---------------------------------BurmaNet----------------------------------- ----- "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- The BurmaNet News: September 16, 1996 Issue #515 HEADLINES: ========== NYT: WHO'S PUNISHING WHOM? TRADE BANS... NATION: BOYCOTT BURMA AND HELP DEMOCRACY BURMANET: NEWS FROM INSIDE BURMA KNU REPORT: THE THAI-BURMA BORDER NATION: RIGHTS SCENE IN BURMA DISMAL, SAYS AMNESTY XINHUA NEWS: MYANMAR OPENING MORE OVERSEAS AIR LINKS ASAHI NEWS: JAPAN TO OPEN MORE TRADE OFFICES IN MYANMAR BT: PSA EYES STAKE IN YANGON MINI-CITY FBC: STATEMENT & MEMBER LIST ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- NYT: WHO'S PUNISHING WHOM? TRADE BANS... September 12, 1996 (abridged) From: Michael Beer by Louis Uchitelle Trade sanctions have become ever more difficult to enforce in the world's huge and fluid marketplace, but the United States is invoking them with increasing frequency anyway. It is even adding an onerous new twist: punishing foreign companies for breaching American sanctions. Now corporate America, usually unwilling to go against the nation's foreign policy, is preparing a rare formal protest against the latest trend. What worries many companies is not only the potential loss of customers in the sanctioned countries but also the possibility of retaliation by foreign governments and companies facing penalties under the new strategy of punishing foreigners. An organization representing 500 of the nation's largest multinational corporations, the National Foreign Trade Council, has been meeting this week on the best ways to reverse or water down the latest sanctions. "We would like to see a more sober consideration of the consequences," said Daniel O'Flaherty, vice president of the council. "All of a sudden unilateral sanctions are in vogue again," said Timothy Elder, Caterpillar's manager of governmental affairs, ticking off a half-dozen new ones in the last year. "I have no notion of how much we have already lost in sales, but we will probably crunch the numbers as we get engaged in a public policy campaign against this type of sanction. And we will get engaged." The United States, as a superpower, has been the world's most frequent user of unilateral sanctions. The heyday of the unilateral sanction came in the immediate postwar years, when the American economy was so mighty. But while sanctions against Iran in the early 1950's brought down the nationalist Mossadegh Government, and those against Britain and France in 1956 helped force their withdrawal from the Suez Canal region, such actions gradually lost their effectiveness as other countries became able to supply goods, credit, foreign aid and a marketplace for an offending country's products. When sanctions were successful, they were rarely unilateral. The ones against South Africa played an important role in ending apartheid, but mostly because other nations followed the American lead. The American ban on sales to the Soviet bloc of high-technology equipment used in advanced weaponry was largely successful, but mainly because the United States was the only source of much of this technology. Nevertheless, the Clinton Administration, with bipartisan Congressional support, has made the unilateral sanction an important foreign policy tool once again. "Therein is the great paradox," said Gary C. Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the Institute for International Economics, who led the study of economic sanctions through the decades. "While unilateral embargoes are less and less of an effective force in an integrated world economy, American enthusiasm for them has not diminished." Current or recent targets include Iran, Libya, Serbia, Cuba, China, North Korea, Nigeria, Rwanda and Colombia. Legislation now before Congress would ban American investment in Myanmar, formerly Burma, because of its military dictatorship. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the fear is gone that the Soviets could use an unpopular embargo to gain a foothold in a country like Myanmar, many experts say. And domestic politics clearly plays a role. "Sanctions can provide a satisfying theatrical display, yet avoid the high cost of war," Mr. Hufbauer wrote. Two recent Government moves have angered American companies by taking the unilateral embargo a step further. Recent acts passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton have upgraded the embargoes against Cuba, Iran and Libya, banning not only American companies from these countries, but also punishing foreign corporations. Foreign companies could be kept from doing business in the United States or with American companies if they invested more than $40 million in Iranian or "The new extraterritorial sanctions may be more effective," a senior Administration official said, explaining the reason for President Clinton's support. "If a French company has to decide between doing business with Iran or the United States, it may prefer the United States." But American companies are not so sanguine. Some multinationals worry that they may be cut off from further sales to, say, German or Turkish companies if those companies do business in Iran or Libya. That issue came up at a recent gathering of the National Association of Manufacturers. Other American companies wonder what might happen if a subsidiary abroad somehow breaks the new laws, or foreign governments retaliate against American-owned subsidiaries in their countries. "What the politicians forget," said Willard Workman, international vice president for the United States Chamber of Commerce, "is that these foreign companies are our customers and suppliers, or they invest in America. We are cutting off our nose to spite our face, presenting ourselves as capricious and unreliable." So far, the sanctions have had only a modest effect on American business. Unilateral sanctions, by various estimates, have deprived the American economy of less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the nation's annual income in recent years. Individual corporations have refrained from publicly estimating the lost revenue from sales and investments that they could not engage in. Few companies, in fact, will attach their names to criticism of sanctions intended by the Administration and Congress to halt terrorism, restore democracy or reinforce human rights. "We don't lobby against the embargoes, because we understand there are public-policy reasons that go above and beyond the corporate interest to the national interest," said Mark Greenberg, an Allied Signal vice president. Rather than lobby themselves, corporations are turning to their trade associations. The Chamber of Commerce is outspoken. Officials at the National Association of Manufacturers say the organization is "formulating a strategy for dealing with the proliferation of sanctions." President Clinton's Export Council, made up of corporate executives acting as an advisory group, has warned that the costs to the United States in lost business "are clearly quite large." The National Foreign Trade Council is taking the lead in lobbying against unilateral economic sanctions. Meetings are now in progress to develop a strategy, Mr. O'Flaherty said, and there should be a public announcement soon. Caterpillar, among the nation's half-dozen largest exporters, is speaking out on its own, rather bluntly. "It is clear the world is not a more dangerous place than in the mid-80's," Mr. Elder said. "But policy makers have kind of decided they like unilateral sanctions. It is a quick and easy thing to do." Caterpillar's map spotlights not only those countries subject to sanctions but also those denied export aid from the Export-Import Bank and similar help from other agencies. Donald V. Fites, Caterpillar's chairman, in an as-yet-unpublished opinion article, wrote of unilateral sanctions: "The real pressure is on the U.S. companies that not only must cede American jobs to foreign firms, but also risk being branded in other markets as unreliable suppliers." *********************************************************** NATION: BOYCOTT BURMA AND HELP DEMOCRACY September 13, 1996 Aung San Suu Kyi's advice to boycott the campaign for Visit Myanamr year should be needed, argues Christina Fink. Joe Cummings' opinion article "Why Tourism Helps Democracy in Burma" (The Nation, Sept 9) is full of factual errors. I too have been to Burma, and I follow the political and economic situation in the country very closely. The average person in Burma is not better off in 1996 than they were in 985. It is true that the military elite and their associates are doing better, but the vast majority are in worse shape than before. The United States embassy economic report, issued in July 1996, documents the extent to which the economy is faltering. One of he reasons why there are now hundreds of thousands of Burmese migrant workers in Thailand is because they cannot survive in Burma. As Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the pro-democracy movement in Burma, has written, any Burmese can no longer afford three plates of boiled rice a day, let al one meat, fruit or medicine. Human rights abuses have not decreased in the face of mounting tourism. If anything, the military junta, known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council or Slorc, has demanded more forced labour, ordered ore forced relocations, and extorted are taxes. In the early 1990s, a large number of residents of Pagan were forced to move to satellite towns outside the city because of tourism. Not only did Slorc want to beautify the ancient temple filed town but they also hoped to minimise contact between the local population and tourists. Slorc has initiated urban beautification projects in several towns. Residents along the main thoroughfares have been ordered to tear down their shops and homes to widen the roads. Many buildings have been cut in half, and those that remain must rise up two stories and be freshly painted or the owners have to demolish them and move at their own expense. These projects which are presently going on in Taunggyi and Moulmein, to name just two places, are intended to impress tourists not locals. Cummings states that tourism does not boost the use of draft labour in Burma. Yet the Karen Human Rights Group has documented the use of forced labour to build the Sittwe Hotel in Arakan state. The hotel is owned by the son of the Minister of Tourism, Lt General Kyaw Ba. The Buddha Museum in Sittwe was also built with forced labour and local residents refer to it as the "Dukkha Museum" of "Museum of Suffering", for this reason. Cummings says that most tourists do not use the roads or railways but take airplanes instead. Therefore, forced labour on roads is not connected to tourism. In fact, many tourists (especially the ones reading Lonely Planet guides) do travel by bus and train. Moreover, some airports in Burma have also been built or expanded with forced labour. Cummings argues that Slorc will make money whether Western tourists come or not. But as Suu Kyi has pointed out, boycotting Visit Myanmar Year is not just about denying dollars to the junta. It is also about denying international legitimacy to a regime that has no legitimacy with its own people. Interestingly enough, Slorc has done more advertising of Visit Myanmar Year inside the country than out. Slorc seems to be of two minds about tourism. While they want dollars and respect, they have erected signs all over Rangoon proclaiming "down with foreign elements" and "down with neo- imperialists". A strange welcomes , indeed! Cummings wants his guidebooks to . sell, so it is not surprising that he . would strongly oppose a tourist boycott. Likewise, Cummings' hotel and guide contracts in Burma support tourism as this is their main source of income. I have met other Burmese who hop that tourists will see how the people are suffering and return home t demand that their governments pres sure Slorc to step down. Unfortunately, most tourists are carefully guide along a sanitised tourist corridor an have few opportunities to learn the truth. Suu Kyi has not ordered tourists to boycott Burma indefinitely. She has merely asked that people refrain from coming during Slorc's campaign for Visit Myanmar Year which begins this November. Suu Kyi's political party, the Nation-| al League for Democracy, won 82 per cent of the vote in the 1990 elections, but Slorc has to hand over power. Since releasing Suu Kyi from house arrest last June, Slorc has jailed countless pro-democracy supporters and threatened to " annihilate the NLD." So when Cummings questions whether torurists should boycott Burma, potential tourists must ask themselves whose advice they should follow the military junta's or that of the democratically -elected leader of Burma. Christina Fink is the Thailand coordinator of the Burma Project in Chiang Mai. The Burma Project is a branch of the Soros Foundations's Open Society Institute and is based in New York. *********************************************************** BURMANET: NEWS FROM INSIDE BURMA September 14, 1996 On the border: 1) DKBA is active in the no.6 Brigade area (south of Maesod) On 5/9/96, 40 DKBA entered Lai Khaw village on the Burmese side and stole 17000 Baht and arrested one villager,who has not been released yet. On 6/9/96, DKBA arrested 6 men near Kan Lay village, took 6000 Baht and released them all. On 9/9/96, DKBA again entered Lai Khaw village and took 3 people including 2 Thainationals. 2) In Maetan refugee camp on the Thai border, DKBA men without arms were rounded up and arrested by the Thai border police. Only 2 of the 10 men were arrested the others fleeing. They were sent to the local KNU, not to Thai authorities. They have been allegedly killed. ***************************************************************** KNU REPORT: THE THAI-BURMA BORDER September 12,1996 Tak province. About 0200 AM the morning of the 12th of September, a group of 80 soldiers of the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA) backed by the army of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), crossed the Moei River and intruded into the Kingdom of Thailand a few kilometers north of Ban Thasongyang,Thasongyang district. Their target is to raid and dismantle a Thai village which many Karen refugees take refuge there. This early dawn intrusion was one of the countless intrusions done by the DKBA and its supporter,the SLORC. So far, the Thai forces couldn't stop those intruders from intruding their Kingdom yet. Karen State, Burma. A confirmed report says that on the 4th of this month, the DKBA and the SLORC forces of battalion #18 of Burma Regiment raided Baw Tho Hta village,Papun district and devoured every livestock found in the village. They even took a pair of gold earrings and a gold necklace from a villager. **************************************************************** NATION: RIGHTS SCENE IN BURMA DISMAL, SAYS AMNESTY September 15, 1996 THE human rights situation in Burma has deteriorated following the worst crackdown on the opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi in five years, Amnesty International said in a report. "The human rights situation has deteriorated sharply in Burma in the last four months," the London-based human rights watchdog said. "Amnesty International is gravely concerned by the latest developments in the country, which include widespread arrests and sentencing of prisoners of conscience," the report said. Amnesty said the latest crackdown was the "largest wave of repression" since hundreds of pro-democracy activists were rounded up following the victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in the 1990 elections. NLD officials say that at least 61 democracy activists are currently being detained without charges by the military authorities, including Aung San Suu Kyi's press secretary Aye Win. "These arrests are part of an increasing pattern of repression by the State Law and Order Restoration Council [Slorc] of the NLD," Amnesty said, but put the number of those detained at 58. The Slorc is the junta's official name. Most of the activists were arrested in May as the authorities tried to scuttle a party congress at Aung San Suu Kyi's house to mark the sixth anniversary of the 1990 elections, which were overturned by the military. Since then, at least 31 democracy activists have been sentenced to long prison terms under Burma's strict public security laws. Included in that number was a close aide to Aung San Suu Kyi, win Htein, who was jailed for 14 years. Amnesty said the trials fell far short of international standards and that political prisoners in Burma were being denied legal representation. "Amnesty International believes that no political prisoner receives a fair trial in Burma," the report said. ******************************************************** XINHUA NEWS: MYANMAR OPENING MORE OVERSEAS AIR LINKS September 12, 1996 by zhang yunfei From: Michael Beer Myanmar has been increasing air links with foreign countries in recent years to open the door wider to the outside world and attract more foreign tourists. "Visit Myanmar Year 96" is scheduled to start on a grand scale in mid-November in the peak tourism season in the country. An air link is due to be established between Yangon and Bandar Seri Begawan of Brunei later today, bringing to nine the number of major foreign cities linked by air with Myanmar. The other eight are Bangkok of Thailand, Beijing of China, Calcutta of India, Dhaka of Bangladesh, Karachi of Pakistan, Osaka of Japan, Singapore, and Vientiane of Laos. Airlines operating flights to Myanmar include Air China, Silk Air of Singapore, Thai airways, Biman of Bangladesh, Indian Airlines, Lao aviation co., Pakistan International airlines, all Nippon airways of Japan and Royal Brunei airlines. Malaysian airlines system (mas) is scheduled to fly to Myanmar in late November, which will be followed by Vietnam airlines and Royal air Cambodia, after the inauguration of the "Visit Myanmar year 96." Other countries reportedly in negotiations with Myanmar on air links include Switzerland and Indonesia. In addition to foreign airlines, Myanmar also has its own international airline --Myanmar Airways International (mai) --which brings in visitors from Bangkok, Dhaka, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Kunming in southwestern China. MAI, a joint venture between the state-run domestic Myanmar airways and highsonic enterprise private ltd. Of Singapore, was formed in 1993 and operates flights with boeing 737-400 aircraft leased from the mas. tourists will also have internal connecting flights to tourist resorts in Myanmar, such as Mandalay, Bagan, Thandwe, Heho, Myeik, Kawthaung, Tachilek and Myitkyina, which are operated by another Myanmar-Singapore joint venture airline --air mandalay --and the domestic Myanmar airways. Some Thai airlines have also been permitted to operate Dire Kengtung and Heho since the end of 1993. In June this year, a Myanmar private company --Myawaddy travels and tours -- launched the first chopper passenger services in Mandalay, Mogok and Muse regions to facilitate foreign tourists'of its "Visit Myanmar Year 96." ************************************************************** ASAHI NEWS: JAPAN TO OPEN MORE TRADE OFFICES IN MYANMAR September 13, 1996 by Amy Shiratori From: brelief@gol.com The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are ready to open representative offices in Yangon (Rangoon) Oct. 1, JETRO President Noboru Hatakeyama said recently. JETRO will assign five representatives responsible for organizing commercial exhibitions and providing trade promotion expertise to Myanmar. Japanese ties with the Myanmar military government will also be strengthened with support of a study, already under way, on ways to facilitate the former socialist Myanmar's evolution to a market-driven economy, through participation by the Institute of Developing Economies, the research organization of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). The government-backed organizations plan their stepped-up activities, as the National League for Democracy, Myanmar's main opposition party led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, issued a statement that the ruling military junta has arrested 60 pro-democracy activities since a major crackdown in May. "Despite the human rights issue, the Japanese government has not changed its policy (of constructive engagement through dialogue with the regime)," said Hatakeyama. Hatakeyama is also vice-chairman of a working group of government and private officials supporting promotion of economic development in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) also participates in the working group. The group is to submit a report on its policy proposals for helping industrialization in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in a meeting of economic ministers of ASEAN and Japan Friday in Jakarta. The proposals will include designating specific cities or regions as experimental areas for private-sector programs to promote market-driven national economic policies in those countries, Hatakeyama said. These zones include a high tech park near Hanoi and Koh Kong, on the west coast of Cambodia. The market economy zone in Myanmar is to be designated later. The proposals also call for coordinating and linking the industry and markets of ASEAN, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Japan, according to Hatakeyama. In the automobile sector, the proposals include harmonizing the standards and conformance to facilitate trade, dispatching experts to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to help develop the automobile and auto parts industry. For the electronics industry, the proposals include helping provide technology-sharing through seminars and development of training programs for technicians and engineers. The proposals include preparation of a list of problems hindering development of the infrastructure for economic development -- railroads, roads and aviation and sea transport, liberalization of the telecommunications market and planning packaged tours that link the tourism industry in the region. Other policy proposals include helping establish commercial laws and auditing procedures. "The important point of the proposals is that the nations that are given industrial assistance are being asked to meet certain conditions -- does of discipline," Hatakeyama said. *********************************************************** BT: PSA EYES STAKE IN YANGON MINI-CITY September 14, 1996 From: moe@interport.net (Julien Moe) Feasibility study on for Thai promoter's US$200m project THE Port of Singapore Authority would take a significant stake in a project to develop a US$200 million (S$280 million) mini-city in Myanmar if studies show that the project, being promoted by a Thai business group, is viable. However, PSA is already involved in the project through consultancy work for the Thai group, Bijoux Holdings. PSA's consultancy arm SPECS has been engaged by Bijoux to conduct design, engineering and construction feasibility studies for the project. A PSA spokesman in Singapore told BT that the feasibility studies should be completed by the year-end. "Depending on the outcome of the studies, we may even manage the project," added the spokesman. He did not disclose the size of PSA's potential stake. The Bijoux project that PSA is working on envisages the development of a new business district at Thuwunna in Yangon. Set to be the biggest foreign investment in Myanmar real estate, it would be an integrated mini-city with office buildings, retail and residential space, complete with its own infrastructure. To be developed on a build-operate-transfer basis, the owners would hand over the development to the Yangon authorities after operating it for 45 years. Development would be in three phases over five years, with ground-breaking probably to take place once PSA's studies prove conclusively that it is viable. Once it has ascertained the project's viability for its client Bijoux, PSA would then decide on its own equity interests. PSA, like many of Singapore's companies and government agencies, are actively scouting for investments and work in the region. Bijoux Holdings, listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, is a major jewellery manufacturer controlled by the Ho family from Myanmar. Headed by U-Kuang Waing K Ho, the Ho family had engaged in a variety of business in Myanmar before moving to Thailand in the 1960s. Now based in Bangkok, Mr Waing K Ho's children are running the family business which is focused on jewellery and real estate. In more recent years, the Ho siblings have gone back to their roots to tap Myanmar's liberalisation. The family owns the Baiyoke Kandawgyi Hotel in Yangon. ********************************************************* FBC: STATEMENT & MEMBER LIST September 13, 1996 From: zni@students.wisc.edu (zar ni) Mission Statement The Free Burma Coalition (FBC) is an umbrella group of organizations around the world working for freedom and democracy in Burma. Our mission is to build a grassroots movement inspired by and modeled after the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Our movement stands 100% behind the leadership of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD), whom the people have recognized as the sole legitimate leaders of Burma. Objectives Our objectives are twofold: 1). to weaken the grip of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) by cutting its substantial flow of foreign currency provided by multinational corporations such as Total, Unocal, Texaco, ARCO, and PepsiCo among others; and 2). to strengthen the position of the democratic forces within Burma by building up an international movement calling for the end of totalitarian rule under SLORC. In accordance of the wishes of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD, we call for the immediate and complete withdrawal of all foreign businesses from Burma. Who is on board: The FBC works with student activists at over 100 colleges, universities and high schools in the U.S. and Canada and concerned citizens in as many as 26 other countries including South Africa. The largest human rights campaign in cyberspace, the FBC has recently been nominated for Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. Updated Free Burma Coalition Member List A) Free Burma Groups and Contacts at the following colleges and universities 1. Adirondack Communtiy College 2. American University 3. Arizona State University 4. Baylor College of Medicine 5. Barnard College 6. Boston College 7. Boston University 8. Brandeis University 9. Carleton University 10. California State University at Humbolt 11. California State University at San Francisco 12. California State University at Sonoma 13. Central Michigan University 14. Colgate University 15. Colorado College 16. Columbia University 17. Connecticut College 18. Cornell University 19. Dartmouth College 20. De Paul University 21. Duke University 22. East Tennessee State University 23. Eastern Washington University 24. Georgetown University 25. Hampshire College 26. Harvard University 27. Hunter College 28. Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne 29. Indiana University at Bloomington 30. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 31. Iona College (Canada) 32. Iowa State University 33. James Madison University 34. Lewis and Clark College 35. Marian College 36. Mary Washington College 37. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 38. McGill University (Canada) 39. Mississispi State University 40. Michigan State University 41. New Jersy Medical School 42. New York University 43. Northeastern University 44. Northwestern University 45. Oberlin College 46. Ohio University 47. Ohio State University 48. Pace University 49. Pennsylvania State University 50. Princeton University 51. Reed College 52. Rice University 53. Santa Monica College 54. Sarah Lawrence College 55. Sienna College 56. Skidmore College 57. Snow College 58. Southampton College 59. St. Louis University 60. St. Cloud State University 61. Stanford University 62. State University of New York-Geneseo 63. SUNY-Albany 64. Stephen F. Austin University 65. Swarthmore College 66. Syracuse University, 67. Tufts University 68. Texas A & M University 69. Texas Southern University 70. Texas Women's University 71. University of Alaska 72. University of Arizona 73. University of California at Berkeley 74. UCLA 75. UC-Santa Brabara 76. University of Chicago 77. University of Colorado at Boulder 78. University of Florida-Gainesville 79. University of Guelph (Canada) 80. University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana 81. University of Illinois at Chicago 82. University of Georgia 83. University of Houston 84. University of Kansas 85. University of Kentucky 86. University of Michigan at Ann Arbor 87. University of Minnesota 88. University of Montana 90. University of New Mexico 91. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 92. University of North Carolina at Greensboro 93. University of Oklahoma 94. University of Richmond 95. University of Texas at Austin 96. University of Vermont 97. University of Virginia 98. University of Washington 99. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 100. University of Wisconsin at Madison 101. Universiy of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 102. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 103. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 103. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 104. Utah State University 105. Virginia Technology Institute 106. Warren-Wilson College 107. Weber State University 108. Wellesley College 109. Western Michigan University 110. Yale University 3) Pre-college Free Burma Groups Creighton High (Omaha, NE), East High (Madison, Wis.), Ft. Atkinson High (Ft. Atkinson, Wis.), Eau Claire High (Eau Claire, Wis.), Gunn High School (Palo Alto, Calif.), Memorial High (Madison, Wis.), Palo Alto High (Palo Alto, Calif.), Shabazz High School (Madison, Wis.), University of Chicago Lab Schools (IL), West High (Madison, Wis.), Moraga Junior High (Moraga, Calif.), St Louis Art School (MO), Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Twshp. (NJ) Remarks: 1) The list is updated as of today (September 10,1996). It keeps growing. 2) Many schools have strong Free Burma Coalition chapters while others participate in events and help support the FBC. ********************************************************* BURMANET SUBJECT-MATTER RESOURCE LIST BurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of different topics related to Burma. If you have questions on any of the following subjects, please direct email to the following volunteer coordinators, who will either answer your question or try to put you in contact with someone who can: Campus activism: zni@students.wisc.edu Boycott campaigns: [Pepsi] ai268@freenet.carleton.ca Buddhism: Buddhist Relief Mission: brelief@gol.com Chin history/culture: [volunteer temporarily away] Fonts: tom@cs.colgate.edu High School Activism: nculwell@facstaff.wisc.edu History of Burma: zni@students.wisc.edu International Affairs: Julien Moe: JulienMoe@aol.com Kachin history/culture: 74750.1267@compuserve.com Karen history/culture: Karen Historical Society: 102113.2571@Compuserve.com Mon history/culture: [volunteer needed] Naga history/culture: Wungram Shishak: z954001@oats.farm.niu.edu Burma-India border [volunteer needed] Pali literature: "Palmleaf": c/o burmanet@igc.apc.org Pipeline Campaign freeburma@irn.org Resettlement info: refugee_help@mail.serve.com Rohingya culture volunteer needed Shan history/culture: Sao Hpa Han: burma@ix.netcom.com Shareholder activism: simon_billenness@mail.cybercom.net Total - France Dawn Star: cd@utopia.EUnet.fr Tourism campaigns: bagp@gn.apc.org "Attn. S.Sutcliffe" volunteering: refugee_help@mail.serve.com World Wide Web: FreeBurma@POBox.com Geographical Contacts: Massachusetts simon_billenness@mail.cybercom.net [Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News is an electronic newspaper covering Burma. Articles from newspapers, magazines, newsletters, the wire services and the Internet as well as original material are published. It is produced with the support of the Burma Information Group (B.I.G) and the Research Department of the ABSDF {MTZ} The BurmaNet News is e-mailed directly to subscribers and is also distributed via the soc.culture.burma and seasia-l mailing lists. For a free subscription to the BurmaNet News, send an e-mail message to: majordomo@igc.apc.org For the BurmaNet News only: in the body of the message, type "subscribe burmanews-l" (without quotation marks). For the BurmaNet News and 4-5 other messages a day posted on Burma issues, type "subscribe burmanet-l" (NOTE: this is a lower case "L", not the numeral one). Letters to the editor, comments or contributions of articles should be sent to the editor at: strider@igc.apc.org