------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: December 12, 1995 Issue #299 Noted in Passing: It's pointless to make any proposals because they will not be heeded anyway. - Thai Lt-Gen Thanom on the next border committee meeting with Burmese officials (see: BKK POST: SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO BURMA, SAYS ARMY CHIEF) HEADINGS: ========= SAIN: UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN BURMA BKK POST: KHUN SA OPTS FOR QUIET LIFE BUT DRUG LEGACY WILL LIVE ON BKK POST: LIFE CONTINUES TO FLOURISH IN MTA-HELD TERRITORIES BKK POST: KASEM: ASEAN CAN HELP ASIA-EUROPE TIES NATION: KASEM RULES OUT USING MEET TO BOOST TIES ASIA WEEK: NO TALKING HERE BKK POST: COMBINED FORCE SENT TO HUNT RENEGADE KARENS BKK POST: FOREIGN PROTESTS ALLOWED, SAYS SPECIAL BRANCH BKK POST: SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO BURMA, SAYS ARMY CHIEF BKK POST: 10 NATIONS TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE ------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAIN: UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN BURMA December 12, 1995 Southeast Asian Information Network PO Box 217, Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai, 50202, Thailand (Note from SAIN: This is a brief preliminary report - a more detailed report with further evidence and analysis will be put out soon.) THE YE-TAVOY RAILROAD Eyewitnesses travelling through Burma in the last month from the Southeast Asian Information Network by land from Moulmein to Ye in the Tenassarim Division have reported that resumption of forced labour on the Ye-Tavoy Railroad is occurring. Thousands of people are being forced to labour on a new section of the railroad from Ye to Kanbauk. Villagers from Kaleiung and Kanbauk in particular are suffering enormous hardship as a deadline is given for the embankments on either side of the railway to be finished by December 15th. Over the last two years reports from human rights groups, embassies, media, and relief agencies have given details of how forced labour was being used to build a new section of railroad from Ye to Tavoy. These reports revealed how 30-60,000 civilians were being used as corvee labour by the SLORC army. Village headmen from villages in the Ye-Tavoy Townships were receiving orders directly from SLORC commanders to send members of their village for work on the railway. Many people died, were forced to work even though sick, and no-one, whether man, woman, child, pregnant, old or sick, was spared. The situation in the Ye-Tavoy area is again very serious. According to reliable sources in Rangoon, the SLORC were told not to build the railroad along the route they have taken, that is west of the valley in Ye Township as there could be problems come rainy season with the earth possibly subsiding. The rainy season is now over and indeed the valley has completely subsided leaving the railway track suspended with very little support. So, a new route is now being used, from Ye to Kanbauk and reports of up to 50,000 people being forced to work on the railroad are being confirmed by those fleeing from the area to Thailand. Two foreign eyewitnesses have also confirmed that forced labour is being used along the railroad from Moulmein to Ye and have seen people living in makeshift tents supplied by the SLORC from the Ye-Kanbauk railway. The big difference this time is that the majority of people being forced to work on the roads and railways at the moment are children, some as young as 8 years old. It is harvest time in Burma and villagers are having to fulfill their increased rice quotas. Thus men and women are fully engaged at work on the harvest. At the same time, orders come from the SLORC demanding labour from the villages for work on the railroad. The only labour left in most villages is therefore children. According to a statement issued by Professor Yokota, the SLORC have said that they have sent a "secret directive" to regional commanders to stop forced labour. As the above information proves, this is either not true or not being followed. Other eyewitness accounts state that there is forced labour being used to repair and widen the highway in Pegu township. Local sources state that each household is being ordered to pay 50 kyats per member in the house every tow weeks for their contribution to the construction of this highway. The money is not going to those who are being forced to work but towards the use of steamrollers and machinery for making tar. The jobs that people do range from sorting out stones that come from a quarry, carrying the stones from one point to another, sifting gravel through bamboo sieves, and mixing and laying down the tar. The eyewitnesses state that conditions are very bad, head and dust being the major factors of hardship, especially for the children. The quarry is being worked on by prisoners, some of whom are extremely young, and all are in chains. Other areas where confirmed reports from eyewitnesses exist about the use of forced labour are in Bilin, Thaton township and periodically on the car road to Moulmein. VISIT MYANMAR YEAR The impact of tourism on local communities in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Ammapura is now becoming apparent. Children wait for tour groups to arrive in places such as pagodas and other sites of interest. They follow tourists around begging for presents and money and at times perform for the tourists, smiling, holding their hands, etc. These children are earning up to 800 kyats a day which is four times what their parents are earning. According to conversations that members of SAIN had with some parents and other local sources at these sites, these children are now being sent to earn money for their families in this way and not going to school. There is great concern about the increase of this situation, especially for young girls who will, when older, be uneducated and unable to have a chance to enter what is already a competitive workplace. The SLORC has now issued a directive that all hotels in Myanmar must join the recently created Hotel and Tourism Committee. Hotel managers are complaining that you have to pay to join, then contribute funds to the committee for "community projects". Their attitude is that these "com- munity projects" do not benefit the community at all but a corrupt State raking in the money from tourism. NGOS WORKING IN BURMA THROUGH THE SLORC Aung San Suu Kyi has told members of SAIN that the NLD is in the process of creating a health and education unit that hopes to implement projects for the people of Burma. She is approaching UN agencies to see if assistance can be made available. She is also asking why NGOs that wish to work in Burma do not approach the NLD to discuss the possibilities with them. This is a very interesting development, and anyone interested in pursuing it should contact the NLD in Rangoon. *********************************************************** FTUB (WEST BURMA ): SLORC FORCED TO ATTEND THE PEOPLE TO RALLY December 10, 1995 Today some of the people from Tamu (border town) were gather by the local SLORC, to show the "Support National Convention". Every two persons from each family must attended to the public meeting. If those person who will not attend to meeting must give 200 Kyats as fine ordered by local SLORC. In Tamu twonship SLORC also tried to make a big rally last 2-day back, but people did not go to these rally willingly. Therefore rally program was abolished. And now the local SLORC made forced to gathering of public meeting on 10/12/95 (6:00 AM.) at Tamu. ************************************************** BKK POST: KHUN SA OPTS FOR QUIET LIFE BUT DRUG LEGACY WILL LIVE ON December 11, 1995 PROFILE By Subin Kheunkaew KHUN Sa announced last month he was stepping down as leader of the Mong Tai Army (MTA) in its fight for independence for the Shan State. He said he hopes to spend his life simply in Thailand during his remaining years. But his notoriety as a "drug kingpin" is unlikely to diminish while the majority of heroin distributed throughout the world continues to originate in areas under MTA control. The MTA under Khun Sa is considered the strongest of the groups fighting for independence of the Shan State, and he is highly regarded among his men in terms of ability. According to Cans Jaiyen, a close associate, the MTA leader exercises strong self-control and never allows his feelings be known. Even those very close to him never know what he is thinking from one moment to the next. During those times when his territories have come under attack by Burmese government forces, Mr Cans said Khun Sa has displayed excellent leadership skills in building confidence and morale among his troops. Prior to the attack, a religious ceremony is held during which monks sprinkle holy water on the soldiers in order to boost their spirit. Khun Sa himself sits besides the monks and shakes hands with each of the troops and firmly tells them: "Mong Tai is in the hands of you all. Please bring it back and drive the enemies away. We back here will take very good care of your families." Even when they are on the battlefield, Khun Sa regularly sends messages encouraging their efforts and has many times turned out himself to show they are not alone. He also ensures his troops never run-short of provisions. "He treats everyone equally," said Mr Cans. When dealing with other people, Khun Sa is modest and polite, but with his soldiers he is serious _ strong yet composed, and always exuding self-confidence. Khun Sa is known as a fighter and an opium king, but he is also a bookworm. His personal favorites are Chinese literature and books on military strategy. And so it is not surprising that when discussing his army and people, he always uses impressive and profound analogies. An example of this is when a close aide, Gun Yod, defected earlier this year along with about 1,000 soldiers. Khun Sa expounded: "When a tiger is lying down, we only see his tail wave to and fro. It is only when he stands that we see his stripes. But by the time we appreciate what his stripes look like, he has already moved off away from us." Khun Sa admits he was negligent in this case, but says it was a good lesson for him. Gun Yod was among five or six former Burmese student activists who came to him to explain how much they hated the State Law and Order Restoration Council. "I can be like a hen mothering a duckling and should not be surprised when the duck grows up and flies away. The only thing the hen can do is stand and watch the duck on the river bank. No matter how loud she calls, the duck will never return," he said. The Shan leader also loves reading history books. Two Thai politicians he admires are Bhichai Rattakul and Chuan Leekpai of the Democrat Party. When announcing his decision to step down as MTA leader, Khun Sa told associates he wanted to spend more time alone cultivating vegetables and breeding animals. In response to recent allegations that he is not Shan but Chinese, he said: "The Thai people are well-educated and understand things. I know the ancestors of certain influential politicians in Thailand are not Thai, but still the Thai people consider these politicians Thai who love the country." He insisted he had worked all his life for the Mong Tai Army and the independence of the Shan State. "The Shan people are not educated so they don't understand the situation and are easily fooled," he said. He also plans to spend the rest of his time with some 1000 war veterans in Shan States. But Col Cham-juen, one of his sons and a commander of an MTA battalion, disagrees with the plan. He says Khun Sa has worked for the army for almost 40 years only to be subject to accusations concerning himself and his family. Khun Sa was born Chang Si Fu in Hpa-perng village, Doimaw Waed Mong Yai Township in China's Lashio Province on February 17, 1943. He was orphaned when only five years old. He was adopted and care for by his grandfather, Khun Yi Sai, who taught him to read and write Chinese, cultivate tea bushes and breed horses and mules He was also influenced by his uncle, Khun Ja, who fought alongside the Allies against the Japanese during World War Two and remained politically active afterwards. Khun Sa learned to be fighter as part of his dream to bring independence to Shan State, which has been invaded throughout history by foreign forces ranging from the Japanese to the Kuomintang, who were defeated by the Communists in 1949, land the SLORC. As a major source of raw opium and heroin, the MTA is the strongest the forces in Shan State fighting for independence from SLORC. The earnings from the illicit trade are spent supporting military operations and Improving the living conditions and welfare of the Shan people including the building of temples schools and hospitals. His decision to step down does not guarantee the supply of drugs to the world will decrease as this represents the only source of income for the group. It also does not mean Khun Sa will relinquish power as he remains the only person responsible for the group's funding. But Khun Sa once said it was possible for a government to successfully suppress the narcotics trade if the parties involved benefit in return citing the case of Thailand where the cultivation of opium has virtually been stamped through various programmes enacted by successive governments. *************************************************************** BKK POST: LIFE CONTINUES TO FLOURISH IN MTA-HELD TERRITORIES December 11, 1995 by Sutin Wannabovorn, Ho Mong, Burma, Reuters A MARKET vendor in this jungle town capital of opium warlord Khun Sa's outlaw kingdom offers visitors fresh sea fish and prawns which she says have just arrived by truck from Chiang Mai. Expensive Taiwanese-made over-coats are hanging in showcases nearby and a wide range of products from Thailand and China are available at market stalls throughout the town. Khun Sa is condemned as one of the world's most notorious drug barons and is officially wanted by police in at least three countries, including the United States. But despite his pariah status, he and his guerrilla organisation, as well as the thousands of civilians living here under his control, do not appear to be suffering too many deprivations. "We have everything here. We're linked up to the Internet, we have a satellite dish. Money talks," a rebel army officer told Reuters. "Khun Sa spends 200 million baht a month to maintain the army and this town. He will never let his kingdom die," said the officer who declined to be identified. The 61-year-old commander of the powerful Mong Tai Army rebel force has been branded a drug-trafficking "terrorist" by Burma's military government. They have vowed to crush his guerrilla army and put him on trial. Khun Sa was indicted by a US court on drug-trafficking charges in 1990 and Thai authorities say he would immediately be arrested if he were ever to foot on Thai soil. Last year, responding to complaints from Rangoon that Khun Sa was benefiting from cross-border smuggling, Thai authorities said they were sealing the frontier with his areas in northeastern Burma's Shan State. Some Thai officers said Khun Sa was like a cornered dog as Burmese forces closed in on his heartland from the west and Thailand sealed the frontier to choke off his black-market supply lines to the east. But any hardship the blockade had was shortlived and this valley town 30 km from the border with Thailand is now seeing a building boom. There were abundant supplies of cement and other building materials for a castle-like house now under construction, said to be for Khun Sa's teenaged wife. Among the dozens of new buildings going up is a 40-room hotel and the town's electricity supply is better than that in many parts of government-controlled Burma. "The border closure just means we have to pay a little bit more," one shopowner told Reuters. While a steady flow of consumer and construction goods cross into Khun Sa's zone from Thailand and other parts of Burma, timber is once again flowing the other way. A close aide to Khun Sa who declined to be identified said the logging business resumed three months ago when a Thai company came in to fell trees in Khlong Luang District, near the Salween River. A large quantity of logs has been transported out of the area since then and hundreds of logs were seen piled up at a Khun Sa outpost waiting to be transported to Thailand. "Logging companies pay 2,500 baht for every truck that passes through this area," said an MTA officer. Villagers living on the border told Reuters that at least 10 trucks loaded with logs have crossed the border into Thailand every night since October 15. The logs were transported only at night, they said. Burma's military government revoked logging deals with Thai companies in 1993 and it was not clear if the current logging going on here was with Rangoon's blessing or not. Meanwhile Khun Sa, who recently said he had retired as leader of his Shan political and military organisation, said in an interview he felt safe living in his capital. His home is under constant heavy guard and an elite security unit bristling with weapons accompanies him everywhere he goes. **************************************************************** BKK POST: KASEM: ASEAN CAN HELP ASIA-EUROPE TIES December 11, 1995 (abridged) By Vichit Sirithaveeporn Thailand believes Asean can help strengthen cooperation between East Asia and Europe. Foreign Minister Kasem S. Kasemsri told Sir Leon Brittan, Vice President of the European Commission in charge of external relations, that Asean could play a coordinating role between the two regions. Kobsak Chutikul, director general of the Economic Affairs Department of the Foreign Ministry, quoted M.R. Kasem as saying Asean not only can play a coordinating role between East Asia and Europe, but it was also playing an increasing role in the Asia Pacific Economic cooperation forum which links Asia and North America. He said Burma was also raised for discussion yesterday. Sir Leon told M.R. Kasem that the EU doubted whether the Burmese government was ready to accept foreign investors. "M.R.Kasem S. confirmed that Burma has improved its internal law in light of foreign direct investment, and next year was designated Visit Myanmar Year, which should open the country to more investment," Mr Kobsak said. ************************************************** NATION: KASEM RULES OUT USING MEET TO BOOST TIES WITH RANGOON December 9, 1995 FOREIGN Minister Kasem S Kasemsri while suggesting that Burma should be given positive suggestions on how to achieve national reconciliation, denied that Thailand would use the Fifth Asean Summit to improve relations with its northern neighbour. In an interview with The Nation, Kasem said the latest row between Burma's rulers and opposition leader Aunt San Suu Kyi has caused growing concern among the international community. "But mere concern will not help the country find its way out (of internal strife)," the foreign minister said. The State law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) last week disqualified Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy from the National Convention to draft a constitution - a move which has been frequently delayed since 1991 - following the party's description of the proceeding as "undemocratic." This was considered to be the first confrontation between the two sides since Suu Kyi's release in July. Burmese Prime Minister Gen Than Shwe and will be attending the first meeting of leaders from the seven Asean nations and Laos, Cambodia and Burma on Dec 15, the day after the Asean summit. It remained unclear whether Asean would take this opportunity to discuss the situation with Gen Than Shwe: However, the leaders will discuss the region's current political and economic situation, and Asean cooperation and assistance to Laos, Cambodia and Burma to ease the three countries' integration into the grouping. Malaysian delegates at the Asean meeting in Bangkok said yesterday that it was unlikely that the leaders would raise this matter with Burma. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Suvidya Simasakul also the Burmese issue was not part of the agenda for the 10 leaders' meeting. During preparatory meetings for the summit, however, Asean resolved the event should generate guidelines prospective members must follow before they are allowed to join the grouping. Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans warned Asean against rushing to welcome Burma into its fold, given the country's still-precarious political climate. He said the grouping has clout several other communities lacked. "Burma wants respectability from (joining) Asean," he said, during his meeting with Kasem here last week. Evans said the international community should not deviate from its call for universal human rights, but admitted some pragmatism would be necessary when trying to bring Burma into the world community. The two foreign ministers held opposite opinions about Burma's political development since the 28th Asean Ministerial Meeting after Slorc released Suu Kyi from house arrest. Evans said the would community should put more pressure on Burma for political reform and improvement of human rights, but Kasem responded by pointing out that improvements to situation in the country would be triggered from the inside rather than by global pressure or constructive engagement with Asean. Kasem visited Rangoon last month to see whether Prime Minister Banharn Silapa-archa could visit Burma before the summit to improve the deteriorating bilateral relations, but lingering tension over bilateral issues has apparently killed all possibility of such a visit. (TN) *************** MBEER: INFORMATION ON MICHAEL DOBBS_HIGGINSON December 5, 1995 >From mbeer@CapAccess.org The following excerpts from 4 articles provide a background on Michael Dobbs-Higgenson about whom there was a question recently on the burmanet. He is a greedy apologist for the SLORC regime. He currently serves as a consultant for the Indosuez Bank (an early entrant into Burma). If a substantial link can be made to him and Phoenix Pictures, a boycott maybe in order. BUSINESS TIMES: KEEP 30% OF MONEY IN CASH: EXPERT November 29, 1995 THE small investor should have something like 30 per cent of his money in cash in today's fast-moving, speculative financial environment, says Michael Dobbs-Higginson, former chairman of Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific. Mr Dobbs-Higginson does not speak from a narrow perspective, for he has seen more of the world -and from more angles -than most other people. The businessman, author and former Buddhist lay monk spent his youth studying in Dublin, Germany and London. He later took up an offer to live in a Tibetan monastery, went on to build an office block in Tokyo, became an investment banker with Credit Suisse, advised the Liberian government on how to manage its money and eventually joined Merrill Lynch. After leaving Merrill in 1990, he wrote the book, Asia Pacific: Its Role in the New World Disorder. The world is a rapidly changing place. And the pace and degree of change will accelerate between now and the turn of the century, he says. Asians have the strength to deal with such difficult circumstances, Mr Dobbs-Higginson believes. As he points out: Asia has strong Confucian ethics, most Asians are prepared for a tough life and they understand the importance of flexibility. UPI: SUU KYI SPEECHES DRAW BIG CROWDS September 25, 1995 Rangoon Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's calls for a quick transition to democratic rule appear to be striking an increasingly responsive chord among Rangoon residents, analysts said Monday. Audiences at her informal weekend speeches outside her home have increased from an average of about 700 to about 3,000 in the past few weeks. .....................Suu Kyi described two articles published recently in the government-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper as ''biased, acrimonious reading matter.'' One of the articles made a subtle comparison between Suu Kyi, who is the daughter of Burmese independence hero Aung San, and Maung Ba Than, who posed as a Burmese prince in order to help British colonialists take control of the country in 1885. The other article, written by M.S. DOBBS HIGGINSON, described as a former chairman of the Asia-Pacific division of the U.S.-based Merrill Lynch Company, ran in five installments in the New Light of Myanmar. The article praised the military junta that seized control of Burma in a coup in 1992 for ''gradually bringing about order and economic progress with comparatively little of the wholesale repressive, brutal and corrupt practices of other regimes elsewhere in the world.'' ------------------------------------------ SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: US MOVIE FUND AIMS TO GIVE ASIAN MONEY A STARRING ROLE October 9, 1994 ASIAN investors are being courted to put their money into Hollywood blockbusters through a fund launched last week. The US$ 75 million (HK$ 579 million) Phoenix Pictures Investors, based in the British Virgin Islands, is a private placement fund which will contribute money to start a major film production company in Los Angeles. A likely rival to established names such as Orion, TriStar, Disney and Colombia, the fund - part of the new Phoenix Pictures - has already attracted significant interest from institutional and corporate investors in the region. According to Niles Helmboldt, chairman of the fund's management committee, the initial response has been favourable; the company was quietly introduced to potential investors in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore last week by former Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific chairman, Michael Dobbs-Higginson. About 50 high-net-worth individuals from Hong Kong gathered in the China Club last week to hear Mr Dobbs-Higginson's sales pitch. The minimum purchase of US$ 500,000, equal to one share, helps fund the making of between 35 and 40 feature films over a five-year period. The two main Hollywood chiefs behind Phoenix Pictures are Mike Medavoy, former production head at Orion Pictures and chairman at TriStar, and Peter Hoffman, previously president and chief executive officer of Carolco Pictures. Nomura Securities is co-lead manager of the fund, and the financial house's Zurich brand will act as custodian bank/ Pheonix just incorporated last week. CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE, CORPORATE RECORD. Name: Phoenix Pictures Inc. Type of Corporation: Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation Corporate Status: Active Date of Incorporation/Qualification: 11/21/1995 Mailing Address: Gipson Hoffman 1901 Avenue Of The Stars Ste. 1100 Los Angeles, Ca 90067 Registered Agent: Lawrence Bernstein Registered Office: 10125 W. Washington Blvd Penthouse Los Angeles, Ca 90232 Tax-Basis: Stock State Of Incorporation: De Corporate Number: 1899182 To Order Or File Corp Documents Or For Registered Agent Serv. Call 800-634-9738 ************************************************************************ ASIA WEEK: NO TALKING HERE December 8, 1995 OFF and on for almost three years. Myanmar's ruling Slorc has been drafting a constitution-its idea of a constitution. When the generals opened the much-delayed fifth session of a constitutional convention on Nov 28, Aunt San Suu Kyi announced that the 81 delegates from her NLD would boycott the meeting until the junta agreed to talk to them about real political reform. Slorc said the boycott didn't much matter. Suu Kyi, the country's leading dissident, is besting they're wrong. "We are not trying to destroy the National Convention," Suu Kyi said at a press conference outside her home in the capital, Rangoon. "We are trying to make it one that will be acceptable to the people of Burma and to the international community." Suu Kyi and the NLD have criticized the convention as undemocratic and aimed at legitimizing the position of the military, which snatched back power in 1988. "Decision are laid down before an issue has been discussed," Suu Kyi said, and some of the proposed principles are "not consonant with a truly democratic state." Only 15% of the more than 700 delegates which Slorc organized and then ignored. The military claimed that the NLD's move was aimed at prompting its own interests. An editorial in the government run New Light of Myanmar attacked the NLD demands for a dialogue about national reconciliation as an attempt "to mar the ongoing works of the convention and successes achieved." The junta has intimated it will hand power over to a civilian government once a constitution has been drawn up. But the military insists on maintaining a leading role. The constitution so far calls for a multi-party system with a bicameral legislature. A quarter of the representatives in each house will be military officers. In this session, delegates are supposed to discuss the legislature, executive and judiciary of a new democratic Myanmar. Suu Kyi no doubt has plenty to say about the separation of powers in government. But she won't say it, since the generals won't listen (AW) *************** BKK POST: COMBINED FORCE SENT TO HUNT RENEGADE KARENS December 10, 1995 A 300-strong force is hunting armed pro-Rangoon Karen renegades who crossed from Burma and clashed with police on Friday. The police, paramilitary rangers and volunteers were concentrating on the border area at Tha Song Yang in the search for the 50-strong band. At least two of the intruders of the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army were shot and believed killed in the clash at Ban Mae La when they tried to hijack a long-tailed boat to pick up 50 of their comrades from the Burmese side. Boatman Art Jaimote, 28, jumped into the water and swam to the Thai bank during the clash, in which the vessel was hit and capsized. The combined force, with V-150 personnel carriers, was sent into the border area yesterday morning after villagers reported seeing 20 DKBA troops trying to force a boatman to ferry them across the Moei to Burma. The incident was reported in Ban Poo Soeng, 30km west of Ban Mae La. Military sources said the renegades, who broke from the anti-Rangoon Karen National Union this year, had crossed over to attack a Karen refugee camp. Refugee camps were attacked and key members of the KNU abducted this year by the renegades after they sided with the Rangoon junta. The renegades might have changed their attack plan after they clashed with police, the sources said. A dozen villages along the border have been armed and placed on 24-hour alert. (BP) **************** BKK POST: FOREIGN PROTESTS ALLOWED, SAYS SPECIAL BRANCH CHIEF December 10, 1995 Foreign activists can stage protests during the Asean Summit so long as they do not break the law, a top policeman said yesterday. Special Branch Bureau commissioner Veera Visuthakul warned that rallies must not ruin Thailand's good relations with the countries they are targeted against. He said a number of Indonesians, with support from certain non-governmental organisations, may protest in front of the UN building against their government on the human rights situation in East Timor. And Burmese students may rally to call for the abolition of Burma's draft constitution. Pol Lt Gen Veera said the Police Department considered the protests by the Indonesian and Burmese activists were about internal affairs in their countries and therefore Thailand, as a democratic country, would not prohibit them for exercising their basic human rights. A rally by 47 Thai fisheries associations against Malaysia over fishing disputes should also be staged in a peaceful way, he said. Pol Lt Gen Veera warned that legal action would be taken against protesters who failed to maintain peace and order during their rallies. (BP) ********************************************* BKK POST: SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO BURMA, SAYS ARMY CHIEF December 9, 1995 Burmese officials can do all the talking at the next Regional Border Committee meeting, the Third Army Commander said yesterday. Representatives of Rangoon never responded to proposals at past meetings so there was little point doing anything but listen, said Lt-Gen Thanom Wacharaput. "I suggested to Deputy Army Commander Gen Chettha Thanajaro we should not make any proposals and just listen to what they say," he said. "It's pointless to make any proposals because they will not be heeded anyway," said Lt-Gen Thanom, who co-chairs the committee, due to meet in Rangoon on Dec 26-29.Among issues not to be discussed is the stalled construction of the Thai-Burmese friendship bridge. The issue would be left for the border demarcation committee, he said. Lt-Gen Thanom said Thailand did not support minority groups in Burma but helped refugees on a humanitarian but temporary basis. The commander also dismissed reports Khun Sa had stepped down as leader of the Shan liberation movement. (BP) *********************************** BKK POST: 10 NATIONS TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE December 9, 1995 By Bhanravee Tansubhapol (slightly abridged) Asean and its three potential members Burma, Cambodia and Laos_ will for the first time seek ways to work together to improve the quality of life through education. Burma, which has been strongly criticised for human rights violations, has agreed to give more importance to this issue, according to Sukhum Rasmidatta, director-general of the Asean Department at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. "Burma has expressed enthusiasm to join talks on personnel development with other Asean members, plus Laos and Cambodia," he said. Leaders from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the three potential members will meet for two hours on December 15 without an open agenda. Regional integration is likely to be raised at the session, the first of its kind in the history of Asean. Before the summit of all 10 countries, the seven Asean leaders are to officially announce that the group will give more importance to social issues through its five working committees covering science and technology, culture and information, social development, environment, and drugs and narcotics control. "Asean shall elevate social affairs to a higher plane to bring shared prosperity to all its members," the leaders' draft declaration states. These issues, especially the health of youths and women, will be given first priority. Other issues include public health, food, labour, education and HIV/AIDS. ************** THE HINDU: TENSION RISING IN MYANMAR December 10, 1995 (abridged) From: chan@.unv.ernet.in A Nobel Peace prize laureate is being accused by the military government in her own country of being a ' traitor', out to "incite" people and disrrupt the process of making a new constitution. In Myanmar, formerly Burma, this is the irony. [T]he State controlled media has launched a tirade against the NLD and Ms. Suu Kyi without naming them. A strong warning was issued by the authorities that disruptionist tactics would be countered and crushed. In a not-too-subtle comparison, " The New Light of Myanmar " one of the ths state-run English dailies, spoke of a 19th century "traitor" called Maung Ba Than who is supposed to have helped the British. "True young patriots are well aware of all our activities and they will hold hands with people and annihilate anyone who makes the country unstable", the newspaper said in an article. "If you really have a true desire to do so as you directed by the imperialists". Ms. Suu Kyi, known of patience, seems to be tiring too. She has spoken out at last both against the undemocratic approach of the junta and The National Convention, as also the clear messages that are coming out ot her party, the NLD. It is now clear that both sides are bracing themselves for another protracted struggle. The military rulers have hinted at what they have in mind_ dubbing her a traitor, castigating her for trying to incite people and pleding to continue with the task set by the Slorc to complete the constitution and hold an election according to the new gameplan. If Ms. Suu Kyi decided to step out again and begin a campaign for the restoration of democracy, she could again find herself in house arrest. Knowing her hold on the people , the malitary rulers may not give her too much time if she jumps into the political arena to mobilise the people. On her part, the Noble-laureate is keen on keeping the struggle non-violent and forcing the generals, at some stage, to see reality and give up power. The stalemate has come about at a critical time in Myanmar's development. Next week's fifth summit of ASEAN leaders has invited the prime minister of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos to attend their meeting in Bangkok and share with them their vesion of new South East Asia. Any struggle or showdown at this juncture will be an embarrassment for the military junta. It will also make things difficult for the ASEAN countries to close their eyes to the struggle for democracy in Myanmar and continue to do business with the generals as though everything is fine in Yangon. V. Jayanth ( Singapore ) ****************************************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: AN INVITATION FROM THE AUSTRALIA BURMA COUNCIL: December 11, 1995 From: "Rob Watt" There will be an INTERFAITH SERVICE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM FOR THE PEOPLE OF BURMA in the Ashfield Uniting Church, and Hon. Justice Marcus Einfeld will be participating. 180 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, Sydney, on Thursday, 14 December, 1995 at 7.00 p.m. All are most welcome to come and participate. 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