------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: August 25, 1997 Issue #804 HEADLINES: ========== PEOPLE’S DEFENSE FORCE:TOTAL EMPLOYEES RAPE MON GIRL KNPP: BATTLE NEWS AND HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT S.H.A.N : VILLAGERS MASSACRED AND BEHEADED IN SHAN ICFTU: 1997 SURVEY OF VIOLATIONS OF TRADE UNION RIGHTS RRM: BANGLADESHI ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF VISITS RANGOON BKK POST: BURMA NAMES HEAD OF ASEAN AFFAIRS BKK POST: THAILAND JOINS CHORUS REUTER: BURMA BUYS OVER 4 BLN YEN JAPANESE EQUIPMENT BKK POST: MYAWADDY STAYS BANNED FOR TOURISTS BKK POST: ARMY TO HELP FIGHT 'SPEED PILL' RACKET BKK POST: DISCOS IN MAE HONG SON UNDER 'CURFEW' REUTER: MAHATHIR CALLS SOROS A ``MORON” BUSINESS WIRE: INTERDIGITAL MEETS 90 DAY COMMITMENTS BKK POST: ANOTHER TRAGIC TALE OF SLORC KNU: KAREN BATTLE NEWS SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET NO. A-0099(I) ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMA WEB PAGE IN JAPANESE -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PEOPLE’S DEFENSE FORCE:TOTAL EMPLOYEES RAPE MON GIRL August 23, 1997 From: peace BurmaNet Note: People’s Defense Force is a small, pro-democracy Burmese group based on the Thai-Burma border. Mon Girl Raped By TOTAL Three Employees Mi Tin San, a 15-year old Mon girl who lives in Mi Chaung Hlaung Village, Yebyu township in Tenasserim Division, was raped by three foreign TOTAL Employees on June 23, 1997. The incident took place when the three foreigners who worked for the French oil giant TOTAL took her away in their car after buying vegetables and fruits from her farm and raped her. However, this was not known until her parents returned home from work in the evening and did not find her at home. The parents went around and asked the neighbors if they had seen her. They told the worrying parents that they saw Mi Tin San being taken away in the foreigners' car. Mi Tin San's parents continued their search when she failed to show up the following morning. Later in the day, a neighbor came to see them with a news that Mi Tin San had been hospitalized at the TOTAL hospital. According to Mi Tin San, the three TOTAL employees came to their farm to buy vegetables and fruit. She did not suspect anything unusual as they were regular customers. However, the trio asked her to walk with them to their car so that they could give her the money left in the car for the produce. Unsuspecting, she went along with them. As soon as they arrived at the car, the foreigners forced Mi Tin San onto the car and drove off. Mi Tin San had to have 4 stitches around her woman organ because of the repeated rape by the three. At the time of her parents’ arrival at the hospital, she was still hemorrhaging. The case forced to close after the three TOTAL employees compensated her 800,000 Kyat for violating her. **************************************** KNPP: BATTLE NEWS AND HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT August 24, 1997 From: ooreh THE GOVERNMENT OF KARENNI MINISTRY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INFORMATION 24 August 1997 Battle news in No. (2) District area >From 31 July 1997 to 11 August 1997: 17 incidents of fighting occurred between the Karenni Army and Slorc troops. In the fighting 16 Slorc troops were killed and one soldier belonging to LIB 102 was captured. 13 porters being used as forced labour by Slorc troops escaped to the Karenni Army, and 2 dead porters were found. On 20 August 1997, at 1800 hrs, Karenni troops attacked an unknown unit of Slorc troops at Pa Long in Loikaw Township. 2 Slorc soldiers were killed and 2 G-2 rifles seized. On 21 August 1997, at 1715 hrs, Karenni troops attacked Slorc troops of LIB 261 under the command of Lt. Major Khin Mg Htay, while the Slorc troops were burning the buildings of lower Gay Loe village. On 22 August 1997, the Karenni Army attacked LIB 261 again as the Slorc troops burnt down the buildings of upper Gay Loe village. No reports of casualties. ______________________________________________ HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BY SLORC On 20 August 1997, Slorc troops of LIB 102 under the command of Major Win Htwe, burnt down 25 houses of Lwe Po village including the church. On 21 August 1997, the same troops of LIB 102 killed 5 buffaloes and 6 oxen belonging to Bu Kho village (already burnt). On 21 and 22 August 1997, Slorc troops of LIB 261 burnt down 70 houses of upper and lower Gay Loe village, and destroyed 21 acres of planted rice paddy as well as 2400 litres of brown rice. ______________________________________________ Since the end of June, Slorc troops have burnt down around 265 houses in 7 villages in the No. (2) District of Karenni (Mawchi area). This is part of the Slorc's Myay Lan Sanit campaign (uprooting the area). Slorc troops are under orders to kill anyone found in this area without asking questions, including children, women and old folk. Because of this Slorc offensive, villagers are hiding in the forest and there is a serious lack of food and medicine. They are suffering from various illnesses especially malaria, dysentery, and diarrhoea. Children and old folk are particularly effected. It is very difficult for the villagers to feed themselves because Slorc troops are systematically destroying rice stores and livestock. Any rice hidden by the villagers is often hard to retrieve as they may be staying some distance from the stores and the area is frequently patrolled by Slorc troops. The farmers are also being prevented from planting the new rice paddy and so shall be unable to feed themselves in the future. Karenni anticipate the destruction of all villages in No. (2) District around the town of Mawchi. The area is to be cleared of villagers with no provision for their displacement. In June 1997, 28 victims of forced relocation died in the Pa Long relocation camp in Loikaw Township, from dysentery. It is believed that the illness was transmitted from the Sha Daw relocation camp where an unknown number of people died from the same illness. ****************************************** S.H.A.N : VILLAGERS MASSACRED AND BEHEADED IN SHAN STATES August 24, 1997 From: "SHAN< H.NG.H SPM>" <100706.1311@CompuServe.COM> S.H.A.N : SITUATION IN KUNHING, VILLAGERS MASSACRED AND BEHEADED ( mid-June to mid-July 1997) August 24, 1997 ( Report from the Monthly Report, July 1997 of the Shan Human Rights Foundation -SHRF ) After a group of unidentified Shan rebels shot dead 25 civilian Burmese nationals on 13.6.97 at Pha Larng, Kunhing township, SLORC troops have stepped up their military campaign against the civilian population. From mid-June to mid-July, they have killed at least 400 people in the areas of Sai Kao, Kaeng Lom, Kaeng Kham, Kho Lam in Kunhing township. Most of them were villagers who had been forced to move to relocation sites along the motor roads. These villagers are strictly restricted to the relocation sites, and are not allowed to go farther than 3 miles to the north and 1 mile to the south of the road. However, villagers are risking their lives to get food to survive and are being shot to death. Maj. Thein Soe is in command of the no. 1 Tactical Command at Kho Lam and Col. Than Htun is the commander of the no. 2 Tactical Command at Kunhing. Maj. Thein Soe is known to have said to the villagers that he would be less upset over a dead Shan than he would be over a lost can of fish paste. Maj. Gen. Pyi Zone, commander of the Operational Command Headquarters at Loilem, sent the order to shoot people on sight to Maj. Thein Soe who in turn relayed it to Maj. Sein Thaung. Thus Maj. Sein Thaung and his troops are the ones who have been doing most of the killing, shooting people at will in what they assume to be a free-fire zone. On 11.7.97, car drivers from Murngpaeng and Kaengtung came through Kunhing and some SSA members saw along the road that branched out from the main road to Kaeng Lom 26 corpses of villagers laid up in line with their heads cut off and laid beside their bodies. And on 12.7.97, 17 corpses were seen along the road between Kaeng Lom and Kaeng Tawng, laid up in the same manner. >From mid-June until around mid-July, SLORC troops have burnt at least 41 bullock-carts of the villagers. They have also shot not less than 70-80 cattle and let their wives and children sell the meat around Ka Li, Kunhing and Kho Lam. During early and mid-July, SLORC troops ordered the villagers who had been relocated along the road from Ka Li and around Kunhing town to cut thousands of bamboo, weave 100,000 sheets of thatch for roofing, cut many hardwood to use as posts and build new military bases at Kunhing and Ka Li. The villagers are not allowed to take any food with them, to prevent them from giving food to members of the resistance. They were instead instructed to eat to their full before they went to work all day. All the rice and paddy which the villagers had managed to bring from their old villages were confiscated and kept at the military bases, and rationed back to them once a week, but not their good nutritious rice. The soldiers took the villagers' rice for themselves and rationed out poor quality rice from their supplies. In addition to shooting cattle for meat, SLORC troops have also been catching them alive for sale. Since there are a huge number of cattle roaming free in the areas of Ka Li, Kho Lam, Kunhing, Kaeng Tawng, Kaeng Kham, Ton Hoong, Nar Poi etc., the soldiers usually catch and bring them to sell at a place 2 miles east of Ta Kaw bridge that crosses the Salween river, at a giveaway price of about 3,000 Kyat each though they are often big and strong cart-oxen. The buyers are mostly from Murngpaeng and Kaengtung. On 17.7.97, a group of merchants from Kaengtung went and bought 56 heads of cattle at the place, 2 miles east of Salween bridge, for only 3,500 Kyat per head on average. The traders fetched 7-8,000 Baht per head at the border town of Tachilek. All were big , strong cattle; the traders did not sell even when they were offered 20,000 Kyat per head at Kaengtung. The SLORC troops, from the bases in Kunhing, bring the cattle to the selling place in groups of 10 to 20 heads. Teak and hardwood lumber from the houses in the old villages are being taken, using forced labour and cars of the civilian population, to sell in towns such as Ka Li, Kunhing, Ta Kaw and Murngpaeng, by SLORC troops. ******************************** ICFTU: 1997 SURVEY OF VIOLATIONS OF TRADE UNION RIGHTS August 23, 1997 From: Aung San Myint Organization: Federation of Trade Unions - Burma ICFTU Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights 1997 BURMA (MYANMAR) Repression by the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in Burma's military dictatorship) worsened during 1996. There were signs of growing discontent in the country. In May, the regime published a law allowing it to prevent political organisations denouncing state policies or proposing alternative constitutions. Crackdowns on the democratic movement resulted in many arrests and the imposition of prison sentences. There are no trade union rights in Burma. The Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB), founded in 1991 by former trade union leaders, is forced to operate from outside the country. It co-ordinates its activities with the banned National League for Democracy (NLD), which won an election in 1990 but was prevented from taking office. NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi has expressed her support for the FTUB and for independent trade unionism in Burma. The FTUB continues to work with ethnic groups in border areas and to maintain underground structures linked to workplaces inside the country. Its activists are under surveillance by the police and military intelligence, and live in permanent fear of arrest and torture. The Seafarers' Union of Burma, which forms part of the FTUB, works in exile to assist Burmese seafarers. There have been many cases of the regime's abuse and intimidation of seafarers who complained about underpayment and poor working conditions on foreign ships. The regime controls the employment of seafarers through the Seaman's Employment Control Division. SLORC continued to control the National Convention, from which the NLD withdrew, in its task of drafting a new constitution for the country. Worker representatives to the Convention are selected and controlled by the regime. Reports of unrest in September included news of a strike at the Myitngae railway factory in Mandalay which ended when the authorities gave basic foodstuffs to the workers. There were also reports of a spontaneous strike at a joint-venture garment factory, partly owned by the SLORC's holding company, UMEH, which took place because the workers had not received the same holiday benefits as management. A few minutes after the strike started, a high-ranking military officer arrived and told the workers that if they ever went on strike again, they would be imprisoned. ****************************************************** RANGOON RADIO MYANMAR: BANGLADESHI ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF, DELEGATION VISIT RANGOON August 18, 1997 [translated from Burmese] Major General Mohammad Anwar Hussain, Army Chief of Staff of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, and delegation arrived in Yangon [Rangoon] by air at 0915 today to pay a goodwill visit at the invitation of Lt. Gen. Tin Oo, commander of the Bureau of Special Operations and chief of staff of the Army. The delegation was welcomed at Yangon International Airport by Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Tin Oo, Navy Chief of Staff Commodore Nyunt Thein, Air Force Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Kyaw Than, Yangon Military Command Commander Maj. Gen. Khin Maung Than, General Staff Officer Col. Myint Swe, senior military officers, Bangladeshi ambassador, embassy officials, and Bangladeshi military attaché. Lt. Gen. Tin Oo, Bureau of Special Operations commander and Army chief of staff, received the Bangladeshi Army Chief of Staff and delegation at the Defense Ministry's Dagon House at 1500 and held cordial and frank talks on good bilateral relations between the armies of Myanmar [Burma] and Bangladesh. The visiting Bangladeshi delegation visited the Defense Services Museum on Shwedagon Pagoda Road at 1030 and the National Museum on Prome Road in the evening. ******************************************** BKK POST: BURMA NAMES HEAD OF ASEAN AFFAIRS August 23, 1997 Burma has appointed U Aye Lwin, former director-general for Consul and Treaties Affairs, as chief of its Asean department. He and 104 other foreign ministry officials were promoted with Burma's entry into Asean. The government also recruited 40 new third-secretaries to help out with Asean affairs. Establishing an Asean department is a criterion for new members. ************************************************ BKK POST: THAILAND JOINS CHORUS August 22, 1997 Anuraj Manibhandu, Nussara Sawatsawang Experts debate the 'best' ways to bring about improvement Thailand yesterday joined a growing call for "constructive intervention" as a means of conducting international relations with problem countries like Burma and Cambodia. But Deputy Foreign Minister Phitak Intrawithayanunt emphasised that the threat of over spill of large-scale domestic instability, rather than moral issues, should justify such intervention. Mr. Phitak also defended constructive engagement as a more effective means than sanctions for obtaining improvements in "non-conformist" states. The points were made at a seminar on the economic and political dimensions of constructive engagement in Asia, sponsored by the Sasakawa Southeast Asia Cooperation Fund of Japan. "The constituency for a morally driven, interventionist foreign policy is large and vocal," Mr. Phitak told the gathering. "More than ever, countries are taking it upon themselves to stand in judgment of others," he said, in reference to unnamed Western nations. "From human rights to animal rights, from freedom of speech to freedom for turtles and dolphins, moral issues are playing a part in determining foreign policy." But large-scale domestic instability, which threatened to spill into the international arena in terms of refugee outflows, stray artillery fire across borders, and international diplomatic maneuvering on the part of belligerents was possibly a "more compelling reason why intervention may sometimes be justified". Mr. Phitak's remark came two days after Thailand opened its doors to some 30,000 Cambodians who fled fighting in the last royalist stronghold of O'Smach in the extreme northwest of Cambodia. Mr. Phitak maintained that constructive engagement served to keep lines of communication open "and ideas that come from friends are more easily accepted than those that come from perceived foes". Abdul Rahman Adman, director of Malaysia's Institute for Policy Research, said constructive intervention was one way for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to achieve a "human agenda" towards the establishment of a regional community. He defined constructive intervention as specific assistance given at the request of concerned countries, without intervening in their internal affairs. For example, Cambodia could be assisted in running free and fair elections, advice in institutional development and legal reforms, and human resource development. J. Soedjati Djiwandono, from Indonesia's Centre for Strategic and International Studies, cited growing interdependence in today's world as a reason for Asean to review its non-interference principle. The review would help prevent external powers from interfering in the region, he said. In the process, Asean member states should exchange views, information and experience in order to promote good governance, and the establishment of a civil society where basic human rights are respected. Burma scholar Josef Silverstein advocated the use of constructive intervention in Burma, along the lines proposed by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who argued that such intervention would help prevent further deterioration of the situation in that country. Professor Silverstein questioned Asean's constructive engagement policy, calling it a two-tier undertaking whereby individual member states engaged with Burma for economic reasons, while the group tried to promote national reconciliation in the country. Michael Vatikiotis, a Bangkok based correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review, urged more attention to the human needs of Asean citizens, and proposed a special unit be set up within the Asean secretariat to deal with social and economic problems, as well as "specific" issues like the IMF's rescue package for Thailand. Zhang Yebai, senior researcher at Beijing's Institute of American Studies, criticised the United States' "engagement" with China, saying it was primarily aimed at obtaining "compromises" from China. While China was not unwilling to compromise on human rights and sovereignty issues, Chinese people "hate to make concessions under outside pressure", he said. With 5,000 years of history, China found it difficult to take any teaching from the US, with a history of only 200 years. He said China supported the principle of constructive engagement, but did not view it as the most effective policy for conducting relations "between countries that are different in social systems and ideology". Dr Tomoyuki Kojima, Professor of East Asian and Comparative Political Systems at Japan's Keio University, said intervention should be seen as a condition for constructive engagement. He said Japan's $15 billion, three stage credit loan to China had made a "significant contribution" to that country's economic development. Shri Jasjit Singh, director of India's Institute for Defence and Strategic Analyses, advocated "cooperative peace", and objected to Western countries' use of human rights as a foreign policy "tool". Indian Ambassador to Thailand Ranjit Gupta stressed that human rights and democracy took time to evolve. ****************************************** REUTER: BURMA BUYS OVER 4 BLN YEN JAPANESE EQUIPMENT August 23, 1997 RANGOON, Aug 23 (Reuter) - Burma's ministry of construction has bought over four billion yen of bridge and road construction equipment from Japan's Kinsho-Mataichi Corp (8064.T), the Myanmar News Agency said on Saturday. The news agency said a purchase agreement was signed on Friday for 30 items of equipment and spare parts including hydraulic bored piling tools. It said the ministry's public works department would pay for the equipment in instalments. It did not elaborate. ************************************************* BKK POST: MYAWADDY STAYS BANNED FOR TOURISTS August 22, 1997 Mae Sot, Tak Local Thai and Burmese authorities have imposed strict regulations on tourist trips to Mae Sot and Myawaddy by not allowing them to stay overnight in the two border towns. Tourists crossing the border via Mae Sot-Myawaddy checkpoint are allowed to stay in the two towns for a maximum of 12 hours, between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The regulations, which will take effect today, were made by representatives from Mae Sot and Myawaddy. Tourists visiting Myawaddy are not allowed to bring in video cameras, mobile phones and walkie-talkies. Only cameras are allowed. Burma has also prohibited Thai passenger buses from crossing the bridge to Myawaddy as it goes against the law on route concessions. The meeting, in which each side sent 30 representatives to draw up the regulations, has set an entry fee for people and vehicles. Each tourist will be charged 10 baht for a border pass. Cars with 3 tonnes are charged 50 baht, medium-sized and large sized cars 60 and 70 baht fees respectively. *********************************************** BKK POST: ARMY TO HELP FIGHT 'SPEED PILL' RACKET August 22, 1997 Subin Khuenkaew Police say they lack personnel, firepower Chiang Rai-- The military has been brought in to do battle with amphetamine traffickers who are smuggling the drug in from Burma. Police have admitted they can no longer cope with the tide of speed pills coming across the border due to the size of their force and the geographical obstacles. Bunpot Piamdee, the director of the Northern Narcotics Control Centre, said a special task force has been set up and will begin anti-drug operations early next month. The centre will serve as its headquarters. Those joining will chiefly come from the Third Army Region. They will target drug routes passing through Mae Sai and Mae Chan districts. The director said military force was needed because most crackdowns ended in violent clashes. Soldiers also knew the border area well and were better equipped with helicopters and heavy weapons. "The situation has worsened even though the government has introduced the death penalty for amphetamine traders. But this has forced them to use violence against the officers," he said. PM's Office Minister Veerakorn Kamprakob had given the Office of Narcotics Control Board the go ahead to apply for military support, said the director. He said the HQ will receive news and intelligence and decide whether or not to use force. He added that Maj Gen Itthiphol Sirimonthol, deputy commander of the Third Army Region, had pledged to help. He will decide which forces should be deployed. Mr. Bunpot said paratroopers and border patrol police forces will be used and legal experts will deal with any legal problems. Col Anusorn Kajarat, civilian affairs director for the Third Army's Internal Security Operations Office, said: "We are more than willing to help. We are fully equipped and ready." Pol Col Panurat Meepien, the provincial police superintendent, said anti-drug attempts were futile and complained that several Burmese traders were running drug shops near the Mae Sai river. A group of houses 500 metres away on Burmese soil was believed to be a hangout for drug users. ******************************************** BKK POST: DISCOS IN MAE HONG SON UNDER 'CURFEW' August 22, 1997 [abridged] Phitsanu Thepthong A temporary "curfew" has been imposed at discos in Mae Hong Son to prevent students from becoming hooked on drugs. Butpot Piamdee, director of the Northern Narcotics Control Centre, said the 8 p.m. "curfew" had recently been introduced on a trial basis. Figures show amphetamine-related offences in 17 northern provinces are steadily increasing. In 1994, 18,918 suspected users and traders were arrested. Last year it had risen to 22,005. A total of 2.8 million amphetamine tablets were seized during October 1996-June 1997. Mr. Bunpot said Burma was the major source for amphetamines with the Wa and Khun Sa remnants of the Shan State Army being the major producers. ********************************************* REUTER: MAHATHIR CALLS SOROS A ``MORON,'' WILL NOT MEET HIM August 24, 1997 KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (Reuter) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday called U.S. financier George Soros a ``moron'' and said he had no wish to meet the man he has blamed for the recent turmoil in Southeast Asian currencies. ``All these countries have spent 40 years trying to build up their economy, and a moron like Soros comes along with a lot of money'' to speculate in their currencies, Mahathir was quoted as saying by Malaysia's national news agency Bernama. Mahathir also said he had not given the World Bank any mandate to arrange a meeting with Soros, following reports that the financier wanted to see him with the bank acting as an intermediary. ``I don't know what business it is of theirs (the World Bank),'' Mahathir said. ``Trying to make this kind of manipulative speculation legal, is it?'' World Bank spokesman Tim Cullen was quoted as saying in Hong Kong on Friday that the bank could arrange a meeting between Mahathir and Soros. The spokesman said the meeting could take place during the annual meeting of the World Bank-International Monetary Fund scheduled to start in Hong Kong on September 20. ``I will go to Hong Kong but I don't have any wish to meet him (Soros),'' Mahathir said. ``He has only listened to me through the press, he can make his statement through the press...I will listen,'' Mahathir added. The Malaysian ringgit, like other South East Asian currencies, has been battered by speculative activities in foreign exchange markets since July. The ringgit touched an all-time low of 2.8250 against the dollar last week before stabilising at 2.7660 before Friday's close. Mahathir, who has labelled currency speculators as ``brigands'' and ``robbers,'' has singled out Soros as the main culprit behind the ringgit's misery. He has accused Soros of attacking the currencies of members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to punish them for accepting military-ruled Burma into the organisation. Soros has dismissed the charges, saying the activities of his funds are for commercial, not political purposes. He said in a newspaper interview earlier this month that he wanted to meet the Malaysian leader. ************************************************* BUSINESS WIRE: INTERDIGITAL MEETS 90 DAY COMMITMENTS WITH CUSTOMER IN MYANMAR August 18, 1997 KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 1997--InterDigital Communications Corp. (ASE:IDC) announced Monday that it and its customer, Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) have met their 90 day commitments related to a May 16, 1997 contract. MPT has indicated to InterDigital its intent to finance the project directly and has selected a lender with whom it has had prior lending experience. InterDigital and MPT have finalized pricing and payment terms and ministerial details of the joint venture. The joint venture documents and the financing terms are subject to final approval by the Myanmar government. The contract is currently valued at $250 million and calls for InterDigital to provide an initial quantity of wireless local loop systems and supplemental equipment. The contract also includes the formation of a joint venture between InterDigital and MPT to provide the initial order as well as future orders of telecommunications equipment in Myanmar. The joint venture, which will be called the Myanmar InterDigital Co., will deliver a broad range of telecommunications equipment to MPT. The company will supply fixed subscriber units, base stations, switches, microwave equipment and related infrastructure equipment for wireless local loop systems that will provide basic and advanced telecommunications services throughout the country. The first portion of wireless local loop systems produced for MPT will be UltraPhone(R) systems, utilizing InterDigital's patented Wireless Local Loop (WLL) technology. The agreement also calls for the production of WLL systems utilizing InterDigital's Broadband Code Division Multiple Access(TM) (B-CDMA(TM)) technology. "We have met our 90 day commitments and are implementing the contract on schedule," said William Doyle, president of InterDigital. "We are confident that the required government approvals in Myanmar will be secured in a timely fashion and we will now prepare to begin production of wireless local loop systems in the fourth quarter of this year. "This is a strong agreement for InterDigital. It forms the basis for a successful long-term business relationship with MPT and gives us the opportunity to provide telecommunications services to Myanmar's citizens for many years. This agreement also includes our first firm order for B-CDMA based wireless local loop systems." InterDigital develops and markets wireless telecommunications systems using proprietary technologies for voice and data communications. The company has sold over 345 of its UltraPhone time division multiple access (TDMA) systems worldwide. InterDigital, in conjunction with Siemens AG and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., is commercializing its new B-CDMA technology for use in wireless communication systems and products. InterDigital Technology Corp., a subsidiary of InterDigital, holds and is licensor of an extensive worldwide patent portfolio on TDMA and B-CDMA technology. InterDigital(R), B-CDMA(TM), and UltraPhone(R) are among the trademarks of InterDigital Communications Corp. This press release contains certain forward looking statements reflecting the company's current beliefs and expectations as to the sale of telecommunications equipment in Myanmar, the establishment of local manufacturing capability in Myanmar, and the customer's ability to obtain financing. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes could materially differ from those expressed in any forward looking statement due to a variety of factors including the failure to secure Myanmar government approvals, adverse government intervention, inability of MPT and its prospective financier to agree on final financing terms, the ability of the financier to perform, difficulties in the company's commercialization of its products, as well as other risks detailed from time to time in the company's SEC filings, including its 8-K filed Jan. 22, 1997, and 10-K filed March 31, 1997. The company undertakes no obligation to update these forward looking statements in light of future events. (See also: http://www.businesswire.com) ********************************************* BKK POST: ANOTHER TRAGIC TALE OF SLORC August 23, 1997 I am a Karenni refugee. The Karenni State is a very poor and very small country. On Aug. 2, Slorc burned mine and other villages near Mawchi, southwest Karenni State. They destroyed everything. If Slorc saw any people, they caught, dragged, beat and shot them. Before they left, Slorc laid many mines in the villages. When the people came back to the villages, they encountered many problems. Some people have nothing to eat. Some people escaped to Thailand and some are still hiding in the jungles in Karenni State. When will the world stop Slorc? Rebecca Mae Hong Son ************************************************** KNU: KAREN BATTLE NEWS August 16, 1997 karen_ranger@thepentagon.com Contact Type Enemy Our Remark Date Area Fighting Skirmishes Ambushes Killed Wounded Killed Wounded 5.7.97 No.(4)BDE 1 6.7.97 No.(5)BDE 1 1 7.7.97 No.(5)BDE 4 1 3 8.7.97 No.(5)BDE 1 1 10.7.97 No.(4)BDE 1 2 11.7.97 No.(4)BDE 2 14.7.97 No.(7)BDE 1 15.7.97 No.(5)BDE 2 2 17.7.97 No.(2)BDE 1 1 1 1 No.(4)BDE 2 3 4 1 No.(7)BDE 1 2 18.7.97 No.(2)BDE 1 No.(5)BDE 4 3 No.(7)BDE 2 2 19.7.97 No.(2)BDE 1 1 2 No.(4)BDE 3 2 3 1 1 1 20.7.97 No.(7)BDE 1 3 1 8 KNLA captured (14) Ammo of RPG(2),(17) rounds of M-79, No.(1)BDE 1 2 (820) rds of M-16, (4) Grenades. (In (7) Area) No.(5)BDE 1 2 KNLA caputred (4) Ak rifles,(200) rds of AK. (In (1) Area) No.(6)BDE 1 2 No.(4)BDE 1 21.7.97 No.(5)BDE 7 1 6 22.7.97 No.(7)BDE 2 2 23.7.97 No.(2)BDE 1 1 3 No.(5)BDE 1 1 No.(7)BDE 1 1 1 24.7.97 No.(1)BDE 1 25.7.97 No.(2)BDE 1 1 No.(5)BDE 1 1 26.7.97 No.(4)BDE 2 No.(6)BDE 1 15 1 KNLA lost (1) M-97, (1) Ak rifle.(In (6) Area) TOTAL 2 52 2 17 62 6 Contact Type Enemy Our Remark Date Area Fighting Skirmishes Ambushes Killed Wounded Killed Wounded 26.7.97 No.(3)BDE 2 27.7.97 No.(4)BDE 4 3 No.(2)BDE 1 No.(5)BDE 1 1 28.7.97 No.(4)BDE 2 1 No.(5)BDE 1 1 29.7.97 No.(4)BDE 1 4 4 No.(5)BDE 5 3 No.(7)BDE 3 3 4 KNLA captured (1) Carbine. 30.7.97 No.(7)BDE 9 3 8 No.(5)BDE 1 31.7.97 No.(7)BDE 1 1 TOTAL 31 0 11 25 **************************************** SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET NO. A-0099(I) August 22, 1997 [abridged] From: OKKAR66127@AOL.COM (1) MEPE, Malaysia’s Genting Power Holdings Ltd sign agreement to generate, distribute power Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise signed an agreement with Genting Power Holdings Ltd of Malaysia for generating and distributing power in Kanbauk region, Yebyu Township, Dawei District, Taninthayi Division, at the Ministry of Energy on 20 August. (2) Four KNU members welcomed into people’s bosom Remnants of armed groups are exchanging arms for peace to come into the bosom of the people, after renouncing their destructive acts which do not benefit the nation and people four members of the belligerent outlawed terrorist organization of the Kayin National Union came in at Leiktho military camp in the Southern Command area on 24 June. Officers of the camp warmly welcomed them back and gave them every assistance. ******************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMA WEB PAGE IN JAPANESE August 22, 1997 From: KOTETU I made a Japanese-based web page regarding the situation of Burma, URL is: http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~kotetu/burma.html In this page some Japanese-translated documents are available: +Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's message to UNCHR +KHRG report (#97-05) +statements on the 9th anniversary of 8/8/88 Japanese fonts are needed to browse them, if you can see Japanese from your PC, please try this page. If you want text-only version of these documents, please email me. -==+--+==--=+=--==+--+==--=+=--==+- KOTETU (Kyoto, Japan) mailto:kotetu@ga2.so-net.or.jp http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~kotetu/burma.html (Japanese) ---------------------- -==+--+==--=+=--==+--+==--=+=--==+- KOTETU (Kyoto, Japan) mailto:kotetu@ga2.so-net.or.jp http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~kotetu/burma.html (Japanese) **********************************************