------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: January 19, 1996 Issue #325 Noted in Passing: I would like [Americans] to see us not as a country rather far away whose sufferings do not matter, but as fellow human beings in need of human rights and who could do so much for the world, if we were allowed. - Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (see US SENATE: DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI) HEADLINES ========= BURMANET: WARNING TO ALL AMERICAN TOURISTS TO BURMA ASAHI EVENING NEWS: BURMA BARS NORWEGIAN - LED GROUP US SENATE: DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI NATION: INFLUENTIAL FINANCIER SLAMS TOKYO'S BID TO AID SHAMBALA SUN: INTERVIEW WITH DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI S.H.A.N. : STATEMENT ON THE S.H.A.N. POLICY TOWARDS M.T.A. FREE BURMA: BURMESE FONTS AND WEBSITES INDEPENDENT LETTER: RE: LET US NOT BE BIASED FBC: SELECTIVE PURCHASING LEGISLATION INTRODUCED FBC: LOBBY FOR BURMA SANCTIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BURMANET: WARNING TO ALL AMERICAN TOURISTS TO BURMA January 18, 1996 BurmaNet Editor The American Embassy in Burma does not have a consular treaty with the SLORC. This means that the American Embassy cannot provide protection to American tourists who run into trouble while travelling in Burma. Embassy staff are not guaranteed access to Americans in jail nor can they provide food to them. Given the difficulties many recent travellers have had in Burma, this warning should be taken seriously. Even with official permission from authorities in Rangoon, travellers can run into trouble with powerful local commanders outside the capital. These local military leaders can sight security risks and their actions will not be challenged by Rangoon authorities. ****************************************************** ASAHI EVENING NEWS: BURMA BARS NORWEGIAN - LED GROUP January 17, 1996 from brelief@gol.com Oslo -- Burma's military regime refused to grant entry visas Tuesday to a Norwegian - led fact - finding team that wanted to meet with Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The pro - democracy activist said the refusal was typical of the generals who seized power in 1988, crushed the democracy movement and held her under house arrest for six years. "This is the sort of thing that happens quite frequently in Burma," Suu Kyi said by telephone from her home in Rangoon. "We would very much have welcomed the visit." The four - nation delegation had planned to meet Suu Kyi, opposition leaders and members of the military government. Instead, they were leaving for Thailand on Tuesday to meet Burma's exiled government. ********************************************************** US SENATE: DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI January 17, 1996 >From freeburma@aol.com DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI (Senate - January 10, 1996) Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the January 7, 1996 New York Times Magazine contains an interview with the leader of Burma 's democracy movement, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Many of us have followed her situation, during six years of house arrest, and her recent release by the Burmese authorities. She is a woman of remarkable courage, honesty and clarity of purpose. She wants to do whatever she can to improve the lives of her people, and she has devoted her life to that goal. She believes unequivocally that democracy is the only way, and she has the trust and support of the overwhelming majority of Burmese citizens. As she says in the interview, the Burmese authorities continue to refuse to even discuss a process for instituting democracy, because they are too fond of their power and privileges. But Suu Kyi knows that eventually the SLORC will have to sit down and negotiate with her. As she points out, that is what happened in South Africa, and even in the former Yugoslavia although there only after the slaughter of a quarter of a million people and the destruction of much of Bosnia. Those two examples represent the SLORC's options. Either a peaceful way out, or mass demonstrations and an explosion of violence that will make them wish they had listened to her. Mr. President, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of Senator McConnell's legislation to impose sanctions on the Burmese government. Senator McConnell has been a strong advocate for human rights and democracy in Burma , and I applaud him for it. It is important that the United States have a consistent policy, and I believe that until the SLORC demonstrates a genuine willingness to negotiate the transition to democracy with Suu Kyi, our policy should be to isolate the SLORC from the world community it yearns to be part of. In that regard, I would note that the SLORC has named 1996 `Visit Myanmar Year.' I hope that anyone considering accepting the SLORC's invitation will read the interview with Suu Kyi, and be aware that they may find themselves staying in hotels and traveling on roads that were built with forced labor. Mr. President, I am not going to ask that the entire interview be printed in the Record, but I urge all Senators to read it. I do ask unanimous consent that Suu Kyi's response to the question `What do you want people in the United States to know about you?' be printed in the Record. Excerpt From Interview With Suu Kyi: Q: What do you want people in the United States to know about you? A: That we are not near democracy yet and that there are, so far, no signs that we are progressing toward democratization. The National Convention [that Slorc was holding to draft a constitution], as it stands, is not a step toward democratization at all. I think a lot of Americans very much take their rights for granted. And I think many of them do not know what life is like for those of us whose security is not guaranteed by a democratic constitution. So I would like to ask them to try to put themselves in our shoes, and ask how they would feel if they were deprived of all rights. I would like them to see us not as a country rather far away whose sufferings do not matter, but as fellow human beings in need of human rights and who could do so much for the world, if we were allowed. ********************************************************* NATION: INFLUENTIAL FINANCIER SLAMS TOKYO'S BID TO AID BURMA January 18, 1996, Reuter TOKYO - Influential financier George Soros said yesterday that he was "very critical and very concerned" about Japan's provision of aid to Burma as there had not been enough progress in the human rights situation there. While acknowledging there was truth to the ideas that helping Burma to progress economically would yield freedom, he warned that at this point economic aid would merely allow the current government to remain in power. "The current regime... is not a viable regime because it has no support in an economic sense. But it can survive on the supposedly well-meant aid that it is getting from Japan," he said. Soros, who addressed a gathering of business executives and reporters at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, mentioned Burma while discussing his concept of the need for "open societies". He noted that there had been progress in Burma, particularly through the government's release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in July 1995, but that it was not enough. "That was the end of what (the Burmese government) was willing to do, and... ought to be the end of what Japan is willing to do," he said. Shortly after Suu Kyi's release from six years of house arrest, Japan said it would consider resuming full-scale financial aid to Burma in the form of yen loans, which it suspended after the Burmese military's bloody suppression of a pro-democracy uprising in 1988. Japan provided grant-in- aid packages to Burma even before Suu Kyi's release, but yen loan packages are normally tens of times larger than those. Suu Kyi has urged Japan and other countries to be cautious about resuming full-scale aid, saying they should wait for real changes in Burma's human rights situation. Japan has said it would decide whether to resume yen loans by carefully monitoring progress of democratic reforms. Japan's grants in aid since Suu Kyi's release have included 5.0 billion yen ($50 million) as debt relief in return for Burma's repayment of a loan of the same amount in November 1995. Hungarian-born Soros is considered one of the world's most successful hedge fund managers and is well-known for his philanthropic activities, particularly in Eastern Europe. His fame grew in 1992 when he was dubbed "the man who broke the pound" after ranking in profits by selling sterling on the expectation that Britain would be forced to pull its currency out of Europe's Exchange Rate Mechanism. ************************************************************ SHAMBALA SUN: INTERVIEW WITH DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI January 17, 1996 From: brelief@gol.com >From SHAMBALA SUN, January 1996 "YOU COULD START BY CONVINCING A FRIEND" Aung San Suu Kyi talks to the young people of the world about peace, alienation, and realizing their own power. Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the world's leading campaigners for democracy and a Nobel Peace Prize winner of great heroism. In person, we found her delicate and charming, and her wit and intelligence shone throughout our interview. We traveled to Burma to interview Aung San Suu Kyi for Peacejam, a five - year educational program to reach out to young people worldwide with a message of hope. Peacejam celebrates the lives of Nobel Peace Laureates, including Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu, the Dalai Lama, Oscar Aris Sanchez and Betty Williams. Aung San Suu Kyi's deep Buddhist training is the basis of her life, her work, and her exemplary response to the difficulties of her current situation. So as you read this interview, look beneath the words of her answers to hear the subtlety of the message she has for every one of us. Listen also to the message she is sending to her jailers, to her people and to the world, about the tragedy of Burma. -- Ivan Suvanieff Ivan Suvanjieff: WHAT DOES FREEDOM MEAN TO YOU? Aung San Suu Kyi: Freedom would mean that I would be able to do what I understand to be right, without the fear that by doing so I would be exposing myself and others to danger. WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY? ASSK: Giving joy to others - that's obvious. I think that those who are happy give happinss to others. THEN DESCRIBE AN IDEAL LIVING SITUATION FOR ALL PEOPLES. ASSK: I don't think there is one ideal living situation for all peoples. A situation in which people can be free from want and fear is not a bad situation at all - although I won't be as presumptuous as to say that this would be ideal for all people. Others would have to speak for themselves. HOW DOES BUDDHISM AFFECT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE, AND SOCIAL VISION AS WELL? ASSK: Well, I was born a Buddhist and brought up a Buddhist, so it is very difficult for me to separate what is Buddhist in me from what is not Buddhist in me. It's a question that I find very difficult to answer. WHICH IS GREATER: A BOMB THAT CAN DESTROY ONE MILLION PEOPLE OR ONE MILLION PEOPLE JOINING HEARTS AND MINDS OPPOSE SUCH A BOMB? ASSK: [Smiles.] I Obviously, I think it would be the one million people! One million can always become two million, two can become four, four can become eight and so on. Whereas, one bomb is one bomb; it remains one bomb. Unless of course, people make more. It is people who are more important and people who are stronger and in the end, it is people who decide whether or not to use the bomb. ALONG THIS SAME LINE: IF THEY BUILT A BOMB THAT ONLY ONE PERSON OPPOSED, HOW COULD THAT ONE PERSON CONVINCE OTHERS TO OPPOSE SUCH A BOMB? ASSK: I think you could start by convincing a friend. You have to start with the first step, and there are many ways of starting- I take heart that some big, international movements have started with a letter to a newspaper and people who read that letter take it up. If you have the will to do something, you can find a way. It's an old-fashioned thing to say, but I think it is still valid to say, "Where there is a will, there is a way." Every movement, ultimately, was started by one person. Someone initiates it, the same way somebody must have initiated the first step in the process of making the bomb. OFTEN, YOUTH ARE MADE TO FEEL POWERLESS. HOW CAN YOUTH RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN WORTH AND POWER TO EFFECT NONVIOLENT CHANGE? ASSK: Do the youth really feel powerless? It is probably because they have less of a community feeling. You may feel powerless as one alone, but if you're part of a community, I think you would feel less powerless. Perhaps the reason they feel powerless is because they feel apart from the rest of the community-that the generation feels apart from other generations. If they could be made to feel a part of humanity in general-not just a part of a generation, an isolated group-they would feel more powerful. But is power all that is necessary? Is power all that desirable? That's another question you have to put forth... IT'S NOT THAT YOUTH FEEL THAT THEY NEED "THE POWER" PER SE... ASSK: ... they feel helpless ... ... AND HOW CAN THEY OVERCOME THIS FEELING OF HELPLESSNESS TO AFFECT CHANGE. DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC IDEAS?... ASSK: I've always thought that the best solution for those who feel helpless is for them to help others. I think then they will start feeling less helpless themselves. HAS CONSUMERISM REPLACED SPIRITUAL VALUES IN OUR YOUTH? ASSK: I don't think there is an easy answer to that. It's not as simple as spiritualism versus consumerism. It's the values of the whole society... it's changing values. Everybody is involved. I'm quite intrigued about this whole question as to why the youth feel so alienated from the rest of society and why they feel that the only thing that is real for them are material goods. This must be something to do with what they have been taught - the values to which they are exposed to all the time. I would not be so confident of my own... vision... to be able to give a quick answer to this. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GENERATION THAT IS, SAY, 14 TO 25 YEARS OLD, WAS THE FIRST GENERATION TO BE TRULY RAISED BY TELEVISION. MOTHER AND FATHER WERE OUT CHASING THE "AMERICAN DREAM," AND THIS GENERATION FEELS THAT THEY'VE BEEN LEFT HOME ALONE; THAT THEY HAVE NO GUIDANCE AND THEREFORE FEEL HELPLESS. HOW CAN THEY GET AWAY FROM THAT SITUATION? ASSK: If they had more people - among family, among friends - who would spend time with them, perhaps they would spend less time in front of the television. It's more important for them to relate to people rather than the television set. IN GENERAL, IS IT PREFERABLE TO PRETEND ONE IS TOLERANT OF ANOTHER'S COLOR, RACE OR BELIEFS, OR IS IT BETTER TO BE FRANK? ASSK: It would help if people were frank about their inner feelings, but only in a positive way. I do not think it does people any good to go around saying how much they hate others [smiles, laughs] or how much they dislike what other people are doing. But I think that if they can be frank with those who would be able to help them overcome these negative feelings, that would be of great help. They should be frank, but only with the intention of getting something positive out of their frankness, not with the intention of hurting other people. Some people like to pride themselves on their frankness and openness but in fact, they are just hurting other people. Using the excuse of frankness, they hurt other people, insult other people. I do not think that helps. If you simply want to air your feelings in order to hurt others, you might as well just keep your mouth shut. If you want to talk to someone frankly about your feelings in order to improve them, to get over your feelings of hatred or inadequacy or fears, I think it's a good idea. IF SOMEONE HAS A FRANK YETCONFRONTATIONAL MINDSET IN DOING THIS, HOW DO YOU CONVINCE THEM OF THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERDEPENDENCE? ASSK: I think that first of all, you must listen to that person. You've got to try to ask him to explain why he feels the way he feels. You have to ask, "Why do you hate that? Why do you think a certain color is bad?" or, "Why do you think a certain belief is bad?" Then, I think, you would have to carry on from there, because if you want to create understanding between two people, both sides must learn to listen to each other-both sides, to a certain extent, must be frank about their fears. Quite a lot of people do not like to admit their weaknesses to others and they hide these weaknesses. In doing so, they create a barrier. And of course people do not want to confess their weaknesses to just anybody because it might be exploited. That's understandable, too. The first step is confidence building. If the two sides can start having confidence in the other's good will, then you can carry on from there. Then I think they will be much more honest and not just talk about what they hate, but what they fear. Hate and fear are the opposite sides of the same coin. It's the same thing. You don't hate unless you fear, basically. THERE IS A GROWING PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES REGARDING PRAYER IN SCHOOLS. SOME DON'T WANT PRAYER AT ALL, SOME WANT ONLY CHRISTIAN PRAYER, AND SOME WOULD BE CONTENT WITH A FEW MOMENTS OF SILENCE SO EVERYONE CAN PRAY AS THEY SEE FIT. HOW CAN WE FIX THIS SITUATION? ASSK: Could they not be given the opportunity to get to know more about these other cornmunities which they are rejecting? About what is actually contained in those other religions which they have decided, without really knowing much about them, are not real religions at all, are not worth considering? Perhaps they could be told about the similarities that do exist among these different religions. I'm all for a broadminded attitude. People of all different religions should be given the opportunity to pursue good in their own way. I assume that is what religion is all about. Religion is about increasing peace and harmony in the world. Everyone should be given a chance to create peace and harmony in their own way. I didn't grow up Catholic, but I went to a Catholic school. It was a missionary school like they had in Burma in those days. The majority of us were Buddhists, so we had a "morals class" [laughs]. It would sound very, very funny to young people today. They'd probably think it was very funny! [Laughter.] I have to confess I really can't remember much of what we were taught in those classes. Later we learned some poems which were supposed to inspire and teach us in good ways. The fact that I can still remember some of these poems seems to indicate these lessons did have an impression. LET'S SAY THAT INSTEAD OF MORALS CLASSES, SCHOOLS OFFERED SOMETHING LIKE "UNDERSTANDING ONE ANOTHER." WOULD YOU CONDONE A CLASS LIKE THIS? ASSK: Yes! Anything that creates understanding in the long run makes for less violence. If there is understanding then you don't have to solve your problems through violence; you can solve them by just talking it over. If there was understanding, in fact, there would be few problems. IS THIS POSSIBLE IN TODAY'S WORLD? That depends on where in the world, because the conditions that prevail in the States are not the ones that exist in Burma or in India or Japan or perhaps other countries in Europe. And it depends on how you initiate such programs. ***************************************************** S.H.A.N. : STATEMENT ON THE S.H.A.N. POLICY TOWARDS M.T.A. January 5, 1996 From: "H.NG.P SPM The Shan Independence newspaper was started in 1973 under the auspices of Kornzurng, who later became the President of the Shan State Restoration Council (SSRC) before his death in 1991. Up to 1991, the Independence was the official news organ of the SSRC. However, in 1991, the decision was taken to let it be an independent publication, to encourage people to exercise their freedom of expression. The following year, another decision was made to stop subsidizing the newspaper by the SSRC, and to let it subsist on patriots and outside agencies, and from payments for printing miscellaneous publications. The Shan Herald Agency for News ( S.H.A.N. ), formed in 1991, which publishes the Independence, had until recently supported the Mong Tai Army despite its negative reputation, because it was the only Shan Movement that remained opposed to the SLORC. However, now that it has forsaken its original cause, there is no reason for S.H.A.N. to continue its support. We have therefore moved out of the Ho Mong base since 3 January 1996 to reside in the neighboring country in order to continue our work, which we believe is in the interests of all those who love FREEDOM, EQUALITY and JUSTICE. The S.H.A.N. will continue to fight against ignorance, disunity and tyranny, because that is the only way we can achieve united strength that will eventually overthrow the oppressive regime. The Editors Shan Herald Agency for News *********************************************** FREE BURMA: BURMESE FONTS AND WEBSITES January 17, 1996 >From Glen at freeburma@pobox.com 8 windows fonts (including karen) and 4 mac fonts (including karen) can be found at http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/software/fonts/ Say "no!" to Pepsi and the gas that goes with it. Boycott Pepsico and Unocal Visit http://FreeBurma.org Visit http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/freeburma.html ************************************************* INDEPENDENT LETTER: RE: LET US NOT BE BIASED January 18, 1996 From: an304997@anon.penet.fi (The Tribal Man) On January 1, 1996, S. Win, U. K. wrote > Well, my last advice for Mr. Litner is if he could look into > the Chinese history, let say, about a thousand years back. He will come > to realize that the Chinese called their neighbor (Myan - Tin ) not > (Bur - Tin ) or (Bama - Tin) and the notion that the Kachins, the Chins, > and the Nagas hardly had any contact with the Bamar before the arrival > of the British is in my opinion too absurd to reply. For the record, the Chins hardly had any contact, if at all, with the Bamar before (and in some areas, even after) the British came. Here's a proof: of all several hundred different Chin dialects, some don't even have a word that refers to the Bamar (race). In most dialects, the word "kawl", which is a borrowed word, is used to refer to the Burmese. ********************************************** FBC: SELECTIVE PURCHASING LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN OAKLAND, CA January 17, 1996 We are finally getting close to passing selective purchasing legislation in Oakland! Selective purchasing legislation in Oakland will be introduced before the city's Finance and Legislation Committee, Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 1 pm at City Hall (near 14th & Broadway, downtown Oakland). We need everyone at the roundtable, and especially Oakland residents, to come and show support. People will be allowed to address the committee. The legislation will be debated and voted on two weeks later at a full City Council Meeting Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in council chambers on the 3rd floor of City Hall. The legislation is being introduced by Ignacio de la Fuentes and we do not expect any problems with passage. However, it will probably not be unanimous. Mayor Elihu Harris may oppose it. Conrad MacKerron, Progressive Asset Mgmt 510-834-3722 Ignacio de la Fuentes 510-238-7205 City Council Info 510-238-3266 We plan to coordinte with the Alameda County Commission to have them pass the same ordinance during the first week of February and jointly announce the victory at a press event soon after that. Conrad MacKerron Progressive Asset Management (510) 834 3722 ************************************************* FBC: LOBBY FOR BURMA SANCTIONS January 15, 1996 From: Simon Billenness Dear Friends of Burma: The participants of the Massachusetts Burma Roundtable are currently lobbying our Senators hard to support the new Burma sanctions bill. Please find enclosed a sample letter to your Senators. It is vital that we each write our Senators. And then make sure our friends and family around the country also write! If you need complete copies of the bill and Seantor McConnell's excellent introductory floor statement, I can email them to you. If you or your friends & family live in the state of a Senator on the Senate Banking and/or Foreign Relations Committee, make writing a priority. The bill will go through those committees before reaching the Senate floor. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email or call. Simon Billenness Franklin Research & Development (617) 423 6655 (800) 548 5684 ----------------------------- Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee Republicans D'Amato (NY) Gramm (TX) Shelby (AL) Bond (MO) Mack (FL) Faircloth (NC) Bennett (UT) Grams (MN) Frist (TN) Democrats Sarbanes (MD) Dodd (CT) Kerry (MA) Bryan (NV) Boxer (CA) Moseley-Braun (IL) Murray (WA) Senate Foreign Relations Committee Republicans Helms (NC) Lugar (IN) Kassebaum (KS) Brown (CO) Coverdell (GA) Snowe (ME) Thompson (TN) Thomas (WY) Grams (MN) Ashcroft (MO) Democrats Pell (RI) Biden (DE) Sarbanes (MD) Dodd (CT) Kerry (MA) Robb (VA) Feingold (WI) Feinstein (CA) ------------------------------- THE BURMA FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY ACT OF 1995 (S1511) What the Bill Does Co-sponsored by Senators Mitch McConnell (R, Kentucky), Alfonse D'Amato (R, New York), Daniel Moynihan (D, New York) and Patrick Leahy (D, Vermont) the "Burma Freedom and Democracy Act of 1995" (S1511) would: • bar US investment in Burma • bar US government assistance to the Burmese military junta • direct the US to vote against IMF and World Bank assistance to the Burmese military junta • deny officials of the Burmese military junta and their families admission to the United States • authorize the President to prohibit imports from Burma • authorize the Secretary of State to prohibit the use of US passports for travel to Burma *************************** Senator ________ United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator ________: I am writing to request that you support and co-sponsor the Burma Freedom and Democracy Act of 1995 (S1511). This bill, co-sponsored by Senators McConnell, Moynihan, D'Amato and Leahy, seeks to impose economic sanctions on the Burmese military junta. After brutally crushing peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988, the Burmese military junta formed the State Law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC). The SLORC has made no efforts to loosen its grip on power. In 1990, the SLORC refused to recognize the results of the Burmese elections in which the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won over 80% of the seats. Although the SLORC released Aung San Suu Kyi from six years of house arrest in 1995, she has stated that nothing else has changed in Burma. Despite repeated calls by Aung San Suu Kyi for dialogue, the SLORC has refused even to meet with her and other leaders of the democracy movement. Meanwhile, the SLORC has continued to crack down on pro-democracy activists and to refuse to allow the Red Cross access to political prisoners. Last year, three American cities -- Berkeley (CA), Madison (WI) and Santa Monica (CA) -- voted to boycott companies that do business in Burma. Similar legislation has also passed the Massachusetts lower house and has been introduced in the New York City Council. Just as we supported Nelson Mandela's call for economic sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa, we should respect Aung San Suu Kyi's request that corporations not invest in Burma at this time. Passage of the Burma Freedom and Democracy Act of 1995 (S1511) would send a clear signal to the SLORC that the United States supports the Burmese democracy movement. [With especially right-wing Senators, such as Jesse Helms, you may not want to use the South Africa campaign analogy. With such Senators, you could make an allusion to the recent Cuba sanctions bill if you can stomach it.] Please write back and tell me what position you intend to take with the Burma Freedom and Democracy Act of 1995. ******************************** Use the above letter for ideas; try to make your letter as different as you can! Get hold of a copy of "Congress at Your Fingertips" from Capitol Advantage. It is a comprehensive yet concise guide to members of Congress, Congressional Committees and how to lobby effectively. The standard version costs less than $10 and you can call toll-free and charge it. Capitol Advantage, PO Box 1223, McLean, VA 22101 (703) 734 3266 (800) 659 8708 If you receive a reply from your Senator, send a copy to the Washington, DC, office of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), the democratic Burmese government-in-exile so that they know where your Senator stands on this issue. National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma 815 Fifteenth Street NW, Room 432-N, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 393 7342 (202) 393 7343 fax maung@igc.apc.org ---------------------------------------------------------- BURMANET SUBJECT-MATTER RESOURCE LIST BurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of different topics related to Burma. If you have questions on any of the following subjects, please direct email to the following volunteer coordinators, who will either answer your question or try to put you in contact with someone who can: Arakan/Rohingya/Burma volunteer needed Bangladesh Border Campus activism: zni@students.wisc.edu Boycott campaigns: [Pepsi] wcsbeau@superior.ccs.carleton.ca Buddhism: Buddhist Relief Mission: brelief@gol.com Chin history/culture: plilian@asc.corp.mot.com Fonts: tom@cs.colgate.edu History of Burma: zni@students.wisc.edu Kachin history/culture: 74750.1267@compuserve.com Karen history/culture: Karen Historical Society: 102113.2571@Compuserve.com Mon history/culture: [volunteer needed] Naga history/culture: Wungram Shishak: z954001@oats.farm.niu.edu Burma-India border [volunteer needed] Pali literature: "Palmleaf": c/o burmanet@igc.apc.org Shan history/culture: [volunteer needed] Shareholder activism: simon_billenness@mail.cybercom.net Total/Pipeline Dawn Star: cd@utopia.EUnet.fr Tourism campaigns: bagp@gn.apc.org "Attn. S.Sutcliffe" World Wide Web: FreeBurma@POBox.com Volunteering: christin@ksc.net.th [Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News is an electronic newspaper covering Burma. Articles from newspapers, magazines, newsletters, the wire services and the Internet as well as original material are published. It is produced with the support of the Burma Information Group (B.I.G) and the Research Department of the ABSDF {MTZ} The BurmaNet News is e-mailed directly to subscribers and is also distributed via the soc.culture.burma and seasia-l mailing lists. For a free subscription to the BurmaNet News, send an e-mail message to: majordomo@igc.apc.org For the BurmaNet News only: in the body of the message, type "subscribe burmanews-l" (without quotation marks). For the BurmaNet News and 4-5 other messages a day posted on Burma issues, type "subscribe burmanet-l" Letters to the editor, comments or contributions of articles should be sent to the editor at: strider@igc.apc.org