My apologies for the format. -glen ------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"----------------------------------------------------------The BurmaNet News: December 8, 1995Issue #297Noted in Passing: Myint Zaw Lwin (the chief of the Burmese language service of the VOA) is the informer of the [Burmese] embassy. - Delip Kumar, defector from the Burmese Embassy in Washington. (see BURMANET: BAD NEWS AT THE VOICE OF AMERICA)HEADINGS:=========BURMANET: BAD NEWS AT THE VOICE OF AMERICAREUTER: BURMESE MILITARY ISSUES WARNING TO SUU KYIREUTER: BURMA GENERALS SPURN SUU KYI'S CONCERNSNLD(LA): PRESS RELEASE ON FORCED PUBLIC RALLIES IN BURMATHE HINDU ( EDITORIAL ): SUPPORT FOR SUU KYIBKK POST:RIGHTS GROUP DEMANDS TO DROP BURMA INVITEBKK POST:SLORC ANSWERS TO NLD BOYCOTT WITH 6-BAHT RISEBKK POST:BOY SHOT AS RENEGADES RAID PETROL STATIONBKK POST: KHMER ARMS FIND MARKET WITH BURMESE MINORITIESCSM: FOR THE POLITICAL TOURIST, A GUIDE TO BURMAAI: URGENT ACTION - DETAINED BURMESE IN THAILANDBURMANET: EDITOR'S NOTE ON DETAINED BURMESE IN THAILAND----------------- ---------------------------------------------------------BURMANET: BAD NEWS AT THE VOICE OF AMERICAstrider@igc.apc.orgDecember 7, 1995 When BurmaNet started "broadcasting" over theInternet two years ago, we intended to provide accuratecoverage of Burma, anonymously and with a minimalamount of editorializing. However, the strongappearance of misconduct by U.S. Government officialsat the Voice of America's Burmese-language Servicewarrants editorial comment.************************************************ The people in Burma exist in an police state andthe radio is their only tenuous link to the free world.They get their news from the radio. Aung San Suu Kyispeaks to them over the radio and they also hear whatthe rest of the world says about their government overthe radio. Because it is so important, broadcasterslike the Voice of America's (VOA) Burmese languageservice have a special responsibility to report thenews fully and accurately. But, the VOA is failing inits responsibility. Worse, it is trying to fail. The US Embassy in Rangoon cabled Washington lastweek to complain about an apparent pro-regime bias inVOA Burmese-language broadcasts. The Embassy iscomplaining about a series of reports filed by theBurmese-language Service Chief Myint Zaw Lwin. MyintZaw Lwin, an American citizen of Burmese birth, is inRangoon on a special three-month visa to cover Burma inthe aftermath of Daw Suu's release. Instead ofreporting on the opposition, however, she has used mostof her stories to profile (sympathetically) variousleaders of the State Law and Order Restoration Council(SLORC), and talk about business in Burma. In oneparticulary egregious piece of "journalism," shebroadcast a seventeen-minute interview with the wife ofBurma's secret police chief, Gen. Khin Nyunt. In addition to the biased broadcasts, the Embassyis indignant over Myint Zaw Lwin's recent appearance onthe cover of the "New Light of Myanmar." She waspictured handing over a large sum of kyat forcharitable purposes to Secretary-1, Khin Nyunt.American policy is to treat the SLORC as a pariah. Theimage of an American official donating money to thehead of Burma's secret police destroys the efforts ofdiplomats trying to carry out the American policy.It's not the only favor she's doing for Khin Nyunt.While in Rangoon, the VOA official is staying at thehotel owned by the secret policeman, the Mya Yeik Nyo.At $120 per night for 3 months (billed to the USGovernment), it is excessive by Rangoon standards. Under its current leadership, there have been numerous andlong- standing charges that the Burmese-language service is violating theVOA's own charter and rules. A spokesman for the All-Burma Student'sDemocratic Front said it this way in a recent letter: At the moment many [VOA] programs are giving a lot favour for the Slorc. For example, when Khin Maung Htay visited Burma, he made many interviews with pro-Slorc people and almost all (about 10 interviews) are put on the air while we found only one interview with Aung San Suu Kyi that he did and VOA put on air for democratic movement. It is practically 1:10 between democracy and dictator. Others who accuse the VOA of bias are the electedgovernment in exile, Burmese-American activists, exiledjournalists in Bangkok and leaders of the NationalLeague for Democracy in Rangoon. They voice the samecomplaint--the Burmese-language service is pro-SLORC.Specific documented allegations include the deliberatecensoring of Aung San Suu Kyi's views, a pattern ofbiased and inaccurate reports, unwillingness to air thevoices of the opposition and an unseemly fawningattitude towards Burma's generals. There are more damning allegations than those ofbias at the VOA or Myint Zaw Lwin's taste in company,charities or lodging. According to Delip Kumar, whodefected from the Burmese embassy in Washington lastmonth, Myint Zaw Lwin "is the informer of the [Burmese]embassy." If his allegations are correct, a Myint ZawLwin is regularly passing information on the activitiesof Burmese in the pro- democracy movement to Col. KyiTun, Burma's Military Attache in Washington, and TunNaing, the intelligence sergeant in the attache's office. Someof the Burmese activists allegedly being reported on areAmerican citizens and many still have families in Burma. If there is any merit to these allegations, theissue isn't bad judgement or bias. It's something akinto espionage. US Government officials should notsecretly pass information to hostile regimes that couldforeseeably harm American citizens or endanger theirfamilies. Much like the Aldrich Ames affair, the firstpriority was to determine whether the accusation istrue and if so, whether anyone was harmed. After that,the VOA should clean up its Burmese-language service,or shut it down. As the VOA's own rules for HandlingState Controlled Media states, "These countries [i.e.dictatorships] disseminate their own propaganda. We donot do it for them."*******************************The gravity of the charges aired in this editorialwarrant a departure from BurmaNet's tradition ofanonymity. In the United States, unlike in SLORC'sBurma, those accused have a right to know who theiraccusers are. Anyone with questions about thiseditorial should contact its author. /signed Douglas Steele Washington, DC December 7, 1995 (202) 234-0427 strider@igc.apc.org or douglas.steele@law.georgetown.edu**********************************************RECOMME NDATIONS:To restore its credibility, the VOA needs to takeimmediate steps to: determine whether the allegations made by Delip Kumar have any merit. If there is merit to the allegations, VOA then needs to-- determine whether any American citizens or the families of citizens have been harmed or put at risk, determine whether there is a pattern of pro-SLORC editorial biased or inaccurate reporting by the Burmese-language service, determine whether any other US officials knew or should have known about bias at the VOA or of a possible inappropriate relationship between Myint Zaw Lwin and Burmese intelligence officials, determine whether there is any merit to the allegations that Myint Zaw Lwin's husband, a senior official at the US Information Agency, has inappropriately sought to obstruct enquiries into the conduct of Burmese-language service operations.---------------------- -----------------------To contact the VOA: Jesse Cowan, Director Voice of America 330 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20547, USA Tel: (202) 401-1493 Fax: (202) 401- 1494****************************************************************REUTER: BURMESE MILITARY ISSUES WARNING TO SUU KYIDecember 5, 1995 RANGOON, Burma (Reuter) - Burma's military government Tuesday suggesteddemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was a traitor and said she and herpro-democracy colleagues would be ``annihilited'' if they tried todestabilize the country. The state-run New Light of Myanmar and Mirror Daily newspapers, bothwidely seen as mouthpieces of the ruling military, carried commentariesindirectly comparing Suu Kyi with a reviled 19th century traitor who helpedBritish forces conquer Burma. ``True young patriots are well aware of all your activities and they willannihilate, holding hands with the people, anyone who makes the countryunstable,'' the newspaper commentary said. ``If you really have a true desire to see Myanmar (Burma) develop, it isessential not to do as you are directed by the imperialists,'' said thecommentary entiled ``Wither goes thou, Maung Ba Than. More than 100 years ago, Maung Ba Than helped British troops captureMandalay, then the Burmese capital, leading to the imposition of Britishcolonial rule throughout Burma. Suu Kyi, released from six years of house arrest in July, pulled herNational League for Democracy (NLD) party out of a government-organisedconvention drawing up the guidelines of a new constitution last week, sayingthe proceedings were undemocratic. The NLD's boycott of the convention, which has been meetingintermittently since January 1993, was the pro-democracy party's mostsignificant act of defiance since Suu Kyi's release. The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner has made repeated calls for talks onpolitical reform but the ruling military body has yet to indicate it iswilling to begin talks. In her regular weekend meetings with crowds of people who gather outsideher home, Suu Kyi has often called for patience and restraint in the campaignto end 33 years of military rule. She has also rejected governmentsuggestions that she is trying to incite protestors to take to the streets. Meanwhile a small group of students was prevented from holding aremembrance ceremony on the site of the old students' union building atRangoon University on Tuesday , witnesses said. Troops blew up the union building on July 8, 1962, four months after themilitary first seized power in a coup. The day before the building was destroyed, troops put down the first of along series of student protests against miltiary rule. Witnesses said the students abandoned their attempt to hold a ceremony tohonor veteran student leaders after being told by authorities it was notallowed. There were no reports of any arrests. State newspapers reported on Tuesday several mass rallies by tens ofthousands of people in support of the government's constitutional convention.Rangoon-based diplomats as well as ordinary Burmese people have said inthe past such rallies are stage managed by the government and mostparticipants are coereced into going under threat of being fined or firedfrom their jobs if they are state employees.************************************************************REUTER: BURMA GENERALS SPURN SUU KYI'S CONCERNSDecember 7, 1995By Deborah Charles RANGOON, Dec 7 (Reuter) - Burma's enigmatic generals have proved onceagain that they and their regime cannot be read like an open book. Less than five months after shocking the world with a conciliatorygesture by unconditionally releasing Burma's most famous political prisoner-- Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi -- the military government hasreturned to confrontation. Recent indications include harsh verbal attacks on pro-democracysupporters, intimidation and a dogged determination to continue aconstitution- writing process widely regarded as a farce. Brigadier General David Abel, Minister for National Planning and EconomicDevelopment, said in a recent interview foreign investors would flock toBurma despite the political and human rights problems because they want tomake money. ``Money motivates men. Big businessmen, their motivation is to makemoney,'' he told Reuters. ``If they can make money, why not? They are notworried about what politicians say.'' Abel also dismissed Suu Kyi's calls to foreign investors andinternational organisations to refrain from investing in Burma while itremains undemocratically-led. CONSTITUTION PROCESS SEEN TO SHORE UPMILITARY REGIME Critics say the only goal of the constitution-drafting process is toconsolidate the military's grip on power in Burma. Their complaints, however, have gone unheeded by the ruling State Law andOrder Council (SLORC), which took power in 1988 after brutally supressingdemocracy uprisings that left thousands imprisoned or dead. Opposition members, dissidents and some foreign governments have publiclydeplored the SLORC's constitution-writing exercise, saying it wasundemocratic. ``Our intention is always to find the way that is the most beneficial tothe people of the country,'' Suu Kyi, 50, told reporters recently as sheannounced her National League for Democracy (NLD) party had decided to pullout of the constitutional talks. ``We cannot in all honour support a National Convention which is notheading for what the people want, which is not in any way desirous ofbringing about national reconciliation, multi-party democracy or aconstitution that will be acceptable to all the people of our country.'' The NLD has participated in previous sessions of the constitutionaltalks, as the only elected representatives, but has repeatedly called forchanges to the process. The national convention, which is drafting guidelines for a newconstitution, has met sporadically since January 1993 and convenes at thewhim of the SLORC. Among other things, the constitution calls for the military to play a keyrole in a future democratic government. The SLORC said it will continue with the convention, now attended byabout 550 delegates who are almost all hand-picked by the military, despitethe pullout of the NLD's 86 delgates. GENERALS THREATEN TO ANNIHILATEOPPONENTS OF NATIONAL UNITY SLORC lashed out at the NLD and at Suu Kyi in particular for leaving thetalks, warning of dire consequences for anyone who tries to disrupt Burma'snational unity. A senior SLORC and army official, Lieutenant General Tin Oo, recentlysaid the armed forces would ``resolutely take action against and annihilatethose who mar or disturb the interest of the entire nation.'' Another SLORC official had already said the NLD and Suu Kyi were tryingto disrupt Burma. The warning of ``annhilation'' was repeated in a toughly-worded criticismof Suu Kyi and her party in a commentary published in state-run newspaperswhich are often seen as the mouthpiece of the government. The United States government and some other foreign diplomats publiclysupported the NLD's withdrawal, and called for an end to attacks on theopposition. ``We and other governments have noted that...the NationalConvention...does not offer the opposition a meaningful opportunity toparticipate in the crucial decisions that will determine Burma's politicalfuture,'' a White House statement said after the NLD boycott was announced. ``We urge the (SLORC) to recognise that public discussion in anenvironment free of intimidation is critical to the healthy functioning ofany political system. We further urge the authorities to avoid threats orother measures against those who seek freely to express their views,'' itsaid. The tougher attitude toward pro- democracy supporters appears to havegiven new life to the battered and fledgling opposition. The NLD, which won a 1990 general election by a landslide, was neverallowed to govern and the SLORC tried to repress the movement by arresting orintimidating many senior members. Suu Kyi, who was released from six years of house arrest in July, hassaid the manner in which the SLORC is conducting constitutional talks willshow to the world that it has no real intention of allowing true democracy toreturn to Burma. Diplomats say Suu Kyi, who since her release has unsuccessfully calledfor dialogue with the government to find a way to bring democracy to Burma,may have made these comments only because she felt there was no other optionopen to her. Suu Kyi's resurgence comes at a time when diplomats, some dissidents andopposition members speculate that she has lost some of her fight after sixyears of house arrest. They said before the boycott announcement that the SLORC appeared to bewinning its game of ignoring Suu Kyi with the hope that her supporters wouldlose interest and decide she has no real power. The Nobel laureate said she realises the government may crack down evenharder or perhaps re-arrest her or other senior party members, but said thefight had to continue. ``The NLD was not founded because we wanted a nice, cosy niche. We knewthere were dangers involved and we were prepared*********************************************************************NLD(LA): PRESS RELEASE ON FORCED PUBLIC RALLIES IN BURMADecember 5, 1995From: chan@.unv.ernet.in(editor's note: Other sources have also reported widespread use of force bythe SLORC to make people attend public rallies supporting the NationalConvention, not only in the cities but also in the countryside.)The National League for Democracy / Liberated Area denounces the State Lawand Order Restoration Council for ordering the people to participate in thevillainous mass meetings in Burma. The military rulers of Burma are forcingthe people to attend the public rallies in the big cities in Burma to try to showthat their National Convention is receiving support of the people. This kind ofmeasure is not uncommon under such a brutal regime.That is why the USDA ( Union Solidarity and Development Association ) wasbrought into existence by the military junta. The government employees andstudents are forced to enroll into the USDA. The school-children are threatenedto lose sitting the examination. The public are subject to fine 50 to 500 Kyats ifthey fail to show up in the rallies. The teachers are instructed to bring the studentsto the assemblies while "not-more-than-four" order is still valid elsewhere for others.USDA intentionally chose the green uniform in order to deceive all school-childrenas the members. It should be noted that, in Burma, all school-children and teachershave to wear white-on-green uniforms. Feeling helpless, if not always, the civiliansare used to follow the orders by the authorities. That does not mean a unanimity.That can not be taken as conscience. The military rulers know that. But, why didthey do it then? The Generals organize the rallies just to televise and photographto put them on the media.Because they expect an assumption from the outsiders. Do the outsiders takeaccount of it? If they got appreciation from outside, they will use such rallies asa referendum to approve their upcoming soldier- dominated constitution. They darenot taking risk a secret vote again like the 1990 election.So the National League for democracy / Liberated Area- condemns SLORC's unsound approach of "forced mass rallies",- beseeches the people of Burma to resist the unjust orders consonant with DawAung San Suu Kyi and the NLD party's boycott against the present NationalConvention and- calls for the outsiders to ridicule the SLORC for attempting to seek inconstantappreciation by international community.The National League for Democracy / Liberated Area[ Western Region ]*************************************************************THE HINDU ( EDITORIAL ): SUPPORT FOR SUU KYIDecember 5, 1995From: fdhr!chan@unv.ernet.inThe time may have arrived for India to come out in open support of the movementfor democracy headed by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi in neighbouring Myanmar,placing its own cherished national values of freedom and human rights abovewhatever little gains may be had by continued contact with the regime inYangon. By rejecting the legitimate demands of the Suu Kyi-led NationalDemocratic League and expelling it from the convention called to draft aconstitution of convenience, the regime has shut the door to national reconciliationand forfeited the trust reposed in it by the international community.There was relief and even optimism when the junta released Ms. Suu Kyi, theNobel Prize and Nehru Award winner, from six years of house arrest in early July.The optimism was of course tempered by the realization that the released come onthe eve of a summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations whose richesthe military regime is eager to partake of. Through its latest act, the junta standsexposed for what it is: a ruthless machine that brooks no opposition and whichhas now given up even the pretenses of moving the country towards civilian rule.The so-called national convention, dominated by representatives hand-pickedby the military, has just one task: to prepare a constitution that will prepetuate thejunta's hold on power.It must now be quite clear to all those apologists of the regime that it released Ms.Suu Kyi not because it was committed to political change and reconciliation but toentice foreign capital, particularly from countries in the neighbourhood whichhave perfected their own version of democracy and, flush with finance, have beenlooking around for safe investment destinations. Their policy of "constructiveengagement" was based on the doubtful premise that quite pressure combinedwith interaction would loosen the junta's hold. Japan and some members of ASEANlaunched on a process of calibrated political and economic incentives soon afterMs. Suu Kyi's release. But the soft approach, meant also to induce Myanmar tocome out of the embrace of China, is a shambles and the policy of carrotwithout stick has emboldened the regime to issue threats to its opponents. Ahermetically sealed country which has just had a taste of freedom now faces the threatof being pushed back into darkness.THE choice before the international community is clear: it must ensure thatthe regime is not allowed to get away with impunity. The junta must be toldthat the world will accept nothing short of complete political freedom for Ms.Suu Kyi and her democracy campaigners -under the rules framed by the junta'sunderlings, she is to be barred from participating in the nation's politicallife on the ground of her marriage to a foreigner. Examples abound of internationalinaction and ineptitude in the face of the type of challenge posed by the militarymen in Myanmar and Nigeria. But there have also been successful demonstrationsof the world community's determination to reinstate democracy, such as the effort in Haiti.Ms. Suu Kyi has displayed exemplary courage and has just declared that she and hersupporters are prepared to face the consequences of their action. Myanmar is certainlya test case. Giving the Neru Award for International Understanding to a representativeof Ms. Suu Kyi in New Delhi a fortnight ago, the President, Dr. S. D. Sharma,declared that "supporting democracy elsewhere is part of affirming one's owndemocratic credentials." India can redeem this pledge to the Myanmar leader, whomthe Vice- President described as a "symbol of challenge to injustice", by launchingan international campaign for the return of democracy to her country.********************************************************BKK POST: RIGHTS GROUP DEMANDS TO DROP BURMA INVITEDecember 8, 1995Malaysian human rights groups have called on Asean towithdraw its invitation for Burmese leader Than Shwetoattend next week's Bangkok summit. And they have demandedAsean ditch its "constructive engagement" policy withRangoon and urged it to take "concrete steps" to encourage"genuine peace talks" on East Timor between the Indonesiangovernment and the East Timorese leadership.About 13 groups signed the statement calling for action. Thegroups have planned vigils at the Indonesian and Burmeseembassies in Kuala Lumpur this evening. The groups wantAsean to withdraw the invitation in a bid to show itsdisdain of human rights violations in Burma.And they claim Asean's constructive engagement policy whichaims to draw Burma into the world community in a bid toencourage its leaders to conform with international laws_has not worked.Asia Pacific Coalition on East Timor (Msia), AWAM (All WomenAction Society), CENPEACE (Centre for Peace Initiatives),Management Institute for Social Change, PACOS (Partners forCommunity Organisers), were among the groups calling foraction.Asean has invited Gen Than Shwe, chairman of the rulingState Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc), to attendan informal gathering of 10 Southeast Asian countries on December 15.The meeting is considered to be part of the Asean summitBangkok is hosting. The Burmese delegation is scheduled toarrive on December 14. Gen Than Shwe is expected to beaccompanied by Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw, and Slorc's FirstSecretary-General Lt Gen Khin Nyunt."It is clear that firm action, such as withdrawing theinvitation to the summit, is needed as an indication thatAsean views with disdain the increasing human rights violationsin that country," the Malaysian groups' statement said.Reacting to the call, Thai Foreign Ministry SpokesmanSuvidhya Simaskul said Asean "does not need to speak againand again of its policy on Burma, and of why we are invitingBurma." "Asean knows about human rights and democratisation.But Asean does not believe in denial or use of negativemeasures," he added.Indonesia's Arizal Effendi, director general forInternational Legal and Treaties Affairs, said Burma is wellaware of the need to integrate into the region because thetask of development requires interdependence.According to the Malaysian groups' statement, internationalreports on Burma from the United Nations Commission on HumanRights and Amnesty International have made "special mention"of the fact that human rights abuses by the Slorc haveincreased "In recent times." "Evidence indicates that forcedlabour and human rights violations continue to beperpetrated in the context of tourism development," thegroups' statement said.It is "extremely distressing" that business people fromAsean countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysiahave been "active partners" of the Slorc in the tourismdevelopment. "Entrepreneurs from these countries havealready committed about US$ 450 million to this investmentin death, rape and human misery."The groups urged Malaysian people to boycott the Slorc'sVisit Myanmar Year 1996, and called on Malaysian businessmento "cease and desist" for initiating or extending any morefinancial dealings with Burma.The groups maintained that the human rights situation inBurma has deteriorated since Asean adopted "constructiveengagement" as a policy towards Rangoon. "Any changes madehave been purely cosmetic to buy off international concern," it added.Slorc troops "even now" are violating Thai territorialsovereignty "In the course of harassing refugees,"particularly around the Mae Sot area, in the westernprovince of Tak, the groups said."Therefore, we urge the Asean member nations to call offtheir policy of constructive engagement with the Slorc andto withdraw the invitation to Slorc chairman General ThanShwe."On East Timor, the Malaysian groups called for immediaterelease of all East Timorese and Indonesian politicalprisoners. They also demanded the immediate application ofall Geneva Protocols and international laws, and theadmission into East Timor of international agencies such asthe Red Cross, the Red Crescent, Amnesty International and the UN."Asean wields sufficient influence in the region to persuadeIndonesia to take a conciliatory approach to solve theconflict," the Malaysian groups said. Other Malaysian groupson the list are Jawatankuasa Sokongan Peneoka Bandar,Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Pusat BARA, Sekretariat Pelajar,Universiti Islam Antarabangsa, Selangor Chinese AssemblyHall Youth, Suara Warga Pertiwi, SUARAM, Tamil Support Groupfor Human Rights, and Tenaganita (Womenforce). (BP)*************************************************BKK POST: SLORC ANSWERS TO NLD BOYCOTT WITH 6-BAHT RISEDecember 8, 1995Rangoon, AFPThe boycott of Burma's constitutional convention by theNational League for Democracy has prompted the junta toraise the allowance for remaining delegates by six baht a day.NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi announced her party's boycott onNov 29, saying the convention, which is drawing upguidelines for a constitution, is undemocratic. Critics inBurma and abroad have branded the convention a sham designedto ensure military rule under the State Law and Order Restoration Council.The NLD has 86 of the convention's 702 delegates, despitewinning 80 percent of the vote in a national election in1990. The military refused to hand over power after the vote. (BP)*************************************************BKK POST: BOY SHOT AS RENEGADES RAID PETROL STATIONDecember 8, 1995An 11-year-old boy was shot by a heavily armed group offoreign soldiers who crossed from Burma on Tuesday to attacka petrol station. The attack occurred on Tuesday night at apetrol station, only 150 metres away from a policecheckpoint along Mae Sot-Umphang Road in Phop Phra District.The boy, identified only as Ekachai, was shot once in theleft leg and was rushed to the district hospital. BoonchaiSilviriyanon, 36, owner of the station, and his wife Thongkam saidabout 30 foreign intruders armed with M16 and AK47 rifles and M79grenade launchers stormed the place at about 8 p.m.They took seven workers hostage before trying to break intothe office. Mrs Thongkam managed to lock the office door,forcing the group to fire at the door. That was when Ekachai was shot.Police officers at the checkpoint fired at the armed men anda brief exchange of fire followed. The armed mensubsequently retreated across the border back to Burma. AnM16 ammunition pouch and a jungle knife popular among Karenpeople were found a few metres from the border.According to Tak police chief Pol Col Somsak Chalermwan, thearmed men were suspected to be remnants of the KarenNational Union whose camps have been seized and overtaken byBurmese forces. An informed source said Mr Boonchai had abusiness conflict with both Karen and Burmese soldiers. Theattack might be intended as a threat. (BP)**********************************************************BKK POST: KHMER ARMS FIND MARKET WITH BURMESE MINORITIESDecember 6, 1995 Despite ongoing peace talks between Rangoon and variousrebel groups, war weapons continue to flow to the insurgents fromarms- smuggling gangs based in Thailand, informed sources closeto anti- Rangoon rebels said yesterday. Most of the war weapons, they said, came from Cambodia andsmuggling was possible because of the involvement of some corrupt Thai officials. All kinds of war weapons for infantry use, either brand newor used, could be purchased Provided you can afford it, sources said. A brand-new M16 or an AK47 assault rifle normally fetchesbetween 1,700-3,000 on the Thai-Cambodian border, (but for deliveryto) rebels in Kanchanaburi or Karen rebels in Mae Sot, the price will goup to about 7,000 baht apiece. The same weapon will fetch about 12,000 baht if it is delivered to Shanrebels of drug kingpin Khun Sa in Burma opposite Mae Hong Son andChiang Mai provinces, according to the sources. An M79 grenade- launcher and an RPG grenade-launcher ispriced at 3,000 baht and 4,000 baht respectively at the Thai- Cambodian borderand a rocket fetches between 160-200 baht each. The sources said that even Chinese- made SA7 shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles could be bought from Cambodia atabout 200,000 baht apiece. Apart from anti-Rangoon rebel groups which are normallymajor buyers of war weapons smuggled from Cambodia, the sourcessaid that some of the arms are sold to fishermen in Ranong,supposedly for selfprotection against pirates. A small portion of the weapons also went to the Tamil Tigersin SriLanka, the sources claimed. Although about 100 allege arms traders are arrested eachyear, 60% of the smuggled weapons went through police dragnetsand reached their customers, the sources claimed.*****************************************************AI: URGENT ACTION - DETAINED BURMESE IN THAILANDDecember 7, 1995 URGENT ACTION NETWORK AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Post Office Box 1270 Nederland Co 80466-1270 Email: Sharriso@Aiusa.Usa.Com Phone: 303 440 0913, Fax: 303 250 7881This Urgent Action appeal originated from Amnesty International'sresearch headquarters at the International Secretariat in London, UnitedKingdom. Amnesty International is an independent worldwide movementworking for the international protection of human rights. It seeks therelease of men and women detained anywhere because of their beliefs,color, sex, ethnic origin, language or religious creed, provided theyhave not used nor advocated violence. These are termed prisoners ofconscience. It works for fair and prompt trials for all politicalprisoners and works on behalf of such people detained without charge ortrial. It opposes the death penalty and torture or other cruel, inhumanor degrading treatment or punishment of all prisoners without reservation.---------------------------- ----------------------------------------------EXTRA 155/95 Heath concern / Legal concern 5December 1995THAILAND: Daw Khin Hlaing (female), aged 65 U Ye Gaung (male), aged 71, journalist and 23 other Burmese asylum-seekersAmnesty International is seriously concerned for the health of Daw KhinHlaing who has been in detention with her husband, U Ye Gaung, in Bangkoksince 29 November 1995. She is said to be suffering from a heartcondition which may be exacerbated by their detention.Daw Khin Hlaing and U Ye Gaung, who are both Burmese asylum-seekers, weretaken from their home in Bangkok in the early morning of 29 November, andhave since been held without charge or trial at the Immigration DetentionCentre (IDC). U Ye Gaung is senior writer for the New Era Journal, aBurmese opposition newspaper published in Thailand. AmnestyInternational believes the couple may have been arrested for the peacefulexpression of their political views.Police also arrested 23 other Burmese asylum-seekers on 28 and 29November in Bangkok, in what Amnesty International believes is an effortto prevent public protests about the Burmese military-convened NationalConvention in Rangoon (Yangon), the capital of Myanmar. Although none ofthe 25 have yet been charged, the Thai police routinely detain Burmeseasylum-seekers and sentence them to terms of imprisonment for 'illegal immigration'.Amnesty International opposes the detention of refugees or asylum-seekersunless they have been charged with a recognizably criminal offence.International standards do not recognize 'illegal immigration' as alegitimate reason for the detention of asylum-seekers, and state that thedetention of refugees and asylum-seekers should normally be avoided.Senior Burmese military officials will be visiting Bangkok inmid-December 1995 to attend a meeting of the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN). Although Myanmar is not yet a member of ASEAN, ithas been invited to attend the meeting. Amnesty International fears thatthe 25 Burmese asylum-seekers will be detained until at least after that time.BACKGROUND INFORMATIONThe National Convention, first convened by the Burmese militaryauthorities in 1993 in order to draft the principles for a newconstitution, reconvened on 28 November 1995 after a seven-month break.The following day, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the oppositionNational League for Democracy (NLD), announced that the NLD would boycottthe Convention, stating that it was undemocratic. On 1 December themilitary government said that the NLD was expelled from the Convention.At the Convention, speeches by delegates, all selected by the military,require prior approval. Previously, the majority of NLD Members ofParliament-elect were not allowed to attend. In any case, dozens of themwere in prison, having been arrested in 1990 and 1991 and sentenced tolong terms of imprisonment.RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/airmailletters:- expressing serious concern at reports that Daw Khin Hlaing is sufferingfrom a heart condition and seeking assurances that they both she and herhusband U Ye Gaung receive proper medical care immediately, particularlyin view of their age;- urging the Thai authorities to immediately release U Ye Gaung, Daw KhinHlaing and the other 23 Burmese asylum- seekers arrested on 28 and 29November 1995, or charge them with recognizably criminal offences;- urging the Thai authorities to cease the practice of routinelyarresting Burmese and other asylum- seekers.APPEALS TO: (SALUTATION)Banharn Silapa-archa (Dear Prime Minister)Prime Minister and Minister of the InteriorOffice of the Prime MinisterGovernment HouseNakhorn Pathom RoadBangkok 10300, Thailand[Telegrams: Prime Minister Banharn Silapa-archa, Bangkok, Thailand][Faxes: 011 66 2 280 1443; 011 66 2 225 6211]COPIES TO:Ambassador Manaspas XutoEmbassy of Thailand2300 Kalorama Rd. NWWashington DC 20008******************************************************BURMANET: EDITOR'S NOTE ON DETAINED BURMESE IN THAILANDSources have reported that U Ye Gaung, Daw Khin Hlaing, and the detainedBurmese students are in satisfactory condition at the IDC. Daw Khin Hlaingis receiving medicine for her heart condition.The IDC is divided into several large cells, holding anywhere from 20 to 50 peopleeach. The rooms are often so crowded that people must take turns lying down.The men's cells are bare and grim. There are no mats on the cement floor. Thewomen's section is a bit nicer, but because of the number of small childrendetained with their mothers, it is always noisy. Visitors can go up to the cellsand deliver food and reading materials between 9:30 and 11:30 on weekdays.They must bring their passports and a xeroxed copy of their passports with them.Some sources have suggested that the SLORC ordered the Thai authoritiesto arrest Burmese dissidents in Bangkok before the ASEAN summit meetingwhich senior SLORC generals will be attending. It has also been suggestedthat the SLORC provided the Thai authorities with a specific list of namesand addresses, but this is unconfirmed.It is likely that the detainees will be held until after the summit meeting is over.The length of detention for illegal Burmese varies considerably and can dependon their circumstances - ie. whether they have money to pay to get out andwhether they are political dissidents or economic migrants. Eventually, detainedBurmese who are economic migrants are usually packed into buses and takenback to the border either near Three Pagodas Pass or Mae Sot. From there theycan either go back into Burma or accept an offer from a broker who will take themback into Thailand.*************************************************************CSM: FOR THE POLITICAL TOURIST, A GUIDE TO BURMADecember 8, 1995 (Christian Science Monitor)By Cameron W. Barr; the Monitor's Tokyo correspondent. , RangoonNot even the travel agents in Rangoon have high hopes for the militaryregime's attempt to promote 1996 as ''Visit Myanmar Year.'' The generals who run the country would never agree, but it would take areally clever marketing campaign (''Visit Myanmar - And Meet Big Brother'' or''Come to Burma - We'll Put You Under Our Thumb'') to draw the 500,000 touriststhey are looking for next year. In 1994 about 89,000 visitors came here. ''The government is only advertising inside the country,'' sighs the directorof one of Burma's biggest private travel companies, who asked that his name notbe used. ''Our company is preparing for 1997, not 1996.'' Besides the poorpromotions abroad, skeptics note the lack of good hotels at some of Burma's mostsplendid attractions, such as the temple ruins at Pagan, and the country'snearly decrepit road and telephone networks. But visiting Burma offers the enterprising traveler a chance to experiencesomething that is increasingly rare now that communism has collapsed: a fullyfunctioning military dictatorship. Those who do come in 1996 will very likely have the opportunity to absorb thesights and sounds of a country waiting to rid itself of military rule. Inaddition to visiting Burma's gilded pagodas, you should be able to seeopposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in action, witness prison laborers''volunteering'' to upgrade tourist sites, and tour a museum that enshrines theaccomplishments of the regime while omitting the military's violent excesses. The generals who took power in September 1988 call themselves the State Lawand Order Restoration Council, or SLORC. In a more graceful linguistic fiat, theregime replaced the anglicized names ''Burma'' and ''Rangoon'' with the moreBurmese ''Myanmar'' and ''Yangon.'' They refused to recognize the results of elections held in May 1990 in whichvoters overwhelmingly favored a party led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The juntareleased Ms. Suu Kyi from six years of house arrest in July, but has refused toenter into the dialogue she has requested. Suu Kyi last week withdrew her partyfrom SLORC's constitutional convention, saying the process was undemocratic.This week, state-run newspapers implicitly called her a traitor and said peopleattempting to destabilize the country would be ''annihilated.'' The nature of Burma's government tinges the country's charm with a creepymalevolence. In Rangoon there are several military compounds near the famousShwedagon Pagoda, the capital's largest and the center of Burmese Buddhism.Pounds and pounds of gold and jewels adorn the Pagoda and its surroundingshrines, but the area is freely accessible through a number of streets andbyways. The main military compound, where there are presumably fewer riches, iscircled by barbed-wire topped walls punctuated with machine-gun portals. In front of the walls of the fort that dominates the upcountry city ofMandalay is a red billboard that reads in English and Burmese: ''The Tatmadaw(military) shall never betray the national cause.'' It answers a question thatno one in the country dare ask aloud. Since her release from house arrest, Suu Kyi has given informal speeches fromthe gate of her Rangoon home. As of October she was speaking at around 4 p.m. onSaturdays and Sundays to gatherings of several hundred Burmese and a handful ofjournalists and tourists. She speaks in Burmese, of course, but it's not every weekend that one can seea Nobel Peace Prize winner in the flesh. In recent talks she has emphasized theneed for her followers to maintain unity, discipline, and patience. The crowds'delighted reaction comes through in any language. If you happen by at the appointed hour, and some Rangoon tour guides willaccompany visitors, it's important to keep in mind that these occasions areillegal. In 1988 SLORC issued a decree banning public meetings of five or morepeople. The Burmese who do attend the speeches are taking a risk, and some arereluctant to talk. Burmese who have been overheard discussing their country'spolitics with foreigners say they have been questioned later by the country'smilitary intelligence service. Another stop on the political tourist's Rangoon itinerary should be the newDefense Services Museum, which honors Burma's military and particularly theregime of the past seven years. This vast institution chronicles every facet ofthe military: the industries it operates, the government ministries it nowcontrols, and its various kinds of gear. Every sort of munitions the militaryhas ever used is on display, from .22 caliber pistol rounds to a 750-pound firebomb. There are airplanes, heavy artillery pieces, radio sets, uniforms, evenjars of strawberry jam used on hospital ships. There are countless images of the generals in action. Tasks both mundane andnoble are chronicled with equal reverence. One photograph is captioned ''Headsof State seen together with trainees of the women's parachutists course.'' Amural is titled, ''The State Law and Order Restoration Council's endeavor forinternal peace and national consolidation.'' One bit of Burmese military history that goes unmentioned in the museum isthe repression of popular protest. In 1962, 1974, and 1988, troops shot andbayoneted thousands of civilians who were clamoring for more democracy and lessmilitary-backed authoritarianism. Burma's state-run newspapers and television endlessly trumpet the regime'sefforts to upgrade the country's infrastructure as a means of developing theeconomy and facilitating tourism. In Mandalay, for instance, the government hasundertaken many improvements to the hill that overlooks the city. Where tourists before had to climb some 1,700 steps to see the view and theBuddhist temple at the top, they can now ride most of the way thanks to aswitchback road carved into the hill. Construction of an escalator and otherfacilities is under way. But diplomats and human rights groups say the government has often coercedvillagers and prisoners to work on these projects, particularly on roads inoutlying areas. Burmese officials have denied the charges, saying peoplevolunteer to work in the national interest. On one recent visit to Mandalay Hill, a group of men in grimy white clothessat in tight formation as a soldier in fatigues gave instructions. They marchedin lines to a construction site. A woman working in a snack bar nearby said themen were prison laborers brought by the Army. From the top of the hill visitors can see another of the regime's infrastructureprojects. Slightly north and west of the hill a semicircular compound is nearingcompletion. It is encircled by a wall, and additional walls inside the compoundseparate long, narrow buildings from each other. It is a new prison.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------BURMANET SUBJECT- MATTER RESOURCE LISTBurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of differenttopics related to Burma. 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