The BurmaNet News: April 25, 1996 Issue #392 Noted in Passing: I personally know many Japanese who are as ready to reject what is ugly as to accept what is beautiful. But I cannot help thinking that such a sense of discrimination is lacking in those who seek to promote business with Burma these days. - Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (see MAINICHI: LETTER FROM BURMA, #22) HEADLINES: ========== MAINICHI DAILY NEWS: LETTER FROM BURMA, #22 REUTER: U.N.ASSAILS BURMA OVER HUMAN RIGHTS INDEPENDENT REPORT: RESPONSE TO PEPSI! OUT OF MYANMAR THE NATION: REBELS CUT SLORC TROOPS' SUPPLY LINE S.H.A.N : FORCED LABOUR IN KE SEE TOWNSHIP S.H.A.N : BURMESE TROOPS STEP 4-CUTS POLICY THE NATION: TWO BURMESE OFFICERS MOVED OVER MISSING DRUG THE NATION: MITSUI EYES VN, BURMA BKK POST: MEMBER OF BURMESE ARMY'S ORIGINAL '30 COMRADES' REQUEST: BURMA GROUP CONTACTS, TOURISM GROUP INFO BKK POST: BURMA MISSION BKK POST: GOODWILL SOCCER BKK POST: MALAYISA SAVES STARVING BURMESE BKK POST: HEROIN SEIZURES FBC: HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO FREE-BURMA LISTSERV WWW: SLORC HOMEPAGE INVITES YOUR COMMENTS, QUESTIONS WWW: BURMASONG PAGE WWW: FRENCH CONNECTION FBC -------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAINICHI DAILY NEWS: LETTER FROM BURMA, #22 By Aung San Suu Kyi April 22, 1996 From: brelief@gol.com (Ken and Visakha Kawasaki) "BUSINESSMEN CAN ONLY REAP WHAT THEY SOW" The beautiful and the ugly Years ago, during a lesson on the Japanese tea ceremony at Oxford, our teacher showed us colored slides of ceramic bowls fashioned by a master craftsman. The bowls had been photographed in the home of the master himself and the exquisite restraint of their beauty contrasted incongruously with the loud vulgarity of the modern carpet on which the master planted his feet and, consciously or unconsciously, feasted his eyes each day. Our teacher, an American who had lived and studied in Japan many years to qualify as a master of the tea ceremony, laughed at our baffled expres- sions and remarked that some people only knew what was beautiful, they did not know what was ugly. Our teacher spoke chiefly of aesthetic matters. He contrasted the clashing colors and rampant designs of elaborate brocades with the elegance of plain, dark fabrics printed with simple geometric patterns or discreet emblems; he compared garish neon - lit city areas with cool gardens of moss covered rocks and old pines. The tea ceremony with its spirit of wakei seijaku illustrated the necessity of removing all that is ugly or disharmonious before reaching out to a beauty that is both visual and spiritual. The fundamental principle of aesthetics which we learnt from our teacher, that to acquire truly good taste one has to be able to recognize both ugliness and beauty, is applicable to the whole range of human experience. It is important to understand both what should be rejected and what should be accepted. I personally know many Japanese who are as ready to reject what is ugly as to accept what is beautiful. But I cannot help thinking that such a sense of discrimination is lacking in those who seek to promote business with Burma these days. What do these advocates of precipitate economic engagement see when they look at our country? Perhaps they merely see the picturesque scenery, the instinctive smiles with which Burmese generally greet visitors, the new hotels, the cheap labor and what appear to them as golden opportunities for making money. Perhaps they do not know of the poverty in the countryside, the hapless people whose homes have been razed to make way for big vulgar buildings, the bribery and corruption that is spreading like a cancerous growth, the lack of equity that makes the so - called open market economy very, very open to some and hardly ajar to others, the harsh and increasingly lawless actions taken by the authorities against those who seek democracy and human rights, the forced labor projects where men, women and children toil away without financial compensation under hard taskmasters in scenes reminiscent of the infamous railway of death of the Second World War. It is surprising that those who pride themselves on their shrewdness and keen eye for opportunity cannot discern the ugly symptoms of a system that is undermining the moral and intellectual fiber and, consequently, the economic potential of our nation. If businessmen do not care about the numbers of political prisoners in our country they should at least be concerned that the lack of an effective legal framework means there is no guarantee of fair business practice or, in cases of injustice, of reparation. If businessmen do not care that our standards of health and education are deteriorating, they should at least be concerned that the lack of a healthy, educated labor force will inevitably thwart sound economic development. If businessmen do not care that we have to struggle with the difficulties of a system that gives scant attention to the well - being of the people, they should at least be concerned that the lack of necessary infrastructure and an underpaid and thereby corrupt bureaucracy hampers quick, efficient transactions. If businessmen do not care that our workers are exposed to exploitation, they should at least be concerned that a dissatisfied labor force will eventually mean social unrest and economic instability. To observe businessmen who come to Burma with the intention of enriching themselves is somewhat like watching passers - by in an orchard roughly stripping off blossoms for their fragile beauty, blind to the ugliness of despoiled branches, oblivious of the fact that by their action they are imperilling future fruitfulness and committing an injustice against the rightful owners of the trees. Among these despoilers are big Japanese companies. But they do not represent the best of Japan. I have met groups of Japanese, both young and old, anxious to find out for themselves the true state of affairs in our country, prepared to look straight at both the beautiful and the ugly. At the weekend public meetings that take place outside my gate, there are usually a number of Japanese sitting in the broiling sun and, although they cannot understand Burmese, paying close and courteous attention to all that is going on. And when, at the end of the meeting, many of them come up to me to say: ganbatte kudasai, I am strengthened by the knowledge that our struggle has the support of Japanese people in whom the sense of moral aesthetics is very much alive. ********************************************************* REUTER: U.N.ASSAILS BURMA OVER HUMAN RIGHTS April 23, 1996 From: Julien H Moe GENEVA, April 23 (Reuter) - The U.N.'s highest human rights forum expressed its grave concern on Tuesday at ``extremely serious'' human rights violations in Burma including forced labour and abuse of women. In a resolution adopted by consensus, the 53-state U.N. Human Rights Commission urged Burma's military government to release all political prisoners immediately and allow them to ``participate in the process of national reconciliation.'' The Commission welcomed the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel peace prize winner released after five years of house detention last July. But it said it deplored the fact that many political leaders, including elected representatives of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, remained deprived of their liberty. The Commission urged Burma to ``put an end to the impunity of perpetrators of violations of human rights, including members of the military.'' It also said that all persons, without discrimination, should be afforded a free trial, and called for prison conditions in Burma to be improved. ******************************************************** INDEPENDENT REPORT: RESPONSE TO PEPSI! OUT OF MYANMAR, ONLY-WHY? April 25, 1996 by L. Huron This is a response to A.K. Ye Naung's commentary which was posted on soc.culture.burma and burmanet-l a few days ago. He argued that outsiders should not boycott Pepsi and other transnational companies operating in Burma, because the situation in Burma is far better than the activists claim. I disagree. >But to my amazement the majority of its citizens were very >optimistic and confident of the new policies their government >has implemented and many of them were happy with the >steadily developing economy especially the private sectors. I can't help but wonder with whom A.K. Ye Naung talked to on his last trip to Burma. My experience could not have been more different. While people overwhelmingly support the idea of a free economy, they have no confidence in the SLORC to implement it properly. Why? Because the SLORC is not creating a free economy. They are creating an economy which is open only to their cronies and those who can pay them off. When Aung San Suu Kyi met with a foreign visitor recently, she gave two examples of business proposals that were rejected when proposed by ordinary citizens. The business plans were then taken over by scions of the SLORC and the necessary permits were quickly issued. One example is Living Colour, a boutique in Rangoon which sells very expensive, designer clothes from the West. This boutique is run by Secretary-1 Khin Nyunt's son and the son of Colonel Kyaw Win, Ne Win's former physician. In another instance, an application for a permit for a ball bearings factory was rejected, but later given to someone with better connections to the SLORC. >Whether Myanmar is a full fledged democratic country or >not is not the arguing point at this moment. What we have to >keep in our mind is that a high percentage of business is now in >the hands of the private business sector and these are the >people who are now steadily growing and forming a strong >middle class level. Most people in Rangoon say otherwise. The buying power of the majority of the people is declining as inflation escalates and wages remain stagnant. Most can only afford to buy meat once a week or once every two weeks, and even eggs have become a special treat. Everyone I talked to agreed that their buying power was far greater in 1988, before the SLORC took over. The middle class has shrunk as most people have sunk into poverty and a few have gained an enormous amount of wealth, primarily through black market dealings and the development of hotels and industry on choice pieces of land. And where did the land for these businesses come from? Much of it was expropriated by the state and then sold or given to members and relations of the SLORC. The new market in Mandalay is a good example. After the old market was torn down and a new, five story structure built, and all the former vendors had to pay 200,000 kyat to claim a stall in the market, plus 200 kyat a month in rent. But the municipal SLORC authorities reserved 25 key stalls on the ground floor for themselves and later sold most of them for prices of 2 to 2.5 million kyat each. In Shan state, huge tracts of land are being expropriated by regional commanders, and villagers are ordered to move without receiving any compensation. These pieces of land are then being developed into plantations and resorts. The former residents are living in slum-like conditions around Taunggyi airport and elsewhere. A trip to one of the satellite towns outside Rangoon should disabuse Ye Naung of his idea that people feel confidence in SLORC policies. These people, who were forcibly relocated from their Rangoon residences, are living in conditions which can only be descibed as worse than the refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border. There is no running water, no electricity for most people, and no work. Residents must spend considerable time and money getting into Rangoon every day for their jobs. One health worker who has worked in the satellite towns said that an informal survey indicated that residents spend an average of 30% of their incomes on medicine because of the high levels of malnutrition and the unhygenic conditions in the satellite towns. She went on to say that life in the satellite towns is worse than in refugee camps because people never know when an official will come knocking on their door. Fear, not confidence, characterizes the present climate in Burma. Am I going to be taken as a porter? a "voluntary" recruit for the army? arrested for criticizing the government? am I going to be able to buy rice tomorrow? am I going to lose all my savings in another devaluation? am I going to be ordered to move again? Yes, most people want an open market economy. But as long as the SLORC is in power, the economy will never be truly open. Only a return to democracy can provide the framework for a genuinely open economy and a system in which everyone can have confidence - because they all have a voice. *********************************************************** THE NATION: REBELS CUT SLORC TROOPS' SUPPLY LINE IN SHAN STATE April 24, 1996 Reuter BURMESE troops at former opium warlord Khun Sa's jungle headquarters are facing a critical food shortage as anti- government guerrillas harass and cut their supply lines, Thai and guerrilla sources said yesterday. The government troops in Ho Mong, 350 km northeast of Rangoon, have asked Thailand to open its nearby border to allow supplies to come through, sources said. "The (Thai) interior ministry is now considering the Burmese demand, but I don't know if the ministry will allow border checkpoints to open or not," said a Thai provincial official speaking from Mae Hong Son. The official, who refused to be identified, said the Burmese forces at Ho Mong in southern Shan state first asked for the border to open last month. Shan guerrilla sources said anti-Rangoon rebels, most of whom are remnants of Khun Sa's powerful army who did not surrender to the government with him, were cutting supply lines to Ho Mong where the government has set up a garrison. "They're having a lot of problems getting supplies in to Ho Mong," one Thai-based Shan source said. "Because of that they're asking the Thais to open the border," he said. Ho Mong is about 15km from the Thai border. The Shan source said about 1,000 former fighters in Khun Sa's army, led by an officer called Yod Seuk, were behind the attacks on the government supply lines. "They're very stubborn fighters and very good at this guerrilla-style warfare in the mountains," he said. The Shan opposition source said Burmese troops had executed several village headmen in the area in reprisal for the rebel ambushes. Another Shan guerrilla source said Karenni rebels in Kayah state had joined forces with their Shan colleagues to attack the government supply lines. A resident of Ho Mong who recently slipped across the border into Thailand said most civilians in the town had left due to the food shortage and the 2,000-strong Burmese garrison there was living on meagre rations. Burmese troops moved Burmese troops moved into Ho Mong at the beginning of January after Khun Sa surrendered to the government. More than 10,000 of his troops surrendered along with him, according to Burmese government figures. But many others took to the hills to continue the campaign for Shan independence which Khun Sa has now abandoned. The former drug lord, who international anti-narcotics agencies said controlled about half of Burma's annual opium crop, is now living in a heavily-guarded Rangoon house, according to diplomats in the Burmese capital. (TN) ****************** S.H.A.N : FORCED LABOUR IN KE SEE TOWNSHIP March 31,1996 From: "SHAN Since March 1,1996, SLORC troops stationed at Nam Mon village, Murng Nang circle, Ke See township, ordered 2 villagers from each of the 12 villages to take turns and every day to work in their camps up till present. The work includes fetching water, cutting and splitting firewood, collecting vegetables in the forest, cooking, dishwashing, clothes washing, etc. Also on March 1, 1996, the SLORC at Murng Nang, Ke See township ordered each person from every household to build tents ( at intervals of 20 to 40 yards) and stand guard along the motor road from Murng Nong up to Pang Phone camp ( an old UWSA encampment ), 22 miles away from Murng Nong and situated on Murng Nong-Lai Kha motor road. They are to look out for, and gather information about MTA breakaway groups that have not surrendered to SLORC. EXTORTION IN KE SEE TOWNSHIP Since the beginning of 1996, SLORC troops stationed at Murng Nang, Ke See township have ordered the villager to provide them with 2 viss of pork and 2 viss of beef for every five days from the following 3 village circles in Ke See township; Murng Nang, Ho Pong and Wan Zard circles. And, starting from mid-February, people who grow opium in the 3 circles have to pay tax to the Burmese troops from 20,000 kyats up to 50, 000 kyats according to the numbers of households in village. Opium farms of those who do not pay tax will be destroyed, but those who pay tax are free to grow as much as they like. ***************************************************** S.H.A.N : BURMESE TROOPS STEP 4-CUTS POLICY 31 March, 1996 From: "SHAN Since early March 1996, SLORC troops have been tightening the long imposed four-cuts policy over the people of middle and northern Shan State. The most affected are areas of Khum Pang, Kong Lurn, Murng Nang, Nong Som and Ke See (the territories of the 7th Brigade SSA ceasefire group led by Zao Pang Fah ). They force the people to move and gather in one place within three days and they shoot at those who disobey their orders and burn houses. Two elders were burned to death in their houses at Murng Nang while trying to take out their ancient copper statues of Lord Buddha. In Lai Kha township, the areas of Kang Oon, Hai Gong, Wan Look and Nong Som (territories of SSNA led by Zao Sai Yi ) are suffering the same fate. Those who do not want to gather in one place have to flee in different places. The Palaung village of Nam Mo, near Hai Seng, which had more than 300 households, is now deserted because the Burmese troops had driven many villages in the area to gather at Wan Thiza Lai Khum in Lai Kha township. Rice and paddy are to be carried away in three days. After that any rice and paddy left behind were burnt immediately. In early March, SLORC had ordered the SSA ceasefire group to move all their force and concentrate at Om Mu ( Headquarters of 3rd Brigade ) at Nam Lao village ( they must dismantle the 1st Brigade base of Zao Pang Fah and move to Nam Lao - south east of Murng Kao at Seng Kew - GHQs of SSA. The movement must be completed before 27-28 April 1996. The SSNA of Karn Yord also received a similar order from the SLORC. The reasons for tightening the four-cuts policy and concentrating SSA-SSNA's strength are to prevent the ex-MTA non-surrender armed group ( led by Maj. Yord Serk and Maj. Khur Ngern ) from getting help from the people and to prevent SSA-SSNA from helping and receiving them. If all this is true, SSA and SSNA are already in a hard-pressed condition and will have to face many difficulties even to survive, let alone to protect the people from the four-cuts policy or to receive the MTA non-surrender group. The ceasefire should have been made with the intention of working towards a peaceful settlement. But SLORC troops are deliberately creating a crisis and chaos in these areas. How can the ceasefire groups just stand by and look on?. ********************************************** THE NATION: TWO BURMESE OFFICERS MOVED OVER MISSING DRUG April 24, 1996 Reuter TWO senior Burmese army officers were removed from posts in the opium rich Shan state headquarters of former drug lord Khun Sa after some seized heroin vanished, a Thai narcotics source said yesterday. Col Chit Htwe, commander of the former Ho Mong base of Khun Sa, and Brig Gen Mo Heng, commander of Burma's 55th army division, were transferred after the loss, said the narcotics officer based in Mae Hong Son. Chit Htwe had arrested two suspected subordinates of Sam Herng, the son of Khun Sa, near Ho Mong in late February and seized 20 kilogrammes of heroin from them. But only half the heroin was handed over to the government investigators a week later, the officer said. (TN) ****************** THE NATION: MITSUI EYES VN, BURMA April 23, 1996 Kyodo TOKYO - Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co and Mitsui and CO will establish a shipbuilding company in Burma and a steel structure construction company in Vietnam jointly with local companies, a Mitsui spokesman said yesterday. In Burma, the two Japanese companies will tie up with state-run shipbuilding company Myanmar Shipyards in Rangoon and will establish the joint venture sometime this summer, the spokesman said. Negotiations are in the final stages and the partners are talking about US$12 million for the planned company's capital. The two Mitsui companies are likely to invest 60 per cent of the capital, with the Burmese side placing 40 per cent, he said. ****************** BKK POST: MEMBER OF BURMESE ARMY'S ORIGINAL '30 COMRADES' DIES April 23,1996 Report: AFP, Rangoon Bo Tauk Htain, a member of the "30 comrades" who fought for independence and formed the nucleus of the Burmese army, has died aged 87 in his native town of Pyinmana, a state newspaper reported. Bo Tauk Htain, also known as Thakin San Mya, received top state honours for his role in the independence struggle. He died on April 18 and was cremated on Saturday, a brief obituary notice from the family said. The 30 comrades, whose Burmese Independence Army was officially formed during a ceremony in Bangkok in 1941, were led by Aung San, father of the current leader of the pro- democracy movement in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi. With Bo Tauk Htain's demise, only five of the original 30 comrades remain, including Ne Win, who took power in a 1962 coup d'etat and ruled until 1988 as head of the military- dominated Burma Socialist Programme Party. Aung San was assassinated shortly before Burma gained its independence from the British on January 4,1948. Bo Tauk Htain entered politics after independence and was a member of parliament from the central Burma Pyinmana constituency until the 1962 coup. He was active in the pro-democracy movement during and after the 1988 coup, which brought the current military regime to power, but had retired to his home town due to old age. The other surviving members of the 30 comrades include ex- defence minister Bohmu Aung, Bo Bala and former Communist Party of Burma (CPB) members Kyaw Zaw and Bo Ye Htut. Bo Ye Htut joined the CPB while serving in the Burmese military and later surrendered. Kyaw Zaw joined after his forced retirement from the military and has taken up political asylum in China. Bo Bala was a supporter of the late U Nu, the first prime minister after independence who also held the post when the 1962 coup ended democratic rule in the name of national unity. (BP) *************** REQUEST: BURMA GROUP CONTACTS, TOURISM GROUP INFO April 24, 1996 Burma Action Group The Burma Action Group in England has received a request from the New Internationalist re their June issue for Burma organisation contact addresses, numbers and e-mail addresses in South Africa and New Zealand. If you know of any, please send this information to Yvette: Burma Action Group Also, this is a second reminder: 'Don't Visit Burma Year 1996' BAG are compiling an updated tourism campaign information document, following that released in April 1995, in an effort to improve the information available and further the exhange of campaigning ideas on the specific issue of tourism in Burma. The format will be similar to that of the first document and will contain a section on the specific tourism campaign plans / actions of the various active groups and individuals worldwide, with a section of contacts and addresses of organsations and individuals interested in the issue, and resources they have available. This is intended for groups/individuals who are already involved in the tourism campaign or who are now considering an active campaign on the tourism issue. Please contact Yvette at bagp@gn.apc.org, putting "Tourism Coordination" as the subject as soon as possible, with a brief summary of your activities and plans so that we can include you in this document. We would appreciate an update even if your organisation was included in the 1995 document. We would be grateful if you would also let us know of the tourism related activities and contact names/addresses of any other organisations/ individuals you may be aware of who, do not have access to e-mail. The recently launched second edition of Burma -The Alternative Guide is now available from the BAG office at #3.99 plus #1.00 postage and packing. Discounts for bulk orders. *********************************************************** BKK POST: BURMA MISSION April 23,1996 A Singaporean delegation arrived in Rangoon yesterday to explore investment opportunities in agriculture, poultry, crocodile and pig farming and rubber plantations. Tay Saeng Hock, head of the agricultural technology development branch of the Primary Production Department, is leading the five-day mission. He said there was "great synergy" between Singapore's food sourcing needs and Burma's agricultural resources. (BP) ***************************************************** BKK POST: GOODWILL SOCCER April 23,1996 A Burmese military football team recently visited Laos to play goodwill matches marking the 47th anniversary of the Laotian People's Armed Forces. Deputy Adjutant-General of the Adjutant- General's Office Col Ye Tun led the 26-member delegation. (BP) *************** BKK POST: MALAYISA SAVES STARVING BURMESE April 23,1996 Malaysian marine police have rescued 189 starving Burmese immigrants, who were trying to enter the country illegally last week. The 179 men and 10 women were intercepted last Thursday off northern Penang island. Azizan Pawanteh, the northern marine zone superintendent, said the Burmese had paid US$120 each to come to Malaysia, where they had been promised jobs by a syndicate. ************************************************* BKK POST: HEROIN SEIZURES April 23,1996 Burmese authorities seized 38 kg of heroin, 64 kg of opium and arrested 395 people for a total of 287 drug-related offences last month. Seizures by the military accounted for 36 kg of heroin and 12 kg of opium out of the March totals, along with 977 litres of methyl alcohol. Three people, including two Indian nationals, were arrested on March 11 in the Burmese border town of Tamu with 20 litres of acetic anhydride used in the refining of heroin. (BP) *************** FBC: HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO FREE-BURMA LISTSERV April 19, 1996 From: zni@students.wisc.edu For regular updates on the Free Burma Campaign and information sharing about Free Burma Campaign activities on university campuses and elsewhere, subscribe to the free-burma listserver. To subscribe, send a note to: listserver@relay.doit.wisc.edu Leave the subject area blank. The body of the message should read: subscribe free-burma yourfirstname yourlastname To unsubscribe: send a note to: listserver@doit.relay.wisc.edu leave subject area blank the body of the message should read: unsubscribe free-burma *************************************************** WWW: SLORC HOMEPAGE INVITES YOUR COMMENTS, QUESTIONS April 22, 1996 From: brelief@gol.com (Ken and Visakha Kawasaki) Just found this invitation on soc.culture.Burma. It would be a shame not to take Slorc up on its free offer but do watch those rude political words like democracy, freedom, human rights, elections, NLD, DASSK. Anyway 1000 plus browsers might benefit from your comments! - by Ken and Visakha Kawasaki -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: miisinfo1@aol.com (Miisinfo1) Message-ID: <4lanig$odc@newsbf02.news.aol.com> All of you... (white or black...in or out....for or against....frient or foe....good or bad.... angel or evil....Myanma or Burma....somebody or nobody.....rich or poor.... A.B.C or X.Y.Z....) We would like to welcome you to participate in our Myanmar Home Page Guest Book.... * Employment Opportunity * Friend Search * Pen Friends * Your Opinion * Your Philosophy * Your Question * whatever you have in your mind....express it.......it's free...... Note: 1000+ browsers will see your expression....... (except NON-SENSE POLITICS with rude words..............) http://www.myanmar.com/myanmar/guest/guestbook.html Browse it....you'll enjoy it................See ya soon.......... ****************************************************** WWW: BURMASONG PAGE From: A new Burma-related Web site named BURMASONG PAGE has been opened. The address is http://users.imagiware.com/wtongue/ This URL currently contains the words to the song, "In The Quiet Land" in a presentation format. Visitors can download AIFF or .wav sound files from a demo recording of a verse and chorus of "In The Quiet Land". A text file of the words and chords may also be downloaded from this page. This site will be continuiously updated with new songs and resources. All of these resources may be used freely to promote a greater awareness of the struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma. When you visit this site, be sure to register your response and suggestions by clicking on the Email address at the bottom of the page. ********************************************************** WWW: FRENCH CONNECTION FBC From: cd@ns.fnet.fr check out our web site, its getting up quickly now, http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/