------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: March 10, 1997 Issue #662 HEADLINES: ========== NCUB: PRESS RELEASE NO [14] WASHINGTON POST: IT'S PAST TIME FOR U.S. SANCTIONS WASHINGTON POST:CAMPAIGN HAS BUSINESS FIGHTING THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR:NEWS BRIEFS SAMPLE LETTER TO US REPRESENTATIVES RE UNOCAL ANNOUNCEMENT: HOMEPAGE-MUSLIMS OF BURMA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NCUB: PRESS RELEASE NO [14] March 9, 1997 From: All Burma Students' Democratic Front ____________________________________________________________________ N A T I O N A L C O U N C I L OF THE U N I O N OF B U R M A ____________________________________________________________________ Diarrhoea outbreak in Refugee camps abating Border sources reported today that a medical NGO staff had received full cooperation from the Thai authorities to gain access to refugees in the Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi areas who are suffering from severe Diarrhoea. "Access has not been easy and the NGOs have had to tightly follow the bureaucratic procedures to gain access, but access is no longer being denied," the other report said. Though the outbreak has been severe, and there have been more than 10 deaths, aid workers still characterise the illness as "serious watery Diarrhoea" until laboratory test have been completed. Since access has been gained sources yesterday said that the outbreak seems to be coming under control and that it is now possible to deliver medicine. "Finally, NGOs and journalists are allowed access to the refugees in these areas and we really appreciate the Royal Thai Army's assistance," said a spokesperson of the NCUB. "Historically, Royal Thai government has taken care of the people fleeing brutal oppression in its neighboring countries, including refugees from Burma who seek safety from the SLORC military's escalating atrocities." a senior person from the NCUB said. NCUB hopes that Royal Thai government will continue to offer refuge for fleeing Karen refuges. Information Committee National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) *************************** WASHINGTON POST: IT'S PAST TIME FOR U.S. SANCTIONS March 2 1997 By Sumana Chatterjee A LOOK AT . . . The Legacy of Two Nobel Prizes: In Burma, It's Past Time For the U.S. to Impose Sanctions When the State Department released its annual Human Rights report card in January, there was much anticipation about how tough it would be on China. But I anxiously awaited word on that other repressive Asian regime -- the one that also massacred its students during mass demonstrations, imprisons dissidents, relies on forced labor and stifles pro-democracy movements while encouraging investors to reap the benefits of its vast natural resources. I looked for information on Burma, China's neighbor and protege. I wanted to see if the report mentioned any of the students I met in Rangoon during the demonstrations there in December. In the three months since my deportation, I have wondered what happened to them. Most likely they are among the nameless hundreds whom Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) announced in January that it had detained, arrested, tried and imprisoned for seven years. They will spend their twenties building the roads for "Visit Myanmar Year" (Burma was renamed Myanmar by the military government when it took control eight years ago). The report didn't elaborate much on the students, but it made clear that large-scale repression is growing. It said: "the Government's severe repression of human rights increased during 1996, even as increased economic activity fostered the appearance of greater normalcy. Out of sight of most visitors, citizens continued to live subject at any time and without appeal to the arbitrary and sometimes brutal dictates of the military dictatorship . . . There continue to be credible reports . . . that soldiers committed serious human rights abuses including extra-judicial killing and rape. Disappearances continued, and members of the security forces beat and otherwise abused detainees." Surely to the relief of the generals who run the country, that scathing report card seems to have faded into the background. They must feel they have skated past the law that President Clinton signed in September saying that the United States would cut off new investment if "the Government of Burma has physically harmed, rearrested for political acts, or exiled [pro-democracy leader] Aung San Suu Kyi or has committed large-scale repression or violence against the democratic opposition." In the wake of the State Department report, several congressmen have urged the White House to impose those sanctions and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has scheduled hearings for April. That's too late. What I and a few others have seen, and what State Department reported, makes me certain that sanctions must be imposed on Burma now. U.S. companies must be discouraged, or prevented, from doing business there. True, Aung San, who was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1991, has not been harmed, rearrested or exiled yet. Her international stature has afforded her a certain amount of protection, though she lives under virtual house arrest. While she is a potent symbol, she is not the whole story. The real measure of a democracy comes from the people who struggle every day to abide by their principles. We should judge the health of the Burmese democracy movement by the freedom of all its people to assemble, organize and express themselves as they wish. Having spoken to many Burmese and witnessed some of the demonstrations during a three-week visit, it's clear to me that "large-scale repression" is the way of life in Burma. In May, the SLORC detained more than 260 members of Aung San's National League for Democracy (NLD). Seven remain in custody. In August, the government arrested 26 NLD activists for "spreading disinformation and threatening the stability of the State." September -- the same month Clinton signed the sanctions threat-- 560 more NLD members were detained and prevented from holding the first All-Burma Congress. In December, SLORC detained over 200 people "whom they accuse of aiding and abetting the student protests." Another 100 NLD members were arrested since December. It was the student protests I was most familiar with. In December, Rangoon witnessed the first large demonstrations since 1988 -- when the military massacred thousands of students. No one could have predicted that the desire for a student union would galvanize the dormant political will of the Rangoon Institute of Technology and Rangoon University student bodies. These students were children when some of their brothers and sisters were gunned down by the SLORC in 1988. Without personal run-ins with the government, the students described themselves as apolitical. But their seemingly simple demand to form a student union was seen as promoting a dangerous democratic institution. It threatened the stability of the military regime so much so that riot police equipped with water cannons and machine guns eventually arrived. Two thousand earnest voices chanted through the night for the right to assemble. They chanted the Burmese equivalent of "What do we want? Student Union! When do we want it? Now!" One of the bold students, without regard to possibly treasonous consequences, said to me, "First we establish our human rights, then all people, all the nation." That's exactly what the government fears. First the students, the apolitical, the naive, then who knows what the experienced opposition will attempt? The SLORC carted away those young people, closed down the universities and has yet to reconvene classes. The students I spoke with told me they had been beaten while in custody. (Shortly afterward, I was made toleave the country with no explanation -- though I'm certain it was because I had been seen talking with students.) I recall my many conversations with Burmese of all kinds who told me that their Buddhist patience will one day give way to direct confrontation. When, how, where? At the proper time, I was told. Meanwhile, Burma remains a lucrative market for 50 U.S. companies. Our government's current policy -- which amounts to the same "constructive engagement" we extend to China -- does nothing to promote the "proper time" for a pro-democracy movement to flourish. Instead, continued investment fortifies the SLORC military dictatorship. Kickbacks and a trickle-down economy solidify the rule of the few over the many. Money made from American firms like Texaco and Unocal -- not to mention the hundreds of non-American companies like German munitions maker Fritz-Werner and Total, the French natural gas conglomerate -- funnels directly into the military hardware and the surveillance apparatus of the authoritarian state. After years of this commercial engagement, even the State Department recognizes that the SLORC has given no sign of willingness to cede its hold on absolute power. The generals have continued to refuse to allow a return to the rule of law and respect for basic human rights." At least some companies are getting the message that Burma is a bad place to be associated with. Since November, according to the Investor Responsibility Research Center, these companies have pulled out: Hewlett-Packard, Carlsberg Brewery Ltd., Black & Veatch, J.C. Penney, J. Crew, Bradlees and PepsiCo. In PepsiCo.'s case, it responded to a two-year boycott of its products on some college campuses. The Free Burma Coalition, through a grass-roots campaign, persuaded campuses like Harvard to ban Pepsi and Stanford to kill plans for a Taco Bell. Now the campaign has set its sights on Texaco and Unocal, whose billion-dollar investments in Burma's oil and gas industry greatly overshadow any other American firms. Those investments should be the last in Burma until it changes its ways. Although the sanctions law would not affect present investments (much to the chagrin of its supporters), all future investments would be blocked. The administration may be reluctant to act on its own, but no one else will take the lead -- not Singapore, not Thailand, not the United Kingdom, not France and certainly not China. Recently, Aung San implored an audience at American University here: "Please use your liberty to promote ours." She could not say so in person and still be allowed to return to her homeland. So her husband, Michael Aris, delivered the Nobel laureate's convocation speech, as he has done in the past. As President Clinton has said, "Through our size, our strength, our relative wealth and also through the power of our example, America has a unique ability to shape a world of greater security and prosperity, peace and freedom." In Burma, the president has the opportunity to do just that. Sumana Chatterjee is a freelance journalist who traveled to Burma late last year. THE PRIZE SUU KYI AUNG SAN (Burma): Lives in Burma; at age 51, she is the leader of the National League for Democracy there. Her father was Gen. Aung San, Burma's first post-colonial leader. In 1990 she would have been overwhelmingly elected prime minister if her party had been allowed to govern. But the election was invalidated by military leaders and she was placed under house arrest. She was awarded the Nobel the next year. NOBEL CITATION: Her desire "to show support for the many people throughout the world who are striving to attain democracy, human rights and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means." ************************* WASHINGTON POST:BURMA CAMPAIGN HAS BUSINESS FIGHTING TREND TOWARD SANCTIONS March 4 1997 By Paul Blustein As a place to do business, there are few countries lousier than Burma. The average Burmese earns less than $300 a year, and the military regime keeps its heavy bureaucratic hand on an economy so poor its entire output is roughly equal to that of Eastman Kodak Co. But despite Burma's lack of appeal as an overseas market, the U.S. corporate community is up in arms over a potent drive to sever U.S.-Burma economic ties on human rights grounds. Burma's junta (which calls the country Myanmar) is the latest of several regimes to be targeted for U.S. economic sanctions - Cuba, Iran and Libya were hit last year -- and corporate lobbyists are fuming that such penalties are getting out of hand. Restricting U.S. trade and investment with Burma, they fear, will make it much more difficult to stop similar measures from being imposed on other countries with human rights problems -- and much greater economic significance as markets for U.S. goods. "It's not just Burma; people are talking now about sanctions on Indonesia," said Howard Lewis, vice president for trade and technology at the National Association of Manufacturers. "They're talking about Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey. So companies view this not just as a matter of Burma, but a continuation of a really unfortunate trend that has mushroomed over the last couple of years." In a report to be issued by the NAM today, the business community is launching a campaign aimed at convincing Congress, the Clinton administration and the public that the United States is wielding sanctions far too often against objectionable regimes such as Burma's and that the main victims are usually U.S. companies and workers. The campaign is being led by the National Foreign Trade Council, an industry group that has retained two top lobbyists with ties to both major parties: former Reagan administration trade representative Clayton Yeutter and former Carter administration official Anne Wexler. The report lists 35 countries that have, in one way or another, been hit by U.S. sanctions over the past four years, reversing a previous approach of "relative restraint" in the use of such measures. Although the report acknowledges that embargoes can work when many countries join in isolating a rogue nation --the multilateral sanctions against South Africa's apartheid regime being a prime example -- it argues that Washington is increasingly resorting to futile gestures by acting unilaterally. Burma is shaping up as a particularly troubling test case for the corporate community. The nation's ruling clique, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), is among the most widely reviled in the world; it refused to accept the democratic opposition's overwhelming victory in a 1990 election and continues to crush dissent. The Nobel Prize-winning opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, recently called on other nations to block investment in her country. Senior administration officials met last month to consider invoking an investment ban on Burma under a law passed last year. Meanwhile, a number of local U.S. jurisdictions, including Massachusetts and San Francisco, have enacted legislation to penalize multinational companies doing business in Burma by making them ineligible for state and city contracts. The laws are starting to exert an effect; Apple Computer Inc., for example, withdrew from Burma last October in order to maintain its business supplying Massachusetts with educational computers. PepsiCo Inc. announced in January that it would pull all of its business out of Burma in recognition of toughened U.S. policy toward the country and in deference to the wishes of many shareholders and customers. All this is disturbing for business -- and awkward for the administration -- because it raises serious questions of double standards: Can Burma be sanctioned for human rights violations without the same being done to richer countries? Especially ticklish is the issue of China, because President Clinton bases much of his case for "engagement" there on the contention that the best way to promote democracy is through economic growth and the development of a middle class. The administration, one U.S. official said, may have to resort to the argument that applying sanctions to Burma makes sense because, unlike China, "it doesn't have the world's fastest-growing economy, doesn't have a billion people, and doesn't have a military that can destabilize the whole Pacific Rim." Drawing a distinction between Burma and Indonesia -- a country with a thriving economy and the world's fourth-largest population, though not as big or important as China's -- will be even trickier, administration officials admit. The corporate community was upset last year when Congress enacted laws penalizing foreign companies doing business in Cuba, Iran and Libya because the actions raised the prospect that other governments would retaliate. But those laws were aimed at countries that were perceived as having taken some hostile action toward the United States. Now, the threat of sanctions is spreading to all sorts of regimes viewed as odious for one reason or another. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) has introduced a bill that would restrict investment in Indonesia as punishment for the Jakarta regime's repression in East Timor. Other lawmakers are pressing the State Department to invoke sanctions against Turkey for expanding its economic ties with Iran. In Massachusetts, the legislature is considering a bill that would bar the state from dealing with companies that do business in Indonesia; state officials already maintain a long list of U.S. and foreign firms that are barred because of their Burma ties. In neighboring Connecticut and in New York City, anti-Burma bills are under consideration. Human rights advocates assert that U.S. sanctions against Burma, even if not followed by other countries, would at least encourage other countries into taking a harder line with the Rangoon regime. And Burma can be singled out for punishment without affecting the argument about China, contended Mike Jendrzejczyk, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch/Asia. "In China, at least there's some possibility that over the long term, if economic engagement is accompanied by sustained political pressure, then economic reform could lead to political reform," Jendrzejczyk said. "In Burma, I don't think you can make that case with any credibility. You have a military government that controls the economy and uses economic investment to keep itself in power." But Unocal Corp., a Los Angeles-based oil company that is one of the few U.S. firms with a sizable stake in Burma, argues that a dangerous precedent may be set. Officials of the company deride suggestions that a prohibition on U.S. business dealings would help the cause of human rights there; they point out that the United States accounts for just 3 percent of Burma's trade and 8 percent of its foreign investments. Imposing sanctions on Burma, said Jack Rafuse, manager of Unocal's Washington office, would be no more effective than "stamping your foot and turning your back." ********* THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR:NEWS BRIEFS (3.4.97) March 4, 1997 From: OKKAR66127@aol.com DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF EAST ASIA GOLD CORP OF CANADA YANGON, 3 March- Member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Deputy Prime Minister Chairman of Myanmar Investment Commission Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin received president of East Asia Gold Corp, Canada, Mr John B Hite at his office this Afternoon. They discussed exploration for gold and copper deposits in Myanmar, survey work and investment opportunities. Minister at the Deputy Prime Ministers' Office Secretary of MIC Brig-Gen Maung Maung and officials were also present. ________________________________________ MINISTER FOR HOTELS AND TOURISM RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF MYANMAR MCG CORPORATION YANGON, 3 March - Member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Minister for Hotels and Tourism Lt-Gen Kyaw Ba received President of Myanmar MCG Corporation Ltd Mr Kokiono Dera and party at his office this afternoon. They discussed measures for opening Yangon International Hotel early this year and opening of an information branch office in Tokyo, Japan. ___________________________________ MYANMAR DELEGATION LEAVES FOR CHINA YANGON, 3 March -Myanmar delegation led by Minister for Livestock and Fisheries U Aung Thaung left here by air for People's Republic of China this morning to study livestock and fisheries sector there at the invitation from PRC. The delegation includes Director-General of Fisheries Department U Soe Win, Manaing Director of Livestock, Foodstuff and Milk Products Enterprise U Maung Maung Nyunt, Minister's PSO Lieu-tenant Myo Aung, Secretary, of Taungtha Township USDA U Thaung Sein, Secretary of Kachin State USDA U Soe Thein and Director of Fisheries Department U Hla Win. ____________________________________ MINISTER RECEIVES DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF GUANGDONG NEW TECHNOLOGY IMPORT & EXPORT ZHUHAI CORP YANGON, 3 March-Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Lt-Gen Myint Aung received Deputy President Mr.Sze Siu Wa and party of Guangdong New Technology Import & Export Zhuhai Corporation of the People's Republic of China at his office at 3 pm today. They discussed matters relating to building of a sugar mill. It is to be jointly built by GNTIEZC and Myanmar Sugarcane Enterprise in accord with policy and guide lines laid down by the State. ********************** THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS (3.3.97) March 3, 1997 From: OKKAR66127@aol.com SENIOR GENERAL THAN SHWE SENDS FELICITATIONS TO KING HASSAN II OF MOROCCO YANGON, 3 March-Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council of the Union of Myanmar, has sent a message of felicitations to His Majesty King Hassan II, Kingdom of Morocco, on the occasion of the National Day of the Kingdom of Morocco which falls on 3 March 1997. ________________________________________ SENIOR GENERAL THAN SHWE SENDS FELICITATIONS TO PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA YANGON, 3 March-Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council of the Union of Myanmar, has sent a message of felicitations to His Excellency Mr Petar Stoyanov, President of the Republic of Bulgaria, on the occasion of the Anniversary of the Nation Day of the Republic of Bulgaria which falls on 3 March,1997. ______________________________________ MYANMAR FULLY PREPARED TO IMPROVE LINKAGES IN ALL MODES TRANSPORT WITH ALL COUNTRIES IN AND OUTSIDE THE REGION YANGON, 2 March - Minister for Transport Lt-Gen Thein Win attended the Second ASEAN Transport Ministers (ATM) Meeting in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, at 9 am on 28 February and delivered a statement. The minister was accompanied by Managing Director of Myanma Port Authority U Tin Oo and Minister's Personal Staff Officer Maj Maung Maung Htwe. The meeting at Western Chiang Mai Hotel was attended by transport ministers of seven ASEAN member countries-Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam-and those of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar (CLM). After an inaugural speech by Minister of Transport and Communications Mr Suwat Liptapanlop of Thailand, his ASEAN and CLM counterparts delivered statements. ________________________________________ DEPUTY MINISTER FOR HEALTH RETURNS FROM INDONESIA YANGON, 2 March-Deputy Minister for Health Col Than Zin arrived back here from Indonesia after attending the Health Secretaries Meeting of South-East Asia Region held on Bali Island, Indonesia from 24 to 27 February. He also acted as Adviser to the Regional Director. Director-General of Planning and Statistics Department Dr Kyi Soe of the Ministry also arrived back here with the Deputy Minister. ************************ THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS (3.5.97) March 5, 1997 From: OKKAR66127@aol.com CHAIRMAN OF CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE OF INDIA AND CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF ARRIVES YANGON, 4 March-At the invitation of Vice-Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Maung Aye, Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee of India and Chief of Army Staff General S Roychowdhury and party arrived!here by the special aircraft this afternoon. ____________________________________ VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL RECEIVES CHAIRMAN OF CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE OF INDIA YANGON, 4 March-Vice-Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Maung Aye received General S Roychowdhury, Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee of India and Chief of Army Staff and party at the Tatmadaw Hall of Zeya Thiri Beikman at Konmyint-tha this evening. ____________________________________ SECRETARY-1 RECEIVES VICE-CHAIRMAN OF RELIGIOUS BUREAU OF PRC YANGON, 4 March-Secretary- 1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt received Vice-Chairman of Religious Bureau of the People's Republic of China Mr Yang Tongxiang at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence this afternoon. ****************** THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR : NEWS BRIEFS (3.6.97) March 6, 1997 From: OKKAR66127@aol.com BUDDHA'S TOOTH RELIC CONVEYED BACK TO PRC SECRETARY-1, SECRETARY-2, MINISTERS AND BUDDHIST LAITY PAY REVERENCE YANGON, 5 March-Buddha's Tooth Relic conveyed to Myanmar under the programme for promoting friendly relations and cooperation between the Union of Myanmar and the People's Republic of China and placed together with the Tooth Relics (Yangon) and (Mandalay) in the two cities for 90 days was conveyed back to PRC this afternoon. Chairman of the Committee for Conveying Buddha's Tooth Relic from PRC Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Secretary-l Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-2 Lt-Gen Tin Oo, the ministers, senior Tatmadaw officers, deputy ministers, heads of department and officials, members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association, those of Red Cross and Auxiliary Fire Brigades, those of religious associations and Buddhist laity paid homage to the Tooth Relic at the Yangon International Air-port. The ceremony to convey the Tooth Relic back to PRC began at Gandakuti Taik of the Tooth Relic Pagoda (Yangon) at 12.45 pm. Present on the occasion were Sayadaws led by Nayaka chok Sayadaw of the State Pariyatti Sasana Tekkatho (Yangon) and Sayadaws from PRC as well as Chairman of the Work Committee for Conveying Buddha's Tooth Relic from PRC Minister for Religious Affairs Lt-Gen Myo Nyunt, Secretary of the Work Committee Deputy Minister U Aung Khin, officials, nuns, members of the Wut Association of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and those of the Wut Association of the Defence Services General Hospital. ____________________________________ MIC CHAIRMAN RECEIVES CHAIRMAN OF HASEBE ASIAN SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION YANGON, 5 March-Member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Deputy Prime Minister Chairman of Myanmar Investment Commission Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin received Chairman of Hasebe Asian Scholarship Foundation President of Hasebe Group and Highest Adviserof the Indochina Venture Forum Mr Heikichi Hasebe at his office at 3.30 pm today. They discussed construction works and investment opportunities. Present also were Minister at the Deputy Prime Ministers' Office and Secretary of Myanmar Investment Commission Brig- Gen Maung Maung and officials concerned. _______________________________________ MINISTER FOR COOPERATIVES RECEIVES MD OF HISHAMUDDIN OON AND TANG CO, MALAYSIA YANGON, 5 March-Minister for Cooperatives U Than Aung received Managing Director Mr Hishamuddin Koh of Hishamuddin Oon and Tang Co, Malaysia, at his office at 7.45 am today. They discussed prospects to cooperate in cooperative sector of Myanmar. ________________________________________ MEMBERS OF DIPLOMATIC CORPS VIEW GEMS DISPLAYS YANGON, 5 March - Diplomats and officials of UN agencies reviewed the 34th Myanmar Gems Emporium at Myanmar Gems Emporium Hall from 9 am to noon today. It will be held under the aegis of Myanmar Gems Emporium Central Committee. _______________________________________ MINISTER MEETS OFFICIALS OF SAHAVIRIYA STEEL YANGON, 5 March-Minister for Transport Lt-Gen Thein Win received President Mr Adisak Lowjun and party of Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Co Ltd at his office at 8 am yesterday. They discussed measures for constructing deep-water port of Bokpyin and cooperation in transport sector. Managing Director U Tin Oo of Myanmar Port Authority and officials under the ministry were also present. _______________________________________ MINISTER RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF PRC YANGON, 5 March-Minister for Sports Col Sein Win received Ambassador of People's Republic of China Ms Chen Baoliu at his office at 3 pm yesterday. They discussed measures concerning bilateral cooperation in sports sector. Also present were Director-General Col Hla Myint Kyaw of Sports and Physical Education Department, Deputy Director General Lt-Col Thein Aung and officials of the Department and the embassy of PRC. ********************** THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS (3.8.97) March 8, 1997 From: OKKAR66127@aol.com SENIOR GENERAL THAN SHWE RECEIVES CHAIRMAN OF CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE OF INDIA YANGON, 7 March-Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe received Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee of India and Chief of Army Staff General S Roychowdhury and party in the Credentials Hall of Pyithu Hluttaw building at 3 pm today. Present together with Senior General Than Shwe were Vice-Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Maung Aye, Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Chief of the Office of Strategic Studies Director of Defence Services Intelligence Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-2 Chief of Bureau of Special Operations Chief of Staff (Army) Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Vice-Admiral Tin Aye, Commander-in-Chief (Air) Lt-Gen Tin Ngwe and Minister Foreign Affairs U Ohn Gyaw. General S Roychowdhury was accompanied by Charge d'Affaires ai of Embassy of India Mr A K BhattacharJee Defence Attache Col P C Bhardwaj. _______________________________________ DEPUTY C-IN-C OF DEFENCE SERVICES RECEIVES MILITARY ATTACHES OF CHINESE EMBASSY YANGON, 7 March-Vice-Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services General Maung Aye received Military Attache of Chinese Embassy Senior Col Wu Huachang who is leaving Myanmar at the conclusion of his tour of duty and his successor Senior Col He Yaokui at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence at 9 am today. Present together with General Maung Aye were Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Chief of the Office of Strategic Studies Director of Defence Services Intelligence Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt Secretary-2 Chief of Bureau of Special Operations of Staff (Army) Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Vice-Admiral Tin Aye, Commander-in-Chief(Air) Lt-Gen Tin Ngwe Deputy Chief of the Office of Strategic Studies Deputy Director of Defence Services Intelligence Col Kyaw Win. ____________________________________________ SECRETARY-L RECEIVES ASIA PACIFIC DIRECTOR OF UNHCR YANGON, 7 March - Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt received Asia Pacific Director of UNHCR Office Mr Francois Fouinat at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence at 5 pm today. ______________________________________ TASAKI SHINJU PRESIDENT CALLS ON MIC CHAIRMAN YANGON, 7 March-President Mr Shusaku Tasaki of Tasaki Shinju Co Ltd of Japan and party called on Member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Chairman of Myanmar Investment Commission Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin at the latter's office this morning. They discussed programmes for conducting pearl culture. Also present were officials of the Myanmar Investment Commission. Tasaki Shinju will establish Myanmar Tasaki Co Ltd under the permission of MIC and will operate pearl culture. ______________________________________ PRESIDENT OF TERRACE GOLD NL (AUSTRALIA) CALLS ON MINISTER FOR MINES YANGON, 7 March - Minister for Mines Lt-Gen Kyaw Min receives President of Terrace Gold NL (Australia) Mr Zlad Sas and two members at the ministry this morning. They discussed exploration of gold and conducting survey in Kalaw region and cooperation in mining sector. Present were Deputy Ministers U Hlaing Win and U Myint Thein and officials concerned. ___________________________________________ MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT RECEIVES VICE-GOVERNOR OF YUNNAN PROVINCE YANGON, 7 March-Minister for Transport Lt-Gen Thein Win received Vice-Govenor Mr Li Jia Ting and party of Yunnan Province, the People's Republic of China, accompanied by Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Ms Chen Baoliu, at his office on Merchant Street at 9 am today. They discussed matters pertaining to aviation, water-ways, ports, shipyards, friendly relationship and economic cooperation between the two countries. It was attended by officials of the Ministry of Transport. ____________________________________ MINISTER RECEIVES SAI MD YANGON, 7 March-Minister for Hotels and Tourism Lt-Gen Kyaw Ba received Managing Director Mr Hideaki Nakajima of SAI Travel at his office this afternoon. They discussed jointly performing of Myanmar and Japanese cultural troupes here in November 1997 as a cultural exchange programme and tourism promotion programmes for the cultural show. Managing Director of Restaurant and Beverage Enterprise U Myo Min and Managing Director of Myanma Hotels and Tourism Services U Soe Thein were also present. ______________________________________ YUNNAN DELEGATION CALLS ON MINISTER FOR RAIL TRANSPORTATION YANGON, 7 March-A nine-member delegation led by Vice- Governor Mr Li Jia Ting of Yunnan Province of the People's Republic of China called on Minister for Rail Transportation U Win Sein at the latter's office yesterday. The delegation was accompanied by Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Ms Chen Baoliu. They discussed bilateral economic cooperation, especially promotion of economic cooperation between the Ministry of Rail Transportation and Yunnan companies. The vice-governor and delegation will attend a foundation laying ceremony of a concrete sleeper factory to be established under BOT system of China National Complete Plant Import & Export (Group) Yunnan Corporation (Complant) and a contract-signing ceremony on US $ 50 million interest-free loan for purchasing rail tracks, locomotives, coaches and others from Yunnan Machinery and Equipment Import & Export Corporation (YMEC). ___________________________________ AUSTRALIAN COMPANY TO EXPLORE FOR GOLD IN KALAW AREA YANGON, 7 March -Department of Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration and Terrace Gold NL Company of Australia today signed a contract for mineral prospecting, exploration and feasibility study for developing gold in Kalaw area, southern Shan State. Director-General of DGSME U Soe Myint and Managing Director of the company Mr Darry L Harris signed the contract. _______________________________________ http://www.myanmar.com/nlm/ ************************ SAMPLE LETTER TO US REPRESENTATIVES RE UNOCAL March 5, 1997 Reaproy@aol.com or steele@dcez.com Washington Burma Report, Vol. 1, Number 2 (excerpts) US senators and representatives are being asked to write President Clinton, urging him to implement economic sanctions on Burma. (A sample letter is below.) Letters, either mailed or faxed, have much more impact than phone calls, emails or postcards. Letters can be followed up by calling the senator or representative's office and asking to speak to his/her "foreign policy aide." Call toll-free using (800) 972-3524 or (800) 962-3524. ======================================== 2. Sample Letter to Senator U.S. Senator ____________ U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator __________, As your constituent from __________, I am writing to contact you about an urgent foreign policy issue that I feel strongly about. This issue is the deteriorating human rights situation in Burma, where the Burmese democracy movement led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is under greater pressure than ever before. Amnesty International recently announced that 1996 was the worst year in a decade for human rights in Burma, Suu Kyi remains under de facto house arrest by the military junta, SLORC, and thousands of political prisoners languish in the jails. [Feel free to add a paragraph here describing yourself, your long history in the local community and your interest in Burma.] I believe that the conditions of the Cohen-Feinstein Amendment passed into law last year, which would ban new investment in Burma by U.S. companies, have been met. Accordingly, I strongly urge you to support the immediate implementation of this Amendment by President Clinton. Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy Party (NLD) that she leads have repeatedly and publicly called for such sanctions to be imposed by the U.S. and the international community. Unlike other countries in the region ruled by dictatorial regimes, Burma held a free and fair election in 1990 in which the NLD won 392 out of 485 Parliamentary seats and then were prevented by the SLORC from taking power. That electoral legitimacy makes the situation in Burma unique and particularly compelling. Since the NLD is composed of the legitimate leaders of Burma, I believe that we should their call should be heeded by America, the world's most influential democracy. As you may know, the matter of implementing Cohen-Feinstein is under consideration by top levels in the Administration. Time is of the essence to weigh in on this issue. I strongly urge you to write to the President and the Secretary of State to urge them to follow the letter of this US law, and immediately implement the Cohen-Feinstein sanctions against Burma. In the past two weeks, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post has all publicly called on the Clinton Administration to implement Cohen- Feinstein. Please support this call of the grass-roots, and write to the President now! As your constitutent, I look forward to hearing from you on this matter very soon. Sincerely yours, ===================================================== http://www.clark.net/pub/burmaus/ ********************************* ANNOUNCEMENT: HOMEPAGE-MUSLIMS OF BURMA March 5, 1997 aliburma@ix.netcom.com I have a homepage I'm working on about the Muslims of Burma. http://www.nayzak.com/~aliburma/muslims.htm It has general information about Muslims in Burma and also the oppression of Burmese people. http://FreeBurma.org is the Burma information starting point. http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/whatsnew.html <--See what's new ****************************