------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: March 8, 1997 Issue #660 HEADLINES: ========== ALTSEAN-BURMA: REPORT FROM THAI MISSION TO BORDER BBC: CLASHES BETWEEN SLORC TROOPS AND SURA TROOPS KNU: REPORT-HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN KAREN STATE SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET NO-A.0026 THE NATION: MANDELA WILL TURN BLIND EYE TO BURMA THE NATION: ARMY'S PLAN TO MOVE KAREN GETS SUPPORT THE NATION: THE BATTLE BEHIND BURMA'S FRONTLINES OTTAWA CITIZEN: CANADIAN AMBASSADOR MANHANDLED DVB: DEMONSTRATION IN OSLO REUTER:EXILED PM FEARS EU MAY EASE PRESSURE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALTSEAN-BURMA: REPORT FROM THAI MISSION TO BORDER March 4, 1997 From: "Chalida Tajaroensuk. Ms" Here is the translation of the report made by the Thai Fact-finding Mission to Kanchanaburi and Ratchburi. 1. There was reasonable coverage of the Mission's press conference in Thursday's Thai and English language media 2. Representatives of the Mission will meet with the Thai Prime Minister on Friday (march 7) afternoon to present their concerns 3. Representatives will also meet with the Supreme Command of the Thai military next Monday (march 10) 4. Channel 11 will hold a debate on Thai Govt. policy on Karen refugees next week. Debbie Stothard ALTSEAN-BURMA (Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma) ___________________________________________________ REPORT OF FACT-FINDING MISSION ON KAREN REFUGEE SITUATION AND ASSISTANCE FOR KAREN REFUGEES MU BARN PHU NAM RAWN AND MU BARN PHU MOANG, MUANG DISTRICT, KANCHANABURI PROVINCE Tuesday 4th March 1997 This report was initiated in response the large-scale military attacks by Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) against Karen people in rural and urban areas, e.g. Ma Rit Tavoy city, in Karen state. Large numbers of Karen people escaped from death by fleeing across the border to Tambon Bong Tee (Ampor Sayok District), and Ban Phu Nam Rawn, (Muang District) in Kanchanaburi Province on February 24. They received some assistance from Thai locals and the local military commander (9th Division). The military took care of children, women and elderly people but refused asylum to men and boys, aged 13 - 50 who they pushed back to Mae Saming Bon and Mae Saming Lang (in Burma territory). These forcible repatriations exposed the Thai government to much criticism from the international community for sending these people back into Burma to be killed, this not being the first time such an incident has occurred. Such practices have an impact on the image of Thailand and also raises grave concern about the fate of the refugee people who were sent back. Spurred by this concern, the Coordinating Committee of Human Rights Organization of Thailand (CCHROT) and the Thai Action Group for Democracy in Burma (TACDB) organized this fact-finding mission to collect information in the area and report their findings to their public and relevant authorities. This mission was headed by Mr. Pipob Thongchai. The 22-person delegation also included Mr. Suwarot Palung, the spokesperson for the Justice and Human Rights Committee of the Thai Parliament, representatives of Thai human rights organizations and members of the media. The members of the Mission separated into 2 two groups. The first group made fact-finding visits to Phu Nam Rawn and Ban Phu Moung (Dan Makamteia District, Kanchanaburi). The second (smaller) group went to Tamaphreu, inside the Burma border. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS About 2,300 refugees reached Phu Nam Rawn on 24 February. Only 50 of this group were men and boys (age 13 - 50), either doctors or teachers who could speak English and Thai. The remaining 2,250 were women, children (1,595) and the elderly (200). This number excluded the other men and boys who were taken from their families and sent back across the border by the Thai military. The military did this because they claimed they could not differentiate between civilians and Karen National Union (KNU) fighters. They claimed that they did not want to give the Slorc the impression that Thailand was providing support to the KNU. However, from interviews with the refugees, the Mission strongly believes that all the people fleeing across the border were civilians, mainly farmers, traders and professionals. The KNU fighters had stayed behind to engage the Slorc and therefore, had not accompanied their families to seek asylum in Thailand. CONDITIONS IN THE CAMP (Phu Nam Rawn) The refugees endured very primitive conditions, relying on plastic sheets for roofs, in wall-less shelters and having access to only one small well for all their needs. These unsanitary conditions caused many people to suffer from diarrhea. The area is malaria infested and the refugees were falling ill. The mission believes that these extreme conditions contributed to the death of a newborn baby at the camp. REMOVAL OF REFUGEES TO BAN PHU MOANG On March 4, the day of the Mission visit, Thai authorities loaded the refugees into logging trucks and took them to Ban Phu Moang, about 22 kms from Ban Phu Nam Rawn. The Thai village leader of Ban Phu Moang told the Mission that he was not informed prior to the event and was shocked to see truckloads of refugees being brought to the bamboo jungle about three hills away from his village. There was no opportunity to clear or prepare the bamboo jungle to which the refugees were relocated. The refugees were ill-equipped to clear the area and to build shelters. Some women and children owned knives to cut down the bamboo but this was extremely difficult for them since the ground was extremely hard and the thorny bushes injured many people. WATER & HEALTH The refugee site is located some distance away from the village (an hour's walk) but it is near a small reservoir. There is concern that the stagnant water will become contaminated and worsen the health problems of the refugees who rely on it for all their drinking and household needs. The reservoir is also the main source of water for the villagers of Ban Phu Moang, numbering 1,000 families (3,000 people) and such contamination will affect them. There are inadequate facilities to boil water for drinking, therefore the health concerns are growing urgent. There is an urgent need for the health authorities to provide assistance to protect the refugees' health and prevent any epidemics from occurring. FOOD There is clearly insufficient food for the refugees. The local villagers have provided them with some rice and vegetables, however it is unlikely that this assistance will continue since the villagers themselves are not rich and are not much more in number than the refugees. The hard earth of the bamboo jungle at the site does not allow the refugees to plant vegetables or fruits for their needs, also there is great uncertainty over how long they will be allowed to stay there. TAMAPHREU SITUATION On or about 24 February, 1,070 Karen people fled across the border from 11 villages to Bong Tee (Ampor Sayok District) Kanchanaburi. As practiced in Phu Nam Rawn, the Thai military separated the men and boys (age 13 - 50) from their families and forcibly repatriated them to Mae Saming, 4 kms inside Burma). The military also forcibly repatriated the women, children and elderly to Tamaphreu, which is located closer to the border, opposite Suan Phern District in Ratchaburi Province. The members of the Mission and the local Thais who accompanied them to Tamaphreu found conditions there extremely harsh. Eight people died from diarrhea and malaria. No organizations were allowed access through Thai territory to this area to provide humanitarian assistance. This area is very rugged and is accessible only by four-wheel drive or by foot. During the fact-finding visit, members heard sounds of frequent gunfire close to the site. The visitors provided the refugees with 100 meters of plastic sheeting and some vegetables. The refugees told the Mission that slorc troops were at Ban Yakha, close to Tamaphreu, and they expected Slorc to destroy Tamaphreu soon because of the sawmills located 4 - 5 kms away. The sawmills are a target since they are a source of income for the Karen. The refugees also told the Mission that some other refugees who had been forcibly repatriated from Thailand had joined them and there were now 2,000 refugees at the site. Note: The refugees at Tamaphreu urgently need medicines, food and most importantly, asylum in Thailand from slorc attacks. CONCLUSION The refugees suffered serious military attack from the Slorc, in addition, numerous violations were perpetrated on them and their families. Many women were raped and killed, often while their families were forced watch. Men were murdered, often by having their throats slit. The refugees grave fears for their safety are well-founded. Clearly, their homes in Burma are not safe at all. The refugees appreciated the help received from local villagers, as well as military and health authorities. However the Mission is deeply concerned with the policy of the Thai Government to prevent men and boys from seeking asylum in Thailand. The breaking up of families, especially at this time of crisis, and the consequent isolation and trauma experienced by the women and children have left them in an extremely vulnerable and desperate situation. This constitutes a violation and threatens their physical, psychological and emotional integrity. The Mission is convinced that blocking humanitarian aid to the refugees will directly contribute to increased deaths and ill health. The forced repatriation of unarmed civilians to a vulnerable location such as Tamaphreu is the equivalent of a death sentence. The humanity and generosity of the local villagers to the refugees in unfortunately unmatched by government policy. Therefore official treatment of the refugees by the authorities need to be informed by genuine concerns for humanitarian principles instead of fear of international criticism. The Thai government should stop its attempts to maintain good relations with the slorc by violating the rights of refugees. Genuine constructive engagement must be based on respect for human beings. The current assistance provided by the Thai government to the refugees is not enough. The Thai government must cease its policy to forcibly repatriate refugees, and instead grant temporary asylum on Thai soil, which is their last hope. THEREFORE, THE MISSION URGENTLY REQUESTS THE THAI GOVERNMENT TO: 1. Articulate a clear policy not to forcibly repatriate the refugees, further that they establish a center for refugees with sufficient facilities to provide adequate care. 2. Assist the refugees according to international standards, and not break up families by separating husbands, wives and children. 3. Allow international assistance to be provided to the refugees 4. Articulate a policy to protect children and women from being trafficked.* 5. Officially acknowledge these people as refugees, thus allowing the UNHCR to provide humanitarian assistance. * Mission members observed that agents were present at the site to recruit women and children as migrant labor. There are serious concerns that recruit would be used as prostitutes and child workers. FURTHER, THE MISSION URGENTLY REQUESTS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND ASEAN TO: 1. Support and assist in the establishment of the refugee center in the same way that assistance was previously provided to refugees from Indochina. 2. Urge Slorc to stop its violence against the ethnic nationalities on the Thai-Burma border and restore democracy, peace and justice to Burma in order to resolve the problems there. The contents of this report are based on interviews with: * local military personnel at all sites * local health officers at Ban Phu Nam Rawn * Karen refugees at all sites through interpreter * local Thai villagers who assisted the refugees * local Thai merchants selling water , drinks and snack to the refugees at Ban Phu Nam Rawn * local Thai and Karen-Thai groups *************************** BBC: CLASHES BETWEEN SLORC TROOPS AND SURA(SHAN UNITED REVOLUTIONARY ARMY)TROOPS March 4, 1997 From: democratic Voice of Burma Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1100 gmt 4 Mar 97 Text of report by Burmese opposition radio At a moment when the SLORC [State Law and Order Restoration Council] forces are staging an offensive in the Karen State, the SURA, or Shan United Revolutionary Army, is also engaging in battles with the SLORC forces. A SURA commander said eight battles took place during January and February and that the SLORC forces suffered 21 deaths and 18 wounded. Furthermore, five SLORC military trucks were burnt and destroyed. Clashes broke out between SLORC forces from Phugyi-based [name phonetic] LID's [light infantry division] Nos 264 and 524; Mongkaing-based LID's Nos 155 and 514; and six battalions from SURA Brigades Nos 757 and 758. Four battles took place in January on the Mong Nawng-Kengtung road in the Mong Nai and Langhko region. On the morning of 4th February, a battle took place with the SLORC's LID No 524 led by Major Khin Yee in Mong Lar Township. Five members of the SLORC forces were killed and 12 were wounded. It was also known that SLORC and SURA forces clashed on the Mesaw-Kular-Kunhein [phonetic] road during February. The SURA was formed in 1969 and became part of opium warlord Khun Sa' s MTA, or Mong Tai Army, in 1984. Although Khun Sa surrendered to the SLORC in early January 1995, the SURA faction led by Major Yod Sak did not surrender but continued fighting, and its strength is believed to be over 10,000 men. The SURA attended the national races seminar held recently at Mae Thayaw Hta in Karen State. A SURA spokesman said they will continue to fight the SLORC militarily and politically in various ways. ********************* KNU: REPORT-HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN KAREN STATE, BURMA March 6, 1997 From: So_Nou@sala.icn.net (So Nou) Toungoon district On February 21,1997, SLORC's commander of Infantry Battalion 35,Lt. Colonel Kyaw Swa took headman of section 2o of Toungoon town, Maung Htun Nwe, age 73, to the front line as a guide. On February 23, when this headman could no longer walk, this SLORC commander beat him to death at a village called Klaw Mee Der. Thaton district On February 27, SLORC's Infantry battalion 51 entered Toe Teh Kee village, summoned all the villagers and ordered them not to leave the village. Then they arrested men and women villagers, beat them up, poured water on them and immersed them in water for no reason. On March 2, SLORC Light Infantry Battalion 230 and DKBA Maung Han Shwe torched Ta Maw Daw villager, Maung Chit Tu's house worth 6000 Kyats. All the properties in the house worth about 35000 kyats were destroyed in the fire. They also took a pair of earrings worth 5000 kyats, 10 baskets of rice worth 5000 kyats and a saw worth 1000 kyats. SLORC Light Infantry Battalion 230 and DKBA Maung Han Shwe demanded 500 kyats each from the villagers who went to the forest to collect matured leaves for their house roofs. They threatened the villagers they would shoot them if they saw them coming to the forest to collect leaves. They set the forest on fire so all the leaves were burned and the villagers have no leaves for the roofs of their houses this coming rainy season. ***************** SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET NO-A.0026 March 7, 1997 From: OKKAR66127@aol.com More troops from the Kayin National Union traded arms for peace. On the 3rd of March (18) members of the (KNU) organization from Kyone Doe Township Administrative body and again on the 6th of March another (36) members of the same body traded their arms for peace. This group is headed by the Secretary of the (KNU) Kyone Doe Township Administrative Body and they are being cordially welcomed by the concerning authorities. It is also learnt that more KNU troops (the last remaining outlawed organization in Myanmar which has refused to come to peace agreement with the government) will be trading their arms for peace in the coming days. ********************************* THE NATION: MANDELA WILL TURN BLIND EYE TO BURMA ISSUE March 7, 1997 US states take opposite stance Singapore - President Nelson Mandela yesterday urged deeper engagement between South Africa and Southeast Asia, saying alleged human rights abuses in Burma will not affect future ties with the booming region. "We are driven by a deep desire to rekindle old relationships. We yearn to rebuild what was destroyed," said Mandela, whose country was ostracised by the region during the apartheid era. "We seek to forge strong multilateral ties among our nations under the new and more favourable conditions of freedom, technological advance and peace," the 78-year-old South African leader said in a lecture. But in a report from Washington, state legislatures in California and Connecticut are considering a ban on state contracts with any company doing business in Burma, a US non-profit group opposed to the Burmese government said on Tuesday. The California-based Bay Area Burma Roundtable added that similar legislation would soon be introduced in the Vermont state legislature and is also being considered by New York City. "If the legislation proposed so far passed, the total market closed to companies which do business in Burma would exceed 75 billion dollars (Bt1.87 trillion)," the group said in a statement. Bills designed to discourage investment in Burma have already been signed into law in Massachusetts and 11 US cities and countries. This is line with increasing pressure from Western countries to isolate Burma from the international community. The group stressed that the proposed bills would apply equally to all companies doing business in Burma, regardless of where they are incorporated. Mandela, on his first official tour of Southeast Asia since being released in 1990 from 27 years in apartheid-era jails, came to Singapore after visiting the Philippines and Brunei. The 10-day tour is aimed at boosting economic links. Mandela urged countries in the region to seize the "many great opportunities" that south Africa offered. Mandela told the press earlier that countries in Asean had been too "inward looking" and slow to venture into Africa. "But with the opening of communications between Africa and this region, I've not the slightest doubt that they'll grasp at the opportunities of trade and investment in Africa," he said. Burma, whose military junta has jailed dissidents and is accused of atrocities against ethnic minorities, is awaiting admission into Asean, possibly as early as July. Mandela told a news conference that Burma's admission into Asean, which pursues a policy of "constructive engagement" with the junta, would not affect his country's efforts to expand ties with the grouping. "We are willing to deal with any region irrespective of the internal policies of those regions, said Mandela, whose release from nearly three decades in South Africa's apartheid jails was aided by international pressure. He said countries with a record of human rights violations had been accepted by the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement, and "why would we let ourselves depart from what international organisations are doing?" He, however, added that South Africa "will be willing to play our part" if the international community decided on concerted action. On the last leg his tour, Mandela later arrived in Kuala Lumpur. He was welcomed at the city's airport by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The South African leader was accorded a state welcome and was scheduled to hold an audience later with Malaysian King Tuanku Ja'afar, who was to host a banquet in his honour. (TN) ****************************************************** THE NATION: ARMY'S PLAN TO MOVE KAREN GETS SUPPORT March 7, 1997 THE chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs said yesterday that his panel supports the Army's plan to move Karen refugees 10 kilometres deeper into Thailand. Speaking after a hearing attended by senior officials of the Foreign and Interior ministries, Bhichai Rattakul said the plan would prevent further invasion and attack by armed forces from Burma ­ an act which he said is a violation of Thai sovereignty. Bhichai dismissed international allegations that the Thai Army forcibly repatriated about 900 Karen refugees back to Burma last week, saying that the government remains committed to the traditional humanitarian treatment of refugees. ''It's just the Western view that Thailand is ruthless. We will not push them back but will provide them with temporary asylum," Bhichai said. Bhichai's comments were supported by Suwarot Phalan, spokesman of the House Committee for Justice and Human Rights, who joined a fact-finding mission which visited Karen refugees along the border in Kanchanaburi on Tuesday. Suwarot told reporters that he had talked to a leader of the Karen refugees who said that no one had mentioned forced repatriation by the Thai Army. They only requested more aid, especially water and medicine, he said. Suwarot said that the Karen leader had given him a letter to be forwarded to Army Chief Gen Chettha Thanajaro expressing gratitude for the Army's humanitarian aid. But Pibhop Dhongchai, leader of the fact-finding team, yesterday rejected Suwarot's statement, disowning Suwarot as a member of the fact-finding mission. He said that the Suwarot suddenly broke away from the team half-way through the trip and thus did not receive all the information about the situation on the ground. Nor did Suwarot join a post-trip assessment and report drafting process at the end of the day, added Pibhop. Pibhop also rejected Suwarot's claim that the refugees wanted to send a thank-you letter to Chettha. He said the letter was in fact intended for the MP himself, thanking him for taking time off to visit them. The letter to Suwarot, from the roughly 2,300 refugees of Pu Nam Rawn, thanked the MP for his visit and said that the Karen refugees will never forget the Thai government's generosity and hospitality toward them. ''We are very pleased to receive your [Suwarot's] visit to Pu Nam Rawn refugee camp. We respect and recognise all Thai people's sympathy to Karen refugees. We will never forget the generosity of the Royal Thai Government, which has granted shelters to refugees along the Thai-Burmese border for a long time," said the letter. The refugees also thanked the Thai government for planning to relocate them to a new location and expressed hope that the new site will be safe and peaceful. ''We believe and trust the Royal Thai Government's heartiest regard for our future. We are expecting to reach a place which is free from anxiety," they said. ''We hope that the plan to move [us] to a new location, which depends on the kindness of the authorities will bring a peaceful and secure living. ''We heartedly would like to express our sincere thanks to all the authorities who are organising our move. We give our highest regards to your sympathy and hospitality," the letter ended. Local and international reports last week of the forced repatriation of women, children, the elderly and the disabled ­ as well as their separation from male family members who were subsequently pushed back to the war zone ­ provoked international outcry against the Thai Army. Bhichai said that a senior Foreign Ministry official had informed the committee that minority groups along the Thai-Burmese border, from the provinces of Tak to Chumphon, are still under threat from the Burmese army. He added that Chettha, who is concerned about the situation, had advised the Burmese junta to quickly resolve its internal problems so that the refugees could return home. Meanwhile, three Republican US congressmen sent Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh a letter yesterday demanding respect for the refugees' ''basic human rights" and calling the repatriations ''against international law and internationally accepted humanitarian standards". It was signed by Benjamin Gilman of New York, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Relations; Christopher Smith of New Jersey, chairman of the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights; and Dana Rohrabacher of California, according to an Associated Press report. Spokesmen for the Prime Minister's Office and the Foreign Ministry said they had no knowledge of the letter. Previous criticism along the same lines has been rejected as a misinterpretation of Thai intentions. (TN) ****************************************************** THE NATION: THE BATTLE BEHIND BURMA'S FRONTLINES Friday 7 ,1997 Aung Zaw A severe opposition crackdown is being attributed to a power struggle in the military, Aung Zaw writes. Security in Rangoon over the last few weeks has been ratcheted up to "siege-like" levels with military checks being set up at all major points and truckloads troops brought into the capital. But the exact source of the treat to the city remains unclear. The official version for the troop movement is that they are needed to prevent possible acts of sabotage and terrorism by Karen insurgent who have come under an intense government offensive Thai-Burma border. KNU spokesman, Padoe Mahn Sha declared a few days ago that the threat was real, saying his guerrilla group "would attack (Slorc) from the rear." But many observers in Rangoon believe something else nay be going on. "The situation in Rangoon is really tense, soldiers are everywhere - they are in monasteries, in the schools, in the parks, on the streets, on the roofs," said a spokesperson of the Southeast Asian Information Network [SAIN]. "And most of the troops don't speak Burmese," the person added. "It's like Rangoon is under siege," said another recently visitor to the capital. "The army is in-charge of the army", he said. Shows of military might are normal ahead of Armed Forces Day, which is due to be held in late March. And as the day nears Gen Maung Aye, deputy chairman of the Slorc and Tin Oo, secretary two of the Slorc, are doing their part traveling around the country and whipping up military morale. But conspicuously absent from these activities was Slorc chairman, Senior Gen Than Shwe who has remained in Rangoon. Last week, he did little more than award medals to a military marching band and visits a pagodas and monastery. So what is going on? Will there be a purge within the Slorc? Is The army going to stage a coup? Many Rangoon-based Slorc watchers believe Than Shwe is not a major player anymore. "Than Shwe is not running the country anymore. The army and Maung Aye's group is taking over," said one. Two months ago, a news came out of Rangoon that Gen Maung Aye's camp asked Than Shwe to "depart." But Than Shwe and his men-Lt Gen Aung Ye Kyaw, Lt Gen Maung Thint, Lt Gen Htun Kyi and Lt Gen Sein Aung-refused to step down. They are all in over 60s. "If we hand over power to your group the country will be ruined," Than Shwe was quoted as saying. In fact, Than Shwe was supposed to retire last year but has hold on to his all his position. Nevertheless, if Maung Aye has any plan to consolidate his absolute power he needs to watch his back as well. Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, head of the military intelligence service and secretary one is not sitting idly by but watching on carefully. Observers in Rangoon said Gen Maung Aye doesn't think Khin Nyunt is doing his job very well. "His [Khin Nyunt's] job is to secure the country but Maung Aye doesn't think Khin Nyunt is doing that", one said. Thus the thinking is that Maung Aye is deploying his troops in Rangoon in a demonstration of his power and to ensure nothing happens. "In western thinking ordering more troops to the capital means the government is frightened but for the Burmese it is the complete opposite. They perceived it as a warning", one Western observer noted. In any case, Khin Nyunt's inability to "secure" the capital has led some Slorc ministers, including Gen Maung Aye, are sleep in their offices. Maung Aye's Thai counterpart Gen Chetta Thanarajo mentioned the practice a few weeks ago. The reason: the December bombing at the Kaba Aye pagoda in Rangoon, which killed five people and injured dozens. At the recent press conference, Col Kyaw Win, Burma's military spokesman and deputy intelligence chief accused the KNU of being behind the bombing. Ironically, people in Rangoon suspect the authorities. "It is generally believed that it was an inside job - but no one really knows who did it so there is a real paranoid among the ministers", the SAIN spokesperson said. "They have to guard their offices as they know they will be blamed if something happens when they are not there", said the source, noting Khin Nyunt was censured for his inability to prevent the bomb attack. Another target feeling the heated in Rangoon is the opposition party, National League for Democracy [NLD]. "Aung San Suu Kyi herself is not safe, it is a very dangerous time to be an NLD member no matter who they are," said the spokesperson of the SAIN. Diplomats, foreign visitors, including UN officials, are being turned away from seeing Suu Kyi. "If you go and see her - Good luck! because you will be searched at the airport and you won't get a visa again," said one recent visitor. On Tuesday, Suu Kyi told journalists that NLD members have become the target of a persecution campaign of unprecedented severity. The authorities, she accused, are harassing, arresting and imprisoning with the aim of eliminating the NLD as a political force. Aung Shwe, chairman of the NLD, sent a protest letter to Senior Gen Than Shwe to guarantee safety and to prevent such attacks. But the subsequent sequence of events suggests the junta has paid little attention to Aung Shwe's letter. In Taungoo district, where Burmese troops have been attacking the KNU's Brigade No.2, members of the NLD have been used as front-line porters. According to the SAIN, on Feb. 21 at around midnight, about twenty people from Taungoo were taken away by the police and local officials without any reason given. Among them were members of the Taungoo NLD township organizational committee: the chairman, deputy chairman, joint secretary, and treasury. Aung Soe Myint, NLD member of parliament for Taungoo jumped down from the car and escaped. Later it was found out that an NLD member was found dumped on a roadside. Tin Oo, deputy chairman of the NLD, confirmed that the NLD member was taken by the army. NLD members have been arrested all over Burma since the party organised a Union Day gathering at Suu Kyi's house in Rangoon. One particular victim was Khin Nyunt's brother in law, Dr Than Nyein. Than Nyein is deputy chairman of the Rangoon division NLD organisational committee. Than Nyein is a licensed medical doctor and had applied to open a clinic in Thaketa township. In January, Dr Than Nyein attended to patients and making official preparations to open a clinic. But later local officials and police came to question him at his clinic. They also broke into his clinic and searched without his prior knowledge. Than Nyein was later arrested. But the officials said they did not single out Than Nyein. Action was taken against him due to breach of the law concerning clinics "Last month 1,163 clinics were examined and action was taken against 312 persons either operating or working with the clinics. Dr Than Nyein's case is one of those 312," said Col Kyaw Thein. Than Nyein believes he was a set up. "By looking at the 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 NLD," he said in a letter to the NLD chairman. In fact, Than Nyein's real "crime" may have been to give speeches at the NLD-organised Union Day on Feb 12. On Tuesday night, Tin Oo, who is a former general and minister for defence in the 1970s told the BBC World Service that dictatorship won't last long and democracy will prevail. But how? The generals are intent on proving him wrong. The recent visitor said: "They seemed helpless," he said. Though he added he was astonished by the strength of the opposition.(TN) ****************************************************** OTTAWA CITIZEN: CANADIAN AMBASSADOR MANHANDLED IN BURMA (abridged) March 6, 1997 by Jonathan Manthorpe Southam News Asian bureau Police thwart visit to Nobel Peace Prize winner as government launches new effort to quash opposition Rangoon, Burma-Canada's ambassador to Burma was shoved and manhandled by police and military intelligence officers on Wednesday evening as he attempted to keep an appointment with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The military regime's security officers, stationed at the gate of Ms. Suu Kyi's home to prevent her from receiving visitors, shouted at Manfred von Nostitz and aggressively tried to push him back into his cab. When he told them he had an appointment to see Ms. Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy overwhelmingly won 1990 elections but who has been barred from taking office by the junta, the policy yelled: "Appointment cancelled. Appointment cancelled." They also swore loudly at the cab driver for bringing Mr. von Nostitz to Ms. Suu Kyi's house. The ambassador, whose embassy in neighbouring Thailand, saw he would not be allowed in and returned to his hotel. The incident only lasted a few minutes, but Mr. von Nostitz is the third ambassador to be clocked from seeing the Nobel laureate in the last two weeks. The Austrian and Danish ambassadors received similar receptions. There is growing evidence that isolating Ms. Suu Kyi is a new tactic by the military regime, called the State Law and Order restoration Council, to undermine the democracy movement in Burma, also known as Myanmar. The SLORC has overcome most regional and international opposition to its repressive rule and continues to use arrests, torture, killings and slave labour to suppress resistance at home. Ms. Suu Kyi finds herself under virtual house arrest again, while the regime mounts a concerted attack on her National League for Democracy throughout the country. The leader of the democracy movement is only allowed to leave the house if she informs the SLORC where she is going. The regime says this is for her own security following an incident late last year in which a car carrying her was attacked. There is clear evidence the attack was made by hired government thugs to create an excuse for limiting her activities. Ms. Suu Kyi's supporters are increasingly concerned about her security as the SLORC feels more confident of its power. "We are worried the SLORC is deciding whether it's safe to kill her," a leader of an underground student organization said. "We saw the attack on her car as a test of international reaction. They will do it again and again." Burma's democratic movement is identified internationally with Ms. Suu Kyi, while other key figures in it are not well know. The student leader admitted this poses a threat to the movement. "If something happens to her, it's a big problem for us." Diplomats say they see signs that Ms. Suu Kyi's isolation is affecting the democracy movement. "It's more difficult for her to see people in the organization, more difficult for her to know what's happening in the region and the outside world," one diplomat said. In an interview earlier this week in a house near her home, Ms. Suu Kyi said she believes the SLORC is trying to create a situation where it can claim the democracy movement has withered for lack of public support. "They are trying to stop people supporting the NLD and to stop the NLD functioning as a political party so they can say, 'We didn't declare the party illegal. It was just the waning of public support.'" "The EU says this isn't the right time to take action against the SLORC," said the student leader. "But what is the right time?" ************************ REUTER:EXILED PM FEARS EU MAY EASE PRESSURE ON RANGOON (abridged) March 5, 1997 Mark Brennock As the human rights situation in Burma deteriorates the democracy movement is concerned that Europe may ease the pressure on the military regime. Mark Brennock, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, spoke to Burma's prime minister-in-exile. The man who should have been Burma's prime minister will today ask the Tánaiste, Mr Spring, to try to ensure that the EUdoes not put trade before human rights in its dealings with Burma. Dr Sein Win, now his country's prime minister-in-exile, says he fears that the European desire to increase trade with south-east Asia will dilute its concern about repression by the military dictatorship in his country. At the EU meeting in Singapore earlier this year with the Association of South East Asian States (ASEAN), EU concerns about human rights in Burma were more muted than before and were expressed only on the margins of the meeting, the main purpose of which was to discuss trade. "We are concerned that the EU position is easing already," Dr Win said on his arrival in Dublin. He asked to meet Mr Spring because Ireland is still part of the Troika of EU states that conducts the Union's external relations. "Ireland has been supportive of our cause at the United Nations and elsewhere," he said. While subject to international disapproval, Burma - renamed Myanmar by the military regime - has been edging its way into the international trading system. Last year it became an associate member of the increasingly powerful ASEAN trading bloc. Its ASEAN neighbours describe their policy towards it as one of "constructive engagement", and Burma appears to be on course for full ASEAN membership. Constructive engagement involves some linkage between increased trade and improvements in Burma's human rights record. "We cannot always see anything constructive coming from this engagement," says Dr Win. "We are asking for a real constructive engagement which would look at what the people of Burma want, which is democracy." Since 1988 the EU has stopped all development aid and imposed an arms embargo and visa restrictions. "There is no reason for Europe's policy to be eased," he says. "Those measures were taken because of the human rights situation, and the repression is getting worse, not better." But he fears EU pressure will be replaced by more constructive engagement. The EU sees huge potential in developing trade with ASEAN. Many ASEAN states in turn have economic interests in Burma, which is a source of cheap gas, timber, minerals and labour. In addition, according to Dr Win, they may fear the Burma democracy movement because its success could influence the people of other ASEAN states. While most of them call their political systems democratic, they would not be recognised as such in the West. Dr Win was elected to a Burmese parliament in 1990 when the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 80 per cent of the vote, but the SLORC made it clear they would not recognise the result. Dr Win, chosen as prime minister, and 19 others left the country to form a government-in-exile; two have since been assassinated. He and his colleagues now devote their time to lobbying the international community to keep the pressure on the SLORC. Within the EU, says Dr Win, Denmark is very supportive and is ready to agree to impose economic sanctions. Other Nordic countries are also very sympathetic. But Britain and France oppose sanctions: both have significant oil interests in Burma. In Ireland there is a significant level of support and lobbying on behalf of Burma's pro-democracy movement. Burma Action Ireland was set up nine months ago and has been lobbying trade unions and politicians of all parties to ask Dáil questions of the Minister for Foreign Affairs in connection with the situation in Burma. The group has received a sympathetic hearing from MEPs of all parties, and the European Parliament has been supportive. Trócaire, which jointly organised Dr Win's visit with Burma Action Ireland, operates humanitarian assistance programmes in Thailand for Burmese refugees who have come across the border. Trócaire also campaigns in Ireland on the issue. ********************* DVB: DEMONSTRATION IN OSLO March 6, 1997 By Saw Nelson Ku From: democratic Voice of Burma February 4, was a wonderful day. At noon 18 Norwegians and 6 Burmese, some carrying posters placards gathered together outside the Royal Thai Embassy, a concrete grey building. One would also find a grey car with two blue flashing lights on the top and the word "Politi" on its sides, meaning "Police" in English. Two Norwegians entered the building to give their letter of protest to the Thai embassy. And then the group started protesting and condemning the Thai government for sending the Karen refugee back to Burma. The signboards they carried said "Don't send refugees back to Burma; SLORC is killing Karen people; Stop dealing with the SLORC; Slorc is a muderer; help the refugees" and etc. Then half an hour later, the group started shouting these slogans at the top of their voice for about 30 minutes. After the demonstration at Thai Embassy, some proceeded to the downtown Oslo to distribute leaflets. "It was a really wonderful day, but unfortunately we were allowed by the Police to demonstrate in front of the Thai embassy for one hour only . I think we were not given enough time to explain the plight of Karen refugees to the Norwegian public", said a Norwegian boy who asked for anonymity. **********************