------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: March 7, 1997 Issue #659 HEADLINES: ========== BURMANET: UPDATE ON THE SITUATION AT PU NAM RAWN THE NATION: KAREN RECEIVE 'BRUTAL' TREATMENT SAIN: NLD ARRESTS/FEBRUARY 1997 PRESS RELEASE:NEW STATE BURMA LEGISLATION ANNOUNCEMENT: GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR BURMA ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMA CONFERENCE -KUTZTOWN UNIV. CHIN WOMEN'S ORGANISATION: CHIN SCHOOL IN INDIA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BURMANET: UPDATE ON THE SITUATION AT PU NAM RAWN REFUGEE CAMP, KANCHANABURI PROVINCE March 6, 1997 March 3, 1997 At about 10am, four trucks belonging to a Thai logging company in the area, arrived at Pu Nam Rawn, populated by 2,300 Karen women, children and elder men. 15 soldiers from the Royal Thai 9th army had also arrived and ordered the refugees to start filling the trucks with their belongings within ten minutes. The refugees were told that they were to be taken to a safe place, approximately 15-20 kilometres south of Huay Nam Khao village and 4-5 kilometres from the Thai-Burma border. Believing that they would be safer, the refugees first followed the orders and filled the trucks up with their belongings. However, when the new site was about to be inspected, the 9th army commander could not provide the refugees with a clear idea of an exact site, which immediately caused suspicion and fear among the refugees, of the risk of being forcibly repatriated into the hands of the SLORC. Around noon, the Governor of Kanchanaburi province was called for clarification of the order and, being surprised that had not been informed, the Governor asked to halt the relocation immediately. An hour later, following a meeting between refugees, the 9th army and local militia/rangers, the refugees decided to unload the trucks and stay until there could be a decision made by proper channels, including the civilian Thai authorities. The local militia, rangers and Pu Nam Rawn villagers proved their understanding and sympathy towards the refugees' situation by spontaneously clapping their hands at the refugees' decision of staying. The refugees staying at Htaw Ma Pyu, 5-7 kilometres into Burma are still not allowed to cross the border into Thailand and as the Burmese army is slowly moving closer to this site, it is crucial and urgent that these refugees are allowed sanctuary on Thai soil. It is estimated that the SLORC troops could be in range of Taw Ma Pyu Hta within 1-2 days. March 4, 1997 About half of the refugees from Pu Nam Rawn were reportedly moved to a new site near Ban Po Muang, Kanchanaburi, approximately 4 kilometres from the border. a dostrict official took an active part in the relocation. The rest of the refugees are planned to be moved March 5. The refugees and observers feel that the new site near Ban Po Muang is inappropriate as the site lacks of water and is distant from Thai villages. Meanwhile, visitors to the Taw Ma Pyu site, inside Burma, could hear nearby shooting, thus again stressing the urgency of obtaining clearance from the Thai authorities to grant these refugees refuge on Thai soil. ******************* THE NATION: KAREN RECEIVE 'BRUTAL' TREATMENT March 6, 1997 SA-NGUAN KHUMRUNGROJ LOCAL human rights groups yesterday strongly urged the government to scrap any plan to deport Karen refugees back to the war zone in Burma, saying that eight of about 900 Karen civilians forced across the border by the Army last week had died of malaria and diseases of the digestive tract. They also urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to send their representatives to the border to see the atrocity being perpetuated by the Burmese junta, which last August made an official request to join the regional grouping. Speaking in tears, Debbie Stothard of the Alternative Asean Forum, said she wants Asean countries to see with their own eyes the Burmese junta's brutal treatment of its own people. She said that the Burmese army's operation against the Karen rebels have included not only attacks on civilian, noncombatant Karen but also the destruction of their homes, states and country. Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasan yesterday condemned those who have accused Thailand of forcibly pushing back the refugees. He said the refugees were being accorded humanitarian principles. His ministry had already sent a letter clarifying the government's policy on refugees to all Thai embassies. Speaking after a one-day fact-finding tour to western border refugee shelters, the human rights groups said the 900 refugees ­ mainly women, children, the elderly and disabled, who were trucked from Bongi Pass to Ratchaburi and then sent back to Tha Ma Piew last week ­ are living in very poor conditions and under serious threat of Burmese assault. They said the sound of Burmese machine guns could be heard constantly, very close to Tha Ma Piew, when the survey team was visiting the returnees. The health of the returnees was very poor and was deteriorating, as they received minimal informal assistance from foreign aid agencies. Because of the lack of medicine, eight of the returnees had already died from malaria and alimentary canal disease, they added. They described the situation around Tha Ma Piew as very volatile and dangerous. The human rights activists said there is a high possibility the Burmese troops, who were less than a day's walk away, will soon attack Tha Ma Piew because there was two Thai-Karen sawmills operating in the area. The mills were a source of income for the Karen National Union. The number of displaced Karen in the area has risen to about 3,700 because a number of males initially separated from the females and pushed back into Burma by the Thai Army have managed to reunite with their families. A number of them walked from areas deep inside Burma. Relief workers said that local Army authorities had promised to let the group cross the border into Thailand if the Burmese military operation breaks out in the area. (TN) ******************************************************* SAIN: NLD ARRESTS/FEBRUARY 1997 March 6, 1997 From: sain The following information regards activities against the NLD in Burma during the month of February. The SLORC is determined to ensure that they destroy and "crush" all destructive elements, and this is no idle threat. Attacks on members and MP's have increased and are becoming more menancing. Lives are being threatened at an unprecedented level with murder now added to intimidation, arrests and imprisonment. Since December when the army deployed tanks in downtown Rangoon, the presence of the army within the city and its suburbs has increased substantially. General Maung Aye is clearly in charge of the country and his troops that are deployed in Rangoon are from other states. Most soldiers do not speak Burmese and are clearly from the front line areas rather than the usual security Rangoon forces seen in the past. This is an urgent appeal for you to lobby your government about the increasing violence towards the people in Burma who have been elected, or are speaking out in their support for the NLD. For more information please contact Southeast Asian Information Network (SAIN) 053 278549. email: sain@cm.ksc.co.th Thanatpin Township, Pegu Division U Soe Hlaing Chairman of the NLD organisational committee of Thanatpin, U Tin Tun secretary and U Soe Nyuant, joint secretary, were arrested because they attended the NLD Union Day celebration at 54-56 University Avenue, Rangoon on 12 February 1997. U Tin Tun was released but the others were charged under section 5 (e) and sent to Pegu Jail. U Win Naing and U Maung Than, farmers of Kywete village were charged under section 5 (e) and sent to Pegu jail because they had complained to the NLD that the local authorities had taken cuts out of the money due to them for paddy sold. Thaton Township, Mon State U Khin Maung, U Chit Than, U Pe Win and U Thein Han were arrested while they were on the way to attend the NLD Union day celebration at 54-56 University Avenue, Rangoon on 12 February 1997 Detention of NLD members in the Pegu Division Eleven men and six women members of the NLD left Prome by train on the evening of February 11th, 1997 to attend the NLD Union Day celebrations at Rangoon. When the train stopped at Tharawaddy station, soldiers and policemen arrived, arrested fifteen of the NLD members (two of the women were not arrested) and took them away by car to the quarters of the 35th Regiment. The four women that were arrested were Daw Myint Myint Khin, Daw Tin Hlaing, Daw Than Than Nu and Daw Aye Mya San. The men were Aung Myint, U Myo Thein, u Aung Myo Myint, U Shwe Thein, U Myint Than, U Paik Tin, U Myint Htwe, U Chit Tin, U Win Naing, U Aung Thein Win and U Thein Zaw. Seven people who had come from Prome and Kama by car to attend the NLD Union Day celebration were also arrested in Tharawaddy. Fifty-eight others including U aye Than and U Ohn Naing, NLD members of parliament for Paungde; U Khin Maung Myint secretary of Paukhaung township; U Min Aung of Letpadan, a member of the NLD; U Tin Myint, deputy chairman of Gyobingauk; U Ohn, a member of the NLD from Thonse, Ko Tin OO, a member of the Prome NLD youth, Daw Tin Tin Hla, Daw San Yee and Daw San San Myint, members of the NLD from Shwedaung; Daw Sein Sein , Ma Tin Than Oo and Ma Tin Than Aye from Natalin; Daw Khin Kyu and Ma Aye Aye Mar from Okpho were also arrested while they were on their way to attend the NLD Union Day celebrations in Rangoon. Nyaungshwe, Shan State In Minchaung village of Inle Lake in Nyaungshwe, U Nhuang, U Aung Ba, U Soe Win and U Chit Pwe were sentenced to two years imprisonment each for watching a video tape that featured Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Shwebo Township, Sagaing Division U San Pe, a member of the NLD had allowed the NLD office to be opened in his house. His wife Daw Ohn Kyi, had a small eating place in the grounds of Shwebo College. She was told that her husband was not free from party politics and was made to shut down her shop in October 1996. Wetlet Township, Sagaing Division A police officer, a policeman and a member of the Farming and Agriculture Corporation came to Pyin-oo village, Wetlet township, at 11 o'clock at night on 23 January 1997. They went to the house of farmer U Nyuant Tin and said they had come to buy paddy. U Nyuant Tin's wife replied that her husband was not in and that they should take the paddy from the storage shed. The group who had come to buy rice insisted that as U Nyuant Tin was not there, his wife would have to come with them and started to drag her to the car. It was only when her cries brought other villagers running that they let go of her hand. The police officer then proceeded to break up the furniture inthe house, then they all left. Myingyan Township Mandalay Division On 12 June 1996 in Myingyan town, a public denunciation meeting was held. Thousands of people were forced to attend and told that if they failed to attend they would be fined kyats 100/- each. When those who attended could no longer tolerate what was going on and started pushing their way out before the meeting was over, many were hurt. On June 14th 1996, a billboard entitled Peoples Desire was put up. The people were forced to attend the ceremony: those who failed to attend were fined Kyats 100/- each. Chanmyathazi Township, Mandalay Division House owners at Thanlyethmaw Hill Ward were told that they were squatters and made to dismantle their homes. Two hundred houses were pulled down and the occupants made to live in huts. This was part of a scheme to make Tetthay-in a scenic beauty spot. Bohgalay Township, Irrawaddy Division U Tin Maung chairman of the Bohgalay township NLD organisational committee was accused of possessing an illegal Thai lottery ticket and sentenced to nine months in prison. Zalun Township, Irrawaddy Division U Myint Kyaing, U Than Nwe and U Soe Myint members of the NLD, were sentenced to three years imprisonment each under the video act. Phyapon Township, Irrawaddy Division U Khin Thaung, a member of the NLD organisational committee was sentenced to two years in prison, charged with illegal use of electric power. The case of U Hla Min, NLD Member of Parliament for Kawthaung Tenasserim U Hla Min was sentenced to seven years in prison under section 5(e). He was given no access to counsel and it is still not known what he was supposed to have done. The Case of U Saw U Re, NLD Member of Parliament for Phruso, Kayah State. U Saw U Re was made to resign from the NLD and also his position as an elected member and then sentenced to seventeen years imprisonment. The Case of Members of the NLD and others from Pegu Division taken away as porters for the army. On 21st February 1997, at nearly midnight in Taungu, Pegu Division, about twenty people from the town were taken away by the police and members of the Ward/Village Law and Order Restoration Councils without any reason given. Among those taken away were members of the Taungu NLD Township Organisational Committee: the Chairman, deputy chairman, joint secretary, treasurer. The NLD Member of parliament for Taungu U Aung Soe Myint, managed to get away by jumping down from the car into which the arrested people had been taken. Those who were arrested were taken away in army vehicles on 22 February 1977 to Thandaung.Similarly, eleven people from Oktwin township and one from Yehashay township, in Pegu Division, were also taken away. It is thought that these people have been taken away to act as porters in the latest military action against the KNU. The Case of Kyaungon Dr. Hla Win, NLD member of Parliament representing Kyaungon (2), Mahn Tin Win, interim Chairman of the NLD organisational committee of Kyaungon township, and NLD organisational committee chairmen of villages within the township, U Wa Toke, U San Shein and U Thein Han came to attend the Union Day ceremony held by the NLD at 54-56 University Avenue, Rangoon on 12 February. After they went back to Kyangon a township meeting was held on February 15th. While the meeting was in progress two carloads of policemen and military intelligence officers arrived and ran up into the NLD office. Win Myint, an MI officer, shouted out obscenities and punched and kicked him. Then Win Myint proceeded to kick and punch Mahn Tin Win, U Wa Toke, U Thein Han, U Myint Maung and U saw Lwin, member of parliament for Kyaungon (1). Dr. Hla Win and U Saw Lwin were handcuffed and were taken away to the police station with fourteen other members of the organisational committee. A certificate from the NLD office honouring U Thein Han, chairman of the organisational committee (this is not the same man as the U Thein Han mentioned above and below), at present serving a sentence in Bassein prison, minutes of the organisational committee meetings and other papers were taken away.All sixteen were held at the Kyaungon police station until 17 February, when all except Dr. Hla Win, U Saw Lwin, U Thein Han, Mahn Tin Win, U Wa Toke and U San Shein were released. Charges have been placed against the six who are still under arrest. The Enforced Removal of NLD Signboards The National League for Democracy signboard, put up outside NLD offices, has been a matter of contention since the founding of the party in 1988. When NLD offices with their distinctive signboards mushroomed all over the country soon after it was registered in September 1988, a regulation was brought out forbidding village party offices from putting up signboards. After a discussion between leaders of the NLD and the Multi-Party Elections Commission in January 1989, it was agreed that signboards could be retained in village offices where they had already been put up, or where applications had already been made to the relevant authorities to open an office and put up a signboard. In spite of this agreement, the authorities have continued to harass the NLD over the matter of the signboard, as it is seen as a strong symbol of public support for the party and of defiance in the face of intense persecution. In many cases the putting down of the party signboard is tantamount to a closing down of the office. Kachin State Myitkyina: On the night of 26 October 1996, U Ba Kyi, a member of the Kachin State organisational committee and U Kyin Thein, a member of the Myitkina township organisational committee, were called to the Township Law and Order Restoration Council. The chairman of the TLORC told them to take down the NLD state and Township signboards. U Ba Kyi and U Kyin Thein replied that they could not take down the signboards, they would take them down. Then the TLORC chairman a magistrate an officer from the legal department, a police officer and some policemen, with the help of the Ward Law and Order Restoration Council, took down the NLD signboards.Wainmaw Township: On 27 October 11995, NLD member of Parliament from Wainmaw, Maran Zaw Aung, was summoned by the Chairman of the TLORC and told to take down the NLD signboard of the township office. The next day, the signboard was taken down. Irrawaddy Division:Ngaputaw: On 30th November 1995, in Chaungwa village of Ngaputaw township, the TLORC chairman U Tin Yi, a major and some soldiers of the 92nd Regiment, Sub Inspector of Police U Than Shwe and some policemen from Pyinkhayaing village, the whole Chaung-wa VLORC, the voluntary firebrigade and members of the local Union Solidarity and Development Association arrived at the house of NLD member of Parliament for Ngaputaw (1), U David Hla Myint which was also the local NLD office. The NLD organisational committee of Chaung-wa had also been brought along. The soldiers and policemen had their guns at the ready and forced the NLD signboard to be taken down. The members of the NLD refused but they were forced at gunpoint and under threat of immediate arrest to take down the signboard.After the signboard had been taken down, the members of the Ngaputaw NLD organisational committee were rounded up and made to take down the signboards at village NLD offices within the township: Pyinkhayaing, Thingangon, Ahtetpyaw. The members of township organisational committee were then summoned to the TLORC, told that they should take down the NLD signboards in all the villages and forbidden to hold the ceremony to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the opening of the Ngaputaw NLD office. During the same period, NLD signboards were removed in the following villages: Kyaukchaung, Kyagan, Phayataung.Ngathaing-chaung: The NLD signboard of Ngathaing-chaung had been put up at the house of U Tin Thein, the chairman of the NLD organisational committee. Towards the end of 1996, the TLORC came down and took down the signboard and U Tin Thein put it up again. As a result the TLORC tried to arrest U Tin Thein who has since then been forced to stay away from his home town to avoid arrest.Zalun: The TLORC forced the signboard of the Zalun township NLD to be taken down towards the end of 1996 Kyangin: On 12 September 1996, the NLD signboard at Betye, Khonegyi, Hseiktha and Yelekyin villages in Kyangin township were taken down on the orders of the TLORC.Sagaing DivisionButalin: On 19th August 1996, personnel from the local military intelligence unit went to the house where the NLD signboard had been put up and tried, with threats, to force the house owner to remove the signboard. The owner refused. On 5th November 1996, Corporal Tha Hla from the MI came, made threats against the family of the house owner and tried to force him to remove the NLD signboard. Again the owner refused. ------------------------------------ TRANSLATION: C/O The Chairman Rangoon Organisational Committee National League for Democracy ToThe Chairman National League for Democracy 97/b West Shwegondine StreetBahan Township, Rangoon19th February 1997 Reference: Report on Police Case I am submitting a report on the case that has been opened at the Thaketa police station, Rangoon against me, Dr. Than Nyein, deputy-chairman of the Rangoon Division NLD Organisational Committee. For the sake of earning a living for my family, I , a licensed medical practitioner, arranged to open a consultation room in Thaketa township, Rangoon. A relative who lives in 38 Zingama Road in Thaketa township allowed me to open the clinic free of rent in his house. Therefore, I went to the Taheta township health department to make enquiries about the matter. As there were no township medical officer (TMO) present, I had discussions with a lady who was presumably his assistant. She made arrangements for me to see the clerk. I asked (the clerk) how I could get hold of an application form for opening a consultation room. He replied that it would not be possible to get the application form at the moment and that there were certain preliminary steps to be taken: 1) A clinic registration fee of Kyats 200/- should be put into the account of the health department at Bank No 3 2) Three passport style photographs of the applicant and- 3) Three photographs of the proposed consultation room were required. Consequently, I put into Bank No 3, the Kyats 200/- consultation registration fee on 20th January 1997. I then proceeded to take care of the matter of the required photographs of myself and the consultation room. Although the photographs of myself were easily obtained, the photographs of the consultation room could be taken only after the consultation room had been set up. Therefore, the required medicine cabinet, table, chair, bed, bench and so on had to be prepared. Medicines had to be bought. On 21 January 1997, while preparations were going on for getting the consultation room ready, some patients came for medical help. As I have a legitimate medical practitioners certificate which gives me the right to practice medicine, and in accordance with my duty to give medical aid, I attended to the patients. On following days as well, I attended to the few patients who came to the consultation room while I was continuing with my preparations to open the consultation room. I planned to open the consultation room from five 0 clock until eight o clock every evening except Sunday and public holidays. Because it was not light at that time of day and because there were other tasks to be performed, I was not able to take photographs of the consultation room. Meanwhile, on 16 February, which was the day when the consultation room was closed, a group of people including the superintendent of the Thaketa police station, the township medical officer (TMO) and the ward Law and Order Restoration Council (WLORC), came to the house where the consultation room was situated, asked questions and sealed off the medicine cabinet and the consultation room. Then the landlord was told to ask me to come on February 17th at 9 o'clock in the morning. On 17th February at 9 o'clock in the morning, I went to the consultation room as told. At 10 o'clock, the TMO the superintendent and some members of the WLORC arrived. The TMO questioned me with regard to the consultation room and took down my statements. I showed the TMO my medical practitioners certificate and the receipt for the registration fee I had put into Bank No 3. The superintendent removed the seal from the cabinet, I asked the TMO why they were making investigations in this manner and he replied that a case had been lodged against me at the police station for opening a consultation room without a licence and that I must close down the consultation room. I replied that I would close down the consultation room, locked the cabinet and walked away. On 18 February 1997, I went to the consultation room at the behest of the landlord and discovered that on the night of February 17th, a group consisting of fifteen individuals including the TMO and the police superintendent had come and opened the medical cabinet with a skeleton key, rummaged through the contents and made a list. When I went to look into the matter, I saw that the medicine cabinet was sealed and that the contents were in a state of disorder. Therefore I went to the Thaketa police station and questioned the superintendent on the matter. He replied that a group consisting of himself, the TMO and the chairman of the WLORC had been to the consultation room and sealed the medicine cabinet. Therefore, I told the superintendent that as they had acted thus without my knowledge or permission, I no longer had any responsibility for the contents of the consultation room or the medicine cabinet and that I could not regard those contents a my genuine possession. I also said that I would apply to the relevant authorities to take action against such a lawless act. The superintendent told me that a case had been opened against me under section 9 (1) (c) of the Public Health Regulations of 1972. By looking at the above occurrence, it is clear that the authorities have determined with great vindictiveness and in a lawless fashion, to crush all those working for democracy at different levels of the National League for Democracy. I would respectfully like to inform (the Chairman of the NLD), that whatever I may have to face, until the evil system of dictatorship has vanished from the face of Burma and a true democratic system has emerged, I shall continue with my endeavours and that I am prepared to pay for the fresh new lives of the future with my own worn existence. signed. Dr. Than Nyein Deputy Chairman Rangoon Division Organisational Committee National League for Democracy. ------------------------------------ The following document in its original Burmese form was sent to a doctor with his own consultation room at Syriam. The doctor sent a copy of the letter to the NLD to help in the case of Dr. Than Nyein. It is evident from this document that there was pre-meditation and careful planning in building the case against Dr. Than Nyein because he is an active member of the NLD. (The name of the addressee and the letter number have been omitted to protect the doctor to whom it was sent) Union Of Burma Rangoon Southern District Health Department People Hospital Syriam Letter no: /kha-ya-ka-ma/ya-ka-ta-kha/tha-la/ka-pa-sa/ date: 21st February 1997 To ______________ Subject matter: Registration of Private Consultation Room Reference: Decision of meeting of the supervisory board of private consultation rooms held on 21 February 1997 at 9am at the office of the Syriam Township Law and order Restoration Council Although the annual registration fee has been paid for the private consultation room for which you are responsible, and where you are carrying out your medical practice, because permission has not yet been received, you are directed to close it temporarily from 21st February 1997. Signed. Dr. Khin May Nyuant Hsa-ma- 2769 District Medical Officer Peoples Hospital Syriam Copy to: Divisional Medical officer, Rangoon Division, Rangoon Chairman, District Law and Order Restoration Council. Syriam Chairman, Township Law and Order Restoration Council, Syriam Superintendent, Township Police Station, Syrium Relevant Ward/Village Law and Order Restoration Councils should prevent the opening of private consultation rooms without registration licenses and inform the relevant authorities Private Consultations Rooms file Office/floating ***************************** PRESS RELEASE:NEW STATE BURMA LEGISLATION March 5, 1997 Douglas Steele Georgetown University Law Center, 2L (202) 234-0427 steele@dcez.com "The moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice." M.L. King Contacts: - California Assemblywoman Dion Aroner's office (916) 445-7554 (contact: Hans Hemann) - Connecticut State Representative Jessie Stratton (860) 240-0449 - Vermont State Representative Mary Sullivan (802) 828-2228 - Bay Area Burma Roundtable: Dan Orzech (510) 528-0653; Jane Jerome (408) 467-2721; Pam Wellner (415) 695-1956 - New England Burma Roundtable: Simon Billenness (800) 548-5684 - New York Burma Support Group: Nina Reznick (212) 473-6279; Tom Lansner (212) 787-3756 California, Connecticut and Vermont legislators propose ban on business with companies in Burma At stake: markets worth more than $75 billion Sacramento, CA -- Following on the heels of laws already passed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and nearly a dozen U.S. cities and counties, the California and Connecticut state legislatures recently introduced bills to ban contracts with companies which do business in the Southeast Asian country of Burma. A similar Burma purchasing bill will be introduced in the Vermont state legislature shortly. Yesterday, New York City held a second round of hearings on its Burma purchasing bill, which is co-sponsored by 13 of the city's 50 city council members. If all the legislation proposed so far passes, the total market closed to companies which do business in Burma would exceed $75 billion dollars. The 1996-97 California state budget alone is $45 billion. Burma's annual Gross National Product, according to estimates by the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon, is less than $5 billion. A Burma purchasing bill was signed into law by Massachusetts Governor William Weld in June, 1996. Similar laws have been passed by San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Santa Monica and Alameda County, California, as well as by smaller cities such as Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Takoma Park, Maryland. In response to existing Burma laws, many corporations -- including Eastman Kodak, Hewlett Packard, Apple Computer, Motorola and Phillips Electronics -- have already pulled out of Burma. CONTRACTS IN THE MILLIONS The Burma purchasing laws apply equally to all companies doing business in Burma, regardless of where they are incorporated. Ericsson of Sweden and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries both lost multi-million dollar contracts with the city of San Francisco in part because of their investments in Burma. Other companies which have pulled out of Burma amid consumer and shareholder pressure include PepsiCo, Amoco, J. Crew, Macy's, Heineken, Carslberg, Disney, Wente Vineyards, Columbia Sportswear, Liz Claiborne and Eddie Bauer. Levi-Strauss & Co., which pulled out of Burma in 1992, said "it is not possible to do business in Burma without directly supporting the military government and its pervasive violations of human rights." Burma's military dictatorship, one of the most bloody and repressive regimes in the world, has refused to let the country's democratically elected government -- which won 82% of the seats in Parliament -- take office. The generals in Burma are highly dependent on foreign investment, both for buying arms and for laundering drug money. According to the U.S. State Department, more than sixty percent of the heroin found on the streets of American cities comes from Burma. The South Africa movement of the 1980s demonstrated the effectiveness of state and local laws in bringing about political change in another country. In 1976, Madison, Wisconsin passed the first anti-apartheid legislation. In 1994 -- after 30 states and nearly 150 cities, counties and school districts in the United States had passed similar laws -- Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa. California, Connecticut and Vermont all passed anti-apartheid legislation in the 1980s. A LUCKY NUMBER The California Burma bill was introduced by Assemblywoman Dion Aroner of Oakland on February 21st. "As an elected official and an American, I am appalled by the contempt the generals in Burma have shown for democracy," says Aroner. "If corporations choose to do business with these dictators, they are free to do so. But the people of California have the right to freely choose our suppliers, and we choose to do business with companies that respect democracy." The Burma bill in California is Assembly Bill 888. Bill numbers in the California legislature are assigned sequentially, but the assignment of the number 888 is considered auspicious by the Burmese democracy movement. The first pro-democracy demonstrations in Burma began at 8:00 a.m. on August 8, 1988: the eighth day of the eighth month of 1988, and the movement is known as the 8-8-88 movement. "The generals in Burma take numerology seriously," says Jane Jerome, of the Bay Area Burma Roundtable. "We hope this bill's number is a good omen for the cause of democracy in Burma." MOVEMENT SPREADS ABROAD The legislation in the three states is a setback to hopes by the Japanese government and the European Commission to use an obscure World Trade Organization agreement on government procurement to stifle state purchasing laws targeting Burma and other countries accused of human rights abuses. City and county legislation is not affected by the WTO agreement. The Japanese and European attack on the Massachusetts Burma bill has drawn a storm of criticism from the Massachusetts congressional delegation, labor unions, and citizen groups, and has spurred Burma activists in Holland, Belgium, Australia and South Africa to announce plans to introduce similar laws in their countries. "If the World Trade Organization agreements had been used against South Africa purchasing laws, Nelson Mandela might still be in prison today," said Connecticut State Representative Jessie Stratton. Current Burma Purchasing laws Berkeley, CA Madison, WI Santa Monica, CA Ann Arbor, MI San Francisco, CA Oakland, CA The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Takoma Park, MD Carrboro, NC Alameda County, CA Boulder, CO Chapel Hill, NC ************* ANNOUNCEMENT: GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR BURMA, MARCH 16, 1997 February 27, 1997 From: Dana Dean Doering This is a call for all Burma activists to get the information out on this Global Day of Prayer. The national churches in Thailand and Christians Concerned for Burma (an inter-denominational and international group) invite you to participate. PLEASE HELP TO MAKE THIS A HUGE EVENT ALL AROUND THE WORLD! Materials are available: *Poster/flyer (beautiful!) *Prayer and Study Guide "A day without Fear, A Life Without Fear" ( a week's worth of reflections on justice, freedom, etc-very universal) *Suggestions for Worship *Liturgy *Children's Messages *Bulletin insert Hopefully all faiths, be they Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, etc can modify these materials to their individual needs. Hopefully each one of us can get this into the hands of at least 10 people so that the word may spread. The television stations here are interested if the day grows into a large event. Many people in Thailand will be standing and praying at the border also. Materials will be available by: web site, fax, and mail Please advise how you wish to obtain them from us. Rev. David Eubank- Coordinator Christians Concerned for Burma P.O. Box 48, Chaing Mai, 50000 Thailand EMAIL: ccb@pobox.com USA contact for materials & updates Dana Dean fax 206-842-5557, Ph 206-842-0883 EMAIL: dring@u.washington.edu *************************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT: SATURDAY CONFERENCE ON BURMA, KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY, Kutztown, PA February 28, 1997 Date: Saturday, 5 April 1997 Time: 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM Speakers and Panelists: To be announced Program: See attachment Sponsor: Berks Peace Community, Berks County, Pennsylvania Note: Help is being solicited from Burma activists, scholars, students, labor unions, and the peace and social justice communities in this region to publicize and participate in this conference. Purpose of Conference: The Conference is intended to draw the attention of the public in Southeastern Pennsylvania and neighboring regions to human rights violations in Burma, to inform our local public of the intolerable conditions in Burma, and to facilitate networking of activists in this region to support movements to secure freedom for the peoples of Burma. Call for response: If you and/or colleagues can attend the conference, and/or participate in the organizing, speaking, publicity, or other contributions, please e-mail me, and/or John Abrahall, as soon as possible. My telephone # (live answering service: 610 286-6787 fax 610 373 6299) and email: >nelham@ptd.net<. The Program is as follows: > John Abrahall of the Berks Peace Community and Bullfrog filmshas drawn up the following program: 9:30 Introduction 10:00 Video "Inside Burma - Land of Fear" This will be the U.S. Premiere of this award-winning documentary shown on British television, written and presented by John Pilger, produced and directed by David Munro. Carlton UK Productions. 11:00 Break 11:15 Panel 1 Topic: History 12:15 Lunch 1:15 Panel 2 Topic: Current Conditions 2:15 Break 2:30 Panel 3 Topic: Strategies for Activists 3:30 Conference Closes Expected registration fee: $5.00< Furthers details as to speakers, news releases, participants, a map, dining arrangements, a flyer, etc., will be sent to you as they develop. In peace, John Sellers ************************************************** CHIN WOMEN'S ORGANISATION: CHIN SCHOOL IN INDIA March 2, 1997 From: Salai <9605673z@lux.levels.unisa.edu.au> Chin Displaced Women's Primary School has been opened in Aizawl, Mizoram state, India on 19th October 1996. More than twenty thousand Chin families have been staying in this north eastern state of India since the Burmese Army's take over in 1988. Most of the children of these families have been growing without proper schooling since then. At the moment, the school is more like a grammar school. Volunteer teachers have been teaching Burmese and Chin so that the children can read and write first. (Though we want to teach them English too, we cannot afford to hire an English teacher yet.) As we cannot afford to rent a room, we have been using a small flat of a Chin refugee as our class room. The students sit on the floor and write on their laps. Due to limited resouces, we can take only 37 students (29 children and eight adults) this year. If you can help us, we would like to take more students. Our aims and objectives are: 1) To give education to the Chin displaced people so that they develop Burma in the future. 2) To teach the displaced people Chin, Burmese and English languages. 3) To promote and preserve our language and literature. A Chin refugee said that it was too hard to survive in this foreign land when she could not read signboards written in English and when she could not read, write or speak even "one-two-three" in English. We would like to request everyone to provide us with assistance for this primary school so that we can run it better and continuously. Zatawni Chairperson, Chin Womens Organisation Aizawl, Mizoram, India. Contact address: Mrs Zatawni C/O Dr. Za Hlei Thang Down Queen Colour Photo Zion Street, Aizawl, Mizoram 796 001 India *****************************