------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: March 29, 1997 Issue #679 Noted in Passing: "What we would like to propose...is that we have a second collection taken in church services or keep part of the donations to Buddhist temples frequented by Burmese and the proceeds be given to the Thai police. They can come, collect the money and leave the Burmese refugees to pray in peace." A Burmese regular worshipper ( The Nation-Letter to the Editor) HEADLINES: ========== NCGUB STATEMENT: 52ND ANNIVERSARY OF RESISTANCE DAY NATION: SLORC AND DEMOCRATS IN DIVIDED CELEBRATIONS THE NATION: BURMESE MONKS PROTEST INNOCENCE THE NATION: RANGOON PLAYS THE MUSLIM CARD BKK POST: HASHIMOTO RAISES CONCERN ON BURMA THE NATION: KEEPING THE SUNDAY UNHOLY FOR BURMESE SCMP: MILITARY ON COURSE TO MATCH SIZE OF VIETNAM'S INDEPENDENT REPORT:BURMESE DEMOCRATS SEEK SUPPORT BKK POST: SLORC'S RECORD CATCHES UP WITH IT THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS ANNOUNCEMENT: SEMINAR ON BURMA -------------------------------------------------------------------- NCGUB STATEMENT: 52ND ANNIVERSARY OF RESISTANCE DAY March 28, 1997 From: Suthep Sae Liw STATEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE 52TH ANNIVERSARY OF RESISTANCE DAY This is the 52th aniversery when the peoples of Burma resisted the fascist Japanese who brutally ruled Burma. Today is the day when the whole Burmese peoples unitedly resisted and repulsed the Japanese fascists who were many times stronger --- a day which had originally been designated as Resistance Day. However, towards the middle of the Fifties, the facist Burmese military, with a view to nurturing militrism, started referring the day also as Armed Forces Day. Following Ne Win's military coup in 1962 Resistance Day was all together dropped and the name Armed Forces Day alone way shamelessly used . If the Burmese generals wanted a separate day, December 26, 1941 -- the day the Burma Army was formed -- should be designated as the Armed Forces Day. The fact that 27th March is designated as Armed Forces Day is meant to dim the people's role in their struggle against the Japanese fascists and to exaggerate and glorify the role of the Ne Win's private merceary army . In other words, the Ne Win's Army had shamelessly robbed the Burmese peoples of the honor of the revolution and the revolution itself. Through sheer lies and fabrication the Ne Win Army has been projecting to the Burmese peoples and to the world as a whole that it has selflessly and unflaggingly working and sacrificing their lives for the good and freedom of the people. Currently, the fascist military is convening their so-called national convention in which it openly asserted itself as the only force that can take the rein of the government and manage the future politics of Burma. This claim explicitly implies that all the executive, judicial and legislative powers will be vested in the armed forces. This contradicts the democratic principle which allows power to derive from the people. It also demonstrates to the world that the Ne Win military has substituted this democratic principle with their belief that political power comes out of the muzzles of guns. The SLORC military clique, in implementing its chauvinistic design is brazenly engaging in a war of extermination against the ethnic nationalities . It is monopolising the national treasury. It is using the army and the intellegance apparatus to keep the country under its control. SLORC, in fact, is utilising all fascist means to suppress and rule the country. For the possible riddance of the fascist SLORC military who are running the country without any rule of law, we the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma urge the peoples of Burma to unitedly band together and wage a second war of resistance until SLORC's military fascism is completely removed from the Burmese soil. - National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma ********************************** NATION: SLORC AND DEMOCRATS IN DIVIDED CELEBRATIONS March 28, 1997 AP RANGOON - As thousands of soldiers paraded before generals for Burma's 52nd Armed Forces Day yesterday, the head of the government called on the army to annihilate opponents of military rule. Helicopters circled above, while nearly 5,000 troops from the army, air force and navy were draped with jasmine garlands by young women as they marched past the regime's top generals, foreign diplomats, ethnic leaders and World War II veterans. Only invited guests were allowed into Resistance Park for Armed Forces Day, which celebrates the start of the struggle against Japan, which occupied Burma from 1942 to 1945. The country was previously a colony of Great Britain, which afterward granted it independence in 1948. A period of turbulent democracy ended with a military coup in 1962. The army has ruled ever since. The regime frequently refers to Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who leads the country's embattled democracy movement, as a traitor, and Western countries as neo-colonialists bent on dominating Burma, which the military government has renamed Myanmar. "It is our duty to annihilate the subversive elements," Than Shwe, the 65-year-old chairman of the military government, said in his speech to the troops. Suu Kyi's father, Gen Aung San, led the resistance against Japan, after having been their ally in an effort to end British rule. After the war, he resigned from the army to lead Burma towards independence as head of a civilian government, but was assassinated by political rivals in 1947. Suu Kyi held her own holiday celebration for 600 guests at her lakeside compound. Suu Kyi bestowed certificates of honour on 13 members of her political party, the National League for Democracy, who participated in the resistance movement. Certificates were awarded to three others who could not attend. Among those receiving honours were the party's chairman, former Gen Aung Shwe, and the party's vice chairman, former defence minister and Gen Tin Oo and former Col Kyi Maung. Unlike the regime's top generals, all of them had fought alongside Suu Kyi's father. Kyi Maung resigned from the army after its 1962 coup, and Tin Oo was eventually jailed for allegedly trying to topple the military regime. Some historians say his real crime was refusing to order his troops to fire upon peaceful civilian protesters. In her speech Suu Kyi said: "Honouring those who had participated in the independence struggle is in fact honouring the revolutionary spirit, which is the spirit to achieve necessary change." (TN) ******************************************************* THE NATION: BURMESE MONKS PROTEST INNOCENCE March 28, 1997 AFP Rangoon - Mosques and Muslim property have come under further attack in Burma as Buddhist monks in the capital protested they had been made scapegoats in religious unrest, informed sources said yesterday. Tensions appeared to be receding in Rangoon, but unrest had broken out in Prome, 80 kilometres to the north, where three mosques and Muslim property were attacked on Tuesday and on Wednesday, witnesses said. Monks at one Rangoon monastery which was prominent in pro-democracy demonstrations against military rule in 1988 have been complaining to security forces posted to monitor their movements, witnesses said. They believe that outsiders have been donning holy robes and stirring up trouble for which the monks are being blamed. Some 17 mosques and Muslim houses have been stoned or ransacked in the Burmese capital since the weekend, after unrest spread from the northern city of Mandalay. The attacks started two weeks ago with the attempted rape of a Buddhist girl by a Muslim man. According to latest information, 11 mosques have been attacked in Mandalay, where a night curfew remains in place in seven townships and some shops have been told by authorities to close. One witness said a group of Muslims at a mosque southeast of Rangoon had fended off an attack by Buddhist monks by firing at them with sling shots. Four Muslim youths were taken away by police after the incident, he said. There were also unconfirmed reports that 16 monks had been arrested in a Rangoon suburb, but details were not immediately available. In a bid to contain religious tensions, the All Mandalay Islamic Organisation has appealed for Muslims to remain clam and avoid confrontation. In a statement issued March 18 and received yesterday, it requested Muslims to refrain from spreading rumours, shouting militant slogans from mosques and congregating in groups. If a mob approached a mosque, it should be reported to the local authorities, said the statement. "We request that you resolve any issue delicately, relative to your own neighbourhood, and abide by all laws promulgated by the government," it added. The Muslim man who allegedly assaulted the Buddhist girl in Mandalay, sparking the unrest, was reported to have been seriously injured in an attack on his family's home on March 16. Local authorities refused to come to their assistance when monks and ward officials staged the attack, the man's elder brother wrote in a letter to the National Islamic Elders League of Upper Burma. A quantity of gold and 650,000 kyats (Bt 105,560 at market rates) were stolen, while the house and a car were destroyed. The letter alleged the dispute over the assault - for which the man faces criminal charges - had been resolved soon after it happened at the start of March. (TN) ******************************************************* THE NATION: RANGOON PLAYS THE MUSLIM CARD March 28, 1997 Widespread antipathy towards Muslims makes them an easy scapegoat when the government is feeling particularly unloved, Aung Zaw writes. Twelve days after monks in Mandalay went on the rampage, setting off attacks on Muslim property and protest by their robed brethren across Burma, the clergy and military met face to face in temples to celebrate Armed Forces Day. Government-controlled television repeatedly showed the powerful generals offering food and other items to abbots at several monasteries. In one incident, young monks could be seen sitting behind the doors and huge throne of their abbot. They couldn't see the generals, who are in accordance with Burmese Buddhist traditions, performed, daga, who make donation to Buddha and the monks., The unease and worry on the faces and in the eyes of the young monks was obvious. Unconfirmed reports say more than 100 monks have been detained and forced to disrobe in the last two weeks. Monasteries remain surrounded by soldiers. "Monks are not allowed to go out they won't let the monks march on Armed Forces Day", a Rangoon resident said. The Slorc or the State Law and Order Restoration Council, said that last week's rioting was politically motivated and a ploy to embarrass the junta's increasing ties with three Muslims countries in Asean. But the question remains: Who started it? On Saturday about 15 monks in Ahlone township in Rangoon walked to a nearby mosque, went in and destroyed it. The group, joined by young monks from another monastery, then marched to a second mosque inside the Ahlone Forestry Department compound. The Muslims inside the Mosque run away before the monks arrived. The next day about 50 monks at Bargaya Road in Rangoon followed by soldiers and riot police went to another mosque, chanting: "We don't want Muslims" and throwing stones at the mosque. The authorities did not intervene. Interestingly, sources said one mosque in downtown of Rangoon attacked by the angry monks was frequented by Rangoon-based Indonesian embassy officials. Lt Gen Myo Nyunt, Burma's religious minister went to meet local Muslims leaders and reportedly said: "Let them [monks] destroy it - don't resist them, the army will compensate you for everything." A young monk in Rangoon did not deny that they were involved. "Yes! we do have a plan to protest against this brutal regime. Our target is Slorc." So why attack mosques and Muslims? "The Muslims are victims of Suharto's visit," noted one resident in Rangoon. Indonesia's President Suharto visited Burma recently and strongly backed Burma's admission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Besides Suharto, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir gave his full backing to Slorc's application to become a member of the regional grouping. Not surprisingly, the two leaders support did not get well with many pro-democracy monks and Burmese dissidents. "There is a growing anti-Muslim feeling," said one. "The two Kala countries are supporting the fascist regime," muttered one dissident in Rangoon. Kala basically means Indian or white foreigner - it is widely considered a term of abuse. The trouble started in Mandalay, Burma's second capital. Young monks ransacked mosques and destroyed shops and houses owned by Muslims. Korans were torn up and scattered along the city's main streets. Troops were eventually sent in and a curfew imposed. The riot, officials said, was triggered by report that a Buddhist girl was molested by Muslims. But that wasn't the only issue that sent monks onto the streets. The news, in fact, was created by Slorc itself, dissidents charged. "The rape case happened a few weeks ago and we all sorted out," says one local resident. An original protest was planned for March 13, which is Burma's unofficial human rights day, but Slorc learned of the plan and arrested the monks. Thus demonstrations began on March 15, and the Slorc immediately circulated the rape story. "So what happened was that the Muslims were used as a tool," says Moe Thee Zun former student leader. It wasn't the first time, however. Prior to the 1988 uprising the then Gen Ne Win government stirred up anti-Muslim feelings in major cities to divert the public's attention. Fanning such emotions is not difficult because of widespread prejudice against Muslims in Burma. Long before the rape case, the Mandalay monks had planned a separate anti-government demonstration for March. They held several secret meetings in October and November last year. In December about 60 monks attended a meeting at a secret place where they formed a monks union. U Khay Mar Sarya, leader of the All Burma Young Monks Union [ABYMU] said original demonstration was planned to protest against human rights abuses by the government. "About 16 monks have died in prison - some have taken to front line and killed", he said. "We [Slorc and monks] are enemies - we will never ever forget how our monks were killed and tortured," said U Khay Mar Sarya. Since 1988, a dozen well-respected abbots and senior monks have been arrested and received heavy prison terms. They were forced to disrobe while in prison. About 100 monks are still believed to be under detention. The authorities learned quickly of the underground monk union and the young monks' activities. On Feb 22 the Slorc officials and monks from the Mandalay Sangha Committee held a meeting in Mandalay palace. At the meeting, the senior monks and abbots were asked to control young monks and make sure that no disturbances occurred. Following this, a number of monks who had been planning local demonstrations were taken in for interrogation. In Rangoon, monks have also been busy distributing anti-Slorc leaflets and attending Aung San Suu Kyi's weekend gatherings. When students in Rangoon staged a peaceful protest in December monks in Mandalay attempted to join them but were stopped by authorities. Last month, five monks traveling from Mandalay to Moulmein to organise demonstrations were arrested at Thaton. Since Gen Ne Win came into power in 1962 monks who have played a major role in nationalist movements have been severely oppressed. Opposition figures say there were other contributing factors to the rioting in addition to the planned protest. "Prior to the news being spread about the rape case, there have been reports about Slorc's systematic looting pagoda treasures at several temples in upper Burma and about the breaking open of the famous Maha Myat Muni Buddha's statue in Mandalay to search for the legendary ruby - the Padamya Myetshin - which supposedly brings war victories to those who opposed it," the self-proclaimed Government in Exile said in a statement. "Buddhists have already been angered by these reports and it was indeed fortunate for the generals that a report about the rape was very conveniently spread around." Shortly after the riot the junta started to spread a rumour the opposition party had sent "phoney monks" to create disturbances. But the National League for Democracy said it had nothing to do with the riot. "We know destructive elements in and out of Burma are trying to create instability," said a Slorc general. A Slorc spokesman also said the government will protect the Muslim community. But that doesn't mean anything to the Muslim community in Burma. The Muslim in Burma have been discriminated against for many years. Ironically, the junta itself has been leading an anti-Muslim campaign for years. "Whenever governments in Burma are in a tight spot they always use Muslim as a scapegoat. We have been victimised," says Kyaw Hla leader of the Muslim association in exile. "I believe the riot was created by Slorc - they have no other choice - they did it just for their own survival." In an open letter to Muslim countries the Muslim Liberation Organisation of Burma said the Slorc army is also burning down many mosques, destroying Holy Korans, forcing Muslims to eat pork, raping Muslim girls, many Muslims were killed, and Muslims are not being allowed to return to their homes in Burma." In December, troops ordered Muslim families in Karen state to move out of Nabu village and though they have nowhere to go. An army officer was quoted as saying: "We don't want to see kala faces." That shouldn't please Suharto and Mahathir. (TN) ******************************************************* BKK POST: HASHIMOTO RAISES CONCERN ON BURMA March 28, 1997 AFP Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto expressed concern on Wednesday over Burma's full membership in Asean, government officials said. Mr Hashimoto raised the concern during talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who arrived on Tuesday, the officials said. The Japanese premier was quoted as telling Mr Mahathir that Burma's membership in Asean might help the military government conceal its suppressive policies toward the pro-democracy movement. (BP) ******************************************************* THE NATION: KEEPING THE SUNDAY UNHOLY FOR BURMESE REFUGEES IN BANGKOK March 28, 1997 Letter to the Editor Last Sunday, March 23, as we filed out of church, the Thai police were waiting, ready, ostensibly to check the Burmese passports. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that they have mistaken Burmese refugees for ATM machines. Perhaps their eyesight is getting dim due to age. Besides, they have to work overtime on Sunday. We Burmese refugees who have managed to escape the atrocities of Slorc are now facing this scourge of being persecuted as illegal immigrants and have no one to turn to for refuge except our religion. Even then, we are denied the right to pray peacefully. What a cruel thing this ''constructive engagement" is. Now is the holy week, as after Palm Sunday, Easter for Christians will be followed by Thingyan (Burmese Songkran) in mid-April. Many a Burmese will find solace in religion. What we would like to propose through The Nation is that we have a second collection taken in church services or keep part of the donations to Buddhist temples frequented by Burmese and the proceeds be given to the Thai police. They can come, collect the money and leave the Burmese refugees to pray in peace. That way nobody can accuse Thailand of not having religious freedom and will also prevent the Burmese from saying that they have jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. It will be equal to saying that Thais are very generous and hospitable and keep up their tradition of providing a safe haven for fleeing fugitives, as they have demonstrated to the Karen. The Thai security chiefs will have no reason to be angry at a world which criticises them. A Burmese regular worshipper BANGKOK ******************************************************* SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: MILITARY ON COURSE TO MATCH SIZE OF VIETNAM'S March 28, 1997 WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok and Agencies in Rangoon Burma's military may match Southeast Asia's biggest fighting force, Vietnam, early in the next century if present trends continue, according to military analysts. Thousands of Burmese soldiers celebrated Armed Forces Day with songs and fierce chants in Rangoon yesterday. They represent an Army, Navy and Air Force whose total manpower may have almost doubled in size to 350,000 from 190,000 a decade ago. No outsiders are really sure, with some estimates putting the armed forces at 400,000. These figures do not include paramilitary forces and the armed police. The State Law and Order Restoration Council, the junta that emerged in 1988 after the "retirement" of the dictator Ne Win, admitted after its creation that its ultimate aim was a military 500,000 strong. This is roughly the current strength of Vietnam's slimmed-down armed forces, which may be trimmed down even more in the future. The popular protests that exploded across Burma in 1988 shook generals who realised they needed a bigger army to be able to suppress not only the country's myriad ethnic insurgencies but civil protests that might erupt in several places at once. "The junta hasn't cared that the country is dirt poor. Their first concern has been to protect themselves - so everything's been poured into expanding the military," said one Rangoon-based diplomat yesterday. Flooding the country with troops has ensured that no mass protests to match those in 1988 have dared take place in recent years. The creation of Burma's strongest-ever military has also helped convince almost all the ethnic rebels to agree to cease-fires with the junta. But the truces with many of the ethnic rebel groups also remain precarious and have yet to be tested by any kind of a political settlement. Hopes by the junta's opponents that as it grows the potential fault-lines that exist in any big organisation will widen have so far proven to be wishful thinking. If anything the military's most senior leaders appear to be becoming more inflexible and less tolerant of dissent. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi held an alternative ceremony in Rangoon yesterday to honour resistance fighters in World War II. Police put up roadblocks at the approaches to Ms Aung San Suu Kyi's house, where 2,000 people had been invited for "Anti-Fascist Resistance Day" ceremonies, and most guests were turned away. Only about 700 people were allowed to pass through to attend the ceremonies to mark the resistance struggle against Japanese occupation forces in World War II. Ms Aung San Suu Kyi made a speech in which she linked the World War II resistance struggle to her bid to bring democracy to Burma, saying: "Resistance means . . . opposing oppresssion." (SCMP) ******************************************** INDEPENDENT REPORT:BURMESE DEMOCRATS SEEK SUPPORT March 26, 1997 (rec'd) From: Chan A Burmese delegation met at the constitution club, New Delhi, on March 4, under the auspices of the Antar-Rashtriya Sahayoj Parishad. Shri I.P. Singh, a former Indian Ambassador to Burma and a senior member of the ARSP, presided. The meeting was held to enlighten media persons and opinion leaders, on the real situation in Burma and with the hope that this is the time when the Indian leaders and the Indian public should provide their support to achieve democracy and peace in Burma which they have lost to military dictatorship for the last several years. India being the largest democratic country and also because of next door neighbourhood the Burmese people and the National League for Democracy for Burma are asking for people - to - people and party - to- party support for their cause. The meeting was attended by Shri V. P. Goyal, Shri T. N. Chaturvedi and Shri Mahesh Sharma, Members of Indian Parliament, and Dr Tint Swe, Dr Zahleithang, Shri U Bo Thaung, Shri U Tha Noe, Members of parliament from Burma. Others who came from Burma included Shri Ramjeet Verma, Shri Ko Aung Htoo, Dr Zaw Win Aung, Shri Ko Zin Naing, Daw Mya Mya Aye, Shri C. P. Prabhakar and Shri P. N. Verma. The Indian side included among others, Shri Bhamu Pratap Shukla, Shri Baleshwar Agrawal and Shri Prem Chand Bhardwaj. In his Presidential address; Shri I. P. Singh said that military rule had vanished from the entire world and it can not last in Burma. he said Indians supported the legitimate aspirations of the majority of Burmese people. ************************************** BKK POST: SLORC'S RECORD CATCHES UP WITH IT March 26, 1997 EU foreign ministers stripped Burma on Monday of trade privileges for the use of forced labour. In a recent issue of 'Burma Debate', Phillip Fishman of the AFL-CIO reviews Burma's record. A number of governments have been singled out through the years by the International Labour Organisation as the most extreme violators of fundamental worker and human rights. But perhaps no government has been cited more frequently and in stronger terms during the past 10 years than Burma's military regime. At last year's annual ILO conference, Burma was called before the Committee on the Application of Conventions and recommendations for the second year in a row to explain why it continues to ignore its obligations to respect Convention No. 29 on forced labour, and Convention No. 87 on freedom of association, both of which it ratified in 1955. In 1995, the Committee found the arguments of the State Law and Order Restoration Council - that there is no forced labour in Burma and that independent trade unions do in fact exist despite all evidence to the contrary - so unconvincing that it set aside in special paragraphs of its final report the conclusions that forced labour must be eliminated once and for all, and that unions, independent of the government, must be allowed to exist if workers so choose. Slorc's defence last year took on a new twist. The regime's representative no longer denied the existence of forced labour. Nor did he explain to the Committee as he had in the past that there had been a small misunderstanding, that what the international community sees as widespread, systematic use of forced labour to rebuild the country's decaying infrastructure is actually the Burmese age-old cultural tradition of "voluntary labour" to gain Buddhist merit. This time he announced that because the 45-year war with the country's ethnic minorities was virtually over, the government had to find something to do with Burma's 400,000-man-strong military. From now on, he reported, the soldiers' labour would be used to rebuild the country's infrastructure, not the labour extracted by force from the Burmese people. This new ploy however no, effect. After reviewing the growing body of evidence on the use of forced labour, the Committee once again cited SLORC in special paragraphs, mentioning the case as "one of president failure to implement Convention No. 29... and Convention No. 87". IN addition, worker members of the ILO's governing body filed a complaint under Article 26 of the ILO constitution against the Slorc for its contravention of Convention 29. This seldom used procedure, reserved for the most egregious cases of abuse such as Gen Jaruzelksi's oppression of Solidarity in 1983, requires the ILO to establish an official mission of inquiry to investigate the alleged use of forced labour by the Burmese government. The continuing effort by a 173-member United Nations organisation to pressure a member state to honour its international commitments or be singled out for explicit criticism has provided an impetus for a much border international campaign against Slorc. European Union governments that spoke out against Slorc at the ILO considered suspending tariff benefits to Burma following a petition field by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. United States generalised system of (trade) preferences was suspended six years ago for worker rights violations making Burma one of only a handful of countries to have lost GSP benefits because of non-observance of basic worker rights as spelled out in the core ILO conventions. (BP) ******************************************************* THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS -------------------------------------------------- THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (20 March, 1997 ) CHAIRMAN OF STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL SENIOR GENERAL THAN SHWE ACCEPTS CREDENTIALS OF AMBASSADOR OF ALGERIA YANGON, 19 March-Mr Maamar Ahmed, newly accredited Ambassador of the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria to the Union of Myanmar, presented his credentials to Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Senior General Than Shwe at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence this morning. ___________________________________ CHAIRMAN OF LESSEL CO LTD CALLS ON MINISTER FOR HOTELS AND TOURISM YANGON, 19 March - Chairman Mr Yukinobu Nose of Lessel Co Ltd of Japan called on Minister for Hotels and Tourism Lt-Gen Kyaw Ba at his office this afternoon. Chairman Mr Yukinobu Nose said he would like to do research on butterfly and insects in Putao region in northern part of Myanmar and hoped to have an opportunity to study rare butterfly and insects in forests, in natural habitat. The Chairman also said arrangements could be made for establishment of canning factory, livestock breeding and poultry farming for regional development. _______________________________________ MINISTER FOR NPED RECEIVES HEAD OF S-E ASIAN DEPARTMENT OF BRITAIN'S MOFA YANGON, 19 March- Minister for National Planning and Economic Development Brig-Gen Abel received Mr Martin Hill, Head of South-East Asian Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Britain, accompanied by Ambassador of Britain Mr Robert A E Gordon, at his office at 3 pm today. __________________________________ KNU MINE WOUNDS TWO YANGON, 19 March - A mine planted by KNU terrorists exploded and wounded two village w0men in Bilin Township, Kayin State, on 7 March. One of the two women, Ma Naw Kay Htoo, 17, daughter of U Maung Nge, of TarU Khee village of the township, hit the mine near Netkyi village. Her left leg was severed from the ankle. She was also hit by splinters. The blast cut off the ring finger of another woman, Ma Bayda, 26, daughter of U Tun Hnya, of the same village. She was also wounded in her waist and right thigh. Officials warded them at Thaton People's Hospital. ************************************* THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (19 March, 1997) FANG ZHENG INTERNATIONAL OFFICIALS CALL ON MINISTER FOR NPED YANGON, 18 March - Mr Xu Shijan and party of Fang Zheng International called on Minister for National Planning - and Economic Development Brig-Gen Abel at the latter's office this afternoon. Mr Xu Shijan and party briefed the minister on progess in construction of vacuum flask factory. ********************************** THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (21 March, 1997) STATE COUNCILLOR AND SECRETARY GENERAL OF PRC MR LUO GAN TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO MYANMAR YANGON, 21 March - At the invitation of the Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council of the Union of Myanmar His Excellency Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, His Excellency Mr Luo Gan, State Councillor and Secretary-General of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, will pay an official visit to the Union of Myanmar in the near future. _____________________________________ DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA YANGON, 20 March Member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Deputy Prime Minister Chairman of Myanmar Investment Commission Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin received Member of Parliament and President of Electric and Electronic Association YB IR Donald Lim Siam Chai and Managing Director of Valiant Towers Sdn Bhd Dato Lau Yin Pin from Malaysia at his office this afternoon. They discussed production of electrical appliances, cement and hydro-electrical power and investment opportunities in Myanmar. ____________________________________ MINISTER RECEIVES GOLDEN ASIA PRESIDENT YANGON, 20 March -Minister for Hotels and Tourism Lt-Gen Kyaw Ba received President of Golden Asia Inter Co Ltd of Thailand Mr Dhirah Taechalertpaisarn and party at his office this afternoon. Mr Taechalertpaisarn said he wanted to invest about 18 million dollars in a new international standard hotel project which will be implemented stage by stage. From five million to seven million dollars will be invested on the first phase, he said. The detailed project will be presented soon, he added. ____________________________________ LONDON MYANMAR OPEN FROM 3 TO 6 APRIL YANGON, 20 March - Over 140 international golfers including professional golfers from host Myanmar will take part in London Myanmar Open, the second professional golf tourney to be held here. The first-prize winner will be awarded $ 200,000. In previous year $150,000, was awarded as first-prize. Professional golfers from the United States, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Taiwan and Wales will compete at the City Golf Resort from 3 to 6 April. _________________________________ MINISTER RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF ROK YANGON, 20 March Minister at the Office of Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Acting Minister for Industry-2 Lt-Gen Min Thein received Ambassador of Republic of Rokea Mr Kyung Bo Choi at his office this afternoon. They discussed bilateral cooperation in economic and industry. ___________________________________ APPOINTMENT OF AMBASSADOR OF INDIA AGREED YANGON, 21 March - The Government of the Union of Myanmar has agreed to the appointment of Mr Shyan Saran as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Union of Myanmar in succession to His Excellency Mr Lal Thanzaua Pudaite. Mr Shvan Saran was born in September 1946. He joined the Ministry of External Affairs of India in July 1970 and served in various capacities in the diplomatic missions of the Republic of India in Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo. He is presently serving as High Commissioner of India to Mauritius. He is married with two children. ***************************************** THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (22 March, 1997) MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT RECEIVES DIRECTOR OF JARDINE SHIPPING SERVICES YANGON, 21 March - Minister for Transport Lt-Gen Thein Win received Director of Jardine Shipping Services Mr Siaw Hooi Chuan at his office yesterday. They discussed shipping container and marine activities. ______________________________________ MULTIPARTY DEMOCRACY GENERAL ELECTION COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENT NO 1349. Union of Myanmar Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission Announcement No 1349 13 Waxing of Tabaung, 1358 ME (21 March 1997) Subject: Permission given to U Tin Ohn to resign as Pyithu Hluttaw representative elected from Padaung Township Constituency-1, Bago Division. 1. U Tin Ohn of the National League for Democracy, Hluttaw representative elected at the Multiparty Democracy General Election from Paduang Township Constituency-1 in Bago Division, submitted his own volition to this Commission that he be permitted to resign because he could not perform party politics due to his family's health grounds and social conditions. 2. Upon the above-mentioned submission, this Commission here by announces that U Tin Ohn has been permitted to resign from being Hluttaw representative-elect of Padaung Township Constituency effective today under Section 11(e) of the Pyithu Hluttaw Election Law. By order, sd Aye Maung Secretary ************************************* THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (24 March, 1997 ) MEPE, DAEWOO CORP SIGN MOU FOR FEASIBILITY STUDY OF BILIN HYDEL POWER PROJECT YANGON, 23 March-Chairman Mr Woo Choong Kim of Daewoo Companies Group of the Republic of Korea and party called on Minister for Energy U Khin Maung Thein at his office this morning. They discussed electric power generation and cooperation and investment in oil and natural gas production. MEPE and Daewoo Corporation signed Memorandum of Understanding for feasibility study of Bilin Hydel Power Project in Mon State at the ministry. Bilin Hydel Power Station which can generate 280 megawatts will be built on Bilin Chaung, 16 miles north of Bilin. ___________________________________ U TIN LATT APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO NEPAL YANGON, 23 March - The Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council of the Union of Myanmar has appointed U Tin Latt as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Union of Myanmar to the Kingdom of Nepal. ________________________________ CRUISELINER MS BREMEN WITH 105 TOURISTS ARRIVES YANGON, 23 March - Cruiseliner ms Bremen with 105 tourists arrived at Nanthida Jetty of Yangon Port this afternoon under arrangement made. by Myanrna Hotels and Tourism Services and Sky Line Co and Hanseatic Co of Thailand. http://www.myanmar.com/nlm/ ******************************* ANNOUNCEMENT: SEMINAR ON BURMA March 28, 1997 From: Chan On 29, March 1997 At the Jawahalal University in New Delhi Organized by Division of South-East Asia & South-West and Pacific Studies of the School of International Studies Topic: Recent developments in Burma and its implications for Indian security Program 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Chaired by professor Baladas Ghoshal Presentations: Dr. B.D. Arora (Asso. Prof., JNU), "Internal political developments in Burma; democratic struggle and suppression of human-rights" Dr. I.P. Singh (Former ambassador), "Some aspects of the political development in Burma; Implications for India" Lt. Gen. V.K. Nayyar (Formerly Indian Army), "India-Burma border; Political Economic and Security implications" Commander C. Uday Bhaskar (India Defense Service Academy), "Burma; Implications for Indian security" Maj.-Gen. D. Banerjee (Formerly India Defense Service Academy), "India's Burma policy" U Tin Maung Win (DAB), "Indo-Burma Relation" Among the participants were Dr. Tint Swe (NCGUB), U Ramjeet Verma (NLD/LA), Dr. Zaw Win Aung (FTUB) and U Maw Thiri (Ret. AIR supervisor). Excerpts: Dr. I.P. Singh advocated for "Constructive Disengagement". Lt. Gen. V.K. Nayyar advocated for "Gradual approach and to be bilateral" Commander C. Uday Bhaskar advocated that Burma is "1A" for India's foreign policy. Maj.-Gen. D. Banerjee said all India's neighbors should be democratic, secular and united. U Tin Maung Win pointed out he was afraid to read the reports that India-trained Burma Army killed its own people and no investment in Burma now. Dr. Tint Swe commented that only a democratic government can bring Indian borders and waters secure and can protect Indian business in Burma because there is no rule of law and only NLD is legitimate. ***********************************