------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: May 9, 1997 Issue #716 HEADLINES: ========== ASIA TIMES: KYAT FALLS ON THE STREETS OF MYANMAR KNU CORRESPONDENCE: RE MAE THA RAW HTA AGREEMENT KNU REPORT: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AFP: PEACE POSSIBLE BETWEEN JUNTA AND KNU: SLORC REUTER: MONKS, STUDENTS LIE LOW IN THE HOT SEASON XINHUA NEWS AGENCY: MYANMAR TO EXTRACT IRON ORE BUSINESS NEWS INDOCHINA: BURMA ABSORBS BANK BUSINESS NEWS INDOCHINA: HOW SAFE IS BURMA ? CZECH NEWS AGENCY: HAVEL OPENS EXHIBITION ON BURMA XINHUA NEWS AGENCY: MYANMAR POWER PROJECT IPS: OIL GIANT SUFFERS LEGAL SETBACKS BKK POST: SUWAT TO BOOST LINKS WITH BURMA ASAHI EVENING NEWS: MYANMAR'S OPPRESSIVE JUNTA THE NATION: BOTTOM LINE ON SLORC ANNOUNCEMENT: PHOTO-EXHIBITION OF BURMESE STUDENTS ANNOUNCEMENT: 'INSIDE BURMA' SCREENING ANNOUNCEMENT: TEXACO SHAREHOLDERS MEETING ----------------------------------------------------------------- ASIA TIMES: KYAT FALLS ON THE STREETS OF MYANMAR May 8, 1997 The unofficial exchange rate for the Myanmar kyat jumped from 167 kyat to the dollar last week to 182 to the dollar on Wednesday, a rise of nearly 10 percent. Analysts in Yangon were unsure what was behind the sudden rise, although one economist suggested the government was printing kyats in order to buy dollars to shore up hard currency reserves, which have fallen in the past year to record lows. Inflation, which is estimated to be running at 20 percent to 30 percent annually, may also be behind the rise. The kyat trades at an official rate of 5.8 to the dollar, but is widely and legally exchanged at market rates. ***************************** KNU CORRESPONDENCE: RE MAE THA RAW HTA AGREEMENT May 8, 1997 From: Amanda Zappia The following is the reply to TUN AUNG CHEIN [see BurmaNet News, Issue 715, SLORC STATEMENT: RE MAE THA RAW HTA AGREEMENT] Seal of Kawthoolei Office of the Supreme Headquarters, Karen National Union - Kawthoolei. To Sayagyi Tun Aung Chein We reply to your letter of 3rd April 1997 as below. 1.The Karen National Union KNU is not a party formed over a class. Nor is it formed over a political ideology. It is an organization formed over the very basic issues of the Karen people. Whether the KNU has a dialogue with the SLORC or participates in the Mae Tha Raw Hta ethnic seminar, these are done with the interests of the Karen people and the Karen national issues in mind. Therefore, standing on the Karen national issues when talking with the SLORC and having a different stand at the Mae Tha Raw Hta ethnic seminar will not be taking place is the first thing we would like to inform you. 2. Of the many criteria of a multi party democratic system, freedom of the political parties, for those political parties to be able to organize freely and to express their views without fear of persecution and to uphold these functions are some of the few that should be noted. KNU cannot understand the claim by the peace negotiators that the Mae Tha Raw Hta agreement is blocking out the rays of peace between the SLORC which has promised to implement the multi party democratic system and the KNU. The Mae Tha Raw Hta agreement not only urges a dialogue between the KNU and the SLORC but all the political organizations that participated had strongly urged solving of Burma's political issues through political means. KNU would like to state that the comment of the rays of peace blocked by the Mae Tha raw Hta agreement is not logical. 3. Which ever Karen organization may be, if they want to represent the freedom movement of the Karen people who are facing not only oppression and slavery but a war waged for total annihilation must have political freedom as it's fundamental position. As having represented the Karen national movement for a long period, the KNU has the responsibility to maintain it's political freedom. The KNU will never be under anyone's influence. 4. Never in our history have the Karen people suffered as we are suffering in this present military attack by the SLORC. Not only are the people tortured to death, raped and whole villages burnt but plantations, houses and house hold belongings, rice and paddy, livestock are all destroyed. The peace negotiators will need to tell the SLORC that these abuses are hurting the national reconciliation and destroying the rays of peace. 5. KNU and the Karen people will never accept the bullying through the use of military or arms. We will be defending ourselves as long as there is a military offensive against our organization and our people. Nevertheless, the KNU would like to reply that we uphold the fact that problems should be solved not through armed methods but through justified dialogue. 11th April 1997 General Saw Bo Mya President Karen national Union ********************************** KNU REPORT: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS May 8,1997 From: So_Nou@sala.icn.net (So Nou) Human Rights Violations Update, Karen State The SLORC troops have launched an offensive against the KNU in the northern region in February this year and the offensive is still continuing. To crush the resistance group in the area, the invading force burned down villages as well as the rice barns belonging to the villagers who were mere civilians and play no part in this armed conflict. Thousands of villagers have to leave their villages and flee to the jungle to hide from the abuses of the invading army. Unlike the refugees in Thailand, these villagers have no NGOs to provide food and health care for them.Now these helpless people are facing starvation and diseases in the jungle and when they were found by the invading army, they were shot to kill. >From February to May, the SLORC troops have burned and destroyed more than 40 villages in Naunglinbin district alone. The total number of homeless families in the area is estimated about 800 and the total number of villagers hiding in the jungle is more than 3000. We urge those who receive this information, to do whatever is in your power to alleviate the suffering and plight of this ethnic group of people. KNU Information Center ************************************** AFP: PEACE POSSIBLE BETWEEN JUNTA AND KNU: SLORC PRESS May 7, 1997 RANGOON, May 7 - Burma's ruling junta SLORC and the Karen National Union (KNU), the only major insurgency yet to reach a ceasefire with Rangoon, could still resolve their differences in talks, the official media said here Wednesday. There "was not much difference" in the SLORC and KNU positions in unsuccessful peace talks last year, the New Light of Myanmar daily said. The KNU, which has been battling successive governments in Rangoon for almost 50 years, refused to abandon armed struggle in the four rounds of talks, which ended in December. "There were signs that these points could be solved if the discussions were held once more," said the commentary, written under the byline "a native of Kayin (Karen) state." The KNU has said it was seeking further talks when SLORC forces abruptly began a massive offensive against it in February, causing thousands of Karen civilians to flee to Thailand. The conciliatory tone of the commentary suggested the junta could still be hopeful of reaching an accord with the KNU, which is maintaining guerilla resistance in its former enclaves close to the Thai border, a Burmese observer in Rangoon said. Some 15 insurgent groups have reached ceasefires with the junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), through a combination of military pressure and promised development assistance. The KNU leadership has repeatedly stated it would regard the abandonment of armed struggle without substantive political dialogue as tantamount to surrender. ***************************************** REUTER: BURMA'S MONKS, STUDENTS LIE LOW IN THE HOT SEASON May 8, 1997 By Adrian Edwards MANDALAY, Burma, May 8 (Reuter) - Mandalay lies quiet under the scorching sun of central Burma's hottest and driest months just weeks after some of the country's worst religious unrest in years. As temperatures soar the Buddhist faithful head for the shade at the temples and pagodas that dot the landscape across the vast plains around this city. The monks, too, appear for now to be sitting the hot season out. At the Mahagandhayon monastery in Amarapura, a few miles down the Irrawaddy River, most have left for home villages to await the arrival of the summer monsoon. The same mood of quiet pervades in Rangoon where major universities remain closed following student upheaval in December. But in both cities the sense of unease is tangible. "It's definitely getting worse," says a Western diplomat. "The students are at home now," says a Rangoon resident, adding ominously, "...but they've got lots of ideas in their heads." BURMA'S STUDENTS, MONKS REMAIN KEY TO DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT Burma's students and monks, in many respects, continue to represent the conscience of this troubled nation. Both had key roles in the pro-democracy protests between 1988-90. Both deny links with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but both continue to play parts in the same political drama opposite the iron-fist rule of a military junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC. When monks in this city went on a rampage in March attacking Moslems and damaging mosques it was reported the trouble had been sparked by the appearance of a crack on a highly venerated Buddha image at the nearby Mahamuni Paya pagoda. Other reports said it started following rumours that a Buddhist girl had been molested by Moslems. Whatever the cause the violence quickly spread to other cities, reflecting what observers say is Burma's deep current volatility. "The SLORC was lucky," said a Rangoon-based diplomat. "This could have got out of hand." "There are three elements here they have to worry about, the students, the monks and the NLD (National League for Democracy). If any two were to combine this whole place could explode." MILITARY RULERS SAY SITUATION MANIPULATED BY POLITICS Today, few signs of the recent trouble are left. Barricades around mosques and night curfews had been removed in most areas. But mindful of the dangers of talking out loud, people are unwilling to speak. Taxi drivers are reluctant to take foreign passengers to some mosques. Other city residents prefer to sit on the fence. "You know what our government's like," says an onlooker at one of Mandalay's main Moslem gathering places. "I don't know you and you don't know me." Burma's military rulers say the unrest and other events over the past eight months, including Washington's recent decision to impose sanctions, are deliberate acts aimed at blocking Burma's accession this year to the ASEAN regional bloc. It's an arguement which is plausible. Malaysia and Indonesia, two dominantly Islamic countries and existing Association of South East Asian Nation members, may well have viewed the anti-Moslem violence with unease. Washington, too, has stated its opposition to Burma's membership of the organisation. Diplomats say the United States and other countries may find dealing with a Burma inside ASEAN more difficult than dealing with it now. "If I was (Aung San) Suu Kyi, I'd be worried what might happen after July," said one foreign analyst. "Wouldn't you?" Burma could be admitted as early as July at ASEAN's annual meeting. SLORC RANKS MAY BE SPLIT OVER ASEAN A further factor in the complex equation is speculation that elements within SLORC's own upper ranks may be split over the merits of ASEAN membership, and working against joining. According to some eyewitness accounts monks involved in the recent troubles had guns or wore military boots, suggesting those opposed to ASEAN membership may have been trying to use the violence to their advantage. All in all, students, monks, military, NLD -- a group which Western analysts say must work together if the country's ills are to be righted -- it's a situation which has many people worried. "Over the last few months there have been worrying signs that there are some people who think that the problems can only be resolved through violent means," said Aung San Suu Kyi at a news conference in late April. "I think it's a reflection of the general malaise of Burmese society... You cannot expect a society where there is rampant injustice to be a happy one." ********************************************* XINHUA NEWS AGENCY: MYANMAR TO EXTRACT IRON ORE ON COMMERCIAL SCALE May 2, 1997 Myanmar is planning to extract iron ore on a commercial scale on the discovery of deposits in Taunggyi, southern Shan state of the country. The Pinngo hill, where the deposits lie, is 112 kilometers south of Taunggyi with an elevation of 1,400 meters and altogether 110 million tons of hematite and limonite can be extracted on a commercial scale, the official paper the New Light of Myanmar said today. The iron ore deposits were discovered in 1951 and extensive surveys were conducted in 1961-62. According to the report, gypsum, another industrial mineral, has also been extracted in the maukmai area and production of goods and ceiling slabs from gypsum is under way.the surveys indicate that 4.8 million tons of newly found gypsum can be extracted, it added. Myanmar is well endowed with mineral resources which call for exploration, development and exploitation. other industrial minerals such as coal, limestone, chromite, fireclay and granite are also produced in the country. Myanmar has also been inviting local and foreign investment for surveying and mining mineral deposits including gold and copper, and 15 foreign companies from five countries --Australia, Canada, Singapore, Thailand and the United States --have been involved in mineral exploration in the country. According to the latest official statistics, foreign investment in the mining sector amounted to about 498 million U.S. dollars in 42 projects at the end of March this year. *************************************** BUSINESS NEWS INDOCHINA: BURMA ABSORBS BANK'S COLLAPSE May 1997 Burma's Prime Commercial Bank (PCB) was a little odd in more ways than one. For a start, it was reputed to be a conduit for drug money. This, in itself, is not unusual since many banks in Indochina do very well with drug profits. But its Malaysian founder, Yunus Shamshudeen, was arrested last year for running a sophisticated prostitution network in Rangoon cut of his Limelight Disco. No sooner was Shamshudeen packed off for a four year vacation in Rangoon's infamous Insein prison than a new board of directors were announced. About half of the bank's bad loans were to some 18 companies owned by Shamshudeen covering anything from property development (the $ 80m City Square in downtown Rangoon is now on 'hold') to teak exports. The new board of directors not only continued the loans but advertised last year in local newspapers that an associate company of the new PCB Chairman would pay 84% interest annually. Normal banks in Rangoon offer a maximum of 14%. When the government saw that PCB was little more than a front for highly questionable activities, it stepped in and closed it down. Burma's Central Bank was concerned about fraud by its former directors and possible substantial losses. Rangoon bankers welcomed the intervention, saying it would instill confidence in the private banking system that was only launched in 1990. "The central bank is managing the situation extremely well," said one bank manager in Rangoon. "There hasn't been any run on the bank, or any panic." The government guaranteed that the bank's 2,000 depositors would receive all their principal as well as interest accrued. PCB is the Central Bank's first intervention into the country's fledgling private banking sector. It is expected that PCB's licence will be granted to a new bank. Myanmar limits the number of private banks in the country to 15. ************************************************** BUSINESS NEWS INDOCHINA: HOW SAFE IS BURMA ? May 1997 Donald MacLean, general manager of the Central Floating Hotel in Yangon and chairman of Myanmar's Tourist Promotion Board comments here on the safety aspects for the typical tourist visiting Burma. As complicated as this question may be, due to how one would interpret the word "safe", the answer is a simple YES. I am amazed as to why so much interest has been placed on this subject. Perhaps it's the total lack of understanding about the way the country works, combined with a fascinating interest and curiosity about this wonderful country. I guess the question stems from the political situation and perhaps more particularly the student protests. However, I think this should take a back seat considering the street crimes, murders, bombings, rapes, kidnappings, muggings and other violent crimes that take place elsewhere in many premier tourist destinations both regionally and internationally. Firstly, let me say I have lived in three different countries at the time of "student unrests" where violence has erupted. In all cases this violence was isolated to a particular small area and visitors to the country were not affected or in danger. The same applies in Myanmar. All the demonstrations are contained to specific areas which are controlled and monitored by the officials and life outside these areas goes on as normal. A certain few areas of Myanmar are not permitted to be visited by tourists due to ethnic unrest. Again, tourists are protected by not being allowed into these areas. The crime rate in Myanmar in relation to foreigners is virtually zero. I have never heard of any tourist being attacked, molested, robbed or even approached in a threatening manner. Penalties for such things are very tough in Myanmar and obviously this attributes to the safety of tourists in the country. If anything, Myanmar people are over-courteous and have a tendency to "over serve" visitors. Safety in the transport sector also has a good record, with improvements make to both international and domestic air travel, and improvements in roads and standards of road transport are being upgraded continuously. The risk to one's health is not a problem if standard precautions are taken. Malaria has been eradicated in Yangon and many other upcountry regions. Any worries about contracting malaria can be resolved by taking the required precautionary drugs. Precautions should also be employed as to where one eats and drinks. All tourists to all parts of South-east Asia are given the do's and don't's of what to eat and drink. If these are followed, one will be safe. All in all, I believe Myanmar to be a very safe destination. Compared with recent reports from neighbouring countries, I believe that this question should be addressed to them and not to Myanmar. I get tired of reading and seeing reports being presented by people who obviously have not been here to see what the situation is really like. Seeing is believing - if you don't believe me, come and see it for yourself - TravelAsia ****************************************************** CZECH NEWS AGENCY: HAVEL OPENS EXHIBITION ON BURMA'S STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM May 5, 1997 President Vaclav Havel today expressed his support for the fight for human rights in Burma in a speech opening an exhibition on Burma's struggle for liberation. "I know that freedom has been denied Burma for a long time, and for this reason I have an understanding for the country's struggle for liberation and the human rights," Havel told CTK afterwards, adding that he welcomed the exhibition and similar projects from which Praguers could get to know more about Burma. It is good that at least some Czechs have assumed responsibility for the state of the globally linked world and organised the show, he said. Burma's military, which seized power in 1962, crushed democratic protest in the country in 1988, and in 1990 it suppressed the results of elections won by the National Front for Democracy led by Burmese dissident Do Aung San Suu Kyi. Do Aung San Suu Kyi won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize following her nomination by Havel. The ideals pushed for by Do Aung San Suu Kyi are identical with ones pursued by the Charter '77 Czechoslovak human rights initiative, Havel, who was one of the Charter '77 organisers, said at the anniversary of its foundation in April. The Chartists ideals have turned into reality, and no doubt the Burmese dissent will live to see its ideal fulfilled as well, Havel said then. ******************************************** XINHUA NEWS AGENCY: MYANMAR POWER PROJECT May 5, 1997 A Myanmar private company --the May Flower Trading Co. ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding (mou) with the energy authorities to build a hydro-power project in the country's Shan state. According to the mou signed in Tachilek last Saturday between the May Flower co. and the state-run Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE), the Nang Mai Sai hydro-power plant in Tachilek, when completed, will generate 43.9 million kilowatt-hour electricity a year, official paper the New Light of Myanmar reported today. The May Flower Co. is the first local private company in Myanmar to get involved in such a major power project. ******************************************** IPS: OIL GIANT SUFFERS LEGAL SETBACKS May 8, 1997 by Reese Erlich SAN FRANCISCO, May 8 (IPS) - Popular pressure has dealt a series of blows to the oil giant Unocal in recent weeks, affecting its environmental policies and future investments in Burma. Human rights activists, environmentalists, and trade unionists have sharply criticised Unocal for putting profits ahead of people. Recent court actions and a key Clinton Administration decision now echo some of those criticisms. In the first case, a federal court judge in Los Angeles ruled Mar. 25 that a highly unusual suit by human rights groups against Unocal may proceed to trial. The suit, brought under the Alien Tort Claims Act, charges that Unocal cooperates with the military regime in Burma (Myanmar) in repression and slave labour. The Act allows persons to sue others in U.S. courts for rights violations committed abroad. Although the defendant must be in the United States when the suit is filed, none of the parties has to be a U.S. citizen. In another decision, a San Francisco federal judge ruled Apr. 14 that Unocal was responsible for having polluted the San Francisco Bay with the toxic chemical selenium. And seven days later, the Clinton administration enacted an executive order prohibiting all new investment in Burma, a move strongly opposed by Unocal, which is investing in a 1.2 billion- dollar natural gas pipeline there. These strikes against Unocal reflect grassroots groups' ''long- term organising,'' says Greg Karras, a representative of Community for a Better Environment. Unocal is fighting back. The company recently sold off most of its U.S. refineries and gas stations, and plans to shift its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Those actions will result in the loss of hundreds of jobs, according to Howard Spencer, president of Local 1-326 of the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers (OCAW), which is located near San Francisco. ''Unocal has been polluting the San Francisco Bay with selenium and tolerating human rights abuses in Burma,'' said Spencer. ''And now they're laying off American workers in order to invest in Asia.'' From April 21-23 the OCAW, along with the United Mine Workers union, gathered petitions and held rallies to demand an end to all U.S. investments in Burma, including an end to the building of the natural gas pipeline. Unocal has refused to discuss the issues with IPS, despite repeated requests for interviews. But press reports have cited Unocal sources as denying any involvement with human rights abuses in Burma. Company officials say they pay high wages to pipeline workers and have built hospitals and schools in the area. They oppose President Bill Clinton's Apr. 21 executive order that forbids new U.S. investment in Burma. They argue that western investments can help moderate the Burmese military regime's policies. ''We firmly believe that Unocal can contribute as a partner in this region to the betterment of the lives of the people,'' Unocal Chairman Roger Beach told Reuters recently. But human rights groups point out that although Unocal and other western companies have invested in Burma for years, human rights abuses by the military regime, known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), are getting worse. Pam Wellner, coordinator for the San Francisco-based group 'Free Burma/No Petro Dollars for SLORC', says ''1996 was the worst year yet for human rights abuses'' in Burma. Unocal faced a major setback when a Los Angeles federal judge ruled that human rights activists could proceed with their suit against the company. The suit alleges that Burmese farmers have been relocated and forced to work on pipeline-related projects. While not ruling on the substance of the allegations, Judge Richard Paez said a jury might see Unocal's payments to SLORC as tantamount to ''participation in slave trading.'' Unocal denies such charges and is appealing the ruling. In another major legal setback, San Francisco Federal Judge Thelton Henderson ruled Apr. 14 that Unocal violated both federal and state laws by continuing to dump selenium in the San Francisco Bay. In high concentrations, selenium can cause birth defects, deformities, and even death. Unocal's pollution stemmed from its decision to buy less costly, but selenium-rich crude oil for its Rodeo refinery, according to environmentalists. That crude, along with a particular refining process, resulted in Unocal's plant releasing about five pounds of selenium a day, almost six times the amount allowed under federal law. The Bay became contaminated, leading health officials to warn people not to eat some Bay fish and shellfish. At current levels, the selenium contamination can cause flu-like symptoms. ''Poor people rely on fishing in the Bay for food,'' says environmentalist Karras. ''Eighty percent of them are people of colour. This is a form of environmental racism.'' Unocal sold the polluting refinery in April. But the company could be liable for fines of up to 50 million dollars for violating the federal Clean Water Act. Unocal's actions in the United States and Asia have turned some former adversaries into allies. In the past, unions have opposed the demands of some environmental groups, fearing that big clean- ups could result in plant shutdowns and layoffs. But the selenium case could serve as a model of environmentalist-union cooperation, says union president Spencer. ''The environmental groups filing suit thought very carefully about'' potential job loss, said Spencer. ''They weren't trying to shut the plant down. So we became allies.'' ****************** BKK POST: SUWAT TO BOOST LINKS WITH BURMA May 7, 1997 Transport and Communications Minister Suwat Liptapallop will try to boost road and aviation links between Thailand and Burma during his visit to Rangoon from May 8-9. Deputy permanent secretary Sathien Vongvichen said yesterday Mr Suwat would propose to his Burmese counterpart to improve Thai-Burma road links, boost the frequency of flights between Bangkok and Rangoon from 12 to 14 per week, and open other domestic routes to Thai airlines. The minister will also propose extension of the existing rail link from Saiyoke in Kanchanaburi province, to Burma via the Three Pagoda Pass, and discuss the operation and management of the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge which has already been completed. The bridge links Mae Sot district in Tak province with Myawaddy in Burma. There would be two joint committees - one to manage the bridge and the other to handle maintenance, Mr Sathien said. (BP) **************************************** ASAHI EVENING NEWS: MYANMAR'S OPPRESSIVE JUNTA MUST BE URGED INTO DIALOGUE May 7, 1997 Editorial How long must the people of Myanmar (Burma) endure rule by military junta? That question came to mind following reports that Western nations have stepped up economic sanctions against Myamnar. The United States, which had suspended exchanges of high-ranking government officials and cut aid to the Asian nation recently barred American business from new investment in Myamnar. The European Union excluded Myanmar from the list of nations it favors through lower import tariffs. There are suspicions that the military junta has cracked down harder on the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and that citizens are being mobilized for forced labor. Such suspicions are largely behind the heavier Western sanctions. And there is growing underground movement in the West through the Internet to press for boycotts against businesses that invest in Myanmar. Are economic sanctions really effective in promoting democracy? To what extent can political intervention in business activities influence the private sector? With no answers for such questions, we have argued that, rather than a policy that isolates Myanmar, low-profile diplomatic initiatives are needed to urge the military government into dialogue with the forces of democracy. We have hoped that flexibility will eventually emerge from within the military junta. However, Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and the leader of the junta, said SLORC has no problems and that it counts many "friends" among Myanmar's neighbors. It is assumed that these "friends" are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). If the military junta regards the scheduled entry into ASEAN by year-end as a stamp of approval for continued military rule in Myanmar, it is mistaken. We want to ask the junta leaders how they propose to effect a transition to civilian rule. Nine years have already passed since the junta took power in 1988. But there has been no progress in writing a new Constitution, and, with the attack on Suu Kyi's car and the mass arrests of members of the National League for Democracy, the pro-democracy movement has been denied freedom to act since last fall. If the military intends to be a permanent government, it will be going against its own promise. How does the military junta intend to govern? True, the junta did come up with a cease-fire agreement among ethnic minorities, and made rapid economic gains by an open-door policy. But about one-third of the national budget goes to military spending, and Cabinet-level ministerial posts have been doled out freely to placate disgruntled military officers. Corruption and political scandal are rampant within the junta. There has been a flurry of mysterious incidents, including a series of attacks on Muslim mosques, and frequent explosions of parcel bombs at the homes of high-ranking military officers. These can only be explained as outbursts of impotent rage among the public and within the military. Myanmar's multi-ethnic, multi-religious makeup may have made the military necessary. But the military's repressive regime can only be a temporary lid on ethnic and religious conflict. There is no hope of real stability without democratically founded discussion and mutual understanding. Suu Kyi and other leaders of the pro-democracy will keep trying to hold rallies. It is clear from the junta's hard line that its members believe that even the slightest acquiescence to demands by the democracy forces would unravel their power base. Perhaps that is because the junta realizes that they have been rejected by the people. Unless the military leaders change their rigid position and move to prepare the way for civilian rule, genuine rapprochement in Myanmar is not likely to take place. The Japanese government has pursued a policy course somewhat apart from that of the West. In recent months, though, it seems to have lost support not only among the pro-democracy forces but from the military junta as well. Under such circumstances, it will be difficult to resume full-scale official development assistance. Even so, the government should not relent in its efforts to urge the junta into dialogue with the democratic movement. (Asahi Shimbun, May 5) To respond to this editorial, write to The Editors Asahi Evening News 3-2 Tsukiji 5 chome Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-11 Japan Fax: (81) 3- 3542-6172 E-mail: aen@mx.asahi-np.co.jp ********************************************* THE NATION: BOTTOM LINE ON SLORC May 8, 1997 The United States' imposition of economic sanctions against Burma applicable to it own nationals and companies has drawn as much disdain from sceptics as declarations of support from those who believe the restrictions will form the magic bullet that puts an end to Rangoon's rule by junta. Neither position can be said to be totally right or wrong. The Americans will learn in short order that theirs is a minority view when very few countries actively support the move by barring their nationals from conducting business with Burma. Being practical is the only currency that travels in today's altered stage of chronic unemployment and changing East-West economic fortunes. As much as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) does not wish to interfere with Burma's political justifications - the reason the grouping opposes Western attempts to ostracise Rangoon and instead chooses to advance a political transition by pumping in investment funds and offering Burma membership - it also feels the State Law and Order Restoration Council generals must show sincerity in wanting political reform. And Slorc isn't terribly afraid of US machinations. Gen Khin Nyunt, secretary one of Slorc, said the sanctions are "not a problem for us." In dollar terms, he was right, but if he also meant that Slorc has "no problem" resisting other forms of pressure to gradually accede to the popular will, he should be told by Asean that this is not acceptable. Membership in Asean, which is imminent, carries with it obligations and not just benefits. THE STRAITS TIMES SINGAPORE ************************************************ ANNOUNCEMENT: PHOTO-EXHIBITION OF BURMESE STUDENTS' MOVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA. May 7, 1997 From: Myo Aye <082903@bud.cc.swin.edu.au> Photo-Exhibition of Burmese Students' Movement in Australia is now available in my Burma homepage. (http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/4474) This page presents you the Burmese students' movement in Australia for democracy and human rights in Burma. Burmese students in Australia participated in the nationwide pro-democracy movement against the military dictatorship by the Burmese military government in 1988. The peaceful demonstrations were brutally cracked down by the military. The military took over the power in September 1998 and still refuses to hand over the power to the representatives of people who won the seats in 1990 election. Most of Burmese students came out from Burma to continue their struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma. A number of Burmese students have arrived in Australia as permanent residents and scholarship students since 1993. They continue their movement for motherland such as demonstrations and hunger strike against the military junta in Burma. The photo-exhibition will present you the pro-democracy movements by the Burmese students in Australia. (http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/4474) Presented by Myo Aye & Hnin Nwe Soe. ************************************* ANNOUNCEMENT: 'INSIDE BURMA' SCREENING May 8, 1997 From: Roberto Campoamor The National Educational Media Network (NEMN) is planning on screening the award-winning documentary film "Inside Burma" at 7:30 PM on Friday, May 30, 1997 at the Mariott Hotel in Oakland, California. We are looking for people --primarily activists and others with a vested interest in the cause -- to help us publicize this screening. The film has extensive undercover footage of what is truly going on in Burma and is really a very well-made film. For more information please contact Erin Ploss-Campoamor or Jean-Paul Petraud at NEMN at (510) 465-6885. ****************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: TEXACO SHAREHOLDERS MEETING May 8, 1997 seacesf@syr.edu --------------------------------------------------------------------------- !!!!RALLY to END the OPPRESSION and ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION in BURMA!!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- COME TELL TEXACO TO: 1) STOP DESTROYING BURMA'S ENVIRONMENT 2) STOP FINANCING BURMA'S ILLIGITIMATE DICTATORSHIP Texaco is drilling for natural gas of the coast of Burma. Aside from dumping radioactive drilling muds directly into the ocean, Texaco is planning on constructing a pipeline through the largest remaining teak rainforest in the world! The pipeline project will result in the destruction and fragmentation of critical habitat for endagered species like: 1) The Javan Rhino (less than 100 remain in the wild) 2) The Indo-Chinese Tiger (approx. 900 left) 3) The Asian Elephant (highly endangered!) 4) Many other endemic species of flora and fauna Texaco's involvement in Burma is totally unacceptable. Not only are they ravaging Burma's environment, Texaco is financing one of the most brutal and repressive dictatorships on the planet. Texaco still refuses to get out of Burma even after dozens of other corporations have left, and after President Clinton imposed circumstantial economic sanctions on 4/22/97. We need to send a firm message to the highest levels of Texaco: GET OUT! And what better time and place to do so than the Annual Texaco Shareholders meeting! NY-SEAC is teaming up with the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) of NYC and the Westchester People's Action Committee (WESPAC) to make this event one that Texaco won't forget. Folks from accross the state will be gathering at the meeting site to: educate Texaco's shareholders and passers-by, expose the issue to local and statewide media, and show are solidarity with the people and animals of Burma. (We are working on getting proxies to actually take part in the meeting!) Here are the details: DATE: TUESDAY, MAY 13 TIME: 1 PM - 3 PM PLACE: The RYE TOWN HILTON 699 WESTCHESTER AVE PORT CHESTER, NY (30 minutes north of NYC) WHAT TO BRING: FRIENDS, SIGNS (With such slogans as "Free Burma! Boycott Texaco!, No more funds for Burmese Guns, etc.), DRUMS, LOTS OF ENERGY! FOR MORE INFO: Keegan Cox of NY-SEAC; 315 423 8633, seacesf@syr.edu Charles Margulus of WESPAC; 914 6820488,wespac@igc.apc.org James Hansen of RAN; 212 966 5244 For more info on the burma situation check out www.freeburma.org You can also download petitions by going to the Free Burma Site (above address) and looking under Activism, then Boycott, then Oil companies. Please try to gather as many signatures as possible, and bring them to the rally. We have several hundred already!!! ***********************