------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: May 12, 1996 Issue #405 HEADLINES: ========== WALL STREET JOURNAL - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR INDEPENDENT REPORT: SLORC FORBIDS TEACHING CHIN THE NATION: SUU KYI BAGS DEMOCRACY AWARD THE NATION: PEPSI IS STILL DRINK OF CHOICE FOR BURMESE BKK POST: REMNANTS OF KHUN SA FORCE STILL RETURNING BKK POST: BURMESE RESISTANCE MEETS KNU FOR TALKS BKK POST: ARF ACCEPTS NEW MEMBERS INDIA, BURMA MNOC: STATEMENT ON THE 239TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL INTELASIA: SIAM CITY BANK IN BURMA VENTURE INDEPENDENT REPORT: SENATE HEARING ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMEESE STUDENT WANTED! ANNOUNCEMENT: THINGYAN FESTIVAL / BACA INVITATION ANNOUNCEMENT: ESCAPE MAGAZINE - BURMA ARTICLE ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW NLD VIDEOS AVAILABLE [S-8 --> S-11] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WALL STREET JOURNAL - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR May 6, 1996 From: simon_billenness@cybercom.net In his April 9 editorial page article: "Forget MFN, the Consumers Are Coming!" David Birnbaum correctly points out that consumers punish companies that remain indifferent to abuses of human rights. Unfortunately he missed the fact that, after a three-month consumer boycott, Columbia Sportswear has joined Eddie Bauer, Levi Strauss, Liz Claiborne and Macy's in stopping the purchase of apparel made in Burma. PepsiCo has just announced the sale of its 40% equity interest in its Burmese bottler and acknowledged the growing pressure from its customers. But consumers are not just individuals; they include cities, states and institutions such as universities. Harvard University recently pulled back from awarding Pepsi a five-year $1 million contract after students objected to PepsiCo's presence in Burma. Six cities -- Ann Arbor (MI), Berkeley (CA), Madison (WI), Oakland (CA), Santa Monica (CA) and San Francisco -- have already enacted laws barring municipal purchases of goods or services from any company doing business in Burma. ARCO, Texaco, Total and Unocal now face losing lucrative contracts for heating and fuel oil as Alameda County, Massachusetts and New York City debate similar purchasing restrictions. During the campaign against apartheid, municipal and state purchasing restrictions played a principal role in forcing corporations out of South Africa. As cities and states join individual consumers in shunning companies that do business in Burma, they prove Birnbaum's thesis that effective action in support of human rights can take place in the free market and outside of the Beltway. Simon Billenness Senior Analyst Franklin Research & Development Boston ********************************************************* INDEPENDENT REPORT: SLORC FORBIDS TEACHING CHIN LANGUAGE IN SCHOOLS May 10, 1996 From: an304997@anon.penet.fi (Moy) We have just been informed by sources inside Burma that teaching Chin language in schools in Chin State is now forbidden (by SLORC). In Chin state, Chin language, whose written form was invented or introduced by the British using Roman (?) alphabets (i.e. A..Z, a..z), has always been taught in primary schools, from preschool year to year 4. Text books were usually supplied by local Christian churches. Parents paid fees to cover teachers' salaries. If the language can no longer be taught, even writing one's name could become a problem. Most of Chin names can NOT be spelled correctly using Burmese characters (try writing names like "Hrang Tlir" or "Dar Kio" in Burmese). *********************************************************** THE NATION: SUU KYI BAGS DEMOCRACY AWARD FOR COURAGEOUS FIGHT May 10, 1996 THE Washington-based National Democratic Institute will in August present its 10th annual W Averell Harriman Democracy Award to Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi for her "courageous struggle" to restore democracy in Burma. Madeleine Albright, US ambassador to the United Nations, who made a brief visit to Burma last year where she held talks with the Burmese pro-democracy leader, will present the award at a special luncheon on Aug 26, a press statement from the NDI said. Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel laureate, will not be able to travel to Chicago to receive the award in person but has recorded a brief videotaped speech that will be shown. The award ceremony will be attended by administration officials, members of Congress, business leaders and diplomats. The event will take place during the NDI's International Visitors' Programme at the Democratic National Convention, a week-long series of seminars on the US election process and foreign policy issues. More than 600 political and government leaders from nearly 100 countries are expected to participate in the convention programme. "Aung San Suu Kyi's tireless campaign for democracy reflects the hopes and aspirations of the Burmese people, and is an inspiration to democrats throughout the world," Kenneth D Wollack, the NDI president, said. Last November, Wollack led an NDI delegation to Burma where they tried to examine the political developments and discuss how the international community might best support a genuine democratic transition. The team, which included Chile's former minister of the presidency Edgardo Boeninger and NDI programme officer Derek Mitchell, held meetings with the leadership of three Burmese political parties, UN development agencies and the Rangoon-based foreign diplomatic corps. In each meeting, Boeninger was able to discuss how Chile managed civil-military relations during its successful transition to democracy after nearly two-decades of military rule under Gen Pinochet. They also met Suu Kyi, the daughter of independence hero Aung San, who reiterated her determination to pursue a dialogue with the Burmese junta as a means to restoring democracy in her country. During the meeting, Suu Kyi also urged the international community not to engage in economic and political activities that would confer legitimacy on the ruling Burmese State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc). Past recipients of the NDI's Democracy Award include Czech President Vaclav Havel, Ambassador Albright, Northern Ireland political leader John Hume, South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, former US president Jimmy Carter and South Korean President Kim Young-sam. This year the NDI will also honour former US vice president and current ambassador to Japan Walter Mondale for his leadership in fostering democracy around the world. The NDI, which was established in 1983, presents the award annually to two individuals who exemplify NDI's commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and the protection of human rights, the statement said. The non-profit organisation maintains field offices in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union and the Baltic states. The organisation, which has supported the development of democratic institutions in more than 70 countries, focuses its programmes on six major areas: political party development, election processes, legislative reform, local government, civil-military relations, and civic organisation and education. (TN) ******************************************************* THE NATION: PEPSI IS STILL DRINK OF CHOICE FOR BURMESE May 10,1996 Consumer boycotts have had limited success inside the junta- ruled country, Aung Zaw writes. Burmese activists cheered last week as newspaper headlines trumpeted "Pepsi's plan to withdraw from Burma." However, while the US company says it is pulling out, the drink will still be widely available. PepsiCo has agreed to sell its 40 percent stake in a joint venture partnership in Burma, apparently because of pressure from consumer groups upset over the US-based firm's ties to the military government in Rangoon. Pepsi products though will continue to be sold in Burma because the franchise agreement remains. Under this set up, PepsiCo won't have any assets and will not employ any employees in Burma, according to Thein Tun, who said last week that his company, Myanmar Golden Star Co, had agreed to buy PepsiCo's shares. Zar Ni, a Burmese student in the United States who organised the Free Burma Campaign (FBC), expressed doubts on this. "We refuse to swallow Pepsi's lies about its operations in Burma. They claim they are leaving Burma, but in reality they're not." Pepsi entered Burma in 1991 with an inititial investment of $1 million. The US soft drink company declared that its joint venture with Myanmar Golden Star earned $8 million last year. Zar Ni dismissed Pepsi's recent move as a public relations exercise and his FBC has announced a plan to stage an international hunger strike aimed at convincing Pepsi and other companies, including Unocal, Texaco, and Heineken, to suspend operations in Burma. "We aim to create an international outcry against the regime and their corporate supporters. And of course, PepsiCo will be a major target." He said they will start during the first week of October. "Many of us [American students and Burmese activists] will fast for a minimum of three days. Others will join us later. We will also make effigies to portray the Slorc's brutality and corporate complicity in it," Zar Ni added. Zar Ni and other activists have organised and ad hoc hunger strike committee but say they don't know how many people will actually participate. He said their aim is to get at least 20 major schools to join them. So far, Stanford, UCLA, North-western, Indiana University, Wisconsin, University of Washington, some colleges in the Washington DC and Maryland areas as well as some high schools have expressed their commitment to the planned hunger strike. The US-based campaign is getting noticed. The Washington Post said "Pepsi Co Inc, once applauded for refusing to operate in then white-ruled South Africa, is in danger of losing a new generation of customers over its sale of soft drinks in military-ruled Burma." But what about the internal Pepsi boycott in Burma? Many Burmese openly admit they like Pepsi. Students in colleges and universities in Burma still drink Pepsi. "Pepsi in Burma will survive," said a Western diplomat in Rangoon. "I don't see any internal boycott here. This is the only thing they can get. One bottle is about 15 kyat (4 Baht)," he noted. He doesn't think an internal boycott is going to work. "Even the people in [Aung San] Suu Kyi's compound drink Pepsi," he added. A coordinator with Burma Net said the Burmese people still don't see the connection between their sufferings and Pepsi. "The day they realise this they will stop drinking Pepsi," he said. But Zar Ni said otherwise. "I have heard that young students in Burma are boycott Pepsi." "Actually the people should practice the old "consumer boycott tactics," which were used during the Wunthanu period when the country was under British colonial rule. Wunthanu means nationalism or patriotism. When the Burmese turned against the British, they wore traditional Burmese outfits called themselves Thakhin [master] and started boycotting foreign products," he stressed. "I think the Burmese people should come to terms with the fact that a consumer boycott is an effective method to underline protests against corporate support. In due time, they will realise that the struggle will not be over so long as the Slorc is there and that they must have the will to free themselves from fear and apathy, as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said," said Zar Ni. Zar Ni and the FBC will continue pushing for Pepsi's total withdrawal from Burma. (TN) ******************************************************* BKK POST: REMNANTS OF KHUN SA FORCE STILL RETURNING TO THE FOLD May 11, 1996 Rangoon, AFP REMNANTS of former opium drug lord Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army are continuing to surrender to government forces in - Burma's eastern Shan State, a report in the New Light of Myanmar said yesterday. A total of 54 MTA fighters gave themselves up to government forces during the second 'week of April together with some small arms and ammunition, the official English-language newspaper reported. Burmese authorities have said that there are some 2,000 members of the MTA still at large in Shan State, four months after Khun Sa and the ethnic Shan force surrendered unconditionally to the government. The surrender cleared Shan State of Burma's most formidable anti-government ethnic insurgency which had battled Rangoon for almost five decades, analysts here said. Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, Burma's intelligence chief who has been credited with orchestrating Khun Sa's surrender, said during a visit to Shan State last week that the entire state was now free of insurgency. He added that development plans were now underway to narrow the gap between the more prosperous areas of central Burma and the border areas. Khin Nyunt said the government had spent over three billion kyats ($25 million at the market rate) in the past seven years on development projects in the border areas. He said the development programs included substitution schemes to replace poppy cultivation in the region; which, along with areas of Thailand and Laos, forms the Golden Triangle, where most of the world's opium originates. Burma on Wednesday hosted a six-nation anti-narcotics meeting during which participants agreed to reduce the spread of illicit drugs. Some 30 delegates from Burma, Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam attended the meeting. ************************************************************ BKK POST: BURMESE RESISTANCE MEETS KNU FOR TALKS May 10, 1996 Burmese resistance groups met yesterday at the Karen National Union stronghold opposite this district to discuss a recent ceasefire discussion between the KNU and the Rangoon government. KNU leader Gen Bo Mya, in his capacity as chairman of the Democratic Alliance of Burma, called the meeting after six KNU representatives returned from Rangoon, where they had held ceasefire talks with the State Law and Order Restoration Council on May 4, according to a KNU source. Attending yesterday's meeting were leading figures from the DAB, KNU and other representatives from allied groups such as All Burma Students' Democratic Front chairman Dr Naing Aung, All Burma Muslim Union president Dr Abdul Razak, some former politicians of the National League for Democracy who have been seeking political asylum and other pro-democracy Burmese activists. The progress of the third round of ceasefire talks between the KNU and the Slorc was revealed at the meeting, said the source. Tighter security has been beefed up at the venue of the five-day meeting, which concludes on Monday. (BP) *********************************************** BKK POST: ARF ACCEPTS NEW MEMBERS INDIA, BURMA May 11, 1996 YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA, AFP INDIA and Burma have been approved to become new members of the 19 member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), dealing with Asian security issues, officials said here yesterday. "India and Myanmar [Burma] were on the agenda, and they have been accepted," Francesco Scarlata, head of the European Union delegation told AFP. The two-day ARF meeting, involving senior officials, accepted these bids for membership by consensus and will now forward them for approval by the ARF ministerial meeting to be held in Jakarta in July. The ARF yesterday also discussed a US proposal for four way talks on the future of the Korean peninsula and more transparency on arms purchases and military training. "Transparency to a certain degree is useful, but not transparency for transparency's sake," warned Chen Jian, head of the Chinese delegation. Analysts have said the Americans will be arguing for increased transparency of these issues plus the creation of a regional arms register as part of the ARF's confidence building measures. "Due consideration should be given to equal security to all countries whether they are wording of that treaty to defensive or offensive," Chen Chen reaffirmed that China had a defensive military posture and said there would be "no change" to that policy. But the disputed Spratly Islands would not be discussed, Chen said, because that issue was being dealt with in talks between the various countries involved. The 19 member ARF groups the seven nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, South Korea and the United States. The members of ASEAN are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Issues surrounding a proposed comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty and the South East Asian Nuclear Free Zone (SEANFZ) were also high on the agenda, according to New Zealand and Indonesian officials. The United States delegation, headed by Winston Lord assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, is expected to come under pressure here to sign SEANFZ. The United States will be lobbying for changes to the sure easy passage through the region for its nuclear fleet, one defence analyst said. "We will also be talking about landmines,, chemical weapons and maybe biological weapons," Neil Walter, deputy secretary of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said. Scarlata said the EU still had to discuss applications by France and Britain to join the ARF as individual members. Scarlata said the two Europe an nations only placed their formal bids a few days ago, an he admitted there were still "problems" because the EU already holds two seats at the ARF. "However, I think the [France and Britain] will accepted next year," Scarlat said. Indonesia, as president of the membership committee, unveiled a draft list of criteria for new members yesterday. Any new partners must already play an "important role in the security of the region," according to Izhar Ibrahim, leading the Indonesian delegation here. One delegate said they were "very broad" terms, and that [ the details would be worked out during the course of the talks. ***************************************************************** MNOC: STATEMENT ON THE 239TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF MON KINGDOM HONGSAVATOI (abridged) May 10, 1996 (Mon National Organization of Canada) From: ojasti@nn.apc.org As the 239th anniversary of the Mon kingdom Hongsavatoi is on May 9 , 1996, we, the Mon National Organization of Canada, have released this statement to express our deep concern for the Mon people and the present situation in Burma. The Mon kingdom, which was situated in the lower part of Burma, had flourished in peace and prosperity for several centuries until it was occupied by the Burman dynasty in 1757. At that time the last kingdom was devastated and tens of thousands of Mons including learned Buddhist monks, pregnant women and children were being killed by king U Aungzeya of Burma. After this massacre many Mons fled to the southern most part of Burma and into Thailand to escape further oppression, persecution and enslavement by the conqueror. Apparently, the Mon National Organization of Canada understands that the agreement reached between NMSP and SLORC is not the right process for a genuine peace and it does not represent the wishes of the Mons and majority of the other people still living in Burma as well as overseas Mons. As the human rights violations and oppression by the SLORC continue the suffering of all peoples in Burma also continues On this tragic day of the 239th anniversary of the fall of Mon kingdom Hongsavatoi we, the Mon National Organization of Canada, urgently recommend the international communities to take the following action: 1) Stop the project of constructing a 500 mile gas pipeline from Monland. 2) Stop the conscription of forced labour for constructing of Ye-Tavoy railway and forced relocation of the villages. 3) Call a tripartite dialogue among the military regime of SLORC, opposition democratic political parties and the ethnic leaders, 4) Permit international human rights observers and the United Nations access to Burma to all prisons, detention centres and ethnic areas. 5) Boycott companies doing business with the military regime. 6) Stop all arms trade with the military regime and pass a UN resolution forbidding member states all military support to Burma May 9 1966 Mon National Organization of Canada Fraser Street 6416 Suite 142 Vancouver, BC V5W 3A4, Canada. Tel/Fax ( 604 ) 321 9871 ******************************************************* INTELASIA: SIAM CITY BANK IN BURMAVENTURE May 10, 1996 from: julien moe BANGKOK, May 10[INTELASIA] - Thailand's Siam City Bank said on Friday it was due to sign a memorandom of understanding with a Burmese bank to set up a joint venture bank there. A signing ceremony on the agreement was due to be held in Bangkok later on Friday in the presence of Burma's Finance Minister, Brigadier-General Win Tin, the bank said in statement. The new bank will have registered capital of $10 million, with Siam City Bank holding a 70 percent stake and Burma's Myanma May Flower Bank holding the rest, it said.The new bank is scheduled to start operations in September, Siam City Bank said. ********************************************************** INDEPENDENT REPORT: SENATE HEARING May 10, 1996 From: "W. Kesavatana-Dohrs" The Northwest Coalition for a Free Burma is holding meetings with staffers from Sen. Patty Murray's (D-WA) Seattle and Spokane offices. We are in contact with her Washington DC office as well, and urge all Washington people to contact Sen. Murray's offices via mail (hurry!), fax, phone and e-mail. Sen. Murray is on the Senate Banking Committee, which has a hearing on the Free Burma Act (S 1511) at 10 am on Friday, May 17. She should 1) Be there, 2) co-sponsor the bill or give it her strongest support. Murray's Seattle # 206-553-5545, fax 206-553-0891 Spokane #509-624-9515 Wash DC # 202-224-2621, fax 202-224-0238 Fellow citizens, please voice your support for this bill! ****************************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMEESE STUDENT WANTED! May 9, 1996 by jastefan@alpha.delta.edu, originally posted on soc.cult.burma We are a small community college located in a beautiful rural area of Northern Michigan. We are trying to internationalize our student body, and would very much like to have a student from Burma on our campus. Our college offers a wide variety of subjects including several unique academic programs at a very low tuition cost. The catalog is available upon request. Please, respond to Tanya Puchkova, Languages and Cultural Exchange Facilitator at puchkovt@k2.kirtland.cc.mi.us fax. (517) 275 6710, 275 8745 *********************************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: THINGYAN FESTIVAL / BACA INVITATION May 11, 1996 Burmese Association of Capital Area invites you & your friends to their annual Thingyan Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland. An opportunity to make new friends & reach out to others... Mokhinga, Kaukswe & other ethnic food will be served. If you live in the Baltimore or Metropolitan Washington D.C. area, please bring food enough for your family and guests. Soft drinks, paperware and tableware will be provided by them. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED. Since most of the activities will take place indoors, the weather should not affect our plans. Outdoor facilities include tennis courts, soccer and football fields and baseball diamond. The outdoor facilities are for public use, so come early if you want to use them. Some water-throwing is a norm, (after all it is a water festival) therefore to avoid going home wet, packing extra clothes is advisable. Bring your own bucket to celebrate the Thingyan. Please do not, however, throw water inside the building and please make sure that children under your care understand this requirement. Water will be privided outside the building for water throwing. There will be ENTERTAINMENT consisting of dances, songs and thangyats. If you wish to participate which they strongly encourage, please call the area representative. In the Metro D C area, call: -Daw Iris @ 301-340-9137 or Daw Mary @ 301-530-8041 In the Baltimore area, call: -Dr. Cecilia @ 410-321-6030 In Virginia, call: -U Kyaw Win @ 703-641-8553 For volunteers, please contact one of their Representatives mentioned above. DATE: Sunday May 19 1996 PLACE: Good Hope Community Center, 14715 Good Hope Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904 TIME: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. DIRECTIONS: Fr D.C., Take Route 29 North, Left on Briggs Chaney Fr Baltimore, take 29 South, Right on Briggs Chaney *********************************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: ESCAPE MAGAZINE - BURMA ARTICLE May 10, 1996 From: "W. Kesavatana-Dohrs" There is an article on travel in Burma in the July '96 issue of Escape Magazine, which is out already, called "Way Beyond Rangoon" or "Fear and Loathing in Burma." Also included is a debate on the go or not go question, which quotes Dr. Carol Richards of the LA Burma Forum, but doesn't really characterize Aung San Suu Kyi's feelings very accurately. - Larry Dohrs *************************************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW NLD VIDEOS AVAILABLE [S-8 --> S-11] May 9, 1996 From: ktint@earthlink.net (Kyaw Tint) Released by ISBDA on May 11, 1996 Dear Friends: Information Service on Burmese Democracy Affairs would like to announce that we have received new NLD videos documentaries for distribution. Since audio sound tracks of some tapes obtained are not clear, ISBDA has applied the technique of Simulated Stereo Sound Effect to produce pretty good quality copies for you. After request of the non-Burmese speaking friends, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has allocated a few minutes to summarize her forum speeches in English. We will make sure (English Summary) labels to be included in the descriptions for these tapes. Please find the Ordering Information after the list of all available video tapes. Kyaw Tint ISBDA ==================================== _NEWLY ARRIVED SPECIAL SERIES_ Volume # S-12 (New Arrival) < A L L I N E N G L I S H > "NLD Press Conference regarding Withdrawal from the SLORC Sponsored National Convention" This 38 minutes record is fully in ENGLISH. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appeared at the conference room of NLD office to explain to foreign journalists about the party's decision to withdraw from the fake convention. Recording Date: November 22, 1995. Volume # S-11 (New Arrival) "Fascist Resistance Day Part II" [The celebration was opened by keynote speech of U Kyi Maung, vice Chairperson of the NLD. Bo Mhu Aung (1910- ), member of the 30 Comrades, was the first invited speaker. He accounted his involvement in arranging first rendezvous of General Aung San and the Allied forces during early stage of fascist resistance movement in Burma. The following speakers were U Maung Maung Gyi, and U Tin U, who were in the Burma's army formed under Japanese administration. >From the supporting role of ordinary citizens, well-known writers U Khin Maung Latt (1915 - ) and Daw Khin Myo Chit (1915 - ) accounted their experiences during the nation's Independence struggle.] In this part U Khin Maung Latt finished his talk and Daw Khin Myo Chit told about her adventurous works to help the resistance movement. U Kyi Maung made concluding remarks before the end of lecture program. Recording Date: March 27, 1996. Volume # S-10 (New Arrival) "Fascist Resistance Day Part I" The celebration was opened by keynote speech of U Kyi Maung, vice-Chairperson of the NLD. Bo Mhu Aung (1910- ), member of 30 Comrades, was the first invited speaker. He accounted his involvement in arranging first rendezvous of General Aung San and the Allied forces during early stage of fascist resistance movement of Burma. The following speakers were U Maung Maung Gyi, and U Tin U, who were in the Burma's army formed under Japanese administration. >From the supporting role of ordinary citizens, well-known writers U Khin Maung Latt (1915 - ) and Daw Khin Myo Chit (1915 - ) accounted their experiences during the nation's Independence struggle. In this tape (S-10), only the first part of U Khin Maung Latt's talk was covered. Since his talk was so interesting and humorous, ISBDA is quite certain that you will be watching Part II as soon as Part I is finished. Recording Date: March 27, 1996. Volume # S-9 (New Arrival) Burma's Human Rights Day: Lecture by U Khin Maung Kyi. The celebration was opened by keynote address of U Kyi Maung, vice-chairperson of the NLD. Lecturer U Khin Maung Kyi, CEC member of the NLD, is one of Burma's human right experts. (He worked as General Manager of Department of Social Security, Burma until 1987. He chaired an International Conference on Social Development and National Security which was jointly sponsored by ILO and Norway in 1979.) Focus of his lecture is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Burma's connection to the UN and other international organizations. Discussions, questions and answers. (105 min.) Recording Date: March 13, 1996. Volume # S-8 (New Arrival) Celebration of Burma Children's Day :: Aung San's Birthday. Opening Songs: "Bo Aung San" and famous "We Are the World" with beautiful Burmese words. The celebration was opened by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Performance Program by the Children: Nearly ideal Burmese "Yodayar" Dance by Ma Thida Cho Myint; "Nabanzan" Dance which is admired by Daw Suu was performed by Ma Thandar Yin Tun's troupe; Aung San Poems by the children and Birthday presents to the kids. (80 min.) Recording Date: February 13, 1996. ===================================== _NEWLY ARRIVED REGULAR VOLUMES_ Volume # 40 (New Arrival) NLD People's Forum: Speeches and answers to the questions for the people who assembled at weekends by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung. In this volume, U Tin Oo criticized routine practices of injustice trails and routine tortures especially to the political prisoners. Recording Dates: February 3, 4, 1996. Volume # 39 (New Arrival) NLD People's Forum: Speeches and answers to the questions for the people who assembled at weekends by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung. In this volume, U Kyi Maung revisited the constitution and programme of the NLD, especially emphasizing in the economic policies. He promised to publish a series of books on the NLD programme once there exists right of free publication in Burma. Recording Dates: January 27, 28, 1996. Volume # 38 (New Arrival) NLD People's Forum: Speeches and answers to the questions for the people who assembled at weekends by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung. In response to a question regarding the call for dialogue, Daw Suu ridiculed by suggesting that maybe the question should be asked to U Kun Sa because his method was proved to be successful at least until now. Recording Dates: January 20, 21, 1996. Volume # 37 (New Arrival) NLD People's Forum: Speeches and answers to the questions for the people who assembled at weekends by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung. Daw Suu described the concept of National Reconciliation. One question pointed out SLORC's child abuse pattern to force school children to march to the meetings that feign having mass support to their national convention. Recording Dates: December 9,10, 1995. Volume # 36 (New Arrival) NLD People's Forum: Speeches and answers to the questions for the people who assembled at weekends by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung. In his speech, U Kyi Maung shared his experience of how he answered a repeating question by young military intelligence askers when he was detained briefly. The MI interrogated him the whole night with a question why did he joined the NLD. His auto-reply was, "Because it is for you." Recording Dates: November 25,26, 1995. Volume # 35 (New Arrival) NLD People's Forum: Speeches and answers to the questions for the people who assembled at weekends by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung. There was a question regarding pricing tactics exercised by a world famous drink company (obviously, PEPSI): The prices of soft drinks are deliberately increased as soon rainy season ends in Burma. Recording Dates: November 5,11, 1995. ======================== ORDERING INFORMATION Unless otherwise specified the price for each Volume is US$15.00 which includes tape, copying, handling and air-mailing from the US. Friends who interested in sharing these tapes must send return address to ISBDA, 108 N. Hidalgo #305, Alhambra CA91801, USA with enclosed check or international MO payable to Htay H. Kyi. Please clearly mention the tape Volume numbers in your order and we will immediately air-mailed after knowing your payment. Remember that a short email notice to ktint@earthlink.net as you mail the order quicken the process. All video tapes are recorded by home video camera system on NTSC VHS format. (For Camcorder players, 8 mm Video Copies are also available here at ISBDA upon special request: No additional charge is necessary for this service) Burmese students and refugees should send a written request to ISBDA for getting these videos at high discount rates. Note: Several more regular series volumes are to be anounced within a few days.