------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: August 16, 1996 Issue #491 Noted in Passing: ============ Those people who have blocked the democratization process are indirectly destroying their own system. - Rulkmini Sudjono, a former police officer who currently serves on Indonesia's Commission on Civil Rights .(see: WALL STREET JOURNAL: ASIAN GROWTH NEEDS DEMOCRACY) HEADLINES: ========== MEDIA RELEASE: MALAYSIAN NGOS OBJECT TO SLORC VISIT BKK POST: MAHATHIR SHRUGS OFF THREATS WALL STREET JOURNAL: ASIAN GROWTH NEEDS DEMOCRACY AP: BURMA'S MINISTERS BRUSH ASIDE INVESTORS PULLING OUT AP: SINGAPORE'S INFORMATICS TO OPEN BURMA SCHOOL NATION: 250,000 EXPECTED FOR VISIT MYANMAR YEAR BKK POST: CUSTOMS OPENED AT MYAWADDY NATION: BURMA SEEN AS BIGGEST CONCERN REPORT: CHIN REFUGEES IN MIZORAM (INDIA). TV MYANMAR: SLORC CHANGES NAMES OF MINISTRIES NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: CONCOCTED REPORTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEDIA RELEASE: MALAYSIAN NGOS OBJECT TO SLORC VISIT August 14, 1996 From: 082903@bud.cc.swin.edu.au Kuala Lumpur, Wed.- Twenty-eight (28) Non-Government Organisations today lodged their objection to the state visit of General Than Shwe, head of Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). The open letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said: We are shocked by the apparent willingness of our government to consort with a regime notorious for its atrocities and disregard for the basic human rights of its citizens. It is internationally recognized that this is the regime guilty of the massacre of thousands of unarmed civilians exactly eight years ago, the regime who refuses to honour the results of the 1990 election which it organised, the regime who continues to jail, torture, murder and enslave thousands of Burmese. The letter reminded the Minister that General Than Shwe's regime has continued to harass and plague the elected representatives of the Burmese people, jailing with impunity these elected Members of Parliament and their supporters. In May, more than 260 members of the National League for Democracy, including elected MPs, were arrested and detained without trial. Deaths in custody are common, notably, U Hla Than, the elected representative from the Cocos Island constituency, who died as a result of torture, last week. The letter was delivered by a delegation of Burmese and Malaysian activists, and was received on the Minister behalf by officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs at Wisma Putra this morning. Later one of the members of the delegation, Mr. Fan Yew Teng said it was extremely unfortunate and disappointing that Malaysia has put itself in a position to be seen as an accomplice of the SLORC. Last week, we had an electricity black-out and our Prime Minister said he was ashamed. This week, we have a moral black-out and no one talks about it, he added.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yang Berhormat Datuk Abdullah Ahmad BadawiMinister for Foreign AffairsWisma PutraKUALA LUMPURAugust 14th, 1996Dear Datuk,STATEMENT OF OBJECTIONWe, the undersigned organizations, wish to state our concern and lodge our objection to the state visit of General Than Shwe, head of Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). We are shocked by the apparent willingness of our government to consort with a regime notorious for its atrocities and disregard for the basic human rights of its citizens. It is internationally recognized that this is the regime guilty of the massacre of thousands of unarmed civilians exactly eight years ago, the regime who refuses to honour the results of the 1990 election which it organised, the regime who continues to jail, torture, murder and enslave thousands of Burmese. General Than Shwe's regime has refused to honour the outcome of the 1990 elections, an election which the SLORC itself organised. Instead, it has continued to harass and plague the elected representatives of the Burmese people, jailing with impunity these elected Members of Parliament and their supporters. In May, more than 260 members of the National League for Democracy, including elected MPs, were arrested and detained without trial. Torture, murder and other atrocities against supporters of the will of the Burmese people continue under General Than Shwe's regime. Deaths in custody are common, notably, U Hla Than, the elected representative from the Cocos Island constituency, who died as a result of torture, last week. Hundreds of thousands of Burmese citizens continue to be subjected to forced labour under hazardous and life-threatening conditions for the SLORC's so-called "development" projects. Tens of thousands of Burmese Muslims continue to be oppressed in humiliating and life-threatening ways. This includes the desperate situation of the Rohingyas, who still continue to seek refuge in Bangladesh, despite repatriation efforts. At this time 50,000 Rohingyas continue to be refugees in Bangladesh, with more people fleeing the brutal SLORC every day. Therefore, it is extremely unfortunate and disappointing that Malaysia has put itself in a position to be seen as an accomplice of the SLORC. We call upon our government to use this opportunity to express concern at the crisis in Burma and encourage the SLORC to cease these atrocities against our 47 million neighbors. It is clear that the situation in Burma is not an internal matter. Malaysia set an excellent example in defending the rights of the people of Bosnia and South Africa. In the case of Burma, Malaysia is in a better position to facilitate positive change instead of unconditionally supporting a regime smeared with the blood of hundreds of thousands of our fellow Asians. We look forward to your written reply. Yours sincerely, 1. ABIM (Malaysian Youth Muslim Movement) 2. ALIRAN 3. All Womens Action Society of Malaysia (AWAM) 4. ASA Media Centre 5. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development 6. Burma Solidarity Group Malaysia 7. CENPEACE 8. Center for Orang Asli Concerns 9. Consumers Association of Penang 10. Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth 11. Ideal Time 12. IIFSO (Islamic Federation of Student Organisations) 13. INSAN 14. Jawatankuasa Sokongan Peneroka Bandar (Support Committee for Urban Pioneer Settlers) 15. Jia Chong (United Chinese School Teachers Association) 16. JUST World Trust 17. Labour Resource Centre 18. MSRI (Malaysian Sociological Research Institute) 19. Parti Rakyat Malaysia (Peoples Party Malaysia) 20. PKPIM (National Union of Malaysian Muslim Stdents) 21. Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth) 22. SEAFDA (Sth E.A. Forum for Development Alternatives Malaysia) 23. Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth 24. SUARAM 25. Third World Network 26. WAMY (World Assembly of Muslim Youth) 27. Tamil Support Group for Human Rights 28. World Tamil Relief Fund Coordinated by: Fan Yew Teng CENPEACE Tel: 603 758 3272 Debbie Stothard Burma Solidarity Group Malaysia Fax: 603 732 7325 ********************************************************** BKK POST: MAHATHIR SHRUGS OFF THREATS August 15, 1996 The Malaysian prime minister has indicated American threats to apply sanctions on Burma are empty and likely to be stalled by its own self-interests. Malaysia yesterday asserted that ASEAN had nothing to fear from the United States for accepting Rangoon as a member amid a storm of protests for hosting Burmese leader Than Shwe. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said ASEAN was confident Washington would be reluctant to apply punitive action because of US investments in South East Asia. "They have large investments in this region, including in Myanmar [Burma.] When they see oil, they will come," Mr Mahathir said after bidding farewell to Gen Than Shwe in the capital. Gen Than Shwe, Burma's premier and chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), arrived on Monday with five cabinet ministers for his first official visit to Malaysia. Washington has repeatedly denounced Rangoon's failure to respect human rights. But Rangoon's bid to join ASEAN was given a boost on Monday when Mr Mahathir said he wanted to see Burma become a member by next year. Asked whether there were any objection among ASEAN members to Burma's entry, Mr Mahathir said: "Perhaps there is ... but I think the objection is not very strong. "Actually, those attempting to obstruct the entry of Myanmar into ASEAN are [other] foreign countries." Mr Mahathir's comments were echoed from Tokyo, where Indonesian President Suharto gave a rare interview to the Japanese daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun. "ASEAN members are seven countries at present, but they will be ten next year," he said. The statements were likely to infuriate banner-waving activists who yesterday handed a statement to Malaysia's Foreign Ministry protesting against the visit of Gen Than Shwe. A coalition of 16 activist groups representing Muslim, environmental, human rights, labour and other organisations delivered the protest note to the ministry. "We are shocked by the apparent willingness of our government to consort with a regime notorious for its atrocities and disregard for the basic human rights of its citizens." The activists also accused the ruling generals of conducting "forced labour under hazardous and life threatening conditions for the SLORC's so-called development projects" . It said Burma's Muslim minorities "continue to be oppressed in humiliating and life-threatening ways", referring to some 50,000 Rohingya refugees who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. "Therefore, it is extremely unfortunate and disappointing that Malaysia has put itself in a position to be seen as an accomplice of the SLORC." Malaysia's opposition leader Lim Kit Siang also slammed Malaysia Airlines' plan to fly to Rangoon on Nov l 8 to launch the "Visit Myanmar Year". ********************************************************** WALL STREET JOURNAL: ASIAN GROWTH NEEDS DEMOCRACY August 12, 1996 by Joshua Gordon (a NY based consultant for the human rights group Freedom House) Asian authoritarian leaders who have silenced their countries media and muzzled their political opposition claim that, according to a 'Asian' way of thinking, the absence of civil rights is a fair price to pay for economic growth. But the crowds of protesters who took to the streets of Jakarta last month to chant "Democracy", as well as those who did the same in China, Burma and South Korea only a few years ago, shows that not everyone agrees. In fact more and more Asians are convinced that their government's repressive habits are not in their countries best interests, economic or otherwise. "Those people who have blocked the democratization process are indirectly destroying their own system," observes Rulkmini Sudjono, a former police officer who currently serves on Indonesia's Commission on Civil Rights. Powerful democratic currents in South Korea and Taiwan that recently led to those countries first free elections prove that a growing number of East Asians agree with this sentiment. But it's not only because of the social justice that the rising Democratic tide in bodes well for the future of the region. There are also sound economic reasons to hope for a more democratic future. A recently released study by Freedom House suggests that in addition to it's numerous social evils, political repression simply does not pay over in the long run. In the study - World Survey of Economic Freedom 1995-1996, a total of 80 nations, accounting for 90% of the world's population and generating 99% of the world's wealth, were evaluated based on criteria such as the right to own property, operate a business or belong to a trade union. The results of the survey are conclusive: No country in the world enjoys long term economic prosperity without allowing it's citizens freedom to participate fully in society. With just 17% of the world's population, the countries rated 'free' by the survey, produce $18.8 trillion in goods and services or 81% of total world output. East Asian countries made a poor showing in the Freedom House study. Of the 13 East Asian nations surveyed, only Japan was ranked 'free.' Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, among others, were all shown to be nations where the average citizen faces substantial restrictions on his or her freedom to operate a business, own land or make a living. Freedom House also rates those East Asian nations equally poorly at providing the economic safeguards fundamental to any free society. Proponents of the 'Asian Model' often argue that East Asia's current success is proof enough that freedom is not needed to achieve economic prosperity, and can even be an impediment to social stability. In fact South Korea and Taiwan, the leading Asian Tigers, discovered recently that a single party, repressive state is incompatible with continued success. The have Democratized, held free elections and even prosecuted former leaders for wrongdoing. But proponents of the "Asian Model" are not the first to challenge freedom's value when it comes to the bottom line. Only 40 years ago, the Soviet Union also defied the principles of democracy and economic freedom. Eschewing the right of the individual to freely operate a business, to own land (or much of anything), or to invest one's earnings, that totalitarian nation built an industrial economy that some argued would eventually outcompete those of the flabby, poorly organized Western Democracies. As ludicrous as it may seem today, when Nikita Khrushchev boasted "We will bury you", he was asserting the ultimate superiority of the repressive state in the economic - not military - arena. And many Western experts feared he was right. But although the USSR generated high growth figures for a limited time by forcing hands into the factories, sustainable, long term growth eluded Soviet planners. A key factor in the Soviet Union's economic slow down and subsequent decline was the fact that communism stifled creative entrepreneurship, resulting in an inefficient industrial base that was incapable of sustaining it' self in the long run. Although the rewards of rapid industrialization - high growth rates and jumps in per capita income - are currently being reaped in East Asia, these leaps in prosperity cannot be sustained if there is not a commensurate increase in freedom. After the initial benefits of rapid industrialization wind down, as they have in Japan, what will be crucial to continue success in the global workplace will be the dynamism, creativity and flexibility that are stifled under repressive regimes. In spite of the continued attempts by East Asian regimes to repress democratic activity - witness President Suharto's aggressive treatment of any Indonesian group that may constitute a challenge to his political monopoly - South Koreans, Taiwanese, and now Indonesians are rejecting the notion that lack of freedom is good for them. Like past excuses for repressive governments, the "Asian model" is quickly becoming obsolete as East Asians continue to demand the same basic freedoms enjoyed in virtually every stable and successful nation. As Fikri Jufri of the government banned Indonesian magazine Tempo remarked: "There is more wealth but not more democracy. People are living better and now they are saying 'I want more'." ********************************************************* AP: BURMA'S MINISTERS BRUSH ASIDE INVESTORS PULLING OUT August 13, 1996 From: John Scherb KUALA LUMPUR -- Burma isn't worried about the move by some investors to withdraw from the country because of alleged violations of human rights there, a Burmese minister said Tuesday. Referring to beer brewers Heineken and Carlsberg's recent pull-out of Burma, the minister said, 'There are other producers of world-class beer who want to come in, so ... it does not affect us at all.' Brig. Gen. David Abel, head of the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, gave a press conference during his visit to Malaysia. Abel said Burma had planned for $1.5 billion to be invested in the country this year and had already tallied up $895 million in direct foreign investment in the first four months. Therefore, he said, Burma was well on its way to achieve its goal in spite of the withdrawals. 'So it does not worry us much,' Abel said. So far in 1996, he said, Singapore had invested the most money in Burma - $292.63 million. The U.K. was the second largest investor, with $211.41 million, followed by Malaysia, which had put in $193 million. Abel is in Malaysia as part of an official visit led by the chairman of Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), senior Gen. Than Shwe. The group's five-day visit began Monday. Reporters asked Abel whether Burma was planning to buy Malaysia's national car, the PROTON. 'When PROTON is ready to supply, we are ready to buy,' was all he said. Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw told the same news conference he objected to reports that the Asian Development Bank might withhold aid from Burma. The Bank said it might cut aid to Burma if authorities refused to engage in dialogue with the opposition, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. 'We have no opposition in the sense the West is interpreting it, because the government is not a political government,' he said. 'Why should (the Asian Development Bank) impose restrictions?...They cannot put sudden conditions on a country which is a member of the United Nations.' Calling Suu Kyi 'that particular person,' Ohn Gyaw said the opposition leader 'may not have a role' in the country's democratization process because her party, the National League for Democracy, had voluntarily withdrawn from talks, claiming that no dialogue was taking place. 'They can't simply come back on an equal basis,' he said. 'The one who ties the knot will have to untie.' Ohn Gyaw refused to address Suu Kyi by name. When asked why he referred to her as 'Mrs. Michael Aris,' after her husband, or another veiled reference, he said, 'Who is she anyway?' Burma's military junta has long refused to negotiate with Suu Kyi, who is leading the country's democracy movement. She has called for economic sanctions against Burma. Both Holland's Heineken and Denmark's Carlsberg pulled out of deals in July to open breweries in Burma after European consumers boycotted goods produced by companies investing in Burma. ************************************************************* AP: SINGAPORE'S INFORMATICS TO OPEN BURMA SCHOOL August 15, 1996 From: John Scherb SINGAPORE -- Information technology (IT) training provider Informatics Holdings Ltd. will set up a joint venture company to operate a business and management training school in Burma, the company said Thursday. The joint venture company, United Info Summit (UIS), will secure a Thames International franchise programme to set up a Thames Business School in Rangoon, together with Burma-based United Engineering Co. Ltd., Informatics said. Informatics holds 40% of UIS, while its partners Sumitomo Corp. (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. and an unidentified Singapore business interest hold 19% and 41% of UIS respectively, it said. The venture is part of Informatics' strategy to expand its subsidiary Thames' regional network of business training and education centers in the region, the company said. ************************************************************ NATION: 250,000 EXPECTED FOR VISIT MYANMAR YEAR August 15, 1996 Rita Patiyasevi RANGOON - More than 250,000 tourists are expected to travel to Burma for Visit Myanmar Year, which will be officially launched this November, Burmese minister for hotels and tourism Lt. Gen Kyaw Ba said in a recent interview. Kyaw Ba said while the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) prepares to welcome the record-breaking number of tourists with new hotel rooms and improved transportation systems, negotiations are under way with various airlines for more seating capacity. "We expect more than the 250,000 targeted [arrivals] but it also depends on the airlines. At the moment, we don't have enough airlines," he said. Last month, Japan's All Nippon Airline (ANA) signed an agreement to fly twice a week to Rangoon and is expected to increase the frequency to three or four times a week during the high season. Royal Brunei also struck a deal to fly to Rangoon on it's London-Abu Dhabi flights. The inaugural flight will be on Sept 16 Other carriers currently flying to Burma, such as Thai Airways International, Singapore's Silk Air and the Burmese national carrier Myanmar Airway International, are expected to see a big increase in passengers, while carriers from Pakistan, India and China have less potential. To benefit from the growing industry, Slorc has also signed agreements with neighbouring countries for cooperation on tourism. It has signed memorandums of understanding on tourism cooperation with Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and will soon sign one with China. Kyaw Ba said the inaugural celebration for Visit Myanmar Year on Nov 18 may be too early but the government had no choice. "We have to do it because Myanmar has been closed and isolated for nearly three decades," he said. He said the hard currency earnings from foreign visitors enjoyed by neighbouring countries had encouraged Burma to open up to tourists. "We want to profit from these tourist arrivals. That is why we decided to celebrate Visit Myanmar Year in 1996," he said. Burma, still a virgin land tourism-wise, offers good potential for cultural and eco-tourism. The tourism industry, which only became significant when the ministry was established in 1992, is vital to Burma's economic development. The tourism sector ranks second in terms of foreign investment, with major investors coming from Singapore and Thailand. Eight recent projects agreed to by the two countries involve a total investment of US$180 million (Bt4.5 billion). Minister Kyaw Ba also said he was confident that the volatile political situation in his country would not harm the ongoing development of the tourism industry. ********************************************************* BKK POST: CUSTOMS OPENED AT MYAWADDY August 15, 1996 Burma reopened customs service at . Myawaddy yesterday to pave the way for the resumption of border trade with Thailand which was halted 17. months ago due to border conflicts. The reopening at Burma's border town, opposite Mae Sot district in Tak, followed the agreement made by Deputy; Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Amnuay Viravan and his Burmese counterpart Ohn Gyaw in the Joint Commission meeting early this month in Rangoon. Director-General of the Burmese Border Trade Department Nay Win Oo and Deputy Tak Governor Saneh Chalermphol presided over the ceremony which was welcomed by local businessmen and people from the two countries. The Burmese government closed the Myawaddy border checkpoint on March 4 last year for security reasons as Rangoon soldiers were launching attacks on Karen rebels. The closure completely barred border crossing and trade. The border was reopened in March this year after Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa paid an official visit to Rangoon, but imports and exports were not allowed because no customs authorities appointed at Myawaddy, the town separated from Thailand by the Moei River. Col Nay Win Oo expressed the hope that the customs service would promote Thai-Burmese legal trade activities for their benefit and they would raise income for his government. Burma has long been suffering from illegal border trade conducted by local traders. The official trade volume was about 10 billion baht before the border were sealed last year, but illicit trade volume was estimated at six times higher. ********************************************************* NATION: BURMA SEEN AS BIGGEST CONCERN August 15, 1996 Kavi Chongkittavorn ALTHOUGH there is no imminent threat to Thailand's security in the 21st century border problems, especially on the Burmese side, could turn into hot spots in the future a seminar was told yesterday. "In the next five to 10 years, Thailand's security problem will shift from its eastern flank to its western one," said Surachat Bamrungsuk of Chulalongkorn University, referring to the end of the Cambodian conflict and the ongoing disputes along the Thai-Burma border. Surachat said that as the Burmese forces are consolidating their hold in minority controlled areas along the border, which stretches more than 2,400 kilometres chances of armed confrontations between the two countries will increase. "Given the ambiguity of the problem of demarcation along Thai-Burmese border, confrontation could occur at any time," he noted. Outlining the changes in the post Cold War environment pertaining to the region and the world, the scholar pointed out that Thailand is encountering new non-security issues that could have far-reaching ramifications toward the country's security and the well-being of its people. These issues include environmental changes, population displacement, problems to do with economic development, disease epidemics, income disparity, the information revolution, and cultural and ethnic relations which could affect the country's security. He said there is an urgent need for Thai strategists and policy makers to map out new security directions towards the 21th century. Surachat, who has written extensively on Thailand's security policies, warned that because of the fast changing world due to the information age, Thailand can no long rely on Yuck" as in the past. "If government officials and the public fail to prepare themselves and create an environment conducive to sustaining this luck, the country will face security problems in the future," he said in his paper entitled "Cold War to Cold Peace: Continuity and Change of Thailand Security Problems into the 2000s", during a two-day conference organised by the Thailand Research Fund. In the foreseeable future, there are no imminent threats to Thailand's security as the Cold War has ended. Some issues, such as the arms build-up in the region and China's southward expansion could, however, affect Thailand's security perceptions. He said that some military leaders feel that the arms procurement programs currently under way in neighbouring countries will have a direct impact on the Thai security. "And also vice versa, the new weapons systems that Thailand's armed forces have deployed are also a cause for concern among neighbouring countries," he said. Although new weaponry will strengthen the country's armed forces, it could also reduce the overall national security as neighbouring countries are also engaging in defence spending and arms build-ups, he said. Given this backdrop, he said, one of the challenges the Thai armed forces faces is how to deal effectively with so-called "defence management". The high price tag of procuring new arms could undermine the country's economic situation, as well as the government's stability. "It is this area that the government still neglects, even though it has a direct implication toward its capability to manage the country's future security and defence." ********************************************************* REPORT: CHIN REFUGEES IN MIZORAM (INDIA). August 13, 1996 From: tom!shar@unv.ernet.in Police terror has forced Chin (Burmese) refugees in Mizoram state to go into hiding. In retaliation to the killing of an activist of the Young Mizo Association on July 12 allegedly by the Chin National Front (CNF), Mizoram police have let loose a reign of terror. Nearly fifty Chin refugees were picked up and tortured. The state Crime Investigation Department (CID) has warned hundreds of Chin refugees to leave Mizoram by August 13, a date announced by the Mizoram Home Minister. It affects an estimated 40,000 Chins who have taken shelter in Mizoram state of India since the seventies. Background: --------------- The Chin ethnic people, the majority of whom are Christians, were special targets of the programme of Burmanisation of General Ne Win. As the Chins put up strong resistance against this cultural and political onslaught, the Burmese government banned the use of their language in the local schools. As a result many educated Chins migrated to Mizoram. The Chins and the Mizos belong to the same ethnicity and speak a similar language. Many Chins were able to find jobs as school teachers in Mizoram. Chin doctors were allowed to practice in Aizawl. Some Chins were able to set up business. The real big wave of Chin refugees came into Mizoram after the 1988 crack down by the SLORC against democracy movement in Myanmar. Refugee camps were set up in Champai and Saiha districts of Mizoram to accommodate these Chin refugees by the Mizoram Government. However, these camps were closed down in 1994/95 when the Indo-Myanmar border trade talks began. One of the main reasons for closing down the camps was the request of Myanmar government which believed that the Chin National Front (CNF) which is fighting for the independence of Chin State, was operating from these camps. Since then the Chin refugees have been scattered all over Mizoram, forced to find work for their survival. Government of India has been following a conscious hands-off policy regarding the Chin refugee affair. It has so far allowed the Mizoram government to deal with the situation in the remote north eastern state on its own. In September 1994 and in June 1995, when the ongoing anti- foreigner movement in Mizoram targeted the Chins, and statements were made by local politicians that all foreigners including the Chins would be pushed back, a large number of Chin refugees came to Delhi and requested UNHCR for protection and help. UNHCR was unable to decide about the status of the Chins as they had no access to Mizoram. UNHCR took up this matter with the Ministry of External Affairs of Government of India. However, in June 1996 UNHCR decided to urge the Chin refugees to go back to Mizoram on the assurance of the External Affairs Ministry that the Chins would not be pushed back. This was done despite the warning by the Chin refugees and some of the NGOs working for the protection of Burmese refugees in the north-eastern states of India. It was pointed out to UNHCR that the assurance of the Ministry of External Affairs meant very little without a similar assurance from the Home Ministry. It was also pointed out that Indian Home Ministry and the government of Myanmar have already entered into several agreements on border trade and military cooperation for control of cross-border insurgency which also meant joint campaigns against the CNF in the region. As CNF was going to increase its anti-SLORC operations the Chins in Mizoram were certain to get caught in anti-insurgency campaigns launched by the Indian and Myanmar security forces. This is what has happened now. Current situation: ------------------ Mr. Lian No Thang a Chin national who owns a photographic studio on Zion Road Aizawl told me thismorning on telephone that about a hundred Chin and Burmese families staying in Aizwal, the capital city of Mizoram state were visited by members of the state government's CID staff on August 10 and 11. According to Mr. Nothang these Chin/Burmese families were told to pack up their belongings and leave Mizoram state by August 13. He told me that he who has been in Aizawl for about twenty years, has also received the same eviction order. According to another source who must remain unidentified, on August 9, 10 and 11 about 15 Chin nationals, most of whom were employed in various schools of Aizawl, were picked up from their homes and taken away by the CID and Mizoram police. They have not been formally charged with any crime. We have reasons to believe that between July 12 and August 11, the Mizoram police have detained nearly 50 Chin/Burmese nationals who had take shelter in the Indian state of Mizoram. Some of the arrested persons have been recognised by UNHCR as persons of concern. Mr. Leng Mang a Chin refugee, who had returned to Aizwal on July 10 on the urging of the UNHCR office in Delhi, was picked up by the CID on the night of July 12. He claims that he was severely tortured for about seven days to force him to identify CNF activists in Aizawl. His UNHCR certificate gave him no protection. After about seven days of torture he was allowed to go. But according to him more than a score of Chin youth who were picked up around the same time as him, are still in custody. We also have received reports from the kin of some of the Chins in Aizawl and Mr Sang Zel ( UNHCR certificate number BU-262) who managed to come away to Delhi on August 11. According to our information, most of the persons detained were physically manhandled and tortured. The detained persons are yet to be charged formally. All are apparently being held for "questioning" by the CID. Mr. Tawk Cung a Chin refugee who runs a private school under the name Evergreen High School in Aizawl and his brother, Mr. Chan Thawng who was employed as a teacher in Government High School in Aizwal were arrested on July 12-13. Both are reported to have been severely tortured in custody. As it was learnt that these two brothers were in a bad state of health, one of their Mizo friends, Mr. Ramawia, a former minister of Mizoram and a senior leader of the Mizo National Front (MNF) intervened on their behalf and requested the CID to release them on his personal surety. We are told that this offer of Mr. Ramawia was turned down by the Mizoram government. This spate of arrests started after July 12, when Mr.C. Lalhmangaiha, President of the Khuang Leng village unit of Young Mizo Association (YMA) was allegedly shot dead by three members of the Chin National Army (CNA) the military wing of the Chin National Front (CNF) of Myanmar. The CNA or its parent body CNF have not made any statement about this killing till date. However Mizo newspapers reported that the killing was done by CNA. This created tension between the Chins and the local Mizos. The state police and the CID started large scale arrests. For some strange reason, most of the arrests were made in Aizawl which is quite far from Khaung Leng village located on the border of Myanmar. The police and the CID claimed that they were rounding up known supporters and sympathizers of CNF in Aizawl for questioning. All these arrests were illegal. On July 25, Mizo youth and students took out rallies in the towns of Champai, Lunglei and Aizwal demanding immediate deportation of all Chin/Burmese persons from Mizoram. According to the local newspapers Mr. Lalsangzuala the Home Minister of the government of Mizoram attended the rally in Aizwal and told all the Chins and Burmese to leave Mizoram. Dr. Za Hlei Thang the Chin MP who has been living in exile in Aizawl since 1990, was called to the office of the state CID and told that he had to cooperate with the CID. He was later told if he apologized to the Mizos on behalf of the CNF then the expulsion of Chins might be stopped. He pointed out that as he was not associated with the CNF and as the CNF has not claimed to have killed the YMA activist he could not do so.However he offered to do so on behalf of the Chin nationals who had taken shelter in Mizoram. On August 9, 1996, a Mizo pastor was shot in the leg by unknown assailants in the village of Buan Tlang in Champai district. After that incident the CID arrested another 15 Chin refugees from Aizawl and issued quit notice to about 100 Chin/Burmese families in Aizwal.Even Dr. Za Hlei Than is not sure that his "apology" will be of any help, now as the atmosphere is so vitiated. These arrests are obviously aimed at pressurizing theCNF. The ordinary civilian Chin/Burmese rufugees are being used as a hostage by the Mizoram government. We will be able to understand the reasons behind this inhuman actions of the Mizoram police when we review these developments in the context of recent military engagements between the Mizo Armed Police (MAP) and CNF in the border areas of Champai-Falam. CNF imposed a blockade on the movement of goods across the Indo- Myanmar border in this sector from July 1, 1996. The Champai road connects the towns of Falam and Tidim across the border in Chin state of Myanmar. It is the most important border road for trade. The blockade imposed by CNF virtually stopped the thriving legal and illegal border trade in this region. In June, six Burmese soldiers had defected to CNF with all their arms and ammunition. SLORC had requested the Indian authorities for the arrest and return of these six soldiers to Myanmar as they were deserters. A combination of these two factors and the pressure mounted by the Mizo traders who were badly affected by the CNF imposed blockade on border trade led to the deployment of units of Mizo Armed Police in a clean-up operation. The objective was to clear the area of CNF activists. The SLORC apparently agreed to these military operations by Indian security forces inside their territory in the interest of border trade. There were reports of several clashes between the MAP and CNF in the Champai/Falam sector in which two MAP constables and several CNF soldiers were killed. Apparently the MAP forces have not been able to open up the border road yet. These transborder operations by Indian forces are a part of the so-called "institutional mechanisms" set up the governments of India and Myanmar to facilitate ground level cooperation for control of "insurgent groups". During the year 1995-96 five sectoral level and three national level meetings were held between the designated authorities of Myanmar and India to create these mechanisms for "curbing and containing insurgency" in the border region and opening up border trade between India and Myanmar. Annual Report: 1995-1996, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi. Page 16 para 3.44) If these Chin refugees are pushed back into Myanmar they will be arrested as aliens as they do not have the new identity cards issued by the SLORC since 1994. In September 1994, Mizoram police had pushed back about 300 Chin/Burmese refugees into Myanmar. They were all arrested and jailed. Several of them were later shipped to forced labour camps in Sagaing region of Myanmar. Mr. Rothla Peng who was pushed back in 1994 and escaped from a forced labour camp in 1995 reported this to UNHCR Delhi during his interview in June 1996. ********************************************************** TV MYANMAR: SLORC CHANGES NAMES OF MINISTRIES August 12, 1996 Change of nomenclature of ministries: The SLORC has changed the nomenclature of the following ministries. 1. The Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation 2. The Ministry or Trade to the Ministry of Commerce By the authority vested in me, Signed: Khin Nyunt, Lieutenant General, SLORC Secretary-1. ******************************************************** NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: CONCOCTED REPORTS August 7, 1996 by Myo Chit Thu (abridged) I have attended two Press conferences during this month. The first was the News Briefing of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Information Committee held at Myanma [Burmese] TV and Radio Department on 1 August. The second was Minister for National Planning and Economic Development [NPED] Brig-Gen Abel's Press Conference at the Ministry of NPED on the third. The Press conferences were also attended by foreign correspondents led by Patron of Foreign Correspondents Club Kyodo News Agency correspondent U Sein Win. At the News Conference on 3 August, Minister Brig Gen Abel briefed the Press on two reports, namely, "Country Commercial Guides: Burma", and "Foreign Economic Trends Report: Burma". They were prepared and published by the US Embassy in Yangon [Rangoon] dated 1 August 1996. In his open clarifications, the minister said he received the reports on 2 August evening. He said it was the first time he received reports of that kind since he assumed the responsibilities of the minister. Minister Brig-Gen Abel presented the points as follows; l. The first paragraph of this report clarifies the value and credibility of the report. It is not an official statistics. 2. You can see that it has been orchestrated as readers are directed to send the inquiry to the Embassy in Yangon or even care of State department in Washington. 3. Since the statistics are unofficial, as stated, we can come to the conclusion that the intention of floating such a report is to only seed doubts, to cause mischief and to discredit the State Law and Order Restoration Council in its very successful economic endeavour and nation-building programme. 4. The essence of the presentation is in nature the fictitious political stories trying to convince the public with unauthentic figures that has no statistical base. lt can also be deduced from the report as accusations: a. The State Law and Order Restoration Council not being transparent. b. That the major portions of the budget is being used for the defence. c. That the social sectors has been neglected. d. That sustained growth will be difficult. e. Forced labour, prison labour is being employed extensively. f. That narcotics still proved to be problem. g. That change of government and democracy are essential elements for the Myanmar economy. h. That extra-legal economy has played a considerable role in the mainstream economy. i. That the real GDP growth was between 4.6 percent to 6 percent. j. That the World Bank, IMF, ADB [Asian Development Bank] are being pressured by the US not to extend financial help to Myanmar. k. That there is no microeconomic transparency. 5. Justification of the tax is supported by the tables which only try to justify the aim of the report but is not supported by any official documents or studies. 6. There is no real value or credibility in the report as it is not based solely as economic study but is more politically oriented. 7. Transparency in Myanmar has always - been maintained and even the World Bank, IMF, and ADB have been given permission to study whatever they wish to study --open books. 8. Defence spending is a matter which every country has to live with. In Myanmar, it is round about 8 percent to 10 percent. Every Army has to be timely trained and equipped for self-defence purposes. There is no intention of aggression by Myanmar to its neighbours. 9. The new 5-year plan has come on steam and there is no problem to sustain present economic growth rate. Even during the four-year plan, the performance exceeded what was planned. The growth rate annually was 8.2 percent with present five year plan, it is planned for 6 percent. 10. The social sector has been taken care of without any sacrifice, spending in the social sector has increased annually, statistics given. Education: 92-93 4.7 billion [currency in kyats -- Burmese currency unit], 93-94 5.5 billion, 94-95 5.8 billion, 95-96 2.7 billion, 96-97 planned 2.5 billion; Health: 92-93 2.07 billion, 93-94 1.9 billion, 94-95 2.1 billion, 95-96 2.7,billion, 96-97 planned 2.5 billion. 11. Forced labour, Prison labour has not been extensively used. There is no forced labour, only work contribution. Prison labour is being used according to existing laws. 12. The Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development welcome any clarifications on any of its reports or its statistics. We are also happy to lift the cloud that has been cast by the foreign economic trends report issued by the US Embassy, Yangon. You may contact us any time at - - Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, Minister's Office, Theinbyu Road, Yangon. Tel: 282391, 289666, 280816, Fax: 951 243791. Intentions of the guides and report prepared by US Embassy in Yangon were clear. It has been merely a destructive act designed to play down successes of Myanmar, make people lose faith in the government, seed doubts in the minds of the public. That was an act that should not be committed by an embassy which represents a big nation. Such acts should be put to an end under international practices. The guides and the reports prepared and published by the US Embassy are, in fact, done so intentionally to discredit Myanmar.