------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: July 1, 1997 Issue #762 HEADLINES: ========== NATION: NLD LEADER DISMISSES SLORC TERRORISM CLAIM KNU UPDATE: SKIRMISHES FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW: FEELERS TO CIVILIANS THE NATION: ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS GATHER IN HK BKK POST: BOUNDARY TALKS TEST RANGOON'S RESOLVE BKK POST: $20M PAID TO BURMA FOR GAS FIELD INTEREST THE NATION: RAMOS SAYS ASEAN WILL SWAY BURMA AISAWEEK: WILL RAMOS EXTEND A HAND OF FRIENDSHIP? TT: BORDER POLICE INTERCEPT JOB-HUNTING ILLEGAL ALIENS NATION: AFFECTED RESIDENTS TO RETURN COMPENSATION ASIAWEEK: IN EVERYONE'S INTEREST THE STAR: US GROUP BACKS MALAYSIAN STAND ON BURMA THE NATION: REACH OF INVESTMENT BAN WORRIES US THAILAND TIMES: ASEAN PASSPORT TO BE PROPOSED ANNOUNCEMENT: MYANMAR LIST SUBSCRIPTIONS ALTSEAN ANNOUNCEMENT: ASEAN SUMMIT BRC-J ANNOUNCEMENT: ECONOMIC INVESTMENT DEBATE ----------------------------------------------------------------- NATION: NLD LEADER DISMISSES SLORC TERRORISM CLAIM June 30, 1997 [abridged] AP RANGOON - The Burmese government's charges that the United States is sponsoring terrorism against it is groundless, a senior opposition leader said yesterday. Burma's powerful intelligence chief accused the United States on Friday of financing democracy activists - including members of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy - who allegedly were plotting to blow up foreign embassies and government leaders in Rangoon. "It is the principle of the National League for Democracy not to accept financial assistance from foreign organisations," the party's vice chairman, Kyi Maung, said. "Did the authorities provide evidence, like a receipt that Suu Kyi had accepted cash Nyunt, leader of Burma's military intelligence, said that Suu Kyi accepted more than US$80,000 (Bt2.1 million) from US citizens and labour organisations. "It is ridiculous," Kyi Maung told journalists in Rangoon. "Eighty thousand dollars is quite a considerable amount of money. Our party is not an extravagant one and we don't need that amount of cash." *************************************************** KNU UPDATE: SKIRMISHES June 29, 1997 From: Simon_Po@sala.icn.net (Simon Po) SKIRMISHES IN MAY From 1.5.97 to 31.5.97, (75) clahses were broke out between the KNLA troops and SLORC troops. (65) mines were exploded. (87) SLORC soldiers were killed , (104) SLORC soldiers were injured and (44) SLORC soldiers lost their legs. KNLA suffered (4) dead. BATTLE NEWS 21.5.97 (KNLA, No(5)Bri, Mu Traw district Area) SLORC troops stepped on a KNLA mine at Hga Kho. One SLORC soldier was killed. 25.5.97 (KNLA, No(7)Bri, Pa-an district Area) SLORC troops stepped on two KNLA mines at Klu Htaw. Two SLORC soldiers were killed and one SLORC soldier was injured. 27.5.97 (KNLA, No(5)Bri, Mu Traw district Area) SLORC troops stepped on a KNLA mine at Oo Too Klo. One SLORC soldier lost his leg. At the same day SLORC troops stepped on two KNLA mines at Taw Plar Bler. Two SLORC soldiers lost their legs. At the same day SLORC troops stepped on two KNLA mines at Ta Ku Der. Two SLORC soldiers lost their legs. KNLA troops attacked SLORC troops at a position between the Ku Hsay and Mar Htaw. Casualties are unknown. 28.5.97 (KNLA, No(5) Bri, Mu Traw district Area) LIR (703) stepped on a KNLA mine at Ka Ru Kho. One SLORC soldier lost his leg. 29.5.97 (KNLA, No(5) Bri, Mu Traw district Area) A clash broke out between the KNLA troops and LIR (59) at Ta Ko Kwee Lu. Casualties are unknown. At the same day a battle broke out between the KNLA troops and LIR (707) at Hto Kaw Lu. Casualties are unknown. At 1215 hours, KNLA troops attacked LIR (708) at Der Kyu Kyo. Two SLORC soldiers were killed and one SLORC soldier was injured. At 1500 hours, KNLA troops attacked SLORC troops at Ta Par Lu. SLORC casualties are unknown. (KNLA, No(3)Bri, No(8)BN, K'ler Lwee Hto district, Mone township Area) At 0700 and 0730 hours, two clahshes broke out between the KNLA troops and SLORC troops at Htee Klu Day area. At the same time, SLORC troops stepped on a KNLA mine. One SLORC soldier lost his leg. 31.5.97 (KNLA,No(3)Bri, No(8)BN, K'ler Lwee Hto district, Mone township Area) At 1040 hours, KNLA troops attacked SLORC troops at Kaw Thay Der. Casualties are unknown. At the same time SLORC troops stepped on two KNLA mines. Two SLORC soldiers lost their legs. SLORC troops stepped on a KNLA mine at Thay Kar Paw Kwee. One SLORC soldier was injured. At the same time, KNLA troops attacked SLORC troops at Thay Kar Paw Kwee. At 1000 hours, a KNLA mine exploded at Kaw Hta. One SLORC soldier was killed. KNU information Center. KNLA = Karen National Liberation Army SLORC = State Law and Order Restoration Council LIR = Light infantry Regiment ************************************************* FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW: FEELERS TO CIVILIANS July 3, 1997 The Burmese military junta may be thinking of allowing some civilian participation in the political process in Rangoon. To counter the National League for Democracy, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the junta has held several rounds of talks recently with the Alliance for Democratic Solidarity (Burma), a civilian opposition group led by U Aung, the son of former Prime Minister U Nu. Envoys from ADSB, who are based in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, have made several trips to the Burmese border town of Tachilek for meetings with military officials. The brain behind the initiative is said to be Burma's intelligence chief, Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, whose military support has been eroded in recent months, but who is attempting to strengthen his political support base. However, U Aung's popularity inside Burma is questionable. His late father's political party received approximately 2% of the vote in the 1990 election, when the NLD won a landslide victory but was prevented from forming a government. (FEER) ******************************************************* THE NATION: ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS GATHER IN HK June 30, 1997 [abridged] THE seven foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will meet tomorrow to discuss and finalise preparations for the admission of Burma, Cambodia and Laos to the grouping in July. The luncheon meeting, to be hosted by Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi, will take place in Hong Kong, where the foreign ministers have gathered for tonight's ceremony to return the British colony to China. Despite strong opposition from the West and Burmese democratic activists to Burma's membership, Asean's foreign ministers agreed in late May to admit the three countries during their annual ministerial meeting in July. They also agreed to hold a final meeting in Hong Kong to evaluate the progress made by the three countries towards Asean membership, and to discuss the last stages of preparation before actual admission. The Asean foreign ministers will hold an official ceremony to welcome the three countries on July 23, one day ahead of the annual meeting. As full members, foreign ministers of Burma, Cambodia and Laos will attend the two-day meeting on July 24 and 25 and the Asean Regional Forum on July 27. The 10 Asean ministers will subsequently meet their 10 dialogue partners on July 28 and 29 in a gathering known as the Post Ministerial Conference. Asean dialogue partners include Western countries such as the United States and the European Union, which have been the strongest critics of the Burmese junta's widespread human rights abuses and suppression of the democratic movement. Both the United States and the European Union have said that their relations with Asean countries could sour as a result of the admission of Burma while it is under the current military regime. Apart from bilateral dialogue with existing members, foreign ministers of the three new members will have talks with representatives of the UN Development Programme to discuss fresh assistance for their smooth and quick integration into the grouping, particularly their implementation of the Asean Free Trade Area requirements. ***************************************************** BKK POST: BOUNDARY TALKS TEST RANGOON'S REGIONAL RESOLVE June 30, 1997 Nussara Sawatsawang, Supamart Kasem Any territorial loss could prove costly for Chavalit government Senior Thai and Burmese officials today begin discussions in Rangoon that will test how much prospective membership of Asean affects Burma's willingness to cooperate with a neighbour and founding member of the club. The three-day meeting will centre on a disputed border area caused by heavy flooding in 1994 which changed the course of the Moei River, and Burma's new plan to reclaim land it lost by dredging an. adjacent area. Thai officials have also prepared to discuss the maintenance of boundary stakes fixed in the Sai and Ruak rivers further north. The disputed area near Wat Khok Chang Puek is part of a 2,400-kilometre, largely undemarcated border that the two countries share. It is the fifth disputed area along the border in addition to what Thailand claims to be in Doi Lang in Chiang Mai, Three Pagodas Pass in Kanchanaburi, the Pak Chan River in Ranong and Hill 491 in Chumphon. Legal affairs specialists will lead the talks, the first negotiation of a boundary problem between the two countries since the May 31 decision by foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to admit Burma, Cambodia and Laos into the fold next month. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are current Asean members. Somboon Sa-Ngiambutr, director general of the Thai foreign ministry's treaties and legal affairs department, and his Burmese counterpart Aye Lwin, will co-chair the first meeting of the Thai-Burmese Joint Boundary Committee since 1995. The results will be submitted to a ministerial conference to be held at a later date. The meeting of senior officials "will test Burma's foreign policy which so far has given priority to security concerns", said a Thai foreign ministry official, who asked not-to be named. Burma's stance will show how much Rangoon has been affected by its failure to settle the dispute by force in late May, sources noted. Thai and Burmese troops almost clashed on the border after local villagers protested Burmese dredging of the river. The disputed area measures about 150 rai. The row stems from siltation since the floods in 1994 which has connected the plot to Thai soil. Thailand is hoping that the meeting will come up with a solution that will help it deal with potential problems stemming from eight other islets created by the river's sudden change of course two years ago. These islets range from 50 to 300 rai in area, including Mae Mon Kane, 40 kilometres from Mae Sot, and measuring 300 rai, for which Thailand submitted an aide memoire to Rangoon to claim its right to ownership. Mapping is a major obstacle, with Burma insisting on use of the 1989 map, and Thailand insisting on a later document. Burma claims that Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh gave his consent to use 1989 map when Burmese leaders raised the matter during his mid-May visit to Rangoon. In early March, the Burmese used the map to dredge under the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge. To meet Rangoon's demand, Bangkok had to dismantle shophouses built on the reclaimed area. Thailand wants to use the map that is "most appropriate" to conditions pertaining in the area before the floods in 1994, Mr Somboon said. The 1989 map is too old, because the river's course changes every year, he said. Burma's new dredging plan threatens to enlarge the disputed area "by several times" and Bangkok will not allow any dredging of Thai territory, he emphasised. Territorial loss to the country, through dredging by Burma, and to individuals who have been issued land ownership documents to some parts of Khok Chang Phuek threaten to be politically explosive issues for the Chavalit government. Pointing out that any loss of territory, however small, would be unacceptable, former deputy foreign minister Prapas Limpaphan last week urged the two countries to opt for joint development of the disputed area. But Rangoon has insisted on reclaiming the area, for economic and political reasons, sources noted. The Burmese government has already been paid 25 million baht in concession fees by a group of Thai and Burmese investors planning to build a resort and casino there, one source said. Failure, to settle the Moei River dispute will further delay settlement of other boundary problems. According to a military source troops are still poised at the 18 square-kilometre disputed area between Doi Lang and Burma's adjacent Shan State despite the agreement in May, between Prime Minister Chavalit and his Burmese counterpart Gen Than Shwe, for their withdrawal. And Burma, which links one issue with another, may well reject Thailand's proposal to open the Friendship Bridge in August, officials noted. ****************************************** BKK POST: $20M PAID TO BURMA FOR GAS FIELD INTEREST June 27, 1997 Boonsong Kositchotethana Yadana partners say deal is typical of industry contracts Burma has obtained US$20 million in payments as of February from the international consortium that includes Thailand's PTT Exploration & Production Plc (PTTEP) for the Yadana gas interests in the Gulf of Martaban. The payments were made to Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (Moge), the Burmese state oil company, under the Yadana production-sharing contract, according to a report by Unocal Corp, the US partner in the $1-billion gas project. Disclosure of the amount, in a report made available to the Bangkok Post, comes amid continued allegations by anti-Rangoon groups that the Yadana consortium was providing funds to the Burmese junta for cracking down on pro-democracy movements led by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But the consortium, led by the French oil company Total, maintains that the payments represent only standard contract bonuses typical in the petroleum industry. The money also allows Moge to recover the exploration costs that led to the discovery of the Yadana field, Burma's known largest gas field, in 1982. However, the report said the significant capital expenditure required to complete the project means that none of the Yadana partners will realise any significant income until at least 2001 or 2002. The Burmese government's and Moge's net share of the revenue after expense and capital recovery - estimated at roughly $150 million annually - will be pegged to future fuel oil prices and inflation rates. Fully one-third of this revenue will be paid "in kind" - with an amount of natural gas equal in value to the taxes and royalties due, according to the report. The Burmese government will use the gas, up to 105 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd), for domestic energy projects such as the "three-in-one" project. The project includes a 214-kilometre gas pipeline from Yadana to shore, a 300-megawatt gas-fired powerhouse and a fertiliser plant with a production capacity of 1,750 metric tons per day near Kyaiktaw, southwest of Rangoon. These projects cost up to $750 million. Total's stake in the Yadana project is is 31.24%. Unocal holds 28.26%, PTTEP (part of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand) 25.5% and Moge 15%. By the end of last year, the consortium had awarded contracts worth $675 million to European, American and Asian companies for fabrication and installation of offshore platforms, onshore infrastructure construction and the offshore and onshore Burmese portion of the pipeline that will transport Yadana gas to Thailand, according to the report. The 30-year gas sale contract signed with PTT committed the Total group to deliver an average 525 MMcfd of Yadana gas to Thailand starting in mid-1998.(BP) ******************************************************* THE NATION: RAMOS SAYS ASEAN WILL SWAY BURMA June 28, 1997 AFP MANILA- Burma's membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will draw the military regime back into the international community, Philippine President Fidel Ramos said yesterday. Speaking before diplomats and government officials as part of a "report to the nation", Ramos said: "We are confident that membership in Asean will have an ameliorating effect on [Burma's] economy and society." He added membership would "gradually draw the Rangoon regime into the international community", although he did not elaborate. Ramos also defended the impending extension of Asean membership to Burma, saying: "To us in Asean, that [Burma] is part of the Southeast Asian family is reason enough to bring her into the fold." Asean, composed of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as the Philippines, plans to admit Burma, Cambodia and Laos into the grouping next month. However, Western nations, which have been isolating Burma's government due to its poor human rights record, have criticised the admission of the country into Asean. ************************************************************ AISAWEEK: WILL RAMOS EXTEND A HAND OF FRIENDSHIP? July 4, 1997 Plans are underway in the Philippines for President Fidel Ramos to visit Myanmar later this year. The trip, which is still being arranged, has not been officially announced. But if it pushes through, it will bring the president of Southeast Asia's most rambunctious democracy face to face with the leaders of one of the region's most restrictive governments. Ramos's frequently travels outside the country to promote bilateral trade and investment, and his journeys are seldom controversial. But this visit is sure to cause consternation at home. The Yangon government is shunned by many of Ramos's Western allies, and there are plenty of Filipinos sympathetic to the beleaguered opposition in Myanmar. Many would feel that Ramos was a traitor to the cause. He helped lead the 1986 Philippine "People Power" revolt, which ousted Ferdinand Marcos and partially inspired a popular uprising in Myanmar two years later. That revolt was crushed by the generals who went on to form the State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc). And it was Slorc who refused a visa last year to Ramos's 1986 colleague, former President Corazon Aquino. She made no effort to hide the fact that she was going to Yangon to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Why is Ramos making the effort? His trip will definitely win points with the resource-rich pariah state, as well as show solidarity with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which will admit Myanmar as a member later this year. Recently, the leaders of Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand have made the trek to Yangon to shake hands with Slorc's generals. President Ramos's visit is sure to win more smiles in Yangon than in Manila. (AW) ******************************************************* THAILAND TIMES: BORDER POLICE INTERCEPT JOB-HUNTING ILLEGAL ALIENS IN MONK'S ROBES June 29, 1997 TAK: Twenty foreigners who had shaved their heads -and dressed like monks in an attempt to deceive immigration police, were arrested at a border checkpoint in Tak province yesterday . The border checkpoint chief, Pol Lt-Gen Sutee Ariyabut, said that previously his police officers usually let those people dressed and shaved like monks pass through without inspection. Sutee said that in the last 010 days, police had arrested 500 illegal aliens without the necessary work permit. Most of them were Burmese or Karen and were on their way to large cities to find work. Two agents, Chaiwat Wongthanaboon and Padet Cherdkwan, had also recently been arrested. They were paid by the Karen and Burmese laborers to find them work in Thailand. Both of them are from Nakhon Sawan. Police found in their possession evidence such as two cars, two mobile phones, and 33,360 baht in cash. The two suspects confessed that they were paid 10,000 baht each to bring the workers to Nakhon Sawan. ************************************************** THE NATION: AFFECTED RESIDENTS PLAN TO RETURN COMPENSATION June 27, 1997 KANCHANABURI - More than 200 residents of Dan Makham Tia district plan to converge at the Petroleum Authority of Thailand's headquarters in Bangkok today to return the compensation paid to them in protest against the construction of the Yadana Gas pipeline project. The PTT paid cash compensations to the residents in areas the pipeline passes, but the residents are now more concerned about their safety than money, the group's spokesman said yesterday. PTT's public relations director, Songkiat Thansamrit, said the PTT had spoken to legal experts and would not simply accept the money. "It will involve the legal system because the villagers signed their names when they received the compensation. They might have to take the case to the police," he said. The pipeline, a joint venture between the PTT and US oil company Unocal, received world attention when 14 ethnic Karenni and Mon people from Burma sued Unocal-in the US People's World Court for disrupting their communities. The spokesman said residents were prepared to return the compensation to the PTT, as they believed the state enterprise had lied to them all along in claiming the gas was not flammable and was harmless to humans exposed to a leak. The spokesman claimed residents had also been harassed to move out of the pipeline's route. The residents, mostly from Chorakhe Phuak sub-district, are seeking legal aid from the Council of Lawyers to sue the PTT for misleading information about the project and for lying about the dangers of the gas pumped through the pipeline. *********************************************** ASIAWEEK: IN EVERYONE'S INTEREST July 4, 1997 Bunn Nagara Homes issues shape US, Asean policies on Myanmar Bunn Nagara heads Geopolicy Research, an independent consultancy based in Kuala Lumpur When Washington announced sanctions against Myanmar, Asean pundits rushed to speculate on the implications as if the bilateral affair determined Asean policy on Yangon. The issue which ruffled US feathers was Asean's imminent admission of Myanmar together with Laos and Cambodia, which might be construed as legitimizing and rewarding a repressive regime. Few commentators appreciated Asean's resolve in admitting Myanmar, the limits of US disaffection with Yangon, or the weight of everyone's domestic concerns on Myanmar policy. Washington's angst against perceived human rights violations abroad is familiar. After castigating then-President George Bush for "coddling dictators in Beijing," candidate Bill Clinton became a president who decided instead to "engage" China. Fresh from "Asiagate" the same season, the White House could not afford to entertain Myanmar also. Besides, Myanmar's prospective market was no match for China's. Last year, Sen (now Defense Secretary) William Cohen co-sponsored a bill allowing for sanctions against Myanmar should widespread repression escalate. On the bill's own terms, sanctions were questionable. One recent incidents symbolizing for Washington a deterioration in human rights_the return to house arrest of National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi_occurred last November, half a year before. But weeks of debate were to culminate in the April decision to implement sanctions in May. Since Clinton could not do business with Myanmar, the human rights groups "won." Yet the sanctions were only a sop to anti-Slorc lobbyists. Non-American companies were unaffected. Nor were the sanctions retroactive, so US companies already in Myanmar could remain. These were multi-purpose sanctions: good relations with Asean were maintained, the White House looked better for not coddling Slorc, and US firms were not completely excluded_thus avoiding another costly experience like the embargo against Vietnam. But the US is not alone in letting domestic concerns rule Myanmar policy. One of the pillars of Asean is the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states. This agnosticism approaches a diplomatic indifference, now wedded to an indiscriminate inclusiveness for all Southeast Asian states within the Asean family. Sensing this, Washington did not bother pushing too hard for Asean reciprocity on Myanmar. Vietnam's 1979 invasion of Cambodia triggered an Asean rebuff of Hanoi alongside recognition of the exiled CGDK coalition, including the internationally reviled Khmer Rouge. Asean's principle of non-interference ends at the twin parapets of national sovereignty and territorial integrity (understandably, with niggling, multiple territorial disputes festering). Asean government are not comfortable with judging their neighbors on domestic issues, much less with exacting punishment. Indonesia in particular would not be amused when parallel situations can be drawn with Myanmar. Asean is a cluster of governments with different styles, traditions and degrees of popular accountability. When Ferdinand Marcos stole the 1986 Philippine election, Malaysia's oppositionists lobbied to withdraw recognition. Malaysia instead adopted a wait-and-see approach, switching recognition to the new government as soon as it established itself. A member of the Malaysian cabinet conceded privately that whatever one's reservations about the Marcos regime, Malaysia could not act unilaterally against a sitting government next door. Reporters asked how Malaysia could reject sanctions against Myanmar after maintaining them against apartheid South Africa. Malaysia's domestic tasks have been monumental: not just to succeed in development and avoid repeating the race riots of 1969 by managing ethnic relations peaceably in a country of large minorities, but to do so with an affirmative action program for a small majority. Malaysia's primary domestic concern has long been national unity through racial and religious harmony, or at least the avoidance of ethnic bigotry. Under the Internal Security Act, a considerable number of people have been held over the past decade not for political differences, but for racial or religious chauvinism. Thus Malaysia's extra-regional foreign policy orientation, where Asean consensus was immaterial: a visceral revulsion against apartheid, "ethnic cleansing" and occupied Palestine. Asean is less a communion of peoples or even a regional market than a group of neighbouring governments anxiously needing to work comfortably with one another. The NLD therefore cannot expect moral or material support from Asean in wresting power from Slorc, short of Yangon invading a neighbor. But if the NLD succeeds Slorc in an internal maneuver, it may find that the new Myanmar could be received as a more valued partner. It is implicit in the Asean formula that once a working comfort level is achieved between members states, much else in regional good neighborliness follows. This is why Asean believes Myanmar, whatever its politics, would make for better dialogue as a member than if it were not. (AW) ******************************************************* THE STAR: US GROUP BACKS MALAYSIAN STAND ON BURMA June 29, 1997 KUALA LUMPUR: A US think tank has supported Asean's decision to admit Myanmar into the regional grouping so that the nation could be nudged towards democracy. Heritage Foundation, a leading US research foundation, agreed with Asean's method of "constructive engagement" rather than the US decision to isolate Myanmar until it improved its human rights record. "We hope that the influences and contacts of Asean countries would encourage Myanmar to move towards democracy," said Edwin Mees, a former US Attorney-General who sits on the foundation's board of trustees, here yesterday. Mees brushed aside the notion that Asean's decision in admitting Myanmar would hurt its relationship with the United States. "I don't think that differences in approach will in any way affect our relationship as the objective of both governments is quite the same," he said. — Bernama ****************************************** THE NATION: REACH OF INVESTMENT BAN WORRIES US COMPANIES June 30, 1997 Evelyn Iritani Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES - Unocal Corp and other US companies may find the White House ban on new investment in Burma has implications extending far beyond that country, potentially jeopardising projects in other Southeast Asian economies as well, some experts say. A broad interpretation of the presidential ban could threaten billions of dollars worth of business throughout Southeast Asia, crippling US companies in one of their fastest-growing markets, according to a group representing 450 major companies active in the region. While business executives and trade lawyers are still studying the just-issued executive order implementing the ban, the US-Asean Business Council says it could even prohibit participation in regional projects that extend from another country into Burma. If Burma joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as expected this year, "All of these regional transportation, telecommunications, all of these regional networks are going to have a Burma element in them," said Ernest Bower, president of the council. "We stand to lose enormous amounts of business." Other experts say the ban casts a wider net than expected around projects within Burma and may create more problems for energy companies already involved in projects there - like Unocal Corp., Atlantic Richfield Co and Texaco Inc, the leading US investors - than those companies realise. While the executive order allows companies to complete ongoing contracts, it is not clear whether they will be able to engage in any additional work that would require new funds, such as building a pipeline to get their gas to market, according to legal and government sources. "Unocal is going to have trouble going forward under this," said David Schmahmann, an international legal expert with the Boston law firm of Nutter, McClennen and Fish. Schmahmann said the ban does not clearly define "new investment" and unexpectedly prohibits investment into not only natural resources but agriculture and financial, industrial and human resources. And while it doesn't cover foreign subsidiaries of US companies, it prohibits US businesses from approving or facilitating any transactions by foreigners that would be considered illegal under the presidential ban. The ban carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a US$55,000 (Bt1.38 million) fine for violators. But no one is certain yet just what is illegal, which is why these US companies are lining up to meet with officials of the Treasury Department, whose Office of Foreign Assets Control will be enforcing this measure. Treasury is expected to issue its enforcement regulations for the Burma ban in a month. "There is a lot of gray area here," admitted a Treasury Department spokesperson. "Where it is still unclear, is when it comes to an exploratory deal or a deal that would require new investment down the road." Anything that restricts future development off the coast of Burma would be particularly harmful to Unocal, which has been a pioneer in energy development in Southeast Asia, according to Julia Nanay, a director of Washington-based Petroleum Finance Co. "[The Burma project] is part and parcel of their business in Thailand and is part of the whole Asian energy development scheme they would like to promote," she said. Michael Malloy, a sanctions expert at the University of the Pacific's law school in Sacramento, Calif, predicted the Treasury Department will probably take a narrow view of the presidential ban, focusing its attention on keeping new US players out of Burma But that could change, Malloy said, if the political hsituation worsens. ************************************************ THAILAND TIMES: ASEAN PASSPORT TO BE PROPOSED AT SUMMIT June 27, 1997 [abridged] BANGKOK: At the Asean cooperation meeting to be held in Kuala Lumpur next month Thailand will propose an Asean passport project, which will allow holders of the Asean passport books to travel freely within the region, said Pitak Indaravittayanant, the deputy foreign affairs minister. Pitak added, the Asean passport project will be similar to the international transport system of the European Union (EU) where EU passport holders are allowed to travel freely between all EU member countries. Following earlier discussions held among Asean officials, it was revealed that the project would be developed into a liberalized system. Next month's Asean meeting in Malaysia will be attended by the US Secretary of State Madeline Albright, Pitak said yesterday. The meeting will concentrate on economic cooperation among Asean members under the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) agreement, said Pitak. "Financial services liberalization together with regional political and economic stability will also be high on the agenda," he added. *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: MYANMAR LIST SUBSCRIPTIONS >From OKKAR66127@aol.com June 25, 19997 If you want to suscribe to Myanmar-list you can write to "Majordomo@ShireNet.com" with the message at the body text: "Subscribe myanmar " Then when you are subscribed you can post news to "myanmar-list@ShireNet.com". Although the list is moderated list, most of the posted news will be distributed within the list including the Myanmar Embassies that have e- mail access. Only the junk mails and very rude usages such as "F" languages will be omitted. *********************************************** ALTSEAN ANNOUNCEMENT: ASEAN SUMMIT Date: 29 Jun 1997 11:46:14 From: altsean@ksc.th.com A warm welcome is extended to anyone who wishes to "celebrate" the entry of the Slorc into Asean. The "festivities" will focus around the following schedule: 21-22 July Asean senior official meeting 23 July ceremony to welcome the three new members at 3.30 pm 24-25 July Asean Ministers Meeting 27 July Asean Regional Forum 28-29 July Post Ministerial Conference Apparently Asean is notorious for changing schedules, so please plan to arrive in Kuala Lumpur a few days ahead in anticipation of any eventualities. If you can cover your own travel expenses, our friends in Malaysia will be happy to provide basic accomodation and apparel specially designed for the occasion. Please RSVP to but do NOT use your full name or provide travel details. Do name the group you are affiliated to. This welcome is not extended to Burmese passport holders, as we cannot guarantee your safety in the event of deportation. ********************************************* BRC-J ANNOUNCEMENT: ECONOMIC INVESTMENT DEBATE June 29, 1997 From: Ken and Visakha Kawasaki Resolved: Economic Investment Will (or Won't) Make Suu Kyi Cry JULY 4th, 1997 Amnesty International, Japan in cooperation with International Network of Engaged Buddhists are presenting a debate on the subject: Resolved: Economic Investment Will (or Won't) Make Suu Kyi Cry Economic development and human rights in Burma/Myanmar On the pro-economic investment side: - Mr. Nishizawa, from Kobe University - Mr. Oshita, from Keidanren - Mr. Kudo, from Asia Kaizai Kenkyusho On the opposing side, arguing for sanctions and withholding economic investment: + Mr. Fukushima, lawyer + Mr. Nemoto, professor from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies + Ko Aung Thu, Burma Youth Volunteer Association Organizer: Teruko Saito Moderator: Hisao Tanabe Date: Friday, July 4th, 1997 Time: Opens at 6, begins at 6:30, ends at 9 p.m. Place: Tokyo, near Gaienmae Station (Ginza Line) Admission: 1000 yen For more information: Contact Amnesty International, Japan Tel: 03-3203-1050 Fax: 03-3232-6775 http://www2.gol.com/users/brelief/Index.htm **************************************************