------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: December 22, 1995 Issue #307 Noted in Passing: Politics is about people and what we had seen in Thamanya proved that love and truth can move people more strongly than any form of coercion. - Aung San Suu Kyi (see LETTER FROM BURMA) HEADLINES: ========== NCGUB: ARREST OF NLD MEMBER FOR DISTRIBUTING VIDEOS REUTER: U.S. HOUSE PASSED THE RESOLUTION ON BURMA ASSK: LETTER FROM BURMA (NO.4) EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE: AID FOR KAREN REFUGEES REUTER: BRITAIN OFFERS ONE MLN STERLING FOR BURMA REFUGEES CFSP: STATEMENT ON BURMA BKK POST: BOYCOTT BURMA TOURISM DRIVE, SAY ACTIVISTS BKK POST: VEGE TRUCKS MASK RACKET WITH MEATY FINANCIAL REWARDS BKK POST: KARENS ROB THAI VILLAGERS BKK POST: THAILAND TO HELP BURMA TOURISM, MARKET REFORMS NATION: ORIENTAL ACQUIRES BAGAN SITE IN BURMA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NCGUB: ARREST OF NLD MEMBER FOR DISTRIBUTING VIDEOS December 20, 1995 From: HRDU On 16 December 1995, U Sein Hla Aung, an NLD member from Mandalay, was arrested by the SLORC with the allegation that the victim has distributed the video tapes of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's speech, delivered on every Saturdays and Sundays. Human Rights Documentation Unit NCGUB *********************************************************** REUTER: U.S. HOUSE PASSED THE RESOLUTION ON BURMA December 20, 1995 WASHINGTON (Reuter) - The House of Representatives Tuesday passed a resolution calling for the restoration of democracy in Burma. The resolution was approved unanimously by voice vote after a brief debate. It urges the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) to begin an immediate political dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratic leaders, to release political prisoners and to repeal laws which prohibit freedom of speech and association. The SLORC, which has ruled Burma since 1990, released Aung San Suu Kyi in July from six years of house arrest under U.S. and international pressure. Supporters of the resolution said good relations and cooperation with Burma were essential to reducing the flow of heroin and other narcotics from Asia to the United States. ------------------------------------------------- COMMENTS OF CONGRESSMEN ON THE HOUSE RESOLUTION CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN BURMA (House of Representatives - December 19, 1995) Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, Aung San Suu Kyi announced that her party, the National League for Democracy, would no longer participate in Slorc's sham constitutional convention. Suu rightly pointed out that her nation could never be expected to accept a constitution that was forced upon the convention participants by the military. It was very good to learn that our representatives at the U.N. refused this week to cosponsor a U.N. human rights resolution on Burma because it did not refer to the withdrawal, and subsequent expulsion, from the national convention of delegates from Suu Kyi's party. Slorc demands that the constitution stipulates a leading role for the military in Burma 's political process and would exclude anyone married to a foreigner from assuming the office of the president. Suu is married to an Oxford professor. Slorc claims that her decision to boycott the convention is confrontation politics. Suu was right to point out that `what they have termed confrontational is that we have asked for dialogue, which we want in order to prevent confrontation. To silence the views of people whose opinions are different by putting them in prison is far more confrontational.' I am deeply concerned that a senior official of the Slorc in response to Suu's statement called Suu a traitor who should be annihilated. That sort of remark is not taken lightly by this committee. Our Nation has very serious reasons to be concerned about what occurs in Burma and to Suu Kyi. High on our priority is the illicit drug production that has had a devastating impact on our cities, families and schools. In 1948 when Burma became independent, the annual production of opium was 30 tons. Burma was then a democracy, it exported rice to its neighbors and the world, and it enjoyed a free-market system. It was known as the `rice bowl' of Asia. Today, Burma is one of the poorest nations in the world and its opium production has increased some 8,000 percent to about 2,575 tons in 1992-1993. What is the reason for this massive increase? Bertil Litner, the Burma reporter for the Far East Economic Review, states in his book `Burma in Revolt,' that Burmese drug production is the consequence of: the inability of successive governments in Rangoon to come to terms with the country's ethnic minorities and the refusal of post-1962 military-dominated regimes to permit an open, pluralistic society. Unfortunately, some U.S. officials have taken the position that the human rights problem should be kept separate from the drug problem. What these officials have failed to recognize is that the human rights problem is directly linked to the drug production. As Bertil Litner points out, the majority of the opium grown in Burma is grown so that ethnic minorities can protect themselves. While their leaders are not angels, it is very difficult to grow anything else in those regions and they need the money for arms. Until they feel confident that a representative form of government is established in Rangoon, they will continue to grow opium just like they have for the past 40 years. A democratic Burma led by Suu Kyi and the other members of parliament elected and thrown into prison in 1990, will help us to resolve the Burmese drug production problem that is spiraling out of control. Threatening Suu Kyi and her democratic followers threatens our Nation's efforts in the drug area. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 274. Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my friend and chairman, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], for bringing this resolution before the House. It is a timely statement of our opposition to repressive measures practiced by the Government of Burma and to Burma 's continued failure to address the grave drug trafficking problem in a serious manner. I believe it is important that this committee and this Congress speak up for political freedom and human rights whenever they are threatened. The United States should not, and will not, turn a blind eye toward political repression or a violation of fundamental human rights in Burma or anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, the people of Burma are governed by a ruthless military regime that has no understanding of the concepts of freedom or liberty or of individual rights. That is why it is important for the Congress to send a strong and unambiguous signal that clearly places the United States on the side of the Burmese people and their aspirations for democracy and human rights. Similarly, this committee should reiterate its strong support for a vigorous attack on the very serious problem of drug trafficking. House Resolution 274 calls on the Government of Burma to take concrete and effective action to control the massive flow of heroin from Burma . In this context, I also believe it is important for the United States to continue to support alternative development activities being conducted by the United Nations drug control program in the principal opium growing areas of Burma . Given the limited contact we can and should have with the State Law and Order Restoration Counsel, or SLORC, I believe that these efforts have the best chance of impacting opium production in Burma at this time. I urge the support of this resolution. Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 274, the resolution concerning Burma and the U.N. General Assembly that this body is considering today is both important and timely. Recent developments have heightened tension in Burma . Burma 's democratic opposition leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi recently announced that she and her party, the NLD, would boycott the national constitutional convention organized by Burma 's military junta, the SLORC. SLORC responded by expelling the NLD from the convention, thus foreclosing any chance for dialog between the Government and the opposition. Without dialog between the democratic opposition and the SLORC the prospects for democracy and stability in Burma are bleak. Clearly, conditions in Burma are once again on a downward spiral. This Member commends the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], chairman of the House International Relations Committee, for his tireless efforts in promoting democracy in Burma and other parts of Asia and, specifically, for his initiative in drafting this resolution. House Resolution 274 addresses the human rights and narcotics problems in Burma in a constructive way. This Member hopes that Burma 's generals understand that the Congress of the United States wants to promote cooperative ties between our two countries, but that would only be possible if they take effective action to expand human rights and democracy in Burma and to clamp down on Burma 's massive opium production. The Committee on International Relations unanimously approved House Resolution 274 on December 14. This Member understands the administration has no objections to the resolution as amended and approved by the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and the Committee on International Relations, which I chair. This Member urges all of our colleagues to support House Resolution 274. Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution which urges the governing State Law and Order Restoration Council to open a dialog with Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy, release all political prisoners, repeal laws limiting freedom of association and expression, and help control the flow of heroin from Burma . I commend Ambassador Madeleine Albright for her tremendous work on this issue. I encourage all Members to support the work of our U.N. Representative as she relentlessly pursues the cause of Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Ambassador Albright had a great meeting in Burma this fall with Aung San Suu Kyi. I join Ambassador Albright's endorsement of the recent U.N. resolution which urges the Government of Burma to cease its violations of internationally recognized human rights. The United States did not cosponsor the U.N. resolution because it did not focus on several specific problem areas that must be recognized. Additionally, the U.N. resolution fails to take into account the impact of recent developments in Burma that have given us cause for great concern. It is imperative that the SLORC understand that the United States and the international community will not tolerate threats or actions that suppress the advancement of the democratic movement in Burma . The bill before us today sends a message to the SLORC that is consistent with Ambassador Albright's policy. I would like to caution Members of the risks we take by treating Burma in the same manner as we handled South Africa under its former regime. We need to weigh the merits of isolating Burma , prohibiting trade or investment, denying access to international capital flows, and employing economic pressures to force the current military regime, SLORC, to act according to our wishes. We need to keep in mind that the United States economic role in Burma is limited. And, while I support efforts to employ what leverage we have to our advantage, I insist that we use it wisely. Mr. GILMAN: Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] for his strong support of democracy in Burma . I know the gentleman has traveled to Burma . He was instrumental in helping to gain the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and we commend the gentleman for his efforts and thank him for his participation in this debate. -------------------------------------------- Two-thirds voted in favor of the Resolution. ************************************************************* ASSK: LETTER FROM BURMA (NO.4) December 20, 1995 From: carol@gol.com (Carol Schlenker) By Aung San Suu Kyi At Thamanya (2) Love and truth can move people more than coercion On our second day at Thamanya we rose at three o'clock in the morning: we wanted to serve the Hsayadaw his first meal of the day which he takes at four o'clock. We had expected that we would all be suffering from the aftereffects of the cavortings of the Pajero but in fact we had all slept extremely well and suffered from no aches or pains. When we stepped out into the street it was still dark. Going out before dawn had been a constant feature of the campaign trips I had undertaken between the autumn of 1988 and the time when I was placed under house arrest. But I have never ceased to be moved by the sense of the world lying quiescent and vulnerable, waiting to be awakened by the light of the new day quivering just beyond the horizon. The Hsayadaw had spent the night at his residence on the hill and when we went up he came out of his small bedroom, his face clear and his eyes bright. With a glowing smile he spoke of the importance of looking upon the world with joy and sweetness. After we had served the Hsayadaw his breakfast we went to offer lights at the twin pagodas on the summit of the hill. On the platform around the pagodas were a few people who had spent the whole night there in prayer. There is a beauty about candlelight that cannot be equaled by the most subtle electric lamps; and there is an immense satisfaction about setting the flames dancing on 50 white candles, creating a blazing patch of brightness in the gray of early morning. It was an auspicious start to the working day. I had expressed an interest in seeing the two schools within the domain of Thamanya and after breakfast (another vegetarian banquet) we were greatly surprised and honored to learn that the Hsayadaw himself would be taking us to look at the institutions. He is very conscious of the importance of education and arranges for the pupils to be brought in by bus from the outlying areas. First we went to the middle school at Wekayin Village. It is a big rickety wooden building on stilts and the whole school assembled on the beaten earth floor between the stilts to pay their respects to the Hsayadaw, who distributed roasted beans to everybody. Three hundred and seventy five children are taught by 13 teachers struggling with a dearth of equipment. The headmaster is a young man with an engaging directness of manner who talked, without the slightest trace of self-pity or discouragement, about the difficulties of acquiring even such basic materials as textbooks. Of course the situation of Wekayin middle school is no different from that of schools all over Burma but it seemed especially deserving of assistance because of the dedication of the teachers and the happy family atmosphere. The elementary school is in Thayagone village and on our way there we stopped to pick up some children who sat in our car demurely with suppressed glee on their faces, clutching their bags and lunch boxes. When we reached the school they tumbled out merrily and we followed them along a picturesque lane overhung with flowering climbers. The school itself is a long, low bungalow, smaller than the middle school, and there are only three teachers in charge of 230 pupils. As at Wekayin, roasted beans were distributed and the little ones munched away in silence while the Hsayadaw told us of his plans to replace both schools with more solid brick buildings and we discussed ways and means of providing adequate teaching materials. All too soon it was time for us to leave Thamanya. The Hsayadaw came halfway with us along the road leading out of his domain. Before he turned back we queued up beside his car to take our leave and he blessed each of us individually. There was much for us to think about as we drove away toward Paan. (We were no longer in the Pajero: It had been sent ahead with the heaviest members of our party in it in the hope that their combined weight would help to keep it from plunging too wildly.) The mere contrast between the miles of carelessly constructed and ill maintained roads we had traveled from Rangoon and the smoothness of the roads of Thamanya had shown us that no project could be successfully implemented without the willing cooperation of those concerned. People will contribute both hard work and money cheerfully if they are handled with kindness and care and if they are convinced that their contributions will truly benefit the public. The works of the Hsayadaw are upheld by the donations of devotees who know beyond the shadow of a doubt that everything that is given to him will be used for the good of others. How fine it would be if such a spirit of service were to spread across the land. Some have questioned the appropriateness of talking about such matters as metta (loving kindness) and thissa (truth) in the political context. But politics is about people and what we had seen in Thamanya proved that love and truth can move people more strongly than any form of coercion. ------------------------------------------------------ This is one of a yearlong series of letters, the Japanese translation of which appears in the Mainichi Shimbun the same day, or the previous day in some areas. *********************************************************** EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE: AID FOR KAREN REFUGEES December 20, 1995 from FreeBurma@AOL.COM EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE: IP/95/1427 DOCUMENT DATE: DECEMBER 20, 1995 THAILAND: COMMISSION BACKS PLAN TO AID KAREN REFUGEES The European Commission has approved a package of humanitarian aid worth 800,000 ECU for Karen refugees from Myanmar (Burma) living in Thailand. The Karens, an ethnic minority in Myanmar, fled to camps on the Burmese-Thai border in December 1994, after the collapse of their military strongholds inside Burma. Malaria is a major problem in the camps, and there is a severe lack of clean drinking water. This grant, channelled via the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will enable two non-governmental organisations, Aide Medicale Internationale (France) and Malteser Hilfsdienst (Germany), to carry out projects concentrating on medical aid over the next six months. They will also provide some emergency food aid. Information about ECHO is now available on the Internet on page http:/www.cec.lu/en/comm/echo/echo.html **************************************************************** REUTER: BRITAIN OFFERS ONE MLN STERLING FOR BURMA REFUGEES December 19, 1995 DHAKA, Dec 19 (Reuter) - Britain has agreed to grant one million sterling to help repatriate Burmese refugees from Bangladesh, a British High Commission statement said on Tuesday. It said the grant came in response to an appeal by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. More than 250,000 Burmese Rohingya Moslems fled to southeast Bangladesh in early 1992 from west Burma's Moslem-majority state of Arakan, complaining of military persecution. Repatriation began in September that year following an agreement between Dhaka and Rangoon. Officials said on Tuesday over 194,000 Rohingyas had so far been repatriated and the rest were expected to go home over the next year. ************************************************************* CFSP: STATEMENT ON BURMA December 15, 1995 FreeBurma@aol.com COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY PRESS RELEASE: PESC/95/103 DOCUMENT DATE: DECEMBER 15, 1995 DECLARATION OF THE PRESIDENCY ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN UNION CONCERNING BURMA The European Union expresses its concern about the absence of open and meaningful dialogue on constitutional reform involving all sectors of opinion in Burma including the NLD, recently being forced to abandon the National Convention. The European Union firmly believes that dialogue will help prevent confrontation and offers the best hope of national reconciliation. We therefore call upon the State Law and Order Restoration Council to engage in dialogue with all of Burma's political and ethnic groups and to increase their efforts to achieve national reconciliation and multi-party democracy. At the same time, we urge all parties concerned to proceed with caution and to take all possible steps to avoid a return to violence. Norway, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Letvia, Lithuania, Poland, Rumania and Slovakia associate themselves with this declaration. *************************************************** BKK POST: BOYCOTT BURMA TOURISM DRIVE, SAY ACTIVISTS December 20, 1995 Burma's 1996 tourism drive should boycotted because preparations for it had caused its people great hardship, Asian NGOs said yesterday. The Asia-Pacific Consortium on Burma appealed particularly to tourists from states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to shun Visit Myanmar Year 1996. Preparations for the drive had caused "forced relocations, forced labour and a disruption of essential services", the consortium said at the end of a two-day meeting attended by 26 groups from 12 countries. The meeting had been organised by the Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma and the Asian Cultural Forum on Development. The ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council in Rangoon aimed to reap foreign exchange from at least 500,000 tourists it hopes to draw. A considerable amount of foreign direct investment has gone into the hotel industry and related services. The consortium pointed out that multinational investment continued "regardless of gross human rights violations", particularly against workers, unions, women, children and indigenous peoples. Asean and the international community should "exert more efforts" to bring Slorc into a "meaningful" dialogue with Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratic forces. It suggested the dialogue take place under the supervision of United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. Aung San Suu Kyi was released in July after six years under house arrest. Reappointed secretary general of the National League for Democracy, which won a landslide victory in the 1990 general election, she has also far failed to persuade the junta to engage in a dialogue. Last month, she withdrew the NLD from the Slorc's constitution-drafting convention on the grounds it was undemocratic. Asean invited Burmese Prime Minister Than Shwe, the chairman of the Slorc, to its fifth summit in Bangkok last week which, among other things, resolved to bring Burma into a community of 10 Southeast Asian nations by 2000. The consortium said Asean's "constructive engagement" policy with Burma "benefits only Slorc", and urged the grouping to take "appropriate measures" to support human rights in Burma. Asean states maintain the policy aimed at drawing Burma into international society would persuade it to conform with international standards and benefit its people. (BP) *************** BKK POST: VEGE TRUCKS MASK RACKET WITH MEATY FINANCIAL REWARDS December 17, 1995 VEGETABLE-laden trucks crossing the border from Burma to Thailand at Mae Sot may contain more than meets the eye. One truck intercepted last June had vegetables skilfully balanced to create a hollow in which Burmese illegal migrants could hide. Authorities have pinpointed Mae Sot as the main entry point for illegal migrants who are helped by smuggling rings involving some Thai government officials. The racket has expanded considerably because of the lucrative rewards, according to immigration police sources. They said smugglers received 1,500-3,500 baht for delivering a Burmese worker to Thailand, depending on the distance to the final destination. The arrest of two people who hid 16 Burmese among their vegetables is an example. Police quoted Ram Prempree, 27 and Yupin Kongthai, 23, as saying they were offered a total of 18,000 baht to take the migrants from Kamphang Phet in Nakhon Sawan to Bangkok. They usually delivered vegetables from Phop Phra in Mae Sot to Pakklong market in Bangkok. In a separate case, police quoted Sao Jaiya, 52, who was also charged with smuggling labour, as saying illegal migrants or asylum-seekers in refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border had to pay brokers if they wanted to work in Thailand. Police said Mya Thein, 21, from Burma told them he had to pay 3,000 baht to be taken from a refugee camp at Huay Kalok in Mae Sot to Bangkok. He was later arrested while travelling to Bangkok under the guidance of Sao, and sent back to Burma through Mae Sot in June. Ko Myint, 19, who was arrested in a separate incident, told police he paid 2,000 baht to work with a friend in Nakhon Sawan. An immigration officer said buses were the easiest way to transport migrants from the border. All they needed were a few basic Thai words to ensure they could talk with officials and pass through checkpoints without raising suspicion. An alternative was to trek through jungle to a pickup point. They would then have to hide under vegetables or other cargo when the vehicles reached checkpoints. Major smuggling routes are the Mae Sot-Tak and Mae Ra Mat-Tak highways and a deserted road leading to the Mae Sot-Tak highway. The process starts when the migrants are taken to Mae Sot by bus. The journey takes them to Mae Jarao sub-district, near Mae Ra Mat. They then have to trek from Ban Tientart to the Lan Sang Forest Reserve in Mae Tao sub-district where they are picked up by bus and taken to their destination. Another route is to travel from Mae Sot to Umphang to a certain point before trekking eight or nine hours through Ban Lo Ko and Huay Nam Yen in Kamphaeng Phet. The Burmese usually work on sugar cane plantations or take other low-paid jobs in eastern provinces and Bangkok. This year at least 25,000 Burmese have been deported, half of them from Bangkok, according to the official. Almost all of them said they entered Thailand through Mae Sot and took jobs at construction sites, petrol stations, factories and ports, he said. Some immigration officers have been charged with helping to smuggle them into Thailand. Late last month a senior officer of National Security Command's mobile development unit No.33 was arrested with his driver at a Huai Yaou checkpoint while he was taking 52 Burmese to various provinces. Tak Chamber of Commerce president Niyom Vaiyaratpanich said smuggling was an obstacle to granting Burmese permits to work legally when labour in the North was short. Pravit Akrachinorej, who chaired meeting with presidents of nine chambers in the North, said the shoutage of unskilled labour had reached breaking point. If nothing was done to solve the problem, production would be disrupted, damaging the economy. ***************************************************************** BKK POST: KARENS ROB THAI VILLAGERS December 20, 1995 Soldiers of the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army robbed Thai villagers living along the Thai-Burmese border yesterday. Seven DKBA soldiers, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand-grenades, crossed the Salween river from Burma into Sob Moei district yesterday morning. The Karen soldiers waylaid a total of 35 Thais at Huay Mae Bua village but managed to get only 4,000 baht from one of the victims, identified only as Boonlue of Tambon Mae Sam Laeb. The village, about 10 kilometres from the border, was the scene of a battle between Thai soldiers from Task Force 35 in Mae Sarieng district and DKBA intruders who last year set fire to Thai villagers' houses at Ban Mae Sam Laeb and Ban Mae La Ma Luang in Tambon Mae Sam Laeb of Sob Moei district. Burmese authorities were later informed of the incident. (BP) **************************************************************** BKK POST: THAILAND TO HELP BURMA TOURISM, MARKET REFORMS December 21, 1995 By Nussara Sawatsawang (abridged) Thailand were next year provide technical assistance to Burma in the fields of tourism and market-economy education, as part of the Government's aid to neighbouring countries. The two projects, worth between 5-10 million baht each, will help strengthen Rangoon's preparations for the Visit Myanmar Year 1996, as well as provide academic assistance on market- oriented economy, said Sumathee Srisuchart, deputy director- general of the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation (DTEC). The two projects from part of the assistance worth 65 million baht from the Thai Government to Burma. The tourism and education projects will add to the regular features of agriculture, education and health. The DTEC is a state agency handling Thai aid programmes which also cover Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The addition of these two new programmes resulted from a working session late last month in Rangoon between a 12- member Thai delegation led by Mr Sumathee and the Burmese side led by Ba Twin, director-general of the Burmese Foreign Ministry's International Organisation and Economic Cooperation Department. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thammasat University will be handling these two technical assistance projects. Deputy TAT Governor for Planning and Development Pradech Phayakvichien, who is in charge of the project, said TAT will focus on joint promotion which includes sales and marketing, training and staff exchange, research on tourism and planning. "We can conduct joint promotion (of tourist destinations in both Thailand and Burma) through our 17 overseas representative offices," he said. This idea was once presented to Burma's Deputy Prime Minister Maung Maung Khin when he visited Thailand in mid-November. A comprehensive plan for joint tourism promotion activities is expected to be ready in February next year, before the ministers from both sides can sign an agreement, he added. Meanwhile, the Thailand-Indochina Academics Exchange Programme of Thammasat University's Faculty of Economics will work together with the Institute of Economics of Yangon University under the other technical assistance programme to promote market-economy education in Burma. The Thailand- Indochina Academics Exchange Programme is running similar programmes with Cambodia and Vietnam. For Burma, the first phase of a three-year programme includes two-month workshops starting next March on economics teaching methods, research and study tours. Ten Thai academics will give lectures in Rangoon in July, while Burmese academics will be invited to attend an international conference on East Asian economies, co-organised by Thammasat University in Bangkok in October. These two aid projects to Burma will mark another fresh start of Thai aid programmes to Burma.