without being disarmed will not take place again.Thailand is well aware that Khun Sa is a major source of drugtrafficking, so it will do its best to end his activities,"Kasem said at the airport upon his return from Rangoon.Also raised during his meeting with Burmese leaders were borderdisputes along the Moei River which separates Tak's Mae Sotdistrict from Burma's Myawaddy province.The disputes prompted Burmese authorities to suspendconstruction of the Thai-Burma bridge after they accusedThailand of changing the banks of the river. Thai traders werefound to have erected permanent buildings on the river bank,action which Rangoon said had altered the border line.Kasem said Burma was concerned about the issue and had requestedthat Thailand return the river bank to its previous condition."The matter also concerns the changing of an island in the Moeiriver. Burma asked during the meeting for Thailand to rectifythe situation," Kasem told reporters.Kasem proposed that Burma allow the construction on the bridgeto resume on the same day that Thailand starts to act on theBurma's requests. Burma said it would consider the proposal.Kasem's visit to Rangoon came only a few days after a group ofBurmese fishermen killed five Thai crew members on theirtrawler. Kasem said Burma did not yet have enough information onthe incident.Reuters reports from Samsao, Burma:Burma's ethnic Wa guerrilla army, condemned by internationalanti-narcotics agencies for helping unleash a flood of heroinfrom Burma's Golden Triangle, say they have launched a plan towipe out opium poppies.Leaders of the powerful guerrilla force allied to Burma'smilitary government say they are serious about stamping outopium and the refining of the sticky black sap into heroin.They say they have agreed with Burma's ruling State Law andOrder Restoration Council (Slorc) to begin an eradicationprogramme in four districts, here in southern Shan state on theThai border and three areas in the north of the state near thefrontier with China."We have to change. We have an agreement with the Burmesegovernment to stop opium growing," Lin Wen, a regional commanderof the United Wa State Army said. Lin said the Slorc haspromised development aid for the four areas and though they haveyet to receive any assistance they remain hopeful it is on theway."We have to trust them, we have no other choice," Lin said.Burma's hilly Shan state is the main source of the world'ssupply of illicit opium and its refined from, heroin. Firstintroduced to the area last century, the colourful poppies haveflourished in the region's perfect combination of soil, climateand altitude.Opium production exploded after World War II when Chinesenationalist troops, pushed out of their homeland by communistforces, controlled much of the state and ordered the patchworkof hill people living on the cool, high slopes to step up poppygrowing.The US Bureau for International Narcotics and Law EnforcementAffairs estimated last year's crop was more than 2,000 tonnes,enough to produce more than 200 tonnes of heroin. (TN)******************************BKK POST: BURMESE DAZENovember 14, 1995This just from the frontiers of high finance: Burma has itsfirst automated teller machine. The inauguration of the ATM drewquite a crowd including the Finance Minister, Brig Gen Tin Win,to May Flower Bank in Rangoon.Imagine a finance minister in any other country cutting a ribbonto open an ATM. The chairman of May Flower Bank, U Kyi Aye,claims Burma has vaulted into the big leagues now, since Laos,Cambodia and Vietnam do not have any ATMs yet. The only drawbackto the May Flower ATM, we suppose, it that it dispenses Burmesecurrency which is virtually worthless. (BP)****************************************************************NATION: FOREIGN MINISTRY'S ROLE EXPANDS ALONG WITH GLOBALECONOMIC ASPIRATIONS (slightly abridged)November 14, 1995>From Kathina (merit-making ritual) to business trips, the ForeignMinistry is making its move into the brave new world of globalcompetition. Achara Deboonme reports from Rangoon.The Thai Foreign Ministry has been very busy, but increasinglythe schedules reflect a noticeable change from the agency'straditional role as an institution responsible for smoothingpolitical relationships with the rest of the world.Steadily, the ministry has had to function as a trade negotiator with apriority to tackle trade problems that Thai businessmen encounter."We've got only five years to complete our change or othercountries will surpass us [in terms of economic prosperity],"said Siri Thiwaphan, chief adviser to the foreign minister."Experience from visits to Dubai and Johannesburg, which areimportant centres in the Middle East and Africa, told us we justcan't simply be satisfied with our current status," he said.Problems with neighbouring countries --- Burma, Laos Cambodia andVietnam --- which have long been kept as buffer states, as wellas the dramatic change in the global trade environment have ledthe ministry to adopt the new concept.Under the World Trade Organization and free-trade agreements suchas the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) and Asean FreeTrade Area (Afta), having such buffer states was not a workableidea. Thailand needs to render more assistance to its neighboursso they can complement one another in achieving prosperity.The ministry began its changing role by organizing Kathina(Kathin merit making) rituals this year with three of itsneighbouring countries _ Cambodia, Laos and Burma _ in order tosmooth political conflicts which otherwise might hinder bilateraleconomic cooperation. The ministry gave Bt500,000 to Thai templesin the three countries and the events were supported by HisMajesty the King.And according to Kobsak Chutikul, director general of theministry's economic affairs department, the Kathina might beheld annually if the events this year lead to satisfactory results.And according to a high-ranking official, the programme might beenlarged to encompass other Buddhist countries.Business trips and exhibitions have already been lined up fornext year in an attempt to improve the existing business environmentoverseas, and to explore new opportunities for Thai businessmen.In January, trips to Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh have beenorganized in a bid to help construct "quindrangle" economiccooperation among five countries in the Indian Ocean, includingBurma.There will also be missions to the central and southern Americas_ to countries such as Panama, Mexico and Chile _ which might bepotential sites for Thai fishery firms, as such firms have longencountered difficulties with other Southeast Asian nations,especially Malaysia and Burma, over fishing rights.Investment-promotion exhibitions will be held on five world tradeareas _ Europe, the United States, Africa, the Middle East andAustralia _ to sound out the opinions of foreign businesscommunities and the results would hopefully determine whatdirection the ministry should go.Frankfurt, Chicago, Johannesburg, Dubai and Sydney might possiblybe locations for the exhibitions. The sixth would take place inBangkok in November where businessmen from around the world wereto gather at the "Thai Economic Summit".To facilitate overseas investment, the National Economic Councilshould be set up and operated in a similar manner to the NationalSecurity Council, which safe- guards national security."The National Security Council succeeded in curtailing thecommunist threat in Thailand as suggested by the Domino Theory.We're now in an economic crisis and the National Economic Councilwould be similarly successful in handling all our economicdifficulties," Kobsak said.The council would comprise representatives from the public andprivate sectors, he said.Internal restructuring was also expected after the economicsummit to ensure the ministry eventually accomplishes itsultimate goals.In the plan, officers with economic backgrounds would becomepermanent economic officers who would not be rotated tonon-economic departments. At least one would be posted tooverseas units where assistance was needed in sustainingThailand's economic security, besides its political security.The officers might one day be promoted to become economicdiplomats who would work as negotiators assisting conventionaldiplomats. And there might be an economic permanent secretary."The private sector has the potential [to penetrate- overseasbusinesses] but they need to cooperate with the public sectorrather than doing it alone. To boost the private sector's competitiveness,changes must be done now or we will not be able to adjust to the changingworld, especially concerning 2020 when Apec's trade agreements wouldlead to full liberalization in the region," he said.Said Siri: "Without any new attempts, we cannot sustain economicgrowth, not to mention living up to the forecast that Thailandwill become the world's 8th largest economy by the year 2020."*****************************************************************BKK POST: ROYAL-SPONSORED KATHIN OFFERING HISTORIC FIRSTFOR THAILAND (slightly abridged)November 14, 1995 Report: Supapohn Kanwerayotin RangoonRobe ceremony heralds culture driveTHE KATHIN robe offering at Nagalaigu temple in Rangoon last weekcapped the first of Thailand's efforts to build cultural tieswith predominantly Buddhist neighbours.For the first time in mainland Southeast Asia's modern history, aThai Foreign Ministry delegation took a set of kathin robes,sponsored by His Majesty the King, to Buddhist monasteries inLaos, Cambodia and Burma.Kathin is the annual tradition of presenting saffron robes tomonks and novices at the end of Buddhist Lent."This exercise has been an overwhelming success," said Gen SiriThiwaphan, chief adviser to Foreign Minister Kasem S. Kasemsri.Gen Siri headed the kathin delegation on a tour of the countries'capitals which began mid-October and ended in Rangoon last week.Improving ties between Thailand and Laos made it possible forThailand's royally-sponsored robes to arrive at WatPhrathatluangnua in Vientiane on October 15, with the Thairepresentatives crossing into Laos over the Friendship Bridge.Each set of kathin offerings from Thailand to key temples ofLaos, Cambodia and Burma consisted of robes, necessities formonks, a 10,000- baht donation from His Majesty and 500,000 bahtin donations from the Foreign Ministry.With the majority of Thais being Buddhist, donations also camefrom Thai Embassy staff as well as members of the Thai communityin these countries.In Cambodia, the Foreign Ministry described as "historic" thearrival of the kathin-bearers at Wat Supanuwong Rattanaram, themonastery frequented by the Norodom family.Laotian Deputy Foreign Minister Phongsavad Buppha, PrinceSirivudh and Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Nyunt Swe all joinedthe pali chant of blessings and acknowledged receipt of the robes."Thai and Burmese Buddhists are very close because we can bothchant namo," said Buddanta Zagarabhivamtha, the abbot of WatNagalaigu in Rangoon, who presided over the ceremony.The Burmese hosts proposed Nagalaigu as a recipient of the kathinas the old temple provides shelter and education for many monks andnovices from -various ethnic groups from remote and border areas of Burma.A total of 665 monks and novices live in this temple which isreputed to be frequented by leading members of the ruling StateLaw and Order Restoration Council. The abbot is the youngestmember of Burma's Ecclesiastical Council of which most are seniormonks of advanced age.With the success of this year's kathin tour, Thai officials areconsidering the inclusion of Vietnam and China's southernprovince of Yunnan for the next cultural exchange.*****************************************************************BKK POST: TRAWLER DEATHS TO BE RAISED WITH BURMESENovember 14, 1995THE murder of six Thais on a trawler allegedly by Burmese'crewmembers over a week ago will be among the topics fordiscussion with Burmese Deputy Prime Minister Maung Maung Khinduring his official five-day visit beginning today, Deputy PrimeMinister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said yesterday.The New Aspiration Party leader, however, said it would beinappropriate for Burmese students to protest against the BurmeseDeputy Prime Minister."Since he [Vice Admiral Maung Maung Khin] is guest of the ThaiGovernment, they should not resort to protests," said GenChavalit, who is also Defence Minister.The Burmese Deputy Prime Minister is visiting Thailand as guestof Gen Chavalit.Topics for discussion during his visit include border problemswhich led to the closure of Thai-Burmese border checkpoints andthe recent murder of six Thais, allegedly by Burmese crewmen on atrawler in Burmese waters last Sunday.Gen Chavalit said both the Thai and Burmese government have triedto solve the problems through negotiations.Concerning the November 6 murders, he said the Burmese governmenthad arrested 13 suspects, the same as Thailand had done with Thaisuspects in the murder of Burmese crew on board a Thai fishingboat in August.Gen Chavalit said the matter will be raised for discussion withMaung Maung Khin.Moreover, the foreign ministries of the two countries as well asmilitary attaches have been in contact to solve all problems, he said.To prevent a recurrence of the incidents, Deputy AgricultureMinister Monthon Kraiwatnusorn has travelled to Burma for talkswith his Burmese counterpart. They are expected to mete outmeasures for joint inspection and control of fishing operationsGen Chavalit added.Meanwhile, Burmese leader Gen Than Shwe will attend the summitmeeting in Bangkok next month of the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations Burmese diplomatic sources said in Rangoon yesterday.Than Shwe's visit, the first by a Burmese leader to Thailandsince the military seized power in 1988, will be preceded by avisit to Rangoon by Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa thesources who requested anonymity told AP.Concerning the recent shooting of a Thai fishing boat byMalaysian authorities in which two Thai crewmen were killed, GenChavalit said the matter will be discussed at the meeting of theThai-Malaysian border committee in Malaysia later this month.Deputy Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, meanwhile, said theproblems concerning the Thai fishing boats, both with Burma andMalaysia, were raised for discussion at yesterday's meeting ofthe Council of Economic Ministers.Army Commander-in-Chief Pramon Palasin, meanwhile said he was ofthe opinion that more effective coordination between Thailand andBurma is needed to solve border problems, which, he said, wouldnot escalate to affect the relations between the two countries.*****************************************************************BKK POST: THAILAND TO DISMANTLE MOEI RIVER CAUSEWAYNovember 14, 1995 by Nussara Sawatsawang RangoonTHAILAND has agreed to dismantle the causeway it built on asection of the Moei River, the Foreign Minister announced yesterday.The agreement opens the way for work to be resumed on theThai-Burmese Friendship Bridge, Kasem S. Kasemsri said at the endof a two-day visit to Rangoon.It means that relations between Thailand and Burma are "back ontrack," Kasem claimed.But despite talks lasting three days, the Thai delegation hasfailed to convince the Burmese to reopen border checkpoints.The causeway was discussed by Kasem and Gen Than Shwe, chairmanof the State Law and Order Restoration Council, at yesterday'scourtesy session.Than Shwe said that the moment Thailand began clearing thecauseway on its side of Moei River, Burma would give the greenlight for work on the bridge to continue.The causeway on the Thai side of the Moei River was built severalyears ago by Thai business concerns to close the gap between anislet in the middle of the river and the Thai bank.Rangoon considers the construction of this man-made facility abid to alter the border demarcation, and has demanded thatThailand restore the waterway that separates the islet and Thai territory."I'll report this to Khun Banharn. I'm confident the Thaigovernment will try to return things to their previous condition,since we have no intention of annexing the islet," Kasem said.The removal of the causeway will be carried out on the basis ofthe 1868 Thai-British Convention, which provides for therespective river banks to demarcate the borders, he said.Burma called off work on the Friendship Bridge in June on thegrounds that the causeway constituted Thai encroachment on its territory.In Rangoon, Kasem also met SLORC First Secretary Lt Gen KhinNyunt and Burmese Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw.In exchange for his assurance that the Thai government would seeto it that the original watercourse was restored, Kasem proposedthat the Burmese side resume work on the Friendship Bridge, towhich his host agreed."They will do so as soon as we are ready to remove (thecauseway)," he told reporters after meeting Gen Than Shwe.While the bridge problem stands a chance of being resolved, thetwo sides failed to reach an agreement on the reopening of bordercheckpoints.Burma closed its checkpoints on the border with Tak and ChiangRai provinces in March, alleging Thai support for Karen ethnicrebels and drug warlord Khun Sa.Kasem played down reports of SLORC's demand for compensation forthe deaths of Burmese nationals in Chiang Rai and Ranong."It would be a matter of development cooperation, rather thancompensation," he said on Rangoon's demand for compensation as acondition for improved ties.He suggested local businessmen in border provinces contributemoney to the rebuilding of Tachilek, razed during the attack inMarch.Funds raised from the Thai private sector should also goaid relatives of the, Burmese dead."The local people along both sides of the border are likebrothers and sisters. If they can talk and settle the dispute,the border can be reopened," he said.A source said Rangoon has demanded 100 million baht inreparations from the Thai government, claiming that Khun Sa'stroops attacked Tachilek from Thai soil.The Foreign Ministry's Director-General for East Asian affairs,Somboon Sa-ngiam-butr, said the Thai government could not complywith this demand.Doing so would mean the government conceded that it had made amistake a nd that it supported Khun Sa.On the murder of seven Thai crewmen aboard a trawler, allegedlyby their Burmese counterparts, Wasem said he raised the matterwith Burmese leaders and sought cooperation on the drawing up ofrules on fisheries.*****************************************************************BKK POST: BURMA MISSIONNovember 14, 1995A 75-MEMBER business mission from Singapore was in Burma lastweek to explore new investment and trade opportunities.Singapore's Trade Development Board sponsored the mission,comprising business professionals from both the government andthe private sector involved in the hotel, entertainment, exhibition,construction, engineering and public works industries and tradingand financial services. The island is the second largest foreign investorin Burma with a total investment of $528 million in 31 projects.Compiled from Agence France Presse and Associated Press.*****************************************************************