------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: April 24, 1997 Issue #702 Noted in Passing: Please let your voices be heard in the name of democracy and human rights in Burma and elsewhere in the world. - Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, about South Africa (ASSK: KEYNOTE STATEMENT) HEADLINES: ========== ASSK: KEYNOTE STATEMENT “FOR US TO CHOOSE” THE HINDU: INDO-MYANMAR BORDER TRADE STOPPED AFP: REFUGEES FLEE TO THAILAND AFTER ATTACK SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET NO.A-0035 LA TIMES (EDITORIAL): MYANMAR DESERVES THIS FREEZE ABSDF: ABSDF CALLS FOR MULTILATERAL APPROACH FBC (S. AFRICA): STATEMENT ON ASSK HONORARY DOCTORATE ASSK: ADDRESS ON RECEIVING U. OF NATAL DOCTORATE SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET A-0036 TV MYANMAR: MORE ARMED GROUPS MEMBERS EXCHANGE THE NATION: PEREGRINE: NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ASIAN THE NATION: PRACHUAB DRIVES FOR MEKONG AREA ***************************************************** ASSK: KEYNOTE STATEMENT “FOR US TO CHOOSE” January 1997 From: Aung San Myint Aung San Suu Kyi sent this text as a key note statement for an international coference held at Asia Plateau, Panchgani, Maharashtra, India. from January 3 to 7, 1997. FOR US TO CHOOSE By Aung San Suu Kyi Visionary leaders of movements to free their peoples from colonial rule understood that self-government was only a necessary first step towards good government. Countries which achieved independence after the second World War are approaching the fiftieth year of their nationhood as the twentieth century draws to a close. It is time to consider how far we have come along the road to genuine good government, without which a nation cannot take its place in a free, progressive world. Many countries have achieved self-government only to find that the rights and freedom of their people have come under more restraint than in the days when they were ruled by an alien power. It is a sad truth that self-government does not necessarily entail good government. Good government is not simply the result of a political system. It is indissoluble linked to the values that prevail within a society. Unless a nation can be reconstructed to enhance human values, independence will not mean a more fulfilling existence for its citizens. In Burma, despite half a century of self-government, good government is still somewhere in the nebulous future. As Gandhiji wrote, 'In truth, a government that is ideal governs the least. It is no self-government that leaves nothing for the people to do. That is pupilage - our present stage.' These words were written in 1925, yet could well be applied to the state of present-day Burma, although it might be questioned whether 'pupilage' is not too tender a word to describe the abject situation in which my country finds itself today under a military administration that leaves the people with no role to play in their own government. We remain a nation in bondage after forty-nine years of independence. There can be no real freedom unless the mind and spirit are free. It is the duty of responsible leaders to nuture conditions under which the minds and spirit of the people can reach a full flowering. Self-government is meaningful only if it gives the people greater confidence in their own worth. Self-government that results in a crushed, intimidated people who have no control over their own destiny constitutes a betrayal of the struggle of independence, a struggle during which so mach was sacrificed by so many. It is often the privilege as well as the duty of succeeding generations to realize the dreams of those who sacrificed their well-being and their lives for the freedom of their country. It could be said that the youth of today have a more difficult task than those who conducted the fight against colonialism. When a struggle is directed against an alien people, the issues are clear cut. When the struggle is directed against negative elements within our own society, doubts and confusion creep in. Therefore young people working for a better world need constantly to assess and reassess the valves of their own society, as well as their own motives. It is through continuous assessment that we learn how to guard and preserve our freedom and how to make the best use of it. Freedom means choice. Young people of today have a far wider range of choice than those who lived half a century ago. It is of the utmost importance to make the right choice. We can choose either to gratify narrow, selfish interests or to expand our hearts and minds to encompass the needs and aspirations of others. We are about to embark upon a century which will surely bring developments that will change our world radically. The twenty-first century could offer exceptional opportunities for creating an environment that provides greater security and happiness for all peoples. It could also be an era when gross materialism is let loose to trample afoot the forces of justice and compassion. It is for us to choose which path to follow. The young people of India can be proud that they have before them the tradition of their great leaders to illumine the way forward. Once again to quote Gandhi on the best kind of self-government: Real Swaraj will come not by the acquisition of authority by a few but by the acquisition of the capacity by all to resist authority when it is abused. In other words, Swaraj is to be attained by educating the masses to a sense of their capacity to regulate and control authority. Education is therefore the key to creating a nation worthy of the heirs of men and women who dedicated themselves to the cause of justice and freedom with the unstained passion of children and the fierce determination of spiritual giants. By education I do not mean just formal schooling but the cultivation of the mental strength and courage to coup with both the known and unknown. It is through the ability to evaluate the pass correctly and to face the present bravely that we can build a future fit not just for ourselves for generations to come. There are enduring values that transcend national borders and centuries. there are also values that has to be discovered for our own times. the process of discovery is a challenge to young people who wish to mould the world into a pattern that reflects the morning freshness of their lives. They have a unique opportunity to leave their impress on their society. I would like to urge them to seize this opportunity with gratitude and enthusiasm: missed opportunities could set back individuals and nations by decades. As young people look forward to the new century with receptive minds and open hearts, they can strive to build better lives not just for themselves or their own people but for all humanity. How fortunate to be on the threshold of life at a time when the world is on the threshold of a new century! The future belongs to the young and it is wonderful that is should be so. I would like to wish to the young people of India and of the world happiness, love, wisdom and peace for the New Year and the New Century. Happy New Year Aung San Suu Kyi January 1, 1997. ************************************************************ THE HINDU: INDO-MYANMAR BORDER TRADE STOPPED April 23, 1997 (Imphal, Northeastern India) From: Aung San Myint For over a fortnight the bilateral legalized border trade between India and Myanmar has come to halt since police and army in India stopped import of foreign goods in protest against the shifting of the market from Prem Nagar in India to Tamu in Myanmar. Angry Indian traders had imposed an economic blockade in protest and now police in Chandel district bordering Myanmar are not allowing foreign goods into India. As a result prices of all items have goon beyond the reach of the common people. Officials fear that the agreement on the legalization of border trade will not be renewed after its expiry later this year. Indications are that unless traders in Myanmar agree to once again shift the business to Prem Nagar there will be no trade. For several decades, Myanmarese nationals had been coming to Moreh, the smugglers' town in Manipur bringing all sorts of foreign goods. A few thousands of south Indians deported from Myanmar were staying at Moreh to carry on the business. In the morning these businessmen bought foreign goods wholesale, and sold them to small time smugglers and traders from Imphal. They made huge profits in the process. However, once the border trade was legalized Myanmarese asked to be permitted to sell goods directly to Indian traders and smugglers and not through the South Indian middlemen. These middlemen then launched some agitation making the Manipur Government realize that shifting the market to Tamu about 10 km inside Myanmarese territory was not in India's interests. There is no policing of the 10 km long stretch of the jungle rout from Tamu to Moreh making it dangerous for smugglers and traders traversing the path. Beside shifting the market from Moreh where the under world business flourished from the late 50's is not a part of bilateral agreement. Because of the untenable condition imposed by the Myanmarese government it seems India has also retaliated. All these years the business had been in terms of millions of rupees daily since heroin, arms and other contraband were clandestinely imported. It is likely that Myanmar will agree to the restoration of business at Moreh and Prem Nagar since the country is suffering having financial losses daily. However, military officials in charge of the border trade told traders to bear with the "passing phase". ************************************************************* AFP: REFUGEES FLEE TO THAILAND AFTER ATTACK ON BURMESE STUDENT CAMP April 19, 1997 BANGKOK, April 19 (AFP) - Burmese government forces have attacked a dissident student base close to the Thai border triggering a new exodus of refugees into southern Thailand, sources said Saturday. Some 1,000 troops of Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) are conducting an offensive against the student's "8888 Camp" and nearby ethnic settlements, opposite Thailand's Prachuab Khiri Khan province, according to the All Burma Student's Democratic Front (ABSDF). Colonel Somdej Seumak of Thailand's Ninth Infantry Division confirmed there had been fighting across the border on Friday and that 138 refugees had crossed into Thap Sakae district of Prachuab Khiri Khan that afternoon. An ABSDF spokesman reported that a further 500 ethnic Mon refugees had fled to the border, but were yet to cross into Thailand. More refugees were expected from settlements of Karen, Mon and Moslem communities close to the student camp. An estimated 20,000 refugees have already escaped to Thailand since February during a massive sweep by Burmese junta troops along Burma's western border, to flush out resistance from rebel Karens. Small groups of dissidents including the ABSDF have supported the Karens' resistance to the SLORC. The ABSDF spokesman said 8888 Camp, which is located about two kilometres (one mile) inside Burma, had been under attack for over a week and was shelled on Friday. There had been no further fighting on Saturday. The camp is named after the the pro-democracy demonstrations of August 8, 1988, that led to a bloody clampdown by the junta and forced thousands into exile, including students who later formed the ABSDF. "They (the SLORC) are determined to wipe out any resistance in this area. Strategically and economically, it's very important to them," the spokesman said. An ABSDF statement said that the student camp is based close to proposed infrastructure developments including a road and railway that will link Burma and Thailand. Since May, some 20,000 people from 79 villages had been forcibly relocated in this area of Burma's Tenasserim Division to pave the way for the planned construction of deep sea ports and a gas pipeline to ******************************************************** SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET NO.A-0035 April 24, 1997 From: OKKAR66127@aol.com The sanctions imposed by the U.S on Myanmar, we believe, is for their own domestic political consumption. But Myanmar, has her own national interest to serve and has already laid down policies, aims and objectives for the benefit of the whole nation. Since Myanmar is walking on a straight line towards her noble goal, there is no reason to deviate from its original path to serve the interest of a foreign government . More importantly, Myanmar has opened her doors to outside investments and her abundant natural resources will benefit all those who come to invest. But if the U.S refuses to come in to invest or pull out its companies from doing business in Myanmar, we can only feel sorry for the U.S companies, because they will not get a second chance later to invest in Myanmar if opportunities are taken over by companies from nations with consistent foreign policies. ********************************************************* LA TIMES (EDITORIAL): MYANMAR DESERVES THIS FREEZE April 24, 1997 Ruling junta continues to oppress democratic forces Two years ago, when Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in Myanmar, she cautioned the West against giving too much credence to the appearance of new political openness in the ruling military junta. Wait and see, she warned. Indeed, today the leading opposition figure is once again detained at her home. That and the military's other recent acts of repression have prompted Washington to impose a ban on new U.S. investment in the Southeast Asian country, once known as Burma. The sanctions may not have much practical effect, in that most U.S. companies have pulled out except for a few energy producers, but the act sends a necessary message. The military is ignoring the will of the Burmese people, who voted overwhelmingly in 1990 for Suu Kyi's party. Under a law passed by Congress last year, President Clinton could invoke sanctions if Myanmar engaged in "large scale repression" or detained Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright noted that Myanmar has repeatedly refused to engage in political dialogue. Instead, opposition politicians have been arrested or kidnapped. The junta, which has been waging a tourism campaign, blithely dismissed the U.S. sanctions and denied it abused human rights. Isolating Myanmar requires international pressure. Last month, the European Union revoked some trade preferences to Myanmar. But leaders of the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations say they still plan to bring Myanmar into membership in July. U.S. oil companies have substantial projects in the country. One of them, California-based Unocal, said Wednesday it will forgo some planned expansions. Those who preach economic engagement in Myanmar similar to what Washington practices with China and Indonesia ignore an important difference. The Burmese voted the militry out. It is one thing to keep ties with a regime that has not democratized, another to hold hands with a regime that has crushed a democratic election. ********************************************************** ABSDF: ABSDF CALLS FOR MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO BURMA SANCTIONS April 23, 1997 From: Caroline Lurie PRESS RELEASE ************* Date: April 23, 1997 ABSDF CALLS FOR MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO BURMA SANCTIONS ---------------------------------------------------------- The ABSDF is calling for a coordinated international effort to impose economic sanctions on Burma following the imposition of investment sanctions by the US in response to worsening political repression in the country. The ABSDF believes a multilateral approach is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of economic sanctions to further pressure SLORC into ending its hard line against the pro-democracy movement. The imposition of US investment sanctions is an important step in increasing international pressure on the Slorc to begin a dialogue with the democratically elected government of Burma led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The sanctions prevent any new investment in Burma from the US, but allow existing ventures to continue. However, such sanctions must be imposed on a multilateral basis for them to be effective in forcing the Slorc to enter into a political dialogue. Other governments must now examine the use of sanctions to further isolate the Slorc and force the regime into talks. In particular, countries from the European Union, Japan, and other trading nations must now explore the imposition of sanctions against Burma to ensure further isolation and pressure on the Slorc. The ASEAN countries must also reconsider admitting Burma into the economic group and realise that its so-called "constructive engagement" policy towards Burma has been a complete failure. All Burma Students' Democratic Front Central Committee For further information contact 01-654-4984. ************************************************************* FBC (S. AFRICA): STATEMENT ON ASSK HONORARY DOCTORATE April 18, 1997 From: Kiru Naidoo STATEMENT RELEASED BY THE FREE BURMA CAMPAIGN (SOUTH AFRICA) Durban, 18 April 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------ Honorary Doctorate for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi In a remote part of the world, 40 million people are kept in a prison without walls. Their everyday existence is dominated by fear. Those who dare ask for democracy are usually answered with bullets. The jackboots who control this beautiful land have met their match in one woman who simply is not afraid. Aung San Suu Kyi is the lone voice of the frightened and her country, Burma, is one of the most violent places on earth. This is a violence that should not be, for the demand of the Burmese is simply for basic human rights. The generals who have ruled Burma since 1962 are deaf to their people but the chorus demanding they step down is growing internationally. The Free Campaign applauds the University of Natal for lending its voice to this chorus. The university will confer on Aung San Suu Kyi an honorary doctorate on April 23, 1997 at its graduation ceremony in Durban. She has been unable and unwilling to leave Burma to accept a host of awards, among which are the 1991 Nobel Prize for Peace and the prestigious Sakharov Prize. Her refusal is based on the belief that the military may refuse to allow her back into the country. Being the international symbol of the Burmese pro-democracy movement, she considers her daily responsibilities far too immense to away from her beloved people. Her poignant appeal to the international community is to, "Please use your liberty to promote ours." As a people recently liberated from the yoke of authoritarian rule, we, South Africans, have a moral obligation to answer this desperate call for help. It was after all the selfless sacrifices of ordinary men and women in all corners of the world who helped us defeat the tyranny of apartheid. Burma is a tyranny that we dare not allow to continue. The Free Burma Campaign urges the South African government to distance itself from the military authorities in Rangoon and work towards its isolation in international fora. The University of Natal has boldly taken the first step and President Mandela would do well to offer the support of our freedom-loving people to Aung San Suu Kyi and the freedom-seeking people of Burma. Released by : Free Burma Campaign (South Africa) , P.O. Box 138 , Pavilion, 3611 South Africa Tel: Intl +27 82 4166585 Local 0824166585 Email: kiru@pixie.udw.ac.za ************************************************************* ASSK: ADDRESS ON RECEIVING U. OF NATAL DOCTORATE April 23, 1997 Address by Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, Nobel Peace Laureate, on receiving in absentia the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from The University of Natal, South Africa delivered by her husband Dr Michael Aris in Durban, 23 April, 1997 To receive an honorary degree from a foremost educational institution of South Africa is the equivalent of a cohort of legendary heroes coming to the aid of our course. For those fighting for their belief in justice and freedom, there is no weapon more potent than an acknowledgment of their endeavors by others who themselves have known- and overcome - the trials and tribulations of a bitter struggle against the forces of inhuman repression. The story of South Africa's victory over one of the most unjust systems man has ever devised is an inspiration to peoples of all races and creeds who accept that basic human dignity is inviolate. The young people of such a country have just cause to be proud of their heritage. It is a unique heritage that includes intense pain, unexpected joys, ugliness and beauty, unimaginable brutality and glorious sacrifice. And, in the end, supreme triumph. True, the struggles of South African nation are far from over, for it will take many years to undo the effect of the wrongs that were committed over centuries. But, I am confident that you will be able to conquer the past and build a future that will vindicate the blood and tears that have been shed over the long years of fighting for your birthright to be a free people, the equal of all other races. In fact, because of your achievements it can be said that you are the first among equals in a world, where , despite the cynicism and materialism of our times, courage and steadfast commitment to a just cause are still highly valued. Many of us in Burma know of your struggle against apartheid, and your victory has helped us to face adversity with fortitude, and to strengthen our faith that right will ultimately prevail. It was through your struggle that I learnt my first practical lesson in the importance of universal participation in the fight for justice in any society. As a very new student at Oxford University, I was taken to shop for fruit by an English friend. As I was reaching for a big , handsome orange she looked at the label on the fruit, told me it come from South Africa and explained why I should not buy it. I was struck by the strength of her determination to do whatever she could to combat apartheid, particularly as she was not at all politically inclined. For her it was a matter of conscience, an act of common humanity to stand by the black people of South Africa in their fight to live as full citizens in their own country. I am happy and proud to be able to say that from that day I never bought anything from South Africa as a protest against apartheid. Since apartheid collapsed I have not had a chance to buy anything South African. It is a pleasure which I hope to enjoy one day, in your own country. You are perhaps not very familiar with our struggle to win basic democratic rights for the people of Burma. Almost nine years ago, spontaneous public demonstrations across the country led to the fall of a single-party, authoritarian socialist regime. But the demonstrations were put down by force of arms; and a military junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC, took over the powers of government. The junta promised free and fair elections to choose a democratic government, and a large number of parties sprang up. Of these, the National League for Democracy (NLD), of which I am the General Secretary, won the landslide victory in the elections held in May 1990. However, the SLORC refused to honour its promise of a change to democratic government and proceed to reward the winning party with a campaign of intense persecution. Today the persecution is worse than ever. Many of our elected Members of Parliament have been forced to resign or to flee into exile. There are numbers of them languishing in prison, while those still working for the party are subjected to various forms of harassment. Although the NLD has not-to date- been declared an illegal organization, its torment is no less than that suffered by the ANC in the worst days of apartheid. We face the same dilemmas of a society where a minority section enjoys all powers and privileges while the great majority live in a constant state of insecurity, both political and economic. There are the same debates going on about the efficacy of sanctions with regards to Burma as went on in your country a decade ago. There are the same questions posed about whether the people of Burma are in fact fit for the democratic system of government. Democracy should not be the preserve of any race or culture, because it is a system that seeks to protect the rights of both the strong and the weak. It is the system which attains, not a perfect ,but the best practical balance between security and freedom. Every fight for freedom is an individual fight. It is every individual fighting for his or her rights. At the same time it is a universal struggle, the struggle of all who believe that it is wrong to inflict suffering on others. You in South Africa have known the iniquities of a society founded on the conviction that the worth of human beings is decided by the colour of their skins. Dividing the human race into good and bad people is no more meaningful than deciding their worth according to whether they are black, brown, yellow or white. I believe that the only real division is that between those who are capable of learning and those who are not capable of learning. Those who are capable of learning are the builders and healers; those who cannot learn are the destroyers. You young people who came to this university to acquire educational skills that will enable you to build respectable lives for yourselves, I hope you will take away with you the capacity to build for others as well as yourselves, that you will have acquired the habit of learning from your encounters with the unknown and the unexpected along the way to the future. Those who have to tread the long and weary path of a life that sometimes seems to promise little beyond suffering and yet more suffering need to develop the capacity to draw strength from the very hardships that trouble their existence. It is from hardship rather than from ease that we gather wisdom. During my years under house arrest I learnt my most precious lesson from a poem by Rabindranath Tagore, many of whose verses, even in unsatisfactory translation, reach out to that innermost , elusive land of the spirit that we are not always capable of exploring by ourselves. The title of the poem, Walk Alone, is bleak and its message is equally bleak: If they answer not your call, walk alone; If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall, O thou of evil luck, Open the mind and speak out alone. If they turn away and desert you when crossing the wilderness, O thou of evil luck , Trample the thorns under the tread, And along the blood-lined track travel alone. If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm, O thou of evil luck, With the thunder- flame of pain ignite thine own heart, And let it burn alone. There are no words of comfort in the poem, no assurance of joy and peace at the end of the harsh journey. There is no pretense that it is anything but evil luck to receive no answer to your call , to be deserted in the middle of the wilderness, to have no one who would hold up a light to aid you through a stormy night. It is not a poem that offer's heart's ease, but it teaches that you can draw strength from your harshest experiences, that a citadel of endurance can be built on a foundation of anguish. How can anybody who has learnt to ignite his heart with the thunder-flame of his own pain ever know defeat? Victory is ensured to those who are capable of learning the hardest lessons that life has to offer. We live, we make mistakes, we suffer and we learn. That is the cycle of life that we have to follow. Where will you go from here, you with your pristine young lives ahead of you? I have no words of wisdom to offer you, no words of infallible advice that will enable you to avoid the pitfalls of human existence. I would wish you a happy journey, one that is free from trouble and defeat. But such fortune is not ensured to all of us. So for those of you who will have to face the usual- and at times more than the usual - quota of disappointment and sorrow, I would like to say that the warmth of my heart goes with you. I would like you to remember on the darkest nights of storm that there are those who do not know you but who understand your trouble and who care , because they themselves have known the absence of a comforting light. And in those times when your lives are full of light, I would like you to think of the ones who are deprived of the basic requirements of a meaningful existence, those who can not even dare to hope that salvation is around the corner. South Africans have acquired a moral standing without peer in the world today. I would like you to use this, your special asset, to help others achieve what you have been able to achieve, a change to a just society. Your voices will carry further than the voices of the other people. Please let your voices be heard in the name of democracy and human rights in Burma and elsewhere in the world. No message to a South African university can be complete without a reference to two of your great freedom fighters: President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. They are men whose stature towers over the great mass of humanity, who stand "higher than hope " for the weak and oppressed. May there be many more South Africans who will be as living symbols of courage and endeavour. You have a proud tradition to maintain. May I end with the expression of heartfelt thanks to the senate and the council of the University of Natal and to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor B.M.Gourley, for conferring on me the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa? It is an honour which I accept with pride and joy and the conviction that it is an augury of good things to come for my country. Thank you. ********************************************************** SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET A-0036 April 24, 1997 From: Ok Kar (a) On the morning of 24th of April Mr. Blaise G. Odet, the Bangkok based Swiss ambassador, met with Mrs. Aris at her University Avenue residence. (b) Mrs. Aris gave a press conference this morning at U Kyi Maung’s residence. The function was attended by some embassy officials and news correspondents. **************************************************** TV MYANMAR: MORE ARMED GROUPS MEMBERS EXCHANGE WEAPONS FOR PEACE (translated from Burmese) April 24, 1997 Rangoon TV Myanmar in Burmese at 1330 GMT on 21 April in a two-minute report says that 44 members of the Karen National Union [KNU] and three members of the All Burma Students Democratic Front exchanged weapons for peace between 7 and 17 March in the Southeast Command and the Tenasserim Command. The KNU members brought with them six carbines, four M-16 rifles, three M-22 rifles, four AK-47 rifles, one hand grenade, one launcher, two revolvers, one PA-6 rifle, and 125 roundes of ammunition. Those who returned were warmly welcomed by the authorities who gave them necessary assistance. ************************************************* THE NATION: PEREGRINE: NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ASIAN BUSINESS April 21, 1997 Philip Tose's comments about democracy are quite ironic in light of his company's current situation. The chairman's firm, Peregrine Securities Group, is involved in scandals in Vietnam and Burma. At the Harvard Business School alumni conference Tose was asked why China had emerged as an economic superpower while India had languished in its business potential. He replied, ''One word: democracy." He said universal suffrage had proven disastrous for the Indian economy. It caused chaos and created more than a dozen contending parties ­ he also described it as a ''crazy" system. Tose backed his assertion by claiming that America's economic performance had also suffered since the mid-1960s when, he said, universal suffrage was introduced. But Tose congratulated China's economic managers, who belong to a single ruling party, for their performance. Tose's view on China and democracy should be viewed with strong reservations. The rise of China economically is partly a result of the pragmatic vision of its leaders, to their credit; but problems are numerous ­ not least of which, China is becoming a very rich state but the same cannot be said of its people. For his senseless and immoral remarks, Tose must be condemned. One may recall that Peregrine was formed by former executives of the Vicker da Coasta brokerage house. These executives managed to befriend the business leaders of Hong Kong, which has close ties to Beijing. Through its connections rather than its business acumen Peregrine rose overnight to become a regional security giant, because of business handed out by Beijing. The firm had hoped to repeat its success in Burma and Vietnam. In Rangoon and Hanoi Peregrine employed people it thought had good connections with the ruling parties ­ the State Law and Order Restoration Council in Burma and the Communist Party of Vietnam. But there was a heavy price to relying on personalities rather than business norms. The firm was drawn into a dispute over business interests with its representative in Rangoon. Last week its Hanoi representative was charged with fraud by the Vietnamese authorities. Peregrine may boast of its success in Hong Kong, of being the biggest investment banker for China. But here and elsewhere in Asia the firm is merely a typical securities house ­ doing a fair amount of business but nothing exceptional. No wonder Tose does not like democracy. It has proven that his firm is ordinary because of the competitive environment that comes with democracy. The attitude that Tose possesses has also blurred his understanding of politics in India. In many ways, the ''crazy" nature of Indian politics could be even more chaotic if it were under the rule of one party such as the BJP, whose policy on minorities is likely to create more instability. One might remember that the elected government of former prime minister Rao propelled India forward with a liberalisation that allowed everyone to fairly participate in the economic development. In Tose's statement there is a tendency to confuse weak leaders with democracy and strong leaders with one-party rule. Thailand has had its ups and downs with democracy over the past 60-odd years, but the economy has done very well, due in part to the initiative of the private sector under a liberalised environment and a relatively strong bureaucracy. The test of time on Tose's viewpoint will come soon for Peregrine, when its homebase of Hong Kong is transferred back to China on July 1. The future of Hong Kong could follow one of two paths. One is that the colony will not thrive if some form of democracy that enhances competition is not in place. Another is that China's growing economic might will be an automatic boon for Hong Kong whether democracy is a part of the package or not. The real danger for Peregrine is its future. If Beijing's leaders look more favourably at Shanghai as Hong Kong's rival financial sector and find other securities houses, Peregrine's place as the representative of the new thrust is not very secure. (TN) ******************************************************* THE NATION: PRACHUAB DRIVES FOR MEKONG AREA 'ECONOMIC CIRCLE' April 20, 1997 Kulachada chaipipat, Don Pathan FOREIGN Minister Prachuab Chaiyasan is pushing a proposal for a new development zone in the Mekong subregion, an "economic circle" which would include poverty-stricken areas in northeastern Thailand. He has asked regional development institutions to study the feasibility of the new growth zone, and plans to raise the idea with Cambodian Foreign Minister Ung Huot, Laotian Foreign Minister Somsavad Lengsavat and Burmese Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw during an informal meeting and round of golf in Bangkok this morning. The new development region would follow the old trade route that linked southern northeast Thailand with central Vietnam via southern Laos and northern Cambodia. The Director General of Economic Affairs, Kobsak Chutikul, said the ministry had already asked the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to make a three-month preliminary assessment of the area's growth potential in terms of trade, agriculture and tourism and planned to ask the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to conduct a further economic assessment of the proposed growth zone. Kobsak said the studies would take into account the existing infrastructure in the zone, including roads, railways and waterways. "The area is a traditional economic route, people travelled freely between territories in the past, but now it is obstructed by national frontiers," Kobsak said. He hoped the legacy of the past could be revived through sub- regional cooperation. The proposed link is not a priority within the ADB-sponsored Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation framework. The GMS encompasses 260 million people in the Mekong basin, which includes China's Yunnan Province, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The route Prachuab wants to develop links Ubon Ratchathani with Champassak in Laos, Strung Treng and Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City. It is expected to be incorporated in the proposed Asian Highway, currently being developed by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Region (Escap). Today's recreational golf gathering comes amidst speculation that Laos, Burma and Cambodia will indeed by admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) at the Annual Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in July. Of particular interest is the possibel acceptance of Burma by Asean, a move that has been strongly warned against by international organisations citing the Burmese junta's record of human rights abuse. Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is scheduled to visit Burma in early May and Prachuab discussed the trip with Ohn Gyaw yesterday. After an hour-long meeting with the Burmese Foreign Minister, Prachuab said Saroj Chavanaviraj, the Foreign Ministry's permanent secretary, would lead an advance party to Rangoon on April 24 and 25 to work out itinerary of the early May trip and set agendas for the Thai- Burmese Joint Commission meeting, which Thailand is scheduled to host. Prachuab said Burma and Thailand would like to create a non- official public association modelled on the Thailand-Laos Association. The minister said Burma's membership in Asean had not been discussed because the issue would be addressed at the informal meeting of Asean foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur on May 31, being held in preparation for the AMM. Prachuab said the Jakarta-based Asean Secretariat would make a formal report on the progress made by the three countries, containing facts to support Asean's decision-making process. "We have a tradition of [acting by] consensus in Asean. If even one country disagrees with a decision, then we will not make a commitment," Prachuab said. "Likewise, any one country cannot make a decision on its own." Asked if recent bombings in Burma and Cambodia, taken by the international community as signs of political unrest, would affect the two countries' membership, Prachuab only said: "We must take everything into consideration." Thailand will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Burma next year. Prachuab said Thailand planned to build a hospital in Burma to commemorate the occasion. *****************************************