------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: March 13, 1997 Issue #665 HEADLINES: ========== SUU KYI INTERVIEW:DIALOGUE FIRST, IF NOT, SANCTIONS! THE NATION: REFUGEES TO BE 'PUSHED BACK' NCUB: PRESS RELEASE NO (16) NCUB: PRESS RELEASE NO. [15] NLD(LA) AND DPNS: JOINT STATEMENT ABSDF: NEWS FROM INDO-BURMA BORDER REUTER:BURMA SAYS KAREN REBEL WAR TO END SOON FBC:US GOV'T IDENTIFIES TOP BURMESE HEROIN TRAFFICKER AP: THAILAND'S CHIEF JUSTICE TO INVESTIGATE JUDGE LETTERS:CONGRESSMEN CALL FOR SANCTIONS FBC: LETTER TO MANDELA PD BURMA: MEDIA RELEASE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUU KYI INTERVIEW:DIALOGUE FIRST, IF NOT, WE SUPPORT SANCTIONS! March 12, 1997 by Leslie Kean and Dennis Bernstein From: Khin Ni Ni Thein The Progressive Interview: March 1997, Excerpt only. Question: :Does your support for sanctions impede your chances that the Slorc will enter into dialogue with the NLD? DASSK: :The government has hinted at this possibility. However, we cannot accept this explanation for the lack of dialogue, because they did not do anything toward entering into dialogue even in the days when we were very careful not to call for sanctions. And we were very restrained for a long time, because we wanted to keep the door open. So I think that for the authorities to say now that calling for sanctions will prevent dialogue is a ploy to stop us from supporting sanctions. It has to be the other way around: DIALOGUE FIRST, then we stop our call for sanctions, because sanctions make people understand that you cannot exercise repression and at the same time expect international support. We have been making constant efforts, all the time, to start a dialogue with the Slorc, but you know it takes two. We don't want a MONOLOGUE. We would like a substantive political dialogue among the SLORC, political leaders including myself, and leaders of ethnic groups_exactly as stipulated in the UN General Assembly resolution on Burma. QUESTION: :How would sanctions impact the people of Burma? DASSK: :I can say with absolute confidence that the general public of Burma would be very little affected, if at all, by sanctions. So far, the kind of investments that have come in have benefited the public very little indeed. If you have been in Burma long enough, you will be aware of the fact that a small elite has developed that is extremely wealthy. Perhaps they would be affected, but my concern is not with them but with the general public. Because of rampant inflation, living standards have been dropping for the great majority of the population. The people are poorer because standards of health and education have fallen. And conditions in the rural areas are worse off than they have ever been. So, you cannot equate the so-called open-market economy adopted by the Slorc with any real development that benefits people. Of course, there is a trickle-down effect but the trickle is a very, very small trickle. And its dissipated very easily. It is essential to institute a legal framework that would ensure justice and improve the quality of life in Burma immediately, because the greatest suffering among the people at the moment is caused by lack of justice and lack of rule of law. ***************************** THE NATION: REFUGEES TO BE 'PUSHED BACK' March 12, 1997 THAILAND will push back more than 100,000 ethnic minority refugees to Burma as soon as fighting in the country subsides, according to a resolution made yesterday at a National Security Council (NSC) meeting. The NSC meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and attended by top government and military leaders including Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Amphornphisit, Army Chief Gen Chettha Thanajaro, Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasarn and Interior Minister Snoh Thienthong. Chettha and Snoh, whose ministry oversees refugee affairs, confirmed the NSC's drastic decision to repatriate the refugees, mainly Karen and Karenni groups. ''The meeting reached a final decision that it is necessary to push all these people [refugees] out", Snoh said. ''But before the process of pushing them back, it is necessary to find them a place to stay, for humanitarian reasons. However, establishing a new camp about 10 kilometres deeper into Thailand is not possible because it would create problems for Thai people," he added. Chettha said the repatriation is part of international law and all refugees must return to Burma when the situation there is safe. ''When the situation in Burma is peaceful and safe, [Thailand] then has to send all the refugees back. This [repatriation] is an international law which all parties concerned are well aware of. So nobody can accuse us of lacking humanitarian principles," the Army chief said. Snoh said a proposal to consolidate three Karen camps in Umphang district into one new camp would not be possible as the new shelter site would encroach on a river and the process would violate the Natural Resources Act. He said the proposed location in Umphang is not appropriate to accommodate the refugees, who have increased from about 5,500 to 17,500 during the major offensive by the Burmese army against Karen rebels. The interior minister will visit the area next week. The Thai decision surprisingly corresponded with the attempt by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to obtain the Burmese junta's permission to expand its presence in Burma to cover the border with Thailand ''when conditions are peaceful". The request was made during a meeting on March 7 in Rangoon between Francois Fouinat, the UNHCR director for Asia and the Pacific, and Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, who is first secretary of the ruling Burmese State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc). Speaking after yesterday's meeting both Mongkol and Chettha said participants had discussed the refugee problem and the large number of illegal immigrants who are working in Thailand. Chettha said he has already resolved nearly all the problems that Thailand shares with Burma, most probably referring to the resumption of construction on the Thai-Burmese bridge across the Moei River. Slorc had put the project on hold in mid-1995 after encroachment on the river from the Thai side. He added that he and Slorc leaders Gen Maung Aye and Lt Gen Khin Nyunt will visit the bridge today, which was about 90 per cent complete when work was suspended. The Army chief said construction will be completed in about three months. Chettha said he informed the meeting that if the relocation of Karen refugees was not possible, they should be allowed to stay at their current site and the Army would resolve any problems to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. According to a press statement released yesterday, Fouinat told Khin Nyunt of ''some advantages" for Burma if the UNHCR's request is met, including, among others, ''the stabilising factor for an international presence and the consolidation of the welfare of the people there". (TN) ******************************************************* NCUB: PRESS RELEASE NO (16) March 12, 1997 From: All Burma Students' Democratic Front National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) SLORC's Human Rights Violations In the Areas of Fighting 1. SLORC troops have destroyed mosques belonging to Muslims living in the villages of Kyaik Don, Kyauk Phya, Pha Kalawni and Mae Kathihta. These villages from the KNU 6th Brigade of Duplaya District fell to the SLORC during the current offensive against the Karen. 2. On 3/3/97, SLORC troops forcibly took away corrugated iron roofings from the mosque in Kyaik Don. Two soldiers fell off from the roof and sustained injuries while taking them off. They had to be transported to the base in a helicopter. At the same time, soldiers strew religious books on the ground, ripping them to pieces and burning them. The SLORC is threatening Muslims who are caught in the battle zones to convert to Buddhism. They are also forcing them to move to Kyar Enn Seik Gyi and Than Pura towns. 3. Two women aged between 28 and 38 from Phosimu village, who do not want to be identified, were repeatedly raped by Burmese soldiers. According to these women, they were forced to do various odd jobs for the soldiers in the day time and had to sleep with at least five and sometimes as many as 15 soldiers at night. 4. SLORC troops have been confiscating rice belonging to villagers in Azin village area and selling it back at 1,000 Kyat per 100lb. 5. The NCUB Information Committee will continue to look into violations of human rights by SLORC soldiers in villages within Duplaya District. Information Committee National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) ***************************** NCUB: PRESS RELEASE NO. [15] March 11, 1997 From: "All Burma Students' Democratic Front" NCUB PRESS RELEASE NO [15] =========================== SITUATION OF THE REFUGEES WHO FLED FROM THE SLORC OFFENSIVE IN "KNLA BRIGADE 6 AREA" No Pho refugee camp in Umpang District, Tak Province was officially opened on March 7, 1997. Thai officials from Tak District attended the opening ceremony and have been monitoring the situation and ensuring that the basic necessities of the refugees are being met. The refugees have been fleeing from the SLORC's massive offensive against the Karen National Union (KNU) in Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 6 area. New refugees are continuing to arrive at the camp every day. There are already over 12,000 refugees in the camp including refugees from other camps in Umpang District which were located close to the border and in danger of attack. The refugees from other camps such as Lay Pho Hta, No Pa Law Wah, and No Pado have been moved to No Pho during the past week. Each family has been allocated 25 feet x 30 feet lots for the construction of their homes. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been allowed access to provide humanitarian assistance including basic foods and necessary medicines. They have also supplied roofing materials and installed water pipes and taps throughout the camp. Thai officials have been establishing security measures as it is expected that the DKBA may attempt to attack this camp in the next few months. "We believe that the refugees will enjoy internationally accepted refugee rights under the care of the Royal Thai Government. Their understanding and assistance at this difficult time is greatly appreciated," said a spokesperson from the NCUB. Many people are still hiding in the jungle on the Burma side of the border and are expected to arrive in the next few weeks. According to recent arrivals in the camp, many other villagers in Karen State are also planning to flee to the border, because the SLORC troops who have arrived in their villages have taken their rice, valuables, and livestock, and forced them to construct bunkers and work as porters. There have also been reports of gang rapes, disappearances, and killings committed by the SLORC. Information Committee National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) *************************** NLD(LA) AND DPNS: JOINT STATEMENT Date: March 11, 1997 From: "All Burma Students' Democratic Front" Joint Statement of the NLD (L.A) and DPNS 1. Central Committee members from the National League for Democracy (NLD) Liberated Area and the Democratic Party for New Society (DPNS) held a meeting at a clandestine location on the Thai-Burma border on March 10, 1997. The following was agreed upon: 2. Since the birth of both parties during the 1988 uprising we have been close allies, working through difficulties and facing hardship together throughout the political struggle in Burma and in the liberated area along the border. 3. In analyzing the recent and current situation in the country, it has become clear to us that the people of Burma are fed up with the political stalemate and are in dire want of a change. At this time, we are also aware of the desire of the people to return peace to the country through national reconciliation. 4. We are however sad to conclude that the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has resorted to violence rather than solving Burma's problems by peaceful means. Recent examples of this being the violent crackdown on the student demonstrations in December and the brutal offensive against the Karen. The fact that the influx of Karen refugees into Thailand has reached an all time high clearly shows that the SLORC's claim of working towards 'national unity' has no substance. 5. We would like to reaffirm the facts that we were, and have been in support of resolutions taken during the Mae Thayaw Hta meeting (ethnic nationalities seminar) held during December and January and that we stand with policies made by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in her Union Day speech. We realize that these are in line with the policies of ethnic nationalities, of various political parties and organizations and the desire of the people. We are adopting these as the working directives for organizations both aboveground and underground. 6. We hereby reaffirm our unwavering support for the Karen National Union (KNU). We also agreed to work closely between our parties, working out in more detail what we hope to accomplish in the future. In closing, we remain committed to the work of the alliance with various ethnic and pro-democracy groups through unity, and to work for better cooperation among the members of the alliance organization. National League for Democracy (Liberated Area) Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS) ***************************** ABSDF: NEWS FROM INDO-BURMA BORDER 12 March, 1997 From: Chan TO: BBC, DVB SLORCs border development has reached the Chin State. There are eight townships in Chin State. They are Tunzam, Teddim, Falam, Hakha, Thangtlang, Matupi, Mindat and Palatwa. SLORC will construct roads in Chin State. There are 1. Hakha to Gangaw road 70 miles 2. Hakha to Kalaymyo via Falam road 115 miles 3. Hakha to Matupi road 173 miles and 4. Matupi to Palatwa via Mindat road 137 miles. And then in December 1997, SLORC will hold the students sport festival in Hakha, the capital of Chin State. Therefore the authorities of Chin State Law and Order Restoration Council has been collecting funds from the students by force for the sport festival Kyats 20 per month each since 1996 January. Then TLORC ordered each villager forcibly to come to Hakha and to clean the bushes and level the ground for the road construction. But some villagers cannot go to do the work because their villages are very far away from Hakha. Those villages are situated near the Indo-Burma border. We heard that the chairmen of Teddim and Tunzan township ordered the villagers who cannot come to contribute work to pay 1200 Kyats each to TLORC through the Village LORC. This season is time to prepare for the hill-side cultivation. If the villager cannot do the hill-side cultivation, they will lose their work for the whole year. The villagers do not want to go, they have to pay the taxes to TLORC. Therefore some villagers had to sell their paddies and their belongings to pay the taxes to TLORC. * TLORC= Township Law and Order Restoration Council News And Information Unit ABSDF (WB) Date 12.3.1997 *********************************** REUTER:BURMA SAYS KAREN REBEL WAR TO END SOON March 12, 1997 By Sutin Wannabovorn MYAWADI, Burma, March 12 (Reuter) - Senior Burmese military officials said on Wednesday the Karen rebel insurgency along the border with Thailand was drawing to a close, but a rebel spokesman said they would fight on. "There is no problem at all. The border problem is over, it is finished," said Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, the powerful Secretary One of Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Khin Nyunt spoke to Reuters while acompanying SLORC vice-chairman General Maung Aye on an inspection of the Thai-Burma bridge being built across the Moei River, which forms the border between the two countries in that area. The Burmese regional commander who accompanied the generals predicted the Karen insurgency would end soon. "The situation on the border is quiet and we are set to sweep the KNU rebels sooner or later," said Major-General Khet Sein. But a Karen National Union (KNU) spokesman said the rebels would continue fighting the SLORC despite recent setbacks, although it would be hard for them to regain their former strength. "We are facing pressure from both sides, but I am still confident that we will survive and overcome them," Ner Dah, son of KNU hardline leader General Bo Mya, said by telephone. He said the KNU have a strong ally in Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who this week appealed to the world to sympathise with the plight of the Karen refugees. "When we first started our revolution, we had so many problems and we have come through it one after another. We don't think this problem cannot be solved. So no problem, we will continue fighting." Ner Dah added. Ethnic KNU rebels have been fighting Rangoon since Burma gained independence in 1948 for greater autonomy for eastern Karen state. They suffered setbacks recently when thousands of soldiers overran their mobile camps inside Burma. The offensive, launched after the KNU rejected several peace offers from Rangoon, sparked an exodus of Karen civilians into Thailand. Thailand allowed fleeing Karen women, children and unarmed men to seek refuge but turned away suspected KNU guerrillas, drawing sharp protests from the United States and various rights groups and refugee organisations. Meanwhile, a senior Thai official who met the Burmese generals at the border said the SLORC was determined to end the insurgency before Burma joins ASEAN, possibly later this year, and that Thailand would cooperate in this effort. The seven-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations has said Burma will be allowed to join the regional grouping, but has set no date for its admission. "They really need to clear up the border problem before joining ASEAN and we (the Thai army) have agreed to co-operate with them in exchange for the opening of the bridge," the Thai official told Reuters. Thailand for years turned a blind eye to KNU movements along its western border but recently has applied strict measures against the rebels. More than 70,000 Karen live in sprawling camps in Thailand near the border, and the Thai army has tried to separate KNU guerrillas from the genuine refugees. ****************************** FBC PRESS RELEASE:US GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIES TOP BURMESE HEROIN TRAFFICKER March 11, 1997 From: "W. Kesavatana-Dohrs" Seattle Campaign for a Free Burma 2319 N. 45th St., Suite 115 Seattle, WA 98103 Ph: (206) 784-5742 Fax:(206) 784-8150 P a r t o f t h e F r e e B u r m a C o a l i t i o n NORTHWEST AIRLINES CONTINUES TO PROMOTE HIS HOTEL MINNEAPOLIS--MARCH 11, 1997--Three months after being notified of the heroin connection, Northwest Airlines continues to offer its frequent fliers bonus miles for staying at the Traders Hotel of Rangoon,Burma. The Traders Hotel is co-owned by narco-traffickers Steven Law and his father Lo Hsing Han, according to the August 15, 1996 Far Eastern Economic Review. Steven Law is prohibited from traveling to the US by the State Department due to his involvement in the narcotics trade. Robert Gelbard, US Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Affairs said on February 28, 1997 that, "Drug money is so pervasive in the Burmese economy that it taints legitimate investment. Some 15 percent of foreign investment in Burma has been tied to the family of narco-trafficker Lo Hsing Han." That day, Burma was denied US drug certification for the ninth year in a row. Burma produces more opium and heroin than the rest of the world combined, and State Dept. sources say at least 60% of the heroin on US streets comes from Burma. "It's simple. US companies shouldn't be promoting a hotel owned by drug lords who ship heroin to the US." says Jane Jerome of the US-based Free Burma Coalition. Northwest doesn't deny that Law and Lo are co-owners of Traders Hotel Rangoon. It acknowledges US government narco-trafficking accusations against Lo and family, but it has not ended the promotion, according to a company spokesman. Alfred Checchi owns about 20% of Northwest's shares. Checchi has been mentioned as a candidate for governor of California. Another influential shareholder is millionaire Richard Blum, who owns about 5% of Northwest. Blum is the husband of anti-drug crusader Senator Diane Feinstein of California. "That the Burmese economy is based on narco-dollars is quite obvious" says Dr. Sein Win, head of the NCGUB, Burma's democratic government in exile. "It is incredible that a US company would promote a business owned by known drug dealers." One US company with connections to Steven Law, Wente Vineyards of California, was successfully targeted by boycotters. Numerous othercompanies, including PepsiCo, Motorola, Amoco, Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Eddie Bauer, Heineken and Carlsberg have withdrawn from Burma under consumer pressure, citing corruption, human rights concerns and "business reasons," such as the selective purchasing laws passed in the State of Massachusetts and twelve cities across the US. "US interests are clear" says Jerome. "How can Northwest, Checchi and Blum justify this? When the US spends billions to fight drugs, when heroin use is on the rise, when our communities are affected, Northwest should not promote the 'Heroin Hotel.'" Contact: Jane Jerome, Free Burma Coalition, 408-467-2721 Rick Dow, Northwest Airlines, 612-727-6465 National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma 202-393-7342 Larry Dohrs, Free Burma Coalition, 206-784-5742 END ************* AP: THAILAND'S CHIEF JUSTICE TO INVESTIGATE JUDGE WHO FREED DRUG SMUGGLER March 12, 1997 Robert Horn BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ The chief justice of Thailand's criminal court pledged Wednesday to investigate and transfer his deputy for granting bail to an accused major heroin trafficker wanted by the United States and who has since disappeared. ``I won't hush this up. I am investigating this and will continue to do so,'' said Chief Justice Pradit Ekmanee, adding the deputy would be transferred. Deputy Chief Justice Somchai Udomwong sparked an international incident by releasing suspected heroin trafficker Li Yun-chung on 5 million baht (dlrs 200,000) bail on Feb. 7 for a period of 30 days. Li was facing extradition to the U.S. for suspected involvement in smuggling the largest amount of heroin ever seized by American drug officials. Now, he's nowhere to be found. Li, who also goes by the Thai name Phongsak Rojjanasakul, has been indicted by a Federal court in New York for allegedly masterminding a shipment of 486 kilos of heroin to the United States in May 1991. The heroin was uncovered by customs officials in Hayward, California, but law enforcement agents said its ultimate destination was New York. Li is also suspected of trafficking 72 kilograms of heroin to Singapore in 1996, that nation's largest drug bust. Local police, court officials and the U.S. Embassy only became aware of Somchai's action when Li did not show up for a court appearance on March 7. The U.S. government has urged Thai police to again apprehend Li as soon as possible. But Thai police and other narcotics officials said they had information that Li had already fled to Burma. ``He's in Rangoon now with his friends Khun Sa and Lo Hsing-han,'' said Gen. Viraj Jutimitta, referring to two other heroin traffickers living in Rangoon under the protection of Burma's military government. Khun Sa has also been indicted in a New York court on drug trafficking charges, but Burma refuses to extradite him. Nearly 60 percent of the heroin sold on the streets of America originates in Burma. Pradit said the court's policy is not to grant bail to drug smugglers, and his deputy was aware of that. He said that Somchai's reasons for releasing Li were that he was a Thai citizen, whether Thai citizens can be extradited to the U.S. is still in dispute, and that the prosecutor did not include the amount of heroin seized in the complaint. Pradit said that while the prosecutor failed to state the amount of heroin, he did not agree with Somchai's decision as it violated court policy. Thailand has extradited drug smugglers to the United States in the past, including one member of Parliament. Police also doubt Li is a Thai citizen, although he carries a Thai identification card. They believe he is a Sino-Burmese of the Kokang ethnic group, which is heavily involved in heroin trafficking. Although little heroin is produced in Thailand, the country is one of the main smuggling routes for the drug. Thai police have been criticized for frequently catching low-level traffickers, while the kingpins, who international law enforcement officials say are among the upper echelons of Thai society, remain free. Li, however, was considered a high-level trafficker. ``Damn right he was,'' said Gen. Viraj. ``If he wasn't, they wouldn't have let him go.'' Pradit refused to comment on whether he suspected corruption or bribery was involved in Li's release, or what penalties Somchai might face. ************************** LETTERS:CONGRESSMEN CALL FOR SANCTIONS March 12, 1997 (rec'd) From: zarni 1) Sen. Mitch McConnell's letter to Secretary of State Albright United States Senate Committe on Appropriations Washington, DC 20510-6025 March 7, 1997 The Honorable Madeleine Albright Secretary Department of State Washington, D.C. Dear Secretary Albright: I had planned to attend the Commerce, State, Justice Subcommittee hearing last Thursday but was unavoidably detained in a Rules Committee mark-up. I had hoped to use the occassion to discuss the current crisis on the Thai border and inside Burma, and American efforts to assist both refugees and democratic activists. Instead, I am hopeful that you will have time to respond quickly to this letter, given the urgency of the situation. A number of times, you and I had discussed Burma. You have been the only senior Adminstration official to condemn SLORC's barbaric record and to publicly express support for the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi. I have agreed with your judgments, but now want to determine where you and the Administration stand, particularly in light of the horror stories whihave come out of Karen camps this past week. Last year the foreign operations bill included language I drafted imposing immediate sanctions on Burma. That language was modified giving the President the discretion to ban investment if SLORC "physically harmed, rearrested for political acts or exiled Aung San Suu Kyi or has committed large scale repression or violence against the democratic opposition." The Administration publicly endorsed this language, and it was included in the Omnibus Appropriations into law. Let's review the record since then. A recent Amnesty International report on Burma called "1996 the worst year for human rights in this decade." They documented their views by pointing to more than 2,000 arrests of democratic activists, the severe restrictions imposed on Suu Kyi's freedom of movement and speech, and the fact that members of theNLD were attacked by organized mobs encouraged by the government. In fact, Suu Kyi has been unable to deliver any public speeches to her supporters since October; she is, in effect, under undeclared house arrest. As you know, in November, when she attempted to leave her compound to meet with NLD members, her car was stoned and smashed with sticks by government supported demonstrators. Senior SLORC officials have also publicly called for her assassination. Two weeks ago, SLORC began a major military operation against karen camps on the Thai border. Thousands of women and children fled into Thailand. Unfortunately, at least nine hundred innocent civilians were pushed back into Burma by the Thai military. Last weekend, the press carried gruesome stories of SLORC troops raping Karen women while children were tied to nearby trees. Sadly, I think the Thai military may have collaborated with SLORC, as evidenced by the Army Commander in Chief meeting with senior SLORC officers on the border the day before the offensive was launched. I understand U.S. concerns have been raised at senior levels in Bangkok, an effort I strongly support and hope to continues until the forced repatriations and abuse of the Karen people cease. As you know, the Karen National Union is a part of the National Council of the Union of Burma, an organization which has united Burma's ethnic groups in support of the restoration of democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi to office.Nonethless, when asked whether the past week's events contributed to meeting the bill's standard of "wide scale repression", State Department lawyers said that the Karen do not qualify as democratic opposition to SLORC and support for democracy and freedom. The Department's lawyers seem intent on splitting legal hairs, while thousands of Burmese suffer and die hoping we will support their effort. Again just last week Aung San Suu Kyi called upon the international community to impose sanctions because SLORC was intensifying its campaign to eliminate her supporters. Apparently, her call was driven by the attack on the Karen and by the recent kidnapping of twelve NLD officials, one of whom turned up dead by a road-side. I now understand there there three camps of opinion within the Administration--those who do not think sanctions should be imposed under any circumstances, those who support immediate sanctions, and those who suggest we announce sanctsions will be imposed in 60 days if specific steps are not taken. Frankly, as you know well, this last option is the worst. On four occasions, including your own visit, tough American ultimatums were issued only to be tested by SLORC. Our ultimatums were immediately followed by arrests, torture and deaths of democracy supporters. I do not want to risk more lives with empty threats. Had I been at the Subcommittee hearing, I would have asked one, simple question: after 2,000 arrests, this vicious attack on ethnic civilian communities, Aung San Suu Kyi's virtual house arrest, threats against her life, the torture and murder of her supporters, what precisely is the threshold for the conditions of the bill being met and the President imposing sanctions? I recognize your personal interest in this urgent matter and look forward to your earliest reply. Sincerely, signed Mitch McConnell Chairman Subcommittee on Foreign Operations ---------------------------------------------- 2) Pro-sanctions Letter from Senators (to Bill Clinton): Daniel P. Moynihan United States Senate Washington, DC 20510-3201 The President The White House Dear Mr. President: We are increasingly concerned about the worsening situation in Burma. As the Burma section of the State Department's recently released "Country Reports on Human Rights" indicates, the State Law and Order Restoration Council's (SLORC's) "severe repression of human rights (in Burma) increased during 1996." On September 30, 1996 when the omnibus appropriations bill was signed into law, a clear line was drawn defining a new course in United States policy toward Burma. It requires that sanctions be invoked if conditions in Burma deteriorate and SLORC has "physically harmed, rearrested for political acts, or exiled Daw Aung San Suu Kyi or has committed large scale repression of or violence against the democratic opposition." Since the bill was signed into the situation has gone from bad to worse. Aung San Suu Kyi has not been allowed to made her weekly public address to supporters outside her home. On November 9, 1996 she was attacked on the streets of Rangoon by members of a government-sponsored union. Aung San Suu Kyi has gone through periods of undeclared house arrest, while hundreds of National League for Democracy (NLD) party members, including several of its leaders, have been arrested without cause. As the State Department report indicates: (I)n December, in the wake of student demonstrations, the SLORC detained more than 200 (NLD) activists, supporters, and others, in addition to at least 263 students whom they had detained and released, and whom they accused of aiding and abetting the student protests. Authorities confined Aung San Suu Kyi to her compound from December 6 to December 29. Since mid-December, she had been severely restricted in her ability to receive visitors. The number of NLD members and activists arrested since May 19, and still in detention at the end of the year totaled at least 147, including at least 17 M.P.'s elect. None of those arrested can reasonably be considered to have engaged in activities violently threatening to the State. We understand that the White House Counsel is currently conducting a review to establish whether the conditions of the legislation have been met. Allowing these abuses to continue without imposing the required investment sanctions will only embolden SLORC. Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly called for sanctions and recently expressed her opinion that SLORC's actions amount to "large scale repression." We would appreciate the Administration's prompt assessment of the law and plans to implements sanctions. Sincerely, signed Daniel Patrick Moynihan Mitch McConnell Patrick J. Leahy Jesse Helms Edward M. Kennedy Alfonse M. D'Amato Carol Moseley-Braun ******************************************** FBC: LETTER TO MANDELA March 11, 1997 Email: kiru@pixie.udw.ac.za FBC (South Africa) has started a campaign to send President Mandela a barrage of letters protesting his position on Burma. A number of letters have in addition been sent to the editors of a variety of South African newspapers. Letters from fraternal organisations and individuals around the globe will emphasize how appalled we are at his stance. Kiru Naidoo Free Burma Campaign (South Africa) P.O. Box 138 Pavilion 3611 South Africa Tel: 27 82 4166585 / 27 31 8202124 Fax: 27 31 8202340 Email: kiru@pixie.udw.ac.za 11 March 1997 President Nelson R. Mandela Office of the State President Cape Town South Africa Email: president@anc.org.za Sir We note with great concern your comments on the human rights situation in Burma. The Free Burma Campaign has consistently drawn your office's attention to the deplorable record of the military authorities in Rangoon. These have included long term imprisonment of political opponents, widespread torture, arbitrary detention, murder, forced labour, rape, forced removals and forced exile. In recent weeks the camps of the Karen Nation Union on the Thai-Burma border have been attacked and razed to the ground by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) leaving thousands, mainly women and children homeless and vulnerable to murder, rape and forced prostitution among other indignities. This deplorable situation is a stark reminder of our own tortured history, the full extent of which is being revealed to Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Every day, our nation , receives with renewed shock news of atrocities committed by apartheid era generals. If for no other reason, then our own history , must dictate that we dare not let the generals in Rangoon get away with denying the people of Burma basic human rights. You are quoted by Reuters and Associated Press as saying that Burma's internal policies should not be a factor in its imminent admission to ASEAN. ASEAN countries adopt a 'constructive engagement' policy towards SLORC. Is this not an echo of the Reagan-Thatcher alliance's position on the apartheid regime when we and our allies in the international community were campaigning for the isolation of the apartheid regime and the release from prison of our leadership. The international reaction to your comments have been scathing and unless your office is able to offer a clear position on human rights violations in Burma, the international condemnation will mount and bring shame to our nation. This is perhaps the defining moment in our post-liberation foreign policy which holds human rights as one of its key pillars. It is incumbent on us to grasp the cause against injustice for it might be one of the few ways in which we can show our gratitude for the solidarity that the international community unselfishly offered us in the dark days of our struggle against apartheid. We urge you offer the nation's solidarity with the pro-democracy forces led by your fellow Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi at time time when they are facing a renewed onslaught by SLORC. Sincerely yours Kiru Naidoo Convenor: Free Burma Campaign ******************************* PD BURMA: MEDIA RELEASE March 12, 1997 From: BURMA OFFICE The International Network of Political Leaders Promoting Democracy in Burma (PD Burma) was launched in Geneva in April 1996 and has held its inaugural annual meeting in Tokyo 10-11th March 1997. Bringing together the most distinguished and active political leaders in the world, PD Burma has held two days of talks for the purpose of implementing a strategy which will encourage the military of Burma, State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) to engage in meaningful political dialogue with the National League for Democracy, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and leaders of the non-Burman ethnic nationalities. A policy document has been approved by consensus. Members of PD Burma have unanimously agreed to encourage the ASEAN to impose some pre-conditions before admitting Burma as a member. PD Burma believes that if certain pre-conditions are met by the SLORC before they become a member of the ASEAN this would add further to ASEAN's good efforts to increase the political stability and the economic development of the region. PD Burma calls on the Secretary General of the United Nations to take all possible steps to implement the terms of successive UNGA resolutions and embark on a massive international awareness campaign intended to encourage more grass roots concern for the people of Burma. PD Burma has also called on the EU and the US to implement legislation which would restrict investment in Burma. Members of PD Burma are grateful to its Japanese members for hosting the meeting in Tokyo. PD Burma expresses appreciation for the important work being undertaken by the parliamentary group in the Diet to promote the democratization process in Burma. We believe Japan has a special opportunity and responsibility to influence the SLORC to move forward in the democratization process. Contact Thomas Olsen 32621151 (RM529) E-mail: PDBURMA@TELEPOST.NO *******************