My apologies for the format. -glen ------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"----------------------------------------------------------The BurmaNet News: December 15, 1995Issue #302HEADINGS:=========NANDO TIMES: BURMA TAKES ANOTHER TENTATIVE STEP TO ASEANBKK POST: ALATAS DEFENDS BURMA'S MEMBERSHIP OF ASEANBKK POST: BOYCOTT INVESTMENT IN BURMA, URGE STUDENTSBKK POST: APPROVAL FOR DRAFT DEAL ON THAI-BURMA BORDER TRADEBKK POST: MONEY-CHANGERS MUSHROOMING IN BURMESE CAPITALNATION: UN ACTION ON BURMA: GOVTS SHOULD PRESS FOR COMPLIANCEFEER: DOING THE DIRTY WORKISBDA: NEW & SPECIAL NLD INFO VIDEOS AVAILABLEANNOUNCEMENT: DIAMOND JUBILEE LUNCH IN VIRGINIA----------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------NANDO TIMES: BURMA TAKES ANOTHER TENTATIVE STEP TO ASEANDecember 14, 1995 (excerpts)From: "Moe K. T." BANGKOK (Dec 14, 1995 - 03:00 EST) - Long-isolated Burma steps on to theregional stage on Friday when it attends a summit of southeast Asianleaders for the first time, but its full integration into the boomingregion is still some way off.Rangoon-based diplomats said Burma's military government, much-criticisedin Western countries for its human rights violations, would benefit fromattending the Bangkok summit. "It's another feather in their cap. Anothervindication, as they see it, that their pariah status is starting to cometo an end and that their acceptance is growing," one diplomat said. "It'sall symbolic. They've been trading with ASEAN for ages but to be invitedinto the big house as opposed to trading over the garden fence is a big thing,"said another envoy.Burma began introducing market reforms in late 1988 after 26 years ofdisastrous central planning. But the diplomats said the reform processstill had some way to go before it could comply with requirements necessaryfor inclusion in ASEAN's Free Trade Area (AFTA). "ASEAN will push them tocomply with AFTA requirements and unless they do, they won't come in," onediplomat said. "It's a full-blown market economy which might be quitefrightening for some of the old ideologues." Said another diplomat: "Interms of the organisational infrastructure required to meet ASEANcommitments they're certainly not ready yet."*********************************************************BKK POST: ALATAS DEFENDS BURMA'S MEMBERSHIP OF ASEANDecember 14, 1995 (slightly abridged)Burma's eventual membership of Asean should not threaten goodrelations between the group and its dialogue partners, saidIndonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas. Neither does hebelieve Burma is cynically using membership of the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations to enhance its internationallegitimacy and to ward off criticism over human rights anddemocratic reform."We hope Myanmar being with us does not, and should not,necessarily influence the total relationship with our dialoguepartners," the minister told the Bangkok Post in an interviewprior to today's fifth Asean summit.The dialogue partners are a group of nations, including theUS, which maintain close consultation with Asean. Today theleaders will sign the Bangkok Summit Declaration which willreaffirm Asean's commitment to expand the association toinclude Cambodia, Laos and Burma.They will also reaffirm the commitment to achieve the AseanFree Trade Area by 2003 and give the mandate for negotiationson the liberalisation of services in certain sectors. Theleaders of Cambodia, Laos and Burma will join their Aseancounterparts in an unprecedented meeting on Friday.In July, Burma acceded to the 1976 Asean Treaty of Amity andCooperation, taking the first step towards observers statusthat will eventually lead to full membership. Cambodia andLaos, both observers of Asean, have said they would like to befull members in two years time.Minister Alatas said Asean has been trying to explain to itsdialogue partners that eventual Burmese membership should notaffect relations. He cited, as an example, Jakarta's problemswith Portugal over East Timor."Indonesia has a problem with Portugal on East Timor. Aseanhas a good relationship with the European Union. Should oneinfluence the other? We say no," he said. Indonesia believesthe East Timor problem with Portugal should be resolved in an"appropriate forum" he continued."We must be able to distinguish certain problems which arebilateral in nature and questions which relate torelationships between two countries or two regions," he said.Despite constant calls for Asean not to include Burma as amember, Minister Alatas reaffirmed the association's stance ofconstructive engagement."We realise Myanmar is under heavy criticism from somedeveloped countries and international bodies over what areperceived to be human rights violations. "We believe if such asituation exists you have two options: isolate them and imposesanctions or you can draw that country out and that process isthe one we are doing."Quietly talking them out of their shell and asking them tosee the benefits of being open. "We think it has already hadsome benefits and concrete results, although it is a slowprocess," he said. "I don't believe Myanmar is trying to useAsean to ward off attacks by the international community."During the summit today, the leaders are expected to discusspossible measures to help the transition of Cambodia, Laos andBurma into Asean. After the leaders of the 10 Southeast Asiancountries meet, Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa will issuea chairman's statement.Sources told the Post the draft two-page statement will citeeconomic links and increased participation by the threecountries in all future Asean activities as the most appropriateway to boost ties between the association and the potential members.The draft pinpoints exchange programmes and training andresearch collaboration as possible means to boost links. Aseanis also expected to announce it will help the three countriesin their transition to market economies and help them in theireventual participation of AFTA.The draft ends by saying the meeting of Asean and Cambodia,Laos and Burma "reinforces the prospects of one Southeast Asiaunder Asean by the year 2000". The Asean leaders and theirguests will also sign the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons-FreeZone Treaty today. This treaty bans nuclear weapons in theregion_ despite a lack of support for the treaty by major military powers.Britain, China, France, Russia and the US have expressedreservations over the treaty fearing it may affect the passageof their vessels through the region. Asean has assured thenuclear powers there will be "freedom of the seas."****************************************BKK POST: BOYCOTT INVESTMENT IN BURMA, URGE STUDENTSDecember 14, 1995Students from a handful of countries yesterday called on theirgovernments to stop public and private investment in Burma toprevent its ruling military junta reaping benefits from it.The call was made by representatives of students fromThailand, Malaysia, Australia and Burma during a paneldiscussion at Thammasat University. They said Thailand, inparticular, should stop business investment in Burma.FormerBurmese student leader Maung Maung Than, speaking at a pressconference afterwards, said any kind of financial supportgiven by the Thai Government will only benefit the militarydictators and not poor people.Thailand has been one of the major foreign investors in Burmain recent years. The panel discussion was attend byrepresentatives of the Asia Students Association, the StudentsFederation of Thailand, the Thai Action Committee forDemocracy in Burma and the Overseas National Students'Organisation of Burma.Also represented at the discussion were the All Burma BasicEducation Students Union, All Burma Students' DemocraticFront, Australia's National Student Union, Malaysia StudentsCouncil and the All Burma Students Democratic organisation.The event was closely observed by 15 plainclothes police officers.Apart from imposing economic sanctions on Burma, thepanellists also called for Asean governments to pay moreattention towards easing the impact of development projects onthe livelihoods of people in member states. Some said past andpresent governmental policies had caused a severe impact onthe environment and livelihood of the people in the region.Maung Maung Than claimed Burmese forests had been extensivelydamaged by Thai logging firms in recent years. He saidalthough the Burmese government had imposed a ban on loggingin 1989 a number of Thai companies still continued to operatein Burma. The logging actively, he claimed, has continued withthe support of some Thai politicians and the Burmese military regime.He said: "The Thai and Burmese governments are supporting eachother for their own benefit. They are not really concerned forthe environment." The student activist claimed a forced labourproblem in Burma has also been worsening because of anincrease in development projects there.He referred to a United Nations' report indicating there weremore than one million people being put into forced labour toimplement development projects by the Burmese government.Letters detailing the students' calls will be handed torepresentatives of the Asean governments today.Deputy Interior Minister Suchart Tancharoen yesterday urgedthe students to refrain from undertaking any action during theAsean summit that could damage the country's reputation. Hesaid the Interior Ministry was willing to help process any messagethe students might have for the Asean leaders during the summit.In a related development, a human rights group yesterdaycalled on Asean leaders to put aside reservations aboutmeddling in each others" affairs and raise rights violationsat the summit, according to the AFP news agency.The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia)said it was concerned that "the prevalence of human rightsviolations in the region" would not be discussed at thesummit. Forum-Asia said while it welcomed cooperation betweenthe countries, it was concerned Asean was overlooking humanrights violations in Indonesia, as well as Burma and Cambodia.The Bangkok-based group said in an open letter to Aseanleaders that "repression of peaceful dissident in East Timorcontinues unabated," citing East Timorese students who allegedpolice brutality after they staged a sit-in at the Dutch andRussian embassies last week.Forum-Asia called on Asean to pressure Indonesia to end itspresence in the former Portuguese colony it invaded in 1975,saying Asean members "should feel free to discuss the problemsof other members."Asean has resolutely maintained a policy of public unity andrefraining from what it sees as meddling in the affairs ofother nations. Burma and Cambodia hope to join the groupingbut Forum-Asia said both should first "demonstrate theirrespect for the principles of peace freedom, [and] social justice."Forum-Asia expressed "grave concern over the continuingserious violations of human rights in Myanmar" and saidAsean's policy of close contact with the junta had not"resulted in greater respect for human rights." (BP)****************BKK POST: APPROVAL FOR DRAFT DEAL ON THAI-BURMA BORDER TRADEDecember 14, 1995The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the draft of the border tradeagreement between Thailand and Burma, ahead of the Burmeseleader's arrival to attend the two-day Asean summit meeting.The draft agreement represents the first concrete step in theefforts to improve frosty Thai- Burmese relations which slippedlate last year.The three-page draft agreement, proposed by Burma lateOctober, designates three checkpoints where border trade canbe conducted" Burma's Tachilek opposite Chiang Rai's Mae Saiin the north, Myawaddy across from Tak's Mae Sot, andKawthaung-Ranong in the south.The draft opens the possibility for more trade posts to beauthorised in the future. The agreement is good for two yearswhen it comes into effect, and will be automatically extendedfor another two years at a time unless either side wishes toterminate it.Once the agreement takes effect it is likely to put an end tothe free-wheeling trade activities previously conducted bylocals. Even though Thailand decided to conform to Burma'sproposal to use its (Rangoon) version of the agreement whichBangkok regarded as "containing a few loopholes," theagreement will regulate trade, while offering assurance thatBurma will open more border checkpoints in the future."Once the agreement is signed by the two sides, Burma willopen at least one of the three checkpoints," the ForeignMinistry said in its report, quoting Burmese TradeDepartment's Director-General Kyaw Myint. The agreement setsregulations on the trade of certain sensitive commodities thatinclude teak, rice, gems, and livestock except cattle and buffalo.These products are banned from cross-border trade, but theBurmese Government allows for officially-sanctioned exchangesthrough its state enterprises. Having gone through the processsuch as opening letters of credit, these goods can then betransported through these checkpoints.It is not known when Thailand and Burma would sign theagreement. One possible occasion for the pact to be signed isduring the annual meeting of the joint commission chaired bythe two foreign ministers. It is Burma's turn this year tohost the meeting, but not date has been fixed for the meetingwhich is supposed to be place at the end of the year.Gen Than Shwe is scheduled to call on Defence Minister ChavalitYongchaiyudh at the Defence Ministry early this afternoon. TheBurmese leader will be accompanied by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, firstsecretary-general of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council,and chief of military intelligence.****************BKK POST: MONEY-CHANGERS MUSHROOMING IN BURMESE CAPITALDecember 14, 1995 By Khin Maung ThwinRangoon, AFPMoney-changers, both licensed and otherwise, are on theincrease in the Burmese capital, responding to public demandand reflecting the opening of the country's economy. ForeignExchange Certificates (FECs), introduced just two years ago,have become widely used in day-to-day transactions.Initially intended to help foreign tourists limit the lossesthey suffered from an unrealistic official exchange rate, theFECs now circulate among Burmese as well_ at least those incontact with foreigners. Last week, Burma officially opened an FEC trading centre incentral Rangoon where 10 licensed currency dealers havebooths, and Finance Minister Win Tin hailed the move as a steptowards eliminating the black market.The US dollar is worth around six kyats at the official rateof exchange and currently trades at between 110 and 130 kyatsat what is now referred to as the market rate. Burmesecitizens, who are not supposed to handle hard currency, mayuse FECs, which are officially pegged to the dollar. Some $10-million worth of FECs are believed to be in circulation.Speaking at the opening of the trading centre lastweek, Win Tin said the use of FECs had helped stabilise theopen exchange rate, "helped bring down the price of the dollarand stabilise the unofficial rate."He went on to say that the move to establish an FEC market wasnot only an important step toward "positive change" in theprevailing financial market but would also help eradicatetrading in the black market.Money-changer Soe Myint, who owns a self-proclaimed "user-friendly" exchange counter at the newly-established FECcentre, said it was too soon to comment on prospects for thefuture. (BP)****************THE NATION: UN ACTION ON BURMA: GOVTS SHOULD PRESS FORCOMPLIANCEDecember 14, 1995Unless governments act soon, the confrontation over the NationalConvention may lead to a renewed crackdown by the Burmese militaryjunta, writes Human Rights Watch/Asia in New York.Following the decision on Nov 29 by the NLD to withdraw fromthe National Convention, the forum established by the militarygovernment to draft "principle" for a new constitution,tension remains high in Rangoon.Human Rights Watch/Asia has received reports of proteststalking place in high schools, in Insein jail and in monasteries.Every weekend the numbers of people attending the NLD's "people'sforum" outside Aung San Suu Kyi's house has increased, and onDec 7 more that 4,000 were reported to have gathered there.Thus far, the Slorc has allowed these demonstrations of publicsupport for the NLD to continue, but key figures in the party,including chairman U Tin Oo and vice chairman U Kyi Maung, arereported to be under constant surveillance and are routinelyharassed. Witnesses in Rangoon have reported that there is aprison van parked outside U Kyi Maung's house.At the same time, while negotiations with the KNU and the KNPPapparently remain deadlocked, there have been renewed attacksand killings by the DKBA, a group which receives militarysupport from Slorc, on refugees and Thai citizens. Since Dec4, one refugee and three Thais have been killed.Last Tuesday's UN General Assembly resolution welcomed theunconditional release on July 10 of Suu Kyi, but deploredongoing human rights violations in Burma. It urged Slorc torelease other prisoners, restore fundamental freedoms ofdepression and assembly and end forced labor. The resolutionalso called on Slorc to allow the International Committee ofthe Red Cross confidential access to the country's jails and prisons.Regarding the National Convention, the UN insisted that thegovernment "allow all citizens to participate freely in thepolitical process in accordance with the principles of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights."Human Rights Watch/Asia recommends the following measures toensure that the resolution is implemented:* Emergency efforts to establish an ongoing human rightsmonitoring presence in Rangoon, reporting directly to the UN'sSpecial Rapporteur in Burma, Prof Yozoyokota.As tension is expected to increase over the coming weeks andmonths, it is crucial that staff be based in Rangoon with a mandate toconduct on-the-ground monitoring of the human rights situation.Australia, the European Union, Japan and the US should considertaking the lead promoting and funding this initiative.* suspension of any government-supported effort to entice orstimulate trade and investment in Burma.The UK held conference to encourage British companies toinvest in Burma only last week, and will be giving sponsorshipto companies who participate in a trade mission to Burma inFebruary, with plans fro two further mission later in the year.Governments' policies towards Burma should be consistent withtheir principle stand at the UN, and they should avoid helpingto underwrite Slorc's detail of basic rights by generatingdirect or indirect financial assistance.* No bilateral or multilateral loans to Burma until keyprovisions of the UN's resolutions are fulfilled.The World Bank issued a report in October on Burma's economicreforms, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recentlydecided to begin a limited program there. Any efforts by theSlorc to respond to recommendations by the Bank or IMFregarding Burma's economic problems must be accompanied bysignificant actions to improve fundamental human rights.* Japan, in particular, should refrain from restoring OfficialDevelopment Assistance yen loans for major infrastructuresuspended since 1988 until there is substantial human rightsprogress.Tokyo has already rewarded Slorc with a $15 million grant fora nursing hospital, and $50 million as debt relief grant-in-aid following Suu Kyi's release.* At Asean's summit in Bangkok this week, member governmentsshould use the opportunity of the presence of the Slorcchairman Gen Than Shwe, to make it clear that the release ofSuu Kyi, though welcome, is not sufficient for Asean toconsider taking further steps to integrate Burma into theregional grouping.Human rights reforms which will bring about an end to the flowof refugees into their countries, and an end to cross borderattacks by forces supported by the Slorc, should be a top priority.* In the months since Suu Kyi's release, senior Burmeseleaders have conducted "goodwill trips" abroad, solacinginvestments, arms and closer political relations in China,France, Britain, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Thailand,Singapore, the US elsewhere. Invitations for any such visitsin 1996 should be linked to specific actions by Slorc tofulfill the UN resolution.* Steps to exert pressure on Burma to end the massive use offorced labour.In his verbal report to the UN General Assembly, Yozoyokotastated that Slorc leader Gen Khin Nyunt had issued a "secretdirective" in June to discourage the practice. The governmenthas yet to make the text public.Human Rights Watch/Asia welcomes any steps by the governmentto eliminate the use of force labour, but note that with norule of law for public accountability, the military is likelyto continue to force civilians to work without pay in oftenappalling condition.The secret directive reportedly prohibits the use of civiliansas unpaid labours for many "development projects". but allowsthe army to continue to use civilians as porters and"sanitation" workers. Thus, Slorc may be sanction portering,the most abusive kind of forced labour, which violates notonly International Labour Organization standards, but also theGeneva Convention, which Slorc ratified in 1992.Regardless of the exact of this "secret directive", it isclearly not being implemented. In interviews conducted byHuman Rights Watch/Asia in September, refugees who had arrivedin Thailand from Kyukkyi township in Karen State between Juneand September reported that forced labour on infrastructureprojects is continuing in those area.Governments should press Slorc to give the Special Rapporteurunhindered access to all parts of Burma to monitorimplementation of this or any other initiatives announced bythe government in its attempt to dampen international concernabout forced labour and its impact n potential foreigninvestors.At the same time, governments, trade unions and employersorganizations should investigate the practice of forced labourunder Article 26 of the ILO, and following public hearingshould, if necessary, considering Burma's membership of theorganization. (TN)*******************************************FEER: DOING THE DIRTY WORKASIA'S BROTHELS THRIVE ON MIGRANT LABOURDecember 14, 1995By Gordon Fairclough in Chiang RaiWan came to Thailand to make money. She had heard all aboutthe "golden land" in letter from her friends. "They all encourage meto come," Wan says. "They told me the pay was good."So, soon after Wan finished high school in Keng Tung, asprawling market town in Burma's Shan State, she boarded a busand made the 100-kilometer trip over mountain roads to theborder. At first, she work at the maid for a Thai family. Butthe 800 baht ($28) she earned each month didn't go as far asshe thought. She decided that to really get ahead she wouldhave to try something new. She went to work in massage parlour.Faced with poverty at home, several hundred thousand Burmesehave crossed into Thailand in recent years. And like Wan, agreat many of the women- 30,000 by one estimate-have ended upworking in the commercial sex industry. It's a pattern that'srepeated in numerous corners of Asia, as rapid but uneveneconomic growth triggers the migration of million of job-seekers-from countryside to city, and cross international border.The migrant population supplies a huge portion of Asia's sexworkers-and customers as well. Poor, disoriented and cut offfrom the social support of their home villages, they make easymarks for recruiter. Yet most of Burmese women working innorthern Thailand were not kidnapped or tricked. The word isout that prostitution can be highly lucrative-and no educationor experience is required.Now, Wan starts her evenings sitting in a small. glass-walledroom with a dozen other women, waiting to be chosen bycustomers. She says she's 23, but her heavy make-up doesn'tquite mask the adolescent pimple on her cheeks.Wan says she earns about 4,000 baht a month, a fortune inBurma. She sends half of it home to support her family. And,after two years in the border town of Mae Sai, she says shehas saved up almost enough to go into business as ahairdresser back home.Her customers are mostly men from Taiwan, Singapore and China,drawn to the Thai town of Mae Sai by the profitable cross-border trade. They like to spend their earnings on whisky andsex. In the top-end places, men pay up to 1,500 baht for anight with a prostitute."It's not such bad work," Wan says in heavily accented Thai."The problem is everyone looks down on you. But what are wesupposed to do?"Migrants such as Wan are doing a job that fewer and fewer Thaiwomen want. Rising incomes and fear of AIDS have made Thaiwomen less willing to work in the sex trade. And those that dogo into the business prefer to work overseas, or in Bangkok andother entertainment centers where they can make the most money.The trend is especially pronounced in border areas. In thewestern town of Mae Sot, most prostitutes are Burmese. InRanong, a port on the Andaman Sea, hundreds of Burmese womensell sex to their countrymen who work on Thai fishing boats.It is not only women who work in the sex trade. Maung Htay was14 when he left his home in central Burma. He sneaked acrossthe border into Thailand and landed a job in a restaurant inMae Sai. At 16, he traveled about 200 kilometers to ChiangMai, northern Thailand's commercial center. There, he went towork in a dingy gay bar.The money is good. says Maung Htay (not real name), and thework isn't too hard. He gyrates on stage in his underwear,trying to entice tourists to have sex with him. Maung Htay,now 17, says he earns an average of about 10,000 baht a month,more than he ever dreamed he could make in Burma. "My parentshave no idea what I'm doing," Maung Htay says. And, he saysthey are glad to get the 5,000 baht that the sends each month.Many of the prostitutes' customers are also migrants, job-seekers from Burma and Thailand's own less-developed ruralareas. Most of Thailand's industrial labour force is made upof young men and women who have left home for the first timeto find work. They are separated from their families and haveescaped from the social constraints of village life. Many lookto brothels for comfort and fun.Take the case of Boi. He came to Chiang Mai at 15 looking forwork. Away from his parents, and with cash in his pocket, histeenage longings for experimentation drew him to Kampaeng Din,the city's notorious red-light district. He started having sexwith prostitutes and has been a regular customer since."The girls all have numbers pinned to their chest so you canpick them out. Some of them are really cute," he says. Boiworries about getting AIDS, so he says he's careful: "I alwayswear two condoms. I but my own at the 7-eleven."The flesh trade is highly lucrative, and the authorities makesure they get a piece of the action. Women in Mae Sai say theymust pay the Thai police 500 baht each month to avoiddeportation. In many cases, the police do more than just turna blind eye. They are actually involved in the business. Aprostitute in one combination massage parlour and karaokelounge in Mae Sai reassured a guest after a police man walkedpast. "No problem" she said. ""He work here"But protection bought from corrupt cops comes with noguarantees. As illegal immigrants working in an illegalindustry, people like Maung Htay and Wan are especiallyvulnerable. They cannot go to the authorities for help, sincethey would risk imprisonment and deportation. They also end upworking in the least remunerative and most dangerous places.And because they don't know as much about AIDS prevention astheir Thai counterparts, they have much higher infection rates.Aid workers in Bangkok argue that improving workers' (wordmissing) could reduce their involvement in prostitution. "We shouldregister migrant workers, give them work permits and allow them tobring their families," says Sanphasit Koonpraphant, directorof the Center for the Protection of Children's Rights.But few governments would be willing to take such measures,which would encourage migrant workers to settle permanently inthe host countries. Even more significantly, there's noguarantee they would be effective: Millions of Thai who havemigrated from the countryside to the cities have full legalstatus, but they're usually young and single for economicreasons- housing and feeding a family in a place like Bangkokwould be too expensive.Driven by economic, migration continues. At any one time, asmany as 100 million people are on the move in China. Thailand,in addition to its own internal immigrants, has an estimated30,000 illegal Burmese migrants and 100,000 illegal Chineseimmigrants, according to the government. An estimate 1 millionIndonesians have migrated to Malaysia, and approximately 1.4million Philippine nationals are working in other Asiancountries.As long as poverty drives these migrants away from theirhomes, some will keep finding their way into prostitution.Says Khin, a prostitute in Mae Sai: "If I didn't come here, mymother wouldn't have anything to eat."*********************************************************ISBDA: NEW & SPECIAL NLD INFO VIDEOS AVAILABLEDecember 13, 1995From: "K. TINT" <101175.1041@compuserve.com> New and Special NLD Info Videos Available! From: kyawtint@hatelecom.or.jpSpecial Volume 1: NLD Video Document on the National Day, Nov. 16, 1995.Special Volume 2: Private Video Document on the Independent Day, Jan. 4, 1995.Regular Releases:"Burma's Democracy Struggle and Our Future Prospect, vol. #17, #18, #19, #20, #21 and #22."Dear Friends:ISBDA would like to announe the1995 final distribution of video tapes whichincludes two special volumes and the regular series of "Burma's DemocracyStruggle and Our Future Prospect, vol. #17, to #22."The tapes were recordedduring September to November and distributed by the NLD HQ to its members. InVol #22, you can see how SLORC placed barricades on the road to disturb theassembly in front of Daw Suu's home.Special Volume 1 covered the whole National Day Ceremony held at the NLDHeadquarters on November 16, 1995.Special Volume 2 covered a Dinner Party of Independent Day which was organizedby senior Burmese Nationalists (Thakhin Gyis) on January 4, 1995, long beforeDaw Suu's release.Descriptions for Regular Series are as follows:Volume #17 covered the discussion of NLD leaders with the party officials andmembers of Kwanchangon Township on September 6, 1995. (US$15)Volume #18 covered the discussion of NLD leaders with the party officials andmembers of Mayangon Township on September 26, 1995. (US$15)The tape #19, #20, #21 and #22 are the serial video documents of public speechesand discussions in Burmese by the NLD leaders headed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,based on the questions by the people gathered every weekends in front of DawSuu's resident on the following dates, respectively: October 21 & 22, 1995.(US$15) October 28, 29 and November 4, 1995. (US$15) November 12, 1995.(US$15) November, 18 &19, 1995.(US$15)People who interested in sharing these tapes must send return address to ISBDA,202-601 Chohai 3-chome, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan 480-11 with enclosed check orinternational MO payable to Htay H. Kyi._OnlY FoR YoU:_Those friends who have reputation of sharing previous video & audio sets aresuggested to send an email mentioning that he or she has just mailed the paymentso that we can process for shipping the new volumes without confirming thepayment.copying + handling fees ==>Burma's Democracy Struggle and Our Future Prospect, vol. #13, #14, #15. #16: ===========(previous set)=============== US$ 60.0 per set.Burma's Democracy Struggle and Our Future Prospect, vol. #9, #10, #11. #12: ===========(previous set)=============== US$ 60.0 per set.Burma's Democracy Struggle and Our Future Prospect, vol. #6, #7, #8: ===========(previous set)=============== US$ 35.0 per set.Five Audio Tapes (C60s):===========(previous set)=============== US$ 25.0 per set.Burma's Democracy Struggle and Our Future Prospect, vol. 5: ===========(previous set)=============== US$ 15.0 per copy.August 11 Press Briefing Audio Tape (C60):===========(previous set)=============== US$ 10.0 per copy.Burma's Democracy Struggle and Our Future Prospect, vol. 3 and 4: ===========(previous set)=============== US$ 25.0 per set.Burma's Democracy Struggle and Our Future Prospect, vol. 1 and 2: ============(previous set) ========== US$ 25.0 per set.Please clearly mention the tape volume numbers in your order and we willimmediately air-mail after receiving your payment.All video tapes are recorded by home video camera system on NTSC VHS format.*********************************************************ANNOUNCEMENT: DIAMOND JUBILEE LUNCH IN VIRGINIADecember 14, 1995From: Zaw Oo Dear all friends:We are excited to invite you to join us for luncheon at George MasonUniversity on Sunday, December 17 1995 to commemorate the Diamond Jubileeof Rangoon University. A variety of Burmese cuisine will be served anda traditional concert will be followed. Burmese of young and oldgenerations will gather to share their unforgettable stories and insightsof their alma mater. For further information, contact 301 4246009. 17 December 1995, Sunday 1:30 - 4:30pm George Mason University Metro Campus Professional Center 3401 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, Virginia 22201Directions:>From Maryland: Take 495 to Virginia; take Interstate 66 East (left exit)toward Washington; take Fairfax Drive/Glebe Road exit. Stay on FairfaxDrive; George Mason on your left.>From Virginia: Take interstate 66 East; follow above direction.>From Washington DC; Take interstate 66 West; follow above direction.Metro: Blue line to National Airport; take Virginia Square station; GMlocated 2 blocks away.***********************************************************************