Subject: The BurmaNet News: January 8, 1997 Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 05:57:53 -0800 (PST) From: strider@igc.apc.org Reply-To: Conference "reg.burma" To: Recipients of burmanet-l ------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: January 8, 1997 Issue #607 HEADLINES: ========== AP: BURMA'S DEFIANT CAMPUSES KEPT SHUT BY JUNTA AUNG SAN SUU KYI: LETTER FROM BURMA #1, 1997 REUTER: BURMA UNREST COULD AFFECT FOREIGN INVESTMENTS INTELASIA: SLORC'S LEADER LEAVES FOR CHINA UPI: SOLON CALLS FOR GREATER FREEDOM IN BURMA THAILAND TIMES: RANGOON OPENS NEW CONTAINER PORT BANGKOK POST: BORDER SECURITY WORRIES DISCUSSED THAILAND TIMES: MAE SOT'S TASK FORCE COMMANDER TO MEET WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL: WHAT MORE REASON NEEDED DVB: BURMESE LANGUAGE NEWS PROGRAM ON THE WEB MONLAND RESTORATION COUNCIL: 49TH ANNIVERSARY INDEPENDENT REPORT: MARKETPLACE PIECE ON BURMA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------- AP: BURMA'S DEFIANT CAMPUSES KEPT SHUT BY JUNTA January 7, 1997 (abridged) AP in Rangoon Universities rocked last month by the most serious student unrest in years remained closed yesterday as most of Burma's campuses reopened after the Christmas holiday. The military Government said last week that campuses at the heart of a series of demonstrations in early December would remain closed indefinitely. They include three university campuses and the medical school in the capital, Rangoon, and the university in Mandalay, the country's second city. Thousands of students sent home to the provinces in December to defuse the unrest will remain there. Some Rangoon high schools near to the campuses, which were closed along with the universities, reopened yesterday. The demonstrations by hundreds of students marked the biggest street unrest against the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council since the pro-democracy uprising of 1988, when troops gunned down thousands of protesters. Last month's demonstrators demanded an independent students' union, an end to police brutality against students, and greater freedom and respect for human rights. The Government made no move to negotiate with their leaders. The protests were quelled by club-swinging riot police and water cannons, far less violent measures than in 1988. Government leaders said last week that at least 56 people remained in custody due to the unrest. They were identified as members of the National League for Democracy - led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi - remnants of the defunct Communist Party and rock-throwers. The Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun announced yesterday it had renewed a one-year contract for Ms Aung San Suu Kyi to write a weekly Letter from Burma column about Burma's democracy movement. ************************************************* AUNG SAN SUU KYI: LETTER FROM BURMA #1, 1997 Mainichi Daily News January 6, 1997 (Mainichi Editor's note: This is the first installment in a new series of the "Letter from Burma" column by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who leads the pro-democracy movement in Burma. The new series is scheduled to appear in the Mainichi Daily News on the first Monday of each month, unless otherwise noted. The Japanese translation of the column will appear in the Mainichi Shimbun on the same day. We hope our readers will enjoy this new series.) REFLECTIONS ON A TURBULENT YEAR: "Starting Anew" Letter from Burma (No. 1) By Aung San Suu Kyi So another year has ended. Three hundred and sixty-five days which can never be brought back again lie behind us. The beginning of a new year is as much a time for rendering accounts as a time for hope. It is a time for taking a hard look at the events of the past and for assessing what has been gained and what has been lost. 1996 cannot be said to have been a happy year for Burma. It was a period that saw much injustice and repression. Fear was let loose among the populace to dissuade them from supporting the democratic cause. At the same time, the economy started showing unmistakable signs of malaise, giving the lie to claims of impressive growth and progress. Looking back on the old year, I cannot help but think of friends and colleagues who lost their liberty because of their efforts to gain the greater liberty of our people. The numbers of political arrests during 1996 rose well into the hundreds. As U Win Htein, who was taken away from his home one midnight in May and sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment two months later, remarked, the authorities pick up people and put them in confinement as a rough poulterer might pick up young chicks or birds and fling them into cages, with little regard for human feelings. The accelerated arrests of organizers and supporters of the National League for Democracy is matched only by the accelerated rate of inflation. Although prices have been rising steadily over the last several years, 1996 was particularly noteworthy for the alarming way in which inflation took off. The most obvious change is in the price of diesel oil which went up from 180 kyats per gallon at the beginning of the year to over 300 kyats by the year end. The prices of foodstuff have also gone up considerably, making the housewife's task of keeping her family adequately fed a formidable business. (Prison terms meted out to NLD members have also been subject to the general inflationary trend: a sentence less than seven years is seen as pretty mild.) We saw the old year out at the home of U Kyi Maung, one of the deputy chairmen of the National League for Democracy. The New Year Eve party has been a tradition in his family for many years. But the guests have changed with the changing times and reflect the varying fortunes of our hosts and our country. This New Year Eve the majority of the guests were members of the National League for Democracy; in other words it was a political family party. These are times when all responsible citizens need to be politicized. There were also a few foreign correspondents who had come to ask about our reaction to the accusations leveled against the National League for Democracy at the latest government press conference. There is a special flavor to meetings with the press which are held in this impromptu fashion, everybody sitting around casually amidst a tangle of video cameras, tape recorders and cups of coffee. The journalists who find their way to these informal press conferences are usually enterprising and good humored, the kind of people who are thoroughly professional but who are always ready to see the funny side of any situation. This makes for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere where irreverent jokes about the powers that be are appreciated in a light-hearted way, as one might appreciate a cup of fine, fragrant tea. After the correspondents left, we got down to the serious business of tucking into the mounds of noodles that had been prepared for us and singing dissident songs. There is one particular song that represents the revolutionary spirit of 1988. It is a song of students recalling the bloodshed and the grief of those days which can never be forgotten, appealing to the spirits of Thakin Kodaw Hmaing, a grand literary figure of the independence movement, and of my father, and dedicating themselves to the cause of democracy. When it is sung in full force by strong young voices to the strumming of guitars, it is both moving and inspiring. We saw in the New Year in international fashion, singing Auld Lang Syne as the last minutes of 1996 ticked away. But as soon as we crossed over into 1997, we sang once again the song that had resounded at so many gatherings eight years ago when the forces of democratic change had swept across Burma. We know that the New Year will bring challenges that will make heavy demands on our inner resources. The New Year also brings in its wake the anniversary of Burmese independence day on Jan. 4. It is now nearly 49 years since Burma gained freedom from colonial rule. Last year for our independence day celebration a drama troupe came down from Mandalay to give a traditional performance of dance and song and highly amusing satirical comments. The comments reflected the current situation in the country so well and were so popular with the audience, the two comedians and two NLD organizers who helped to bring the troupe down to Rangoon are now serving long sentences in a cold jail in the north of the country, far from their families. In Burma ruled by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), one pays a high price for expressing the dissatisfactions of the people through the artistic medium. Organizing the independence day celebrations this year has been fraught with more than the usual difficulties. With access to my house shut off since the beginning of December, it remained a matter for speculation whether it would even be possible for our guests to attend the ceremony. Getting together a band, a simple enough matter one might imagine, also became a task of gargantuan proportions. Some experienced musicians we approached were too frightened to risk the displeasure of the authorities. No doubt they were thinking of the comedians in jail and of the band which had its entertainment license taken away after they had performed at our celebrations last year. We were still grappling with our musical problems when the leading lady of the play we had planned to put on at our celebration was suddenly arrested under the charge that she had been involved in the student demonstrations that took place toward the beginning of the month. Really, the SLORC provides us with far too much excitement. The past is important only that it may serve as a lesson to guide us safely through the future. According to Buddhist belief it is a demerit to indulge in regrets. That is to say, we should not waste our time and energy pining over what might have been, it is more to the point to take constructive action to put right whatever may have gone wrong. 1996 was a most peculiar year from a political point of view. So many incredible - and ludicrous - events took place that we now have no trouble accepting the truth of the words that fact is so very often stranger than fiction. There are enough "democracy tales" to keep generations of our descendants fascinated and incredulous. It is very likely that the next 12 months will bring many more interesting and unexpected changes. Whatever the future may hold, I look forward to it with much curiosity. ********************************************** REUTER: BURMA UNREST COULD AFFECT FOREIGN INVESTMENTS January 7, 1997 RANGOON, Jan 7 (Reuter) - Recent student protests and bombings in Burma could sideline some foreign investors as they wait to see if they were isolated acts or part of a bigger campaign against military rulers, analysts said on Tuesday. Investors most likely to stay away were smaller-scale businessmen or those who had not yet firmed up plans to put money into Burma, they said. "The little guys will be chased away by this," said one diplomat. "But the really big companies don't care as much because in the big scheme of things if they lose their money it's only a drop in the bucket for them." Analysts said there was continued interest in Burma, especially among investors from South Korea and Japan, although Nobel Peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has urged foreigners not to invest in Burma until the government improves its human rights record and enters into talks with the democracy movement. Foreign investment has been a focal point of the government's efforts to revive the economy, which suffered badly during more than a quarter of a century of socialist rule and isolationist policies of former leader General Ne Win. Total approved foreign investment in Burma from 1988 through November 30 amounted to $5.27 billion from 226 different projects, according to official government data. Singapore is the largest investor with 53 projects approved totalling $1.17 billion, followed by Britain and Thailand. Economists estimate only about half of the approved total has actually been invested since the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) opened up the economy in 1988. Diplomats said one of the big questions was whether student protests in December and the explosion of two bombs at a Buddhist shrine on Christmas Day were part of a plot to topple the SLORC. "If these two incidents are part of a larger masterplan, then they're in trouble, and investors could leave," a diplomat said. "If they are just isolated incidents, it is not so bad." But potential investors are not likely to be comforted by the sight of five tanks and two armoured cars in the carpark in front of Rangoon's City Hall. The tanks are a vivid reminder of the military government's vow to suppress any sign of protests against the government. They have been parked downtown since early December when troops and riot police used water cannon and batons to force student demonstrators off the streets. Thousands had taken to the streets in the biggest anti-government demonstrations seen since national protests in 1988. SLORC accused the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Suu Kyi, of involvement in the protests and politicising them. Suu Kyi denies involvement but said she supports the students' efforts for justice. Scott Rosenberg of the Brooker Group, a Bangkok consulting firm that advises on investment in Burma, said the human rights situation was more of a factor keeping some Western investors away than the current uncertainty. "People are hesitant to invest in Myanmar (Burma) because there hasn't been any big movement by the government on the human rights situation," he said. "The reluctance is not due to the unrest, but the timing is not right." Last year, several major American and European companies pulled out of Burma following lobbying by human rights activists. The United States has approved a bill for an economic boycott if the situation in Burma deteriorates. REUTER ******************************************************* INTELASIA: SLORC'S LEADER LEAVES FOR CHINA January 7, 1997 The head of the Burma regime, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, left Rangoon on Sunday for an official visit to China. It will be the first time for Than Shwe, prime minister and chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), to visit China since he became SLORC chairman in April 1992. ****************************************************** UPI: SOLON CALLS FOR GREATER FREEDOM IN BURMA January 7, 1997 MANILA, Jan. 7 (UPI) - A Philippine legislator has urged Burma's military junta to grant opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi full freedom and greater participation in government affairs. Sen. Heherson Alvarez is calling on the State Law and Order Restoration Council or SLORC to join ``the wave of freedom-seekers'' by allowing Suu Kyi to freely organize opposition. He says, ``Burma has an exceptional opportunity of allowing freedom and democracy with the participation of the opposition in the affairs of debate and in policy making.'' While calling for greater freedom in the military ruled country, Alvarez notes the SLORC's recent move to allow the gathering of opposition members at Suu Kyi's residence. About 1,500 members of SLORC and National League for Democracy gathered at Suu Kyi's house Saturday. During the event, a diplomat guest was quoted as saying: ``I was really surprised this was allowed to happen. But whether this means any change of heart by the SLORC remains to be seen.'' Alvarez cites the gathering an indication of the SLORC's softening stance. He adds: ``The rulers can only yield to the inevitable forces of freedom and be a bridge into the modern future or repress Suu Kyi and remain the villains of history and stunt the growth of Burma.'' ***************************************************** THAILAND TIMES: RANGOON OPENS NEW CONTAINER PORT January 7, 1997 (AP) RANGOON: Burmese trade received a boost this weekend with the opening of a container terminal built by a Singapore company at the new port of Thilawa, south of Rangoon, a state-run newspaper said yesterday. As Burma' s economy has opened up and trade has increased, the country ' s underdeveloped infrastructure has been strained. Precious goods have been known to sit for weeks, unable to reach markets, because of increasing congestion at Rangoon' s port, which is also suffering from silting. The importance of the new terminal was underscored by the presence at the opening ceremony of Gen Khin Nyunt, one of the four most powerful generals in Burma. Rangoon Port handled 5.7 million tons of cargo in 1995, up from 4.6 million tons in 1994, the latest figure available. It has almost approached the optimum capacity," Transport Minister Gen Tin Win told the newspaper New Light of Myanmar. "The new container terminal will greatly ease the handling of cargo at Rangoon wharves, which are under pressure because of the fast increasing volume of trade." The opening of the terminal marks the completion of the first phase of the port's construction by Container Terminal and Packaging PTE of Singapore. The remaining terminals at the 1,000 meter wharf, 11 kilometers south of Rangoon, are expected to be finished in two years. The Singapore company will build and operate the terminals for 25 years before transferring them to the Burmese government free of charge. Singapore is one of Burma's oldest and largest trading partners. During the 26 years of socialist isolationism imposed by former strongman Gen New Win from 1962-88, most goods shipped to Burma transited Singapore. Singapore is also the largest foreign investor in Burma. Nearly 25 percent of all foreign investment in Burma is from Singaporean companies. ***************************************************************** BANGKOK POST: BORDER SECURITY WORRIES DISCUSSED January 7, 1997 Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyalsarn yesterday convened a high powered meeting with military top brass on border security matters crucial to the direction of relations with Thailand's neighbouring countries. The hour-long meeting at the Foreign Ministry took place amid tension at the Thai-Burmese border following Friday's attack on a Karenni refugee camp and fears of an imminent conflict between rival Khmer Rouge factions close to the Thai-Cambodian border. "It is important for the Foreign Ministry to discuss security issues and listen to opinions from all concerned parties," the minister said. But the meeting did not focus on any particular situation, he added, noting that the ministry was yet to receive an "accurate report" on the perpetrators of the attack on the refugee camp of the Karenni National Progressive Party in Mae Hong Son province. The meeting was a bid to "find ways" for the ministry and the military to "work together" in case of any untoward incidents in the future, the minister said. Attending the meeting were Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Ampornpisit, Army Commander in -chief Chestha Thanajaro, Royal Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm Vichit Chamnankarn, and National Security Council Secretary-General Gen Boonsak Kamhaengridhirong, Deputy Foreign Minister Pitak Intrawityanunt, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Saroj Chavanaviraj and Permanent Secretary for Interior Choowong Chayabutra. The meeting took place before the minister left for Malaysia on his first overseas trip since taking office last month. The minister is due to hold talks with his Malaysian counterpart Abdullah Badawi today, and, as part of three-day visit, is also due to pay courtesy call on Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Mr Prachuab said he would discuss cooperation in fisheries as well as progress towards the integration of Burma, Cambodia and Laos into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Thai government wants the Thai private sector to engage in a "serious business venture" with Malaysia, which seeks Thai involvement in related off-shore businesses in addition to catching fish, the minister noted. But lack of unity among fisheries related companies in Thailand has become a major obstacle for the project he added. ***************************************************************** THAILAND TIMES: MAE SOT'S TASK FORCE COMMANDER TO MEET WITH NEW BURMESE COUNTERPART January 7, 1997 Tak : Mae Sot's 4th Infantry Special Task Force Commander Gen Suwit Manmeun, chairman of the Thai team's local Thai-Burmese border committee, will meet with his Burmese counterpart Zai Phone in the middle of this month to sound out the new Burmese commander's views, an informed source from Myawaddy said. Rangoon recently made reshuffles of senior military authorities in the border town of Myawaddy. Lt Col Kyaw Hlaing, Myawaddy's 97th Infantry battalion commander and chairman of the Burmese side's local Thai-Burmese border committee, was promoted to a post in the town of Kawkareik, Karen state. Lt-Col Zai Phone, 27th Infantry battalion commander, has been chosen to replace him in both posts, the source said. Myawaddy governor Lt-Col Maung Maung Yin was also transferred to Pyinmanar in Mandalay division in central Burma as a promotion. No one has been chosen to take over the governor's position, and Zai Phone will serve as acting governor until a replacement is found, the source said. ************************************************* WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL: WHAT MORE REASON NEEDED FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA? January 5, 1997 Guest Column by Denis Collins Economic sanctions can harm both the citizens of repressive governments and multinational corporations. Such decisions need to be carefully made. How brutal must a dictatorship be, and how severe its violation of human and political rights, for universities and students to refuse to purchase products from companies that do business with "outlaw" governments? These issue are particularly salient now as the UW Board of Regents, which governs a $222 million trust fund, and the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, which manages the $39.7 billion Wisconsin Retirement System account, consider divesting from corporations such as Texaco, Unocal, Atlantic Richfield, Pepsi, Avis, ITT and Mitsubishi, which conduct conduct business with Burma. Burma provides an excellent case for developing investment and purchasing criterion. Drugs: Burma is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of opium and heroin, and responsible for 60% of the heroin seized on American streets. Political Oppression: In 1988, Burma's military massacred thousands. Anyone with a camera reporting the events was shot on sight. Protestors were buried or cremated alive. Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was placed under house arrest for six years. When her political party won 82 percent of the popular vote in Burma's first free elections, the military junta refused to give up power. Democratically elected officials were killed, arrested, tortured or exiled. In September 1996, more than 500 pro-democracy activists were arrested. Forced Labor: Thousands of citizens, many of them ethnic minorities, have been forced to relocate, with no compensation, to construct a gas pipeline. Those who refuse are executed and their homes burned. Men, women and children are forced to build and improve roads and railways for the pipeline and to make Burma attractive to tourists. Those too sick to work are beaten, tortured, and forced to carry supplies. Laborers die of beatings, malnutrition, sickness, and starvation. In one city of 500,000 people, each family is required to provide free labor from dawn to late evening at least three days a month. Families that refuse are fined as much as an entire year's income. Other Human Rights Violations: Citizens are murdered, tortured and raped by the military regime. Homes and food supplies are confiscated. Minority girls are raped and killed by soldiers. Citizens must report overnight guests to local military officials or be imprisoned. Sanctions Requested by National Leader: In July 1996, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi called for the immediate and complete withdrawal of all foreign businesses from Burma. Sixty-five percent of the financial support for the military regime is from oil companies doing business with Burma. She requested that tourists not visit Burma (renamed Myanmar by the military dictators) and that nations not provide consumer goods or financial aid because the money is used to enrich the military and to purchase weapons for further suppressing citizens. She concluded that economic sanctions will primarily hurt the political and industrial elites living in Burma, not the millions of citizens they are oppressing. Federal, State and City Sanctions and Condemnations: The U.S. has withdrawn its ambassador, suspended the AID program, denied trade preferences, banned multilateral loans, and forbids visas to Burmese officials. In addition, the federal government refuses to grant licenses to export military equipment there. Burma has been denounced by the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Massachusetts, led by Republican governor William Weld, has passed legislation boycotting products of firms doing business with Burma, as have eight city councils including Madison, San Francisco, Berkeley and Ann Arbor. Sanctions and Condemnations by other Governments and Organizations: Burma's military regime has been denounced by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and international human rights groups. It has also been condemned by the United Nations. Many nations have declared Burma an "outlaw" state and refuse to grant licenses to export military equipment. Bishop Desmond Tutu has urged international sanctions against Burma, because it is the only language tyrants understand. Corporate Withdrawals: Firms which have withdrawn from business activities in Burma include Liz Claiborne, Macy's, Eddie Bauer, Levi Strauss, Amoco, Heineken, Carlsberg, Columbia Sportswear, Oshkosh B'Gosh, Apple Computers, Labatt Ice Beer, Petro-Canada, Wente Vineyards, and Walt Disney. The Student Travel Association in Australia has ceased promoting tours to Myanmar. Pension Fund Divestments: A leading Danish pension fund sold its $10.45 million shares in the French firm Total because of its involvement with Burma's gas pipeline project. University Protests: Pepsi has lost contracts at Harvard, Stanford and Colgate universities. Stanford refused to permit Taco Bell, which is owned by Pepsi, from opening in its student union. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have considered banning investments in Burma, but the skilled efforts of corporate lobbyists have temporarily derailed bipartisan support for the full and immediate sanctions outlined in the Burma Freedom and Democracy Act. In a view also supported by Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Jesse Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote President Clinton that "failure to impose sanctions at this point will clearly signal (to the military junta) that it can abuse its citizens without consequences from the United States." The University of Wisconsin must act. A committee of students, faculty and administrators should be established to develop and monitor a socially responsible investment and procurement policy. Just as there are fiscal standards, there must also be moral standards. We should not wait for the anguished cries of current and future Nobel Peace Prize winners. Denis Collins is an Assistant Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. *************************************************************** MONLAND RESTORATION COUNCIL: 49TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE DAY IN BURMA January 4, 1997 From: PON NYA Today is the 49th anniversary of Burma's independence . On January 4, 1948, Burma ceased being a British colony. Although this should be a day of celebration for the Burmese people, it is being marked in an atmosphere of darkness and gloom. Without freedom, independence has no meaning. In 1988 almost the entire population of Burma marched in the streets calling for democracy. These peaceful demonstrations came to a abrupt end with the military coup on September 18. The coup leaders, the so-called State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), shot and killed thousands of civilians. Thousands more were arrested, tortured, raped, and detained without trial, while many others fled country to seek safety in the malarial jungles along with the borders. Now, after 8 years, the SLORC continues to control the country, ignoring the people's wishes. The SLORC also mocking the world by its utter disregard of the results of the election of May 27, 1990. Instead of transferring power to the people's elected representatives, SLORC has cynically accused them of having connections with rebels and communists. The regime still refuses to acknowledge and to take responsibility for gross human rights violations, even though these have been well-documented by many independent observers. In suppressing Burma's ethnic minorities, the SLORC continues the old BSPP counter-insurgency strategy know as "the four cuts": cutting links with intelligence, cutting food supplies, cutting money, and cutting recruits among local civilians. Entire communities have been forcibly relocated to "strategic hamlets" with strict curfews and rigid controls. Expulsion orders warn that any villagers remaining in their homes will be shot on sight. During these operations, the army has arrested and mistreated thousands of people, including religious leaders. In some villages all the women have been raped or tortured during interrogation. Both men and women have been arbitrarily executed. It has become common in Burma for the military to capture innocent people as porters for the army. As a result, We Monland Restoration Council, join hands with all Burmese who love peace and democracy. We call upon all Burmese to work together in harmony and unity to publicize the tragedy in Burma and to achieve democracy and self-determination. We are deeply committed both physically and spiritually to the struggle to end civil war in Burma and to establish a genuinely democratic federal union that endorses autonomy, equality, and the rights of indigenous nationals to self-determination. We humbly request the world community to support our struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma by putting pressure on the military regime to end the civil war which is not only killing its people but also ravaging the natural resources of the country. We also ask that the world stop all economic investment that enhances the strength of the military regime, allowing them to prolong their power and to continue oppressing and killing the people. We demand: 1) The immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners. 2) An end to the persecution of Buddhist monks and other religious leaders and restoration of full religious freedom in Burma. 3) A stop to the four-decade long civil war and the concomitant brutal violations of human rights of the Mon and other ethnic minorities. 4) A stop to the projects to construct a gas pipeline in Monland. 5) The immediate transfer of power to the representative of the people who won the May 1990 elections. Central Committee Monland Restoration Council --------------------------- P.O.Box 50108 Fort Wayne, IN 46805-0108 (U.S.A) Tel:219-471-3961 Http://www.centralnet.net/honsawatoi/monland.html ********************************************* DVB: BURMESE LANGUAGE NEWS PROGRAM ON THE WEB January 6, 1997 From: "ausgeo@msn.com " Democratic Voice of Burma (SYDNEY) Dear friends. The January 5 program of the DVB SYDNEY originally on 2NBC in Australia, is now available for real-time playback via RealAudio from BurmaSong at This is a Burmese-language program featuring Burma news, views, and music of Burma presented by Burmese now living in Australia. It will be appreciated any suggestion about program , Please sends E-mail to (ausgeo@msn.com ). Since December 15, 1996, program files have been encoded with Real Audio 3.0. Adjustment to your player may be necessary. Many thanks to Mr Wrightson Tongue and Burma net. ********************************************************* INDEPENDENT REPORT: MARKETPLACE PIECE ON BURMA January 7, 1997 dohrs@u.washington.edu Yesterday the National Public Radio show "Marketplace" ran a 5 minute piece on US companies in/out of Burma. At the end of the piece they asked for comments on several questions: Should the US ban investment in Burma? Should US companies use their economic clout to pressure repressive governments to improve? What did you think of the report? Their contacts are as follows: Comment Line: 213-765-0430 Office Phone: 213-743-6555 e-mail: market@mizar.usc.edu Web Site: www.marketplace.org Mailing Address: Marketplace Radio Los Angeles, CA 90089 One thing that struck me was that the report did not note that consumer and activist pressure is for much more specific reasons than "it's bad to do business in Burma because the government is bad." For example, Eddie Bauer, Liz Claiborne, Columbia Sportswear and Disney were pressured because they were manufacturing in factories with substantial military ownership. Motorola was supplying the SLORC with cell phones and mobile radios. Those without SLORC connections are not allowed to have or use these. Apple Computer was supplying computers to a market where "unauthorized" use of a modem can result in a 15 year prison term. Wente Vinyards was in a distribution partnership with an individual who is barred from the US because of his ties to heroin trafficking. Unocal is in partnership with the SLORC and, by contract, uses the SLORC army as its security team. This despite the overwhelming evidence of gross violations of human rights and dignity by this army. Should the US ban investment in Burma? Under current circumstances, clearly yes. Should companies use their clout to change the SLORC? This is a false hope. As incoming UN Ambassador Bill Richardson has said repeatedly, the companies have done "absolutely nothing" to urge change. As the NYT editorial of Dec. 16 pointed out, Unocal is now providing a financial lifeline to the SLORC. Top NLD officials say Total is THE leading supporter of the SLORC. Finally, the Marketplace report did not mention that even hard-bitten companies like Peregrine are leaving not because of human rights but because the SLORC economy is a gangster economy, with corruption, dishonesty, no rule of law, no trustworthy financial information, narco-trafficking connections. - LD ********************************************