------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: January 31, 1996 Issue #335 HEADLINES: ========== THE ECONOMIST: WHO SPEAKS FOR THE PEOPLE? NATION: SUU KYI SLAMS ASEAN BURMA POLICY, TOURISM NATION: SLORC MINISTER CALLS FOR MORE FOREIGN CASH BKK POST: KHUN SA'S GUERRILLAS SAID FORCED TO LABOUR BKK POST: SLORC FORCES SET FOR KARENNI STRIKE THE NATION: SLAVES TO LABOUR NATION: CHAVALIT MAY SEND TROOPS TO BURMESE BORDER NATION: BURMESE JUNTA DENIES MENDING TIES WITH N. KOREA NATION: MINISTER DEFENDS HIS LINKS WITH BURMESE WOMAN BKK POST: BURMA DENIES PREPARING TO COUNTER BID TO SEIZE BKK POST: ERICSSON IN BURMA CELLULAR PHONE DEAL REUTER: CAMBODIA SIGNS PACT WITH BURMA BKK POST: FIRM CONFIRMS BURMA LOG BID MASSACHUSETTS BURMA ROUNDTABLE: FEBRUARY ROUNDTABLE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ECONOMIST: WHO SPEAKS FOR THE PEOPLE? January 27, 1996 From: brelief@gol.com The divide between "western" and "Asian" ideas of politics and development is, by now, wearisomely familiar. As is well known, "westerners" argue for democracy and individual rights, and argue that they nicely complement economic development (see page 78). "Asians" stress the interests of the community and suggest that authoritarian rule often provides a better foundation for economic growth. Unfortunately, this familiar tale gives a highly misleading picture of who is actually pushing for what in developing Asia. Take Cambodia and Myanmar, two countries in South-East Asia, where the arguments over the Asian road to development are particularly urgent. Cambodian democracy, a youthful product of concerted international effort, is running into trouble as the government takes an increasingly intolerant line towards its critics. the military junta ruling Myanmar, which has a far more brutal record than the Cambodian government, is trying simultaneously to entrench its control of the country and to shed its image as the bad boy of the region. In both countries the most serious opposition to authoritarianism comes from within. It is Asians, not westerners, who are arguing for human rights and democracy. Meanwhile, the western powers, which are often portrayed as eagerly pushing liberal values on a reluctant Asia, are, in reality, almost languid in their approach. They are offering limited rhetorical support for democratic forces in Cambodia and Myanmar, but little else. In Cambodia, the most forceful repudiation of the "Asian way" to development comes from Sam Rainsy, a former finance minister who is now the country's leading opposition politician. "No human being", he says, "should be asked to choose between bread and freedom." Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the opposition in Myanmar, takes a similar line. She was released from house arret last July. Miss Suu Kyi, whose offense had been to win a democratic election, accepts the government's argument that peace and stability are essential for economic development. But she asks how they can be achieved "on a foundation of vindictiveness and violation of trust." It is true that both Mr. Rainsy and Miss Suu Kyi have had a good dose of the West. They both spent considerable periods in exile, Miss Suu Kyi in Britain and Mr. Rainsy in France. But they are both extremely popular at home. Miss Suu Kyi's party won the election in Myanmar in 1990 with a crushing majority. Mr. Rainsy's Khmer Nation Party, launched only in November and still illegal, already claims 66,000 members. Conversations with the Khmer- in - the - street appear to confirm its popularity. Mr. Rainsy fears -- probably with good reason -- that he may soon be arrested on trumped - up charges. Miss Suu Kyi also knows that she and her supporters risk rearrest, or worse, if they confront the government. Both leaders are looking to the West for political support. It is here that the Asian - western divide does begin to correspond to reality. Other South - East Asian governments could not care less about the lack of human rights in Cambodia and Myanmar. Democracy is not an issue as the two countries move towards membership of the Association of South-East Asian Nations. By contrast, western governments generally argue that it might be nice if the governments of Cambodia and Myanmar paid some attention to democratic norms. Mr. Rainsy is pinning his hopes on such support. The United Nations invested $2.6 billion in bringing peace to Cambodia and endowing it with a democratic constitution. Surely, he suggests, aid donors, still vital to the economy, would not allow that legacy to be ripped up? Yet Winston Lord, the Clinton administration's top Asia man, was at pains not to be seen wielding the big stick when he passed through Cambodia this month. He said he would "convey concern" about recent developments. But he drew attention to Cambodia's ghastly past -- the Khmers Rouges' genocide and the Vietnamese occupation -- and argued that the world "cannot be overly demanding." Mr. Rainsy takes comfort from the belief that Mr. Lord's private message was much tougher, but he may be clutching at straws. Western governments have also been pretty supine over Myanmar. They credit their aid embargo with an important role in the Myanmar junta's one big concession to international opinion -- the release of Miss Suu Kyi from house arrest. But for all the talk of isolating Myanmar, in most other respects western governments have taken a conspicuously soft line. There has been no question of economic sanctions. Indeed, many governments, including those of Britain and France, are now actively encouraging their businesses to get involved in Myanmar, despite Miss Suu Kyi's please that foreign investors should "jolly well wait". As a result, the governments of Myanmar and Cambodia feel increasingly confident about ignoring the human - rights rhetoric coming out of the West. The military junta in Myanmar seems to feel under no real pressure to make any further concessions to Miss Suu Kyi. And Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen, the joint prime ministers of Cambodia, felt able to be "too busy" to meet the United Nations human - rights envoy, Michael Kirby, when he visited Phnom Penh this month. Mr. Kirby was supposed to represent the outside world. But the outside world speaks with many voices, and Cambodia'[s rulers at the moment seem to prefer Asian authoritarians' to western liberals'. On January 24th Mr. Rainsy took his campaign to Australia. Three days later Prince Ranariddh was also due to travel -- to Myanmar. ***************************************************** NATION: SUU KYI SLAMS ASEAN BURMA POLICY, TOURISM Nobel prizewinner says constructive engagement is flawed January 31, 1996 By Michele Cooper, AFP Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi believes Asean's policy of constructive engagement with the Burmese junta is flawed because it concentrates on current economic prospects at the expense of political change. In an interview with AFP at the lakeside home where she spent nearly six years under house arrest until July 10, Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday also suggested tourists avoid Burma to show they support calls for democratic reforms. She disputed government claims that economic development was on a sustainable upward track and would eventually lead to the country's democratisation. Economic "half-measures" taken by the junta would not bring democracy, she said. "It will only lead to a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots which is, in fact, inimical to democracy." Only by spreading wealth throughout all segments of the nation can democracy be bolstered, she said. "But actually, it works both ways. You won't get that kind of economic development without democracy," she added. Aung San Suu Kyi said she regretted that the constructive engagement policy followed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) seemed to ignore the opposition but courted the junta. "Constructive engagement, to be effective, should be engaged with all parties concerned," she said. In her view, Asean should be having second thoughts about the early admission of Burma, which would join Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. "Apart from anything else, I do not think the Burmese economy is in as good a shape as Asean would like it to be," she said. In any case, she said, "Economics and politics are interdependent and, whether or not you recognise the fact, you cannot escape the consequences of certain political policies." She said she believed the average six to eight per cent economic growth rate was already beginning to tail off. "There are some very, very necessary structural changes that would have to take place before there can be real economic development." The opposition leader noted meanwhile that her National league for Democracy (NLD) was less than enthusiastic about the junta's plans to earn more tourist dollars by promoting Visit Myanmar Year, which starts in late 1996. "I don't think that it would help very much if the coming of tourists is taken to mean that people don't care whether or not there is democracy in Burma," she said. Referring to her earlier statements that it was too soon for foreign investors to come to Burma, she added: "I think for tourists, too, there is a time to come and a time not to come." Aung San Suu Kyi said she and the NLD would continue to speak out, despite attacks against her in the official press, "Under the law, of course, silence is consent, and we certainly are not consenting to the existing situation," she stressed. *************** NATION: SLORC MINISTER CALLS FOR MORE FOREIGN CASH January 31, 1996 Reuters Burma's economic development would "skyrocket" in the next few years if the country could get technical and economic cooperation from other countries, Minister for Trade Lt-Gen Tun Kyi said. "If we could possibly get financial and technical cooperation substantially from abroad, I strongly believe that the economic development of Myanmar (Burma) would skyrocket within a few years time," Tun Kyi told a seminar on Monday. He said foreign investment from 1988, when the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc), took power till the end of 1995, totalled more than US$3 billion in 150 projects in various sectors. Burma expects that to rise to $4 billion "In the nera future," he said. "China , Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand share 43 per cent of total investment," he said. Tun Kyi said uprising and demonstration in 1988 took place mainly because of economic difficulties. A six-month-long, pro-democracy uprising in 1988 left thousands of people dead or wounded and many more imprisoned after a bloody crackdown by the Slorc. Tun Kyi said an economy will help society and democracy. "Economic development can uplift the social and living standard of the people," Tun Kyi said. "People will be happy if they are wealthy and democracy will flourish with the prosperity of the nation." Most countries halted economic aid in 1988 and although some foreign investors have returned to Burma, formal economic assistance by international institutions has not yet resumed. Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, released from six years house arrest in July, has urged foreign investors to hold off until there are improvements in human rights and democracy. Tun Kyi also reaffirmed Burma's strong trade ties with Asia, noting that a border trade agreement was due to be signed soon with Thailand. Japan's ambassador to Burma, Yoichi Yamaguchi, also made a speech at the meeting, calling for an expansion of economic ties between the two countries. "Today we have more than 50 participants on this floor from the Japanese business circle, which I understand, shows the Japanese business community's strong interests in Myanmar." He also said he planned to continue to promote technical cooperation between Japan and Burma at various levels. (TN) *************** BKK POST: KHUN SA'S GUERRILLAS SAID FORCED TO LABOUR January 31, 1996 Reuters Hundreds of guerrillas who surrendered to Burmese troops in hopes they could go home have been tricked into forced labour while their opium warlord leader Khun Sa apparently stays free, guerrilla and Thai intelligence sources said yesterday. Other guerrillas who believe Khun Sa has double-crossed them have managed to escape, the sources said. They said hundreds of Mong Tai Army (MAT) guerrillas who have surrendered since the beginning of January were taken from their headquarters at Ho Mong to a camp ringed with barbed-wire near Langko in northeastern Shan State. >From there they were taken to work on a 30-km road linking the town of Mong Hsat with former MAT strongholds near the Thai border to the south, said a Thai intelligence source. "They were lured from Ho Mong thinking they were getting a free ride home but once in langko they found themselves in a big field surrounded by barbed wire," the officer said. "Then they were taken to work on the road," he said, adding that an estimated 1,300 MAT soldiers and local villagers were working on the road. Forced labour is common in Burma and has drawn criticism from international human rights groups. The military government says what it calls voluntary labour on public projects is a Burmese tradition. The Thai officer and guerrilla sources on the border said hundreds of other MAT fighters had fled from Ho Mong after hearing of their comrades' fate and many had trekked into Thailand. The Thai officer said the fleeing MAT members were being allowed to pass through Thai territory to nearby sections of the border where they crossed back into Burma. One guerrilla source said many of those fleeing were stashing weapons in the jungle just inside Burma and would retrieve them if and when necessary. "Many MAT guerrillas now release they were double-crossed by Khun Sa so they hope to re-group and return to retrieve their weapons," one MAT officer told Reuters. The veteran opium warlord Khun Sa surrendered to government forces at the beginning of the month, giving up his guerrilla war and his Shan state strongholds. Thousands of MAT guerrillas surrendered with their weapons. But some factions within the group, in particular Shan nationalists seeking autonomy from the Rangoon government, say they will continue their fight. Burma's state media has been reporting the surrender of smaller groups of MAT fighters over the last two weeks. It said on Monday that a total of 11,889 MAT members had now "returned to the legal fold" bringing with them 7,249 assorted weapons. The Burmese government has refused US requests that the drug lord be handed over to face trial in the United States where he has been indicted on heroin trafficking charges. Burmese officials say he will be put on trial in Rangoon but MAT sources said yesterday Khun Sa was still in his Ho Mong headquarters being guarded by his own men and Burmese soldiers. "He has nine of his most trusted security men around him at all times and about 100 Burmese troops forming an outer perimeter," the MAT officer said. International narcotics suppression agencies estimate Khun Sa was responsible for about half of Shan's states' annual opium crop of some 2,000 tonnes. The half-Chinese, half-Shan Khun Sa always claimed he was fighting for the independence of Shan state and denied he was a narcotics trafficker. He said he only taxed opium traders passing through his zones of control to finance his political fight. (BP) *************** BKK POST: SLORC FORCES SET FOR KARENNI STRIKE January 31, 1996 Mae Hong Son Rangoon troops are massing along the border in an intensification of their campaign against Karenni rebels. Forced of the State Law and Order Restoration Council have taken position opposite Sob Moei and Mae Sariang districts, said the deputy director of the provincial Internal Security Operations Command. Thousands of Slorc soldiers from more than 20 battalions are also in position opposite Muang and Khun Yuam districts, said Col Sunthorn mainkamnerd. At Ho Mong, Slorc soldiers hoisted flags at Mong Tai Army positions handed over by Khun Sa when he surrendered to the Rangoon junta this month. Col Sunthorn said Karen National Union guerrillas based opposite Sob Moei had sent representatives for talks with the Slorc and a ceasefire agreement was likely. Meanwhile, the renegade Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, which defected from the KNU a year ago to join the Slorc, was persisting in efforts to make Karen refugees return. Some renegade Karens, however, had lost trust in the Slorc and had handed over their weapons to the KNU, said Col Sunthorn. He expected clashes between Slorc and Karenni forces to intensify and said the rebels were likely to seek refuge in Mae Hong Son. Deputy Governor Amornphan Nimanand said provincial authorities have sent teams to provide primary assistance to Karenni refugees at Huay Buk. (BP) *************** THE NATION: SLAVES TO LABOUR January 31, 1996 Unbearable poverty and a desperate desire to escape a despotic government continue to push thousands of Burmese immigrants into entering the Kingdom illegally in search of work, reports Varaporn Chamsanit. In a sense, Maung Win's life resembles that portrayed by Mark Twain in his Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: a young man with an adventurous soul sets off on a journey in search of good fortune. Only the story of this young Burmese teenager has not yet seen a happy ending. About two weeks ago, the front pages of a few local newspapers reported that a 10-wheel truck accidentally caught fire on its way from Ranong to Phuket. Densely packed on the truck, hidden by a canvas cover, were more than 70 illegal Burmese and Mon immigrants. These undocumented immigrants, coming from different parts of Burma, had just arrived in Thailand and were heading down South to find work. As a result of the accident, one young woman died and 55 people were injured. Eighteen-year-old Maung Win was among those on the truck the day the accident occurred. The young man was lured away from his rural home five years ago by a job on a farm in the Burmese town of Thampyuzayat. There he got word that there were plenty of jobs with good pay available just across the border in Thailand. Due to unbearable poverty and desperation at being constantly summoned by the Burmese government to engage in laborious work without pay, Maung Win drew up a plan to flee his native country. After managing to save a sum of 10,000 kyat (about Bt2,000) - just enough to pay for the costs of travelling and job placement - he set off. Without knowing exactly where to go and what to do in Thailand, the young man joined the procession of Burmese men on their way to promised paid labour. It took Maung Win two days to get to Burma's Kaw Thaung Island by boat. From there, in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen, he crossed the border via a 20-minute boat ride to Thailand's Ranong province. He had no idea it was illegal for a Burmese citizen to come to Thailand for work. According to Maung Win's adventurous plan, he would work in Thailand for two years, save Bt100,000, then "go home and buy a farm of my own". He never imagined he would get in any trouble, let alone be involved in an accident on his very first day in his land of dreams. Although Maung Win was lucky enough to escape the fire without serious injury, he knows that he may not be so fortunate when dealing with Thai police. It's only a matter of time, he says until he's arrested, charged with illegal entry into the Kingdom, thrown in jail and ultimately deported. Official estimates indicate that of the 525,480 illegal immigrants staying in Thailand in 1993, 334,123 were Burmese nationals. The current demand for cheap labour in Thailand - especially in the fishing industry, on rubber plantations and in building construction - plays a part in attracting a vast number of illegal labour into the country. But, according to Burmese immigrants, another factor that drives them from their homeland is the hardships deriving from unpaid labour enforced by the government. "Life is hard in Burma, that's why people try to get away," remarked U Hla, another illegal Burmese immigrant who was injured in the truck fire. Speaking from a hospital bed, U Hla, 32, said he first came to Thailand six months ago. He worked as a carpenter at a large construction site in Phuket were approximately 300 undocumented Burmese workers were hired, undisturbed by the police. "I had a rubber plantation back at home, but I didn't have much time to look after it," said U Hla, pointing out that the forced labour system in Burma has prevented him from earning his income at home. "Once in a while, men in our village would be summoned as porters for the Burmese army. At other times, we had to serve as labourers for the government's railway construction project. It was very tough and laborious work. If we don;'t want to do the job, we have to pay money to the authority as a substitute, or we may be put in jail," he said. After five months working as a construction worker in Thailand, U Hla returned to his family in Burma with about Bt15,000. Less than a month had passed before he decided to come back, this time with his 27-year-old brother. "If you went around several Burmese villages, you would see that there're hardly any people (of working age) left. Getting across the border into Thailand is not too difficult. There are people who would arrange things for you at the border and there are others who travel around rural Burmese villages acting as a broker, asking villagers to come to work in Thailand," explained U Hla. "Burma is a nation with plenty of natural resources. We have gold, silver and gemstones. If we had a good government, our people would be able to make a fair enough living. In that case we would not have to participate in slave labour in another country," said U Hla. According to local policemen in the Takua Pa district of Phang Nga, where the truck accident occurred, there are around 1,200 to 1,300 Burmese currently being held in Takua Pa and the three surrounding districts on charges of illegal entry. Those that can't afford to pay the Bt2,000-Bt3,000 fine will be forced to spend two to three months in jail before deportation. According to the local police, around 90 per cent of the Burmese arrested can not afford to pay the fine. Of all Burmese nationals arrested in Thailand, meanwhile, 30 per cent are likely to be re-arrested at a later time. This means that despite police action, many Burmese will again cross the Thai border within a few hours or a few days of deportation. Although it is against the law for an employer to hire illegal workers, local police admit, though did not care to elaborate, that it is rare for such employers to be arrested. U Hla, meanwhile, is well aware that as an illegal Burmese worker he may be arrested and sent back to Burma when his condition improves. But when asked about his plans for the future, U Hla said there was a good chance that he might soon be coming back to Thailand. "I will try to come back here (to Thailand) anyhow. The Thai government should allow us to work here because they know how the Burmese government has abused its people. It's better that I die here than to go back. Who knows, if I die here I might be born a Thai in my next." (TN) ***************** NATION: CHAVALIT MAY SEND TROOPS TO BURMESE BORDER January 30, 1996 Defence Minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh has expressed concern over "the constantly-changing situation" along the Thai-Burmese border and has suggested that troops from the central command should be deployed there. He said he was discussing the situation with Army Chief Gen Pramon Phalasin and that the likely deployment did not mean that Thailand was preparing for war, but was ensuring peace and stability. The presence of the troops was also important to build up the confidence, morale and spirit of the people living in those areas, he said. He expressed concern, however, that the condition on the border remained confusing. "We have kept our lines of communication open at all levels. Earlier [fighting] might have had some effect on Thais living in the area but the military operations has already stopped. "However, the condition remains very confusing because the situation is constantly changing all the time. We have already sent reinforcements [to strengthen the frontier]," he said. Foreign Minister Kasem S Kasemsri said yesterday he supported Chavalit's initiative to send reinforcements to the border, adding that it was Thailand's right to do so. But he warned that any action taken should be done carefully because Burma is a neighbour. He said it was normal for countries that shared common to have minor conflicts, such as stray shells occasionally landing on Thai soil, and such incidents had to be dealt with carefully. The usual response was to fire back warning shots, he said. The peace agreement between drug warlord Khun Sa and the Burmese junta is said to have drastically altered the situation on the border. Meanwhile, In Mae Sot, security officers were saying little about a weekend dawn raid that ended in the kidnapping of six Karen refugees from a village in the northern district of Tak. Karen refugees said about 50 armed members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) sneaked across the Moei River around 4 am on Saturday from their Kawmoora base into the village near Do Din Gee and kidnapped five former soldiers of the Karen National Union (KNU) and a 12-year-old boy during the 30-minute incursion. It was the first time the DKBA had entered the Mae Sot area. It had previously raided Karen refugee camps in Tak's Tha Son Yang district north of Mae Sot. Thai officers tried to avoid questions about the incident, but admitted they were surprised that the DKBA dared enter the area surrounding Mae Sot as Army and border police are based there. There were no Thai troops near where the incident took place. The sources said Pee Da, 46, and the boy, Naw Dee, were released on Sunday while the rest were still being detained at Kawmoora, the former base of the KNU 101st army, which was captured last year by the Burmese and later handed over to the DKBA. The sources identified the four other refugees who were kidnapped as First Lt Htaw Hla He, 60, Srg Maj Maung May, 45, and Kyaw Heu, 47, former chief of fallen KNU Wang Kha camp, and Bo, 47. The DKBA had forced all those who remained to take an oath that they would remain neutral and not side with the KNU otherwise they would be prosecuted. The sources added that they did not know the actual fate of those still being held, but there were suggestions some had been killed. The DKBA commander at Kawmoora, Capt Kyaw Thet, had earlier said that he would send more forces across the border to uncover hidden KNU weapons and capture its leaders still on Thai soil. (TN) ************************************************** NATION: BURMESE JUNTA DENIES MENDING TIES WITH NORTH KOREA January 30, 1996 (abridged) Burma's military junta has denied that the country is in the process of mending its relations with North Korea, with Bangkok being used as the centre for secret negotiations. Rangoon and Pyongyang cut off ties after North Korean agents planted a bomb in Rangoon that killed 17 high-level visiting South Korean officials, including four Cabinet ministers, 12 years ago. The report quoted the source as saying that Burmese Ambassador to Thailand, U Tin Winn, had invited North Korea's charge d'affaires in Bangkok, Pang Song Hae, to an official reception on Jan 4 to celebrate Burma's 48th independence anniversary. "We understand the newspaper's eagerness to print a scoop or sensational news report to draw the attention of its readership. "Anyhow, we sincerely think they should be more careful and circumspect before they report the sensitive news like the bilateral relations between two countries," said the release. But Japan's biggest daily, the Yomiyuri, published a news report on Jan 14 quoting former North Korean Ambassador to Thailand, Li Do-Sop, as telling the newspaper's Bangkok correspondent that "our [Burmese-North Korean] communications have been going on for some time and the atmosphere was very friendly." "The restoration of bilateral ties will take place in the future but it depends on whether the two countries are fully ready," Li Do Sop told Yomiyuri. Another Japanese daily, the Jiji Press, published a report on Jan 22 quoting North Korean Ambassador to Thailand, Ri SamRo, who just assumed his diplomatic post, as saying that Bangkok was being used as the centre for the restoration of North Korean relations with Burma and for the opening of Pyongyang's diplomatic relations with two Asean countries _ the Philippines and Brunei. *************** NATION: MINISTER DEFENDS HIS LINKS WITH BURMESE WOMAN January 30, 1996 (abridged) Deputy Interior Minister Suchart Tancharoen yesterday defended himself over his controversial ties to a Burmese woman known as Ma Khine, saying he had never abused the relationship to seek logging deals with Burma. Suchart said he had sold sawmills he owned in the northwest province of Tak, on the border with Burma. He denied he had ever used his close relationship with Ma Khine to open up border passes closed by the Burmese government. "I never attempted to open up border checkpoints. And cross- border logging trades have been taken up by many companies," he said. Suchart said importing logs had been the policy of previous governments to compensate for the shortage of wood and timber in the country since the ban on logging in Thai forests was imposed in the late 1980s. *************** BKK POST: BURMA DENIES PREPARING TO COUNTER BID TO SEIZE KHUN SA January 30, 1996 Report: Nussara Sawatsawang, Rangoon Speculation is rife in the Burmese capital that the ruling junta has staged a military exercise along its coast to counter a possible United States' invasion to capture drug warlord Khun Sa and put him on trial. Some observers predict the US will launch an operation from the Andaman sea to snatch Khun Sa, along the lines of its invasion of Panama to capture strongman Manuel Noriega in 1989. However, junta and diplomatic sources give the rumours little credence. The joint exercise involved all of Burma's ground, air and naval forces along the country's strategic southwest coastline on January 20-23. Ships, jets and missiles provided by China were used in the exercise, along with troops and artillery. A source in Burma predict a similar exercise would be held along the southern coast close to the natural gas pipeline to be laid toward Kanchanaburi. Last week's activities could not be independently verified by other source, although residents spotted combat vessels at the scenic beach resort of Chaungtha, southwest of Rakhine state. "It's the first time the naval has joined such an exercise," the Burmese source said. Diplomats in Rangoon said they had been expecting an invitation from the junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council, to observe the drill. The US has demanded that Slorc hand over Khun Sa, who surrendered to the military government earlier this month, to stand trial in the US on narcotics charges. But the junta maintains there is no extradition treaty between the two countries and it will treat Khun Sa under its own laws. Khun Sa faced a US federal indictment since December 1989 on 10 charges following the seizure of 1,080 kilogrammes of heroin in Bangkok in 1988. An observer of Burmese affairs said an invasion would not make sense. The rugged terrain and mountains in Rakhine state, and the long distance from there to Khun Sa's Ho Mong headquarters, posed the first obstacle. "Even if Khun Sa serves his jail term in Rangoon's Insein prison, Slorc is confident of its strength and security and that he will not be abducted," the observer said. A diplomat in Rangoon said the US was not thinking of an invasion. "The Cold War is over and this region, unlike Panama where US strategic interests lie, is too far from America," he said. The junta also denied any link between the exercise and its fear of invasion. "The only reason for the drill is that our 300,000 troops have been idle for a long time," a senior Burmese military officer said. Nevertheless, Slorc is still cautious about security. Another diplomatic source said Slorc officials had never failed to complain about any reported joint military exercise between the US and Burma's Southeast Asian neighbours. Burmese leaders are also prepared to boost their country's military strength, and there have been unconfirmed reports that Burma's missions abroad are trying to procure more arms in exchange for rice. (BP) ************************************************* BKK POST: ERICSSON IN BURMA CELLULAR PHONE DEAL January 30, 1996 Myanma Post and Telecommunications last week signed a contract for Ericsson Australia Pte Ltd to install a cellular telephone system. The company will install equipment for existing radio stations, build four new stations and upgrade the radio communications system to digital to enable cellular phone links between Rangoon and the northern commercial centre of Mandalay. **************************************************** REUTER: CAMBODIA SIGNS PACT WITH BURMA January 29, 1996 Rangoon: Burma and Cambodia have signed a cooperation agreement, official media reported on Sunday. Burma's minister for foreign affairs Ohn Gyaw and his Cambodian counterpart Ung Huot, sign an accord to form a Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, according to the reports. No details were given. ****************************************************** BKK POST: FIRM CONFIRMS BURMA LOG BID January 31, 1996 EARTH Industrial Plc says its major shareholder, Burmese businesswoman Ma Khai Saw, coordinates and assists timber deals with Burma. Earth Industrial would buy timber from Rangoon through a letter of credit with Siam Commercial Bank, the company said. (BP) ************************************************************ MASSACHUSETTS BURMA ROUNDTABLE: FEBRUARY ROUNDTABLE January 30, 1996 The next Roundtable will take place on Monday, February 12. The meeting will start at 7pm at the office of Franklin Research & Development at 711 Atlantic Avenue 4th floor, just across the street from South Station and opposite the Greyhound Bus terminal. Our February speaker will Ms. Katharine Redford of Earthrights International. A native of Wellesley, Massachusetts, Ms. Redford is an expert in human rights law and indigenous rights. Over the past five years, Ms. Redford has spent more than two and a half years in Thailand, mostly along the Burmese border. She has recently returned from working with the Karen and the Mon, the two indigenous peoples in Burma on whose land Unocal and Total plan to build a gas pipeline. Ms. Redford will talk about how she is working to help these peoples their rights. February Action Alert ! ! As the Burmese military continues its crackdown on the democracy movement, the pressure for the U.S. to impose South Africa-style economic sanctions on Burma grows. Sanctions bills have now been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR.2892) as well as the U.S. Senate (S.1511). Both bills are called the "Burma Freedom and Democracy Act of 1995" and would impose economic sanctions on Burma. It is vital that we ask both our U.S. Senators and Representatives to support and co-sponsor these bills. You'll find a sample letter below that you can download and adapt if you wish. Let us know what reponse you receive. H2833 Update In the Massachusetts State House, H2833 (Rep. Byron Rushing's bill barring state purchasing contracts with companies doing business in Burma) received a boost when Senator Ed Clancy was replaced as Chairman of the Senate Steering & Policy Committee by Senator Cheryl Jacques. Senator Jacques' staff are now actively reviewing H2833 in preparation for reporting the bill out of the committee and to the Senate floor for a vote. And if you have not written to your State Senator in support of H2833, now is the time! Simon Billenness, Franklin Research & Development, 711 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02111 (617) 423 6655 simon_billenness@mail.cybercom.net