------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: December 19, 1995 Issue #306 HEADLINES: ========== HINDUSTAN TIMES : INDO-MYANMAR BORDER TRADE CROSSES RS 3 CR INDEPENDENT REPORT: FAMILY ARRIVES FOR CHRISTMAS REUNION ARAB NEWS: BURMESE JUNTA KILLS FIVE ROHINGYA YOUTHS IN ARAKAN DVB: OPPOSITION RADIO REPORTS DEFECTION OF TWO GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS BKK POST: GLOBAL LABOUR UNION BLAMES BURMA JUNTA FOR NATION: BURMA: WE HAVE A SHARED DESTINY WITH ASEAN ASIA PACIFIC CONSORTIUM ON BURMA: RESOLUTION BURMANET: BRIEF BUSINESS REPORTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HINDUSTAN TIMES : INDO-MYANMAR BORDER TRADE CROSSES RS 3 CR December 14, 1995 >From : FTUB(WB) CALCUTTA, Dec. 13: Cross border trade between India and Myanmar through the newly opened land route connecting Moreh in Manipur with Tamu in Myanmar has during the last six months crossed the Rs. 3-crore(10 million) mark. This has prompted the need to establish a similar land route between Champhai in Mizoram with adjoining Burmese province, which will start opening soon, according to Indian Commerce Ministry sources. Both these land routes as well as the newly launched biweekly direct air flights between Calcutta and Yangon by Indian Airlines are expected to ease considerable the earlier difficulties encountered by the Indian traders. Absence of direct shipping lines and lack of other transportation facilities were stifling the growth of bilateral trade, and the Indian business community had to depend mainly on costly carriage facilities offered by Thai and Singaporean airlines. The resumption of direct air links after a gap of 22 years is understood to have evoke tremendous interest in corporate circle here as quite a number of Calcutta and Northeast based industries and firms have begun exploring possibilities of setting up marketing offices in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar. The Indian multinational ITC is understood to have sent a senior official to Yangon last week to hold discussion with Myanmar Chamber of Commerce on mutually beneficial business cooperation as many ITC products are through the company's offices in Singapore. Official of both India and Myanmar are also examining the possibility of reopening very soon the suspended auction center for the famous Myanmarese teak wood somewhere near the border, so that Indian traders can take part in it. One of the most compelling reasons why most Indian companies which have already gained a foothold in Myanmar through their agents and subagents are eager to have their own offices in that, due to supply delays, a lot of spurious goods with Indian- made labels are flooding the markets there causing huge financial losses and damage to their reputation. Thus, deployment of these companies' own personnel in Myanmar will generate increasing business, transportation of high-demand Indian consumer goods including tea, spices, pharmaceutical products, toiletries, cosmetics, tyres, textiles and hosiery, etc., by air cargo, the official pointed out. ******************************************** INDEPENDENT REPORT: FAMILY ARRIVES FOR CHRISTMAS REUNION WITH SUU KYI December 19,1995 From: "Moe K. T." RANGOON, Burma -- The family of dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived Monday to help her celebrate the Christmas holiday, her first outside detention since 1988. Her British husband Michael Aris, an Oxford don, and their younger son Kim are visiting for the second time since her release from six years of house arrest in July. **************************************************************** ARAB NEWS: BURMESE JUNTA KILLS FIVE ROHINGYA YOUTHS IN ARAKAN December 14, 1995 (English Saudi Arabian daily newspaper) From: bcn@xs4all.nl (Burma Centrum Nederland) Five Rohingya Muslim youths from Arakan province were shot dead after torture by the Burmese military junta recently, according to a stetement issued by the Rohingya Solidarity ORganization (RSO). A section of military intelligence belonging to Unit 18 of Buthidaung township, some 80 miles north of Akyab, captial of Arakan state, had arrested these youths from different villages under the township for allegedly having links with rebel groups. In course of interrogation, they were subjected to severe torture and later on all of them were shot dead behind a hill west of the military unit. The RSO gave the names of the victims as: Abu Siddique, 20, from Sin Oo Byin village, Muhammad Shafi, 22, and Nazir Hussain, 21, from Mingyi village, Anwar, 19, from Migyagze village and Abdur Rahim, 35, from Pondgaw Byin village. RSO siad extrajudicial killings of Rohingyas are a common affair as perpetrators have no fear of being prosecuted. The organization gave chronological details of some brutal murders commiitted by the so-called State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). It said Imam Sharif, 45, of Sikdarpara village near Maungdaw was inhumanely beaten to death, Na Sa Ka (border security forces) of Khandaung killed Shah Alam, 35, of Ponnoylake village by beating, NSK bayoneted Muhammad haroon to death as he was ill and could not follow NSK orders to load belongings on a boat, and NSK fired indiscriminately on a fishing boat at Pyin Pyu creek killing four fishermen. The RSO said besides massacring Rohingya youths, the military junta is also indulged in serious human rights violations like rape, torture and arbitrary arrests. ****************************************************** DVB: OPPOSITION RADIO REPORTS DEFECTION OF TWO GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS December 15, 1995 (Democratic Voice of Burma) It has been learned that privates Myint Kyu and Aung Myint from the SLORC's State Law and Order Restoration Council No 103 light infantry division, stationed at Kalaele Gwin phonetic in the KNU's Karen National Union 7th Brigade region, defected, with arms and ammunition, and sought refuge with the 6th Company of the 35th Battalion of the Thai Border Police Force on 6th December. The defectors said the soldiers were facing many difficulties because of lack of food and medical supplies, clothing and appliances. They said their salaries were not paid in full because their salaries had been deducted by the senior officers. The defectors said 11 of them managed to escape but the other nine were captured. Because of the lack of supplies, comrades from the Burmese military forces frequently rob the Thai villages. This report is from the Shwe Baho Si Studio. ******************************************** BKK POST: GLOBAL LABOUR UNION BLAMES BURMA JUNTA FOR WORKERS' LAYOFF December 19,1995 Singapore, AFP A Global trade unions group said yesterday that Burma's military junta should be blamed for an impending layoff of workers in Burmese garment factories following protests over alleged human rights abuses. "It is the corrupt military regime which is to blame,:" the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions-Asian and Pacific Regional Organisation (ICFTU-APRO) said in the statement published by Singapore's Straits Times daily. The labour group was responding to the newspaper's December 14 article by a top official of Hong Kong-based Victoria Garment Manufacturing Co, alleging that pressure from US human rights activists hampered exports of garments from his Burmese factories. The opinion piece by Joe Pang was first carried in the Paris- based International Herald Tribune on December 12. Pang said his company expected to lay off up to half of its 3,300 workers from his four factories in Burma in the next few months because exports to the US market could drop by 69 percent to $10 million in 1995 from $32 million last year. Workers' average pay, which is mainly calculated by piece rate, has already fallen to $12 a month from between $30 and $40 previously, he said. Pang said many of his American customers relented to pressure from human rights groups, including the New York-based Coalition for Corporate Withdrawal From Myanmar (Burma), which claimed that the junta violated human rights and repressed democracy. "These activists threatened to picket any stores selling Myanmar-made goods. They also threaten to buy shares of any publicly-listed company importing such goods to voice their views at annual stock-holders' meetings," Pang said. "But do they consider the rights of workers in Myanmar," Pang asked. "Their misguided actions will hurt the very people they purport to help." ICFTU-APRO general secretary Takashi Izumi said in his response that Pang was wrong about human rights activists costing Burmese workers their jobs. *************************************** NATION: BURMA: WE HAVE A SHARED DESTINY WITH ASEAN December 18, 1995 Foreign Minister U Ohn Gyaw accompanied Burmese junta head Gen Than Shwe to attend the first summit of Southeast Asian leaders. He talked to a small group of reporters, including The Nation's Yindee Lertcharoenchok, before his departure. Here are excerpts of the interview. Opening statement In 1967, when the Bangkok Declaration [on the establishment of Asean] was made on the 8 of August, then Myanmar [Burma] was invited particularly by Adam Malik, then foreign minister of Indonesia to participate. He took pains to visit Myanmar and explained the vision of the founders of the Asean at one stage, that Southeast Asian nations will be emerging a very sound and very solid economic potential. That was the vision of the founders of Asean. At that particular time, there was a Vietnam War and there was Seato and a few countries in this region were committed militarily or under a defence pact, with the so-called entangling in the Cold War. >From the very beginning Myanmar, as an independent country, we fashioned out foreign policy to be at first neutral and then later on independent, and then of course independent and active foreign policy. In the same time, since the Bandung Conference took place in May 1955, we were also committed there that we would practice the five principles of peaceful coexistence. We were very much convinced that soon after we came out of the colonial yoke and the World War II, we were very much convinced that at one stage Southeast Asian nations will be emerging as what we see at the present day. Since 1988 we have changed our political system and our economic system. Now we are introducing a more refined social system. In that initiative, we can claim that we are heading in the right direction and with the support of the people, that we are making headway in our economic development, in our political institutions as well as the efforts in the social fields. Last year we exported over one million ton of rice and nearly three quarters of a million tons of beans and pulp. And we have minerals and we have off-shore oil exploration and we are getting enough commercial amount of gas which will be exported to Thailand and elsewhere. We are now able to uplift the living standard of the people. We are looking after the people living in the border area. At one time they were under the insurgency, now they have a meaningful way of life to look for the future. That is the reason why from the very beginning, we had impetus of initiative. We happened to be leader in the Non- aligned Movement and we took part very actively. U Thant, as a person, had been leading the United Nations for quite sometime. Our participation at the United Nations had made 80 colonial countries independent, and right now the fourth committee of the United Nations has no more work on decolonization. So these are the efforts that Myanmar has been making at the front line. Now we are hopeful, we are confident, and we are convinced that by putting more degree of association with Asean, then of course we will be contributing our potential to the prosperity of the region. On Burma and Asean Does your country expect to integrate into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations? If yes, When? In as much as we are prepared, we have to take into consideration whether or how Asean is prepared, meaning that as soon as we are sure of our political and economic progress. Of course, with the bilateral good relations between Myanmar and Thailand, I was invited as the guest of the host [Thai] government the year before last and last year in Brunei. Taking the opportunity now that we have changed our political and economic system, we have indicated the accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). I handed over the letter of accession to His Royal Prince Mohamad Bolkiah in Brunei in the last Asean Ministerial Meeting and of course with this we expect to become, we aspire to become an observer in Asean. In the Asean procedure, there are certain things that we have to take into a consideration. So it will in accordance with the Asean procedure. In the meantime, what we could do, what we are supposed to do, what we are obligated to do internally in our domestic economic and social policy, then we will be doing out best. What are those obligations that you have to do to obtain an observer status? One country cannot obtain an observer status overnight. By looking at what has been arranged with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, accedding to the TAC is not enough. Asean has over 20 years of experience. It is not only the achievement, but there are certain visions, certain arrangements and certain preparations, not for one country but for the whole region. In order to catch up what has been done for 20 over years by the individual Southeast Asian nation and of course the Asean as a whole, there are many things, the Asean Regional Forum, Asean Free Trade Area, and many things connected with the Asia Pacific Economic Forum. These are the things that we have to take out time. Even though we would like to be planting ourselves into the Asean fold overnight, it would be counter-productive both to the Asean as well as to Myanmar. Asean members are hopeful that the three other Southeast Asian countries could join the Association before the year 2000? What is your comment? In accordance with Asean procedure, if Asean is prepared, of course, we will be more than happy. We would not like to intrude, to demand. We would like to be in accordance with the process and principle. There are certain obligations such as Afta or Apec that your country will have to adopt, do you expect your country to join in the Afta process? The process is like a river going and we are like the passengers, because there is a set code going on. They cannot wait for us. We have to catch up. How far we can catch up depends on our efforts domestically. For example we have to liberalise our laws, we have to make some arrangements for the expansion of our trade, and there are many things, many considerations. You have seen from yesterday [Friday], there were many agreements, many documents signed. There are now having more concrete efforts going on in many directions_ that we have to catch up. We need training. We need to be sure ourselves that we can contribute. If you look at our country, we have 45 million people, 260,000 square miles of area, and then we have potential, we have man power, we have natural resources. When we come in we would not be a sleeping partner. We would like to contribute our potential. But without experience and without a real foundation, one cannot do it. What is the most appealing aspect of Asean for your country? Today everybody is thinking about peace. Peace does not mean no war. When there is no war but people are hungry, then there is no peace. If there is no war but if there are some commotion, some troubles in an individual country, then the region cannot develop. Right now we are on the right track. We are now concentrating more on the economic development of our country, and so, complementary, do the other countries in the region. This is the aspiration. We feel that we are a Southeast Asian nation and we would like to aspire to the prosperity of Southeast Asian nations. Asean is now very much solid in a leading role, and of course we would like to be part of it. If the 10 Southeast Asian countries can be as quick as possible, a member of Asean, then it is of course a solid proof that we have s shared destiny, mutual confidence and mutual efforts for the prosperity. >From the outcome of the Asean summit, it seems that Asean is moving on to another level, trying to incorporate Asean and the Mekong subregion. What is your opinion? Now that economics is no longer the economics of 25 years ago. Once cannot go into one direction because development has many facets. If you want to develop your own industry and your own internal economy, then at one stage there will be competition among the countries. If there is competition, if they are contradictory and if they are not complementary, then it is very dangerous. That is the reason for the Mekong project, because people begin to think of, the resources as well as making use of natural things. That is a good sign. If one can make use of nature to the advantage of human beings, then of course it is good. We are very much interested and keen to learn and participate in it. Of course, we look forward to have an observer status in the next Asean Ministerial Meeting in Indonesia. On Thai-Burmese relations There are rumours that Burma is demanding a huge compensation from Thailand for the killing of the Burmese fishermen in August? We have very good bilateral relations with Thailand, and the meeting between the leaders was very cordial. When the problem came up, of course, you have to follow who originated it. It's not the government, not the two governments. It is the company and local people. This can be resolved at the local level. What ever happened happened. There is a natural tendency that those poor people when their husbands die they are helpless, so the idea and the indication is that if there is some arrangement, financially to those people, then the matter can be resolved. This is the word that the local people think. But in the name of the government we never said that "Look, Thailand, you, must pay compensation." No. It is not our policy. In the meeting of the two leaders yesterday, it was resolved that the problem can be resolved in a very cooperative and meaningful way. So is it just a rumour that there is a demand for financial compensation? It is not a rumour, it is a certain obligation of the part of the company and the company authorities that they should do. What they are doing or not doing does not concern the government. The government has no policy to impose on another government that you must pay compensation. It seems that the Thai military has been quite active in the establishment of Thailand's relationship with its neighbours. As for your country, do you feel more comfortable dealing with the military_ Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, Gen Chettha Thanajaro_ or do you feel more comfortable dealing with the foreign ministry? General Chavalit has personal friends. he visited Burma in 1989 and from that time on he has been frequenting the country. He has established many friends. Traditionally, our people, our governments have been very friendly with the Thai leaders, starting from Chatichai Choonhavan, Arthit Kamlangek, who was then the supreme commander, because they have the contacting communications. The time of Prem Tinasulanond also he visited Burma, and Siddhi Savetsila. All these people are military people, formerly. Of course they have the contacts. Of course Gen Chavalit has the same accent and the same aspiration to be friendly. With the foreign ministry in the past seven years, I met your five foreign ministers very closely. Kasem Masemsri is the latest one and before him is the short period of Thaksin Shinawatra. Before Thaksin, all the foreign ministers are very close to each other and that is why we were able to establish a joint commission. Arsa Sarasin, he started the initiative to have this joint commission and I complied. So what more I should do? Foreign Ministry to foreign ministry, we have a channel and the mechanism. We are resolving questions, very amicably. There are some comments in Thailand that this kind of foreign policy may send different messages to neighbouring countries. Do you feel that way, that the foreign ministry is sending one message to you but you have your friend sending another message about the resolution of problems? As long as there is no problem growing, it shows that they are compatible. As far as Myanmar is concerned, in the past 5-6 years, we are able to establishing closer relations with the five neighbouring countries. With Thailand, of course with common border this long, we will have some problems. But we have the perception that there is no problem which cannot be resolved. We will resolved it by mutual accommodation as well as by mutual initiative. Thailand wants the border to be reopened especially the three border crossings. What are the conditions or obstacles to their reopening? There are no conditions and no obstacles. There is a saying in Chinese that the one who ties the string will have to unite it. So what has to be united? You have to go to the exact situation. For example, the friendship bridge. Before the bridge was built, there was an island. When we agreed that the bridge be built, the island disappeared. We didn't it. Who did it? The government didn't do it. So as long as there is the original position of the island, then of course the border will be opened. In Mae Sai. When there were some insurgents going in and out, we were attacked and a few people died. We said please, we didn't start it. Who started it? Of course you have to resolve it on your own. But it is not the government. It is the local people. What do you want them to do? Do you want them to compensate for the destruction? Whatever arrangement that they can make it at the provincial level. We have our won people on our side. We do not want to overblow it, because on the other side, people also have feelings. If they don't welcome it, then of course the problem will be at the local level. My understanding is that maybe the local authorities want compensation for the loss of houses and other acts of destruction? Of course, but not local authorities, the people who suffered without their own fault. This is the main criteria. Does the Burmese side also want the Thai side to hand over the people who intruded? Yes. When will the border be reopened then? It will be a simple matter of how soon this mistake is corrected. (TN) *************** ASIA PACIFIC CONSORTIUM ON BURMA: RESOLUTION December 18. 1005 From: "All Burma Students' Democratic Front" Asia Pacific Consortium on Burma December 17-18, 1995, Bangkok, Thailand Resolution An Asia Pacific Consortium on Burma attended by 36 participants from 26 organizations/ groups in 12 Asia Pacific countries and other continents held on December 17-18, 1995 in Bangkok, Thailand. Noting that since the release of the 1991 Nobel Peace Laureate awardee Aung San Suu Kyi, the general situation in Burma has not improved. Noting with grave concerns that: 1. Despite of the decision by the elected people's representatives from the National League for Democracy to no longer participate in the process, the State Law and Order Council (SLORC) is continuing with its National Convention. 2. The ceasefire which the SLORC military dictatorship is coercing the ethnic nationalities to agree to, do not represent progress towards genuine peace and national reconciliation. 3. Despite of the repeated calls by the United Nations and the others the Slorc has refused to enter into a political dialogue with the democratic forces led by Aung San Suu Kyi and the ethnic nationalities. 4. Repressive Laws still remain; hundreds of political prisoners are still languishing in jail. 5. The model of development being embraced by the SLORC, promoted by the Asian Development Bank and actively being pursued by ASEAN and most foreign investors, is certain to result in great environmental destruction; further displacement of indigenous peoples; further enrichment of a small and illegitimate, additional inflationary pressure, and hindrance of the process of democratization. 6. The multinational investments that are financing the SLORC military dictatorship are continuing regardless of the gross human rights violations; particularly against workers, women, children, indigenous peoples. 7. The ASEAN members support the SLORC despite of its human rights abuses and are working to accept it as a member. Therefore, the Asia Pacific Consortium on Burma: Expresses its grave concerns over the continuing serious violations of human rights in Burma. The UN General Assembly's Third Committee recently adopted a resolution, for the fourth consecutive year, condemning the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) for its failure to respect human rights. Clearly, the "Constructive Engagement" policy, adopted by ASEAN in the past, has not resulted in greater respect for human rights nor the return of democracy in Burma. The Consortium is particularly disturbed by the most recent developments related to the work of the National Convention responsible for drawing up a new constitution for the country Calls for unconditional release of all political prisoners immediately; Urges the SLORC to immediately enter into a genuine dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD, other leaders of the democratic opposition and representatives of ethnic nationalities aimed at achieving national reconciliation and the restoration of democracy; Calls on the SLORC to halt the National Convention since it has no legitimacy. The NLD which is has the majority of the elected-representatives did not join in the process. Recognizes the legitimacy of the NLD under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi to be the main convenor of the National Convention; Urges the ASEAN, and the International Community to exert more efforts to instruct the SLORC to enter into a meaningful dialogue with the democratic forces under the supervision of the United Nations' Secretary General; Expresses its concern over the multilateral investment projects; Strongly urges the ASEAN to take appropriate measures to support human rights in Burma as ASEAN's Constructive Engagement Policy benefits only SLORC but harms the people of Burma. Also urges ASEAN to adopt the people-centered sustainable development; Urges the Secretary General of the United Nations to fully implement the December 1994, 1995 resolutions of the UN General Assembly which call for the Secretary General to assist in the national reconciliation process. Calls on Burma's neighbors and the international community as a whole to impose an embargo on arms and war supplies to SLORC; and Call on tourists, particularly those from within ASEAN, not to support "Visit Myanmar Year 1996" which is causing great hardship to the people of Burma Forced relocations, forced labor and a disruption of essential services. FREE BURMA NOW !! December 18, 1995 Bangkok, Thailand **************************************************************** BURMANET: BRIEF BUSINESS REPORTS December 19, 1995 information provided by M. Beer and abridged by BurmaNet STAR CRUISE TO OPERATE IN BURMA Asia's leading cruise operator Star Cruise has placed a US$ 700 million (S$ 987 million) order for two luxury vessels which it says will be among the world's largest and fastest cruise ships. Both ships will provide seven-night cruises in South-east Asia throughout the year. Destinations will include Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma and the Andaman Islands in India. Star Cruise is a wholly owned company of Malaysia's Genting International PLC. BURMA TO SET UP MORE FURNITURE JOINT VENTURES Burma will set up more joint-venture furniture factories to reduce the country's exports of log and boost those of manufactured products, according to the official newspaper "New Light of Myanmar" . Forestry Minister Lieutenant General Chit Swe made this remark at an inaugural ceremony of a furniture factory invested in by Yangon Wood Industries Ltd of France. The French put in an investment of 3 million US dollars and will transfer 20 percent of the equity to the state-run Myanmar Timber Enterprise after five years of operation. SWISS GARDEN TO OPEN A HOTEL IN BURMA Swiss-Garden Management (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd aspires to become a major player in the hospitality business in South-East Asia by the turn of the century. The company plans to have a hotel in key cities within the region such as in Singapore, Vietnam, Burma, and Cambodia. Swiss-Garden is in the preliminary stages of negotation with a local party in Burma for the setting up of a hotel operation in Rangoon. SHIPPING SERVICES FOR BURMA Tajo Bricks Bhd has formed an understanding with a shipping company operating from Japan and South Korea to assist in its shipping activities in South East Asia. It also plans to expand its shipping business for a more stable income in future. It is already providing shipping services to Burma, and it has started to assist Eastern Car Liner which is operating in Japan and South Korea, to ship cars and bulldozers to Rangoon. TOTAL'S INVESTMENT IN ASIA Asia is becoming one of the major pillars of the TOTAL group, which expects to earn 20% of its operating results in this region by the year 2000, up from 15% currently, and to strengthen its already enviable position as a natural gas producer. Active in Asia since 1955, the French oil group had one billion French Francs in operating income on the continent in 1994, with investment worth FF 1.3 billion, or 10% of the group's total, Jacques Lafond, TOTAL's Director-General for Asia, indicated on December 6. Thanks to the gas fields of Thailand, Indonesia and Burma, Asia accounts for 40% of TOTAL's natural gas production outside the Middle East. Distribution of fuels is closed to foreign companies in many countries, except for Cambodia, which will have 25 TOTAL service stations in 1998. TOTAL is developing its distribution of special products (lubricants, LPG solvents) in most Asian countries. BOISE ATTRACTS GOODS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD Pat and Sue Sheridan of Boise started Wild Flower Imports as a wholesale business about three years ago. Pat had sold computer products in the Far East, so he had lots of sources of goods. Sue had been an international banker. They opened a retail store about a year ago. The three-room shop in the Belgravia building is filled with Buddhist statues rescued from abandoned temples; tribal masks and art pieces from New Guinea, Borneo and Burma; and antique elm wood furniture items from Asia. (Comment by Michael Beer.....I find the use of the word rescue here to be a euphemism for theft of religious artifacts to be sold for profit. Is there someone in the FBI we can refer this case to?) NEW JAPANESE AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN The Japanese government approved the appointment of a new ambassador to Myanmar last week. His name is Yoichi Yamaguchi, 58 years old, from Fujian Province, China. Graduated from Tokyo University in 1960. Former board member of the Metal Mining Agency of Japan and ambassador to Turkey. Ambassador stationed in Osaka since February 1994. *******************************************************************