------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: July 18, 1997 Issue #775 HEADLINES: ========== SLORC: INFORMATION SHEETS A- 0065, A- 0064, A- 0063, A- 0062 REUTER: PRESIDENT MANDELA CONCERNED ABOUT SUU KYI REUTER: BURMA CURRENCY TRADING RESUMES THE NATION: BEHIND BURMA'S IRONY CURTAIN THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS ALTSEAN: ALTERNATIVE ASEAN BOOK LAUNCH IN KL ----------------------------------------------------------------- SLORC: INFORMATION SHEETS A- 0065, A- 0064, A- 0063, A- 0062 From: OKKAR66127@AOL.COM A- 0065(I) 18-7 - 97 (A) U Aung San U ( elder brother of Mrs. Aris / Daw Suu Kyi ) and spouse Daw Le Le Nwe Thein who are in Myanmar to attend the 50th. Anniversary of the Martyr’s Day donated cash towards the funds of Myanmar Nurses Association on the morning of July 17th. in Yangon in memory of mother Daw Khin Kyi. The donation will be used in the construction of Home for Retired Nurses. (B) Direct shipping of massive construction materials from abroad to coastal regions in Myanmar being made possible. Myanman Five Star Line is shipping massive construction materials from abroad direct to respective ports of coastal regions. Altogether (55) of (110) buoys conveyed by mv Chin Shwe Haw of MFSL from Nanjing, the People’s Republic of China, were unloaded at Dawei Port in Taninthayi Division on 4th. July and the remaining (55) at Sittway Port in Rakhine State on 8th. July. They will be used in building bridges covered by projects in Taninthayi Division and Rakhine State. Formerly, construction materials were unloaded at Yangon Port from which they were sent to respective coastal regions, causing large expenditures, delays and difficulties in handling them. MFSL now uses 3,000 ton mv Chin Shwe Haw and mv Mongla, built in China for the direct shipping. --------------------------------------------------- A- 0064(I/L) 17-7 - 97 Today at 9 am Secretary (1) of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt. General Khin Nyunt received U Aung Shwe ( Chairman of National League for Democracy ),U Than Tun and U Hla Pe (Central Executive Committee Members) at No.(2) Defence Services Guest House. The Chief Justice, Attorney General and the Minister for Home Affairs were also present on the occasion. Secretary (1) explained to U Aung Shwe in the meeting about the current political and economic developments of the country as well as the development projects going on in the country. Secretary (1) also gave clarification about the foreign interferences in Myanmar’s internal affairs and had cordial discussions afterwards, it is learnt. --------------------------------------------- A- 0063(I/L) 17-7 - 97 Statements and Comments from various national groups which have returned back into the legal fold. Since 1988 September when the State Law and Order Restoration Council assumed the state power. This government has successfully managed to have peace agreements with (15) armed ethnic groups. It is the first time in her modern history that almost 95 % of all the insurgency have come to a stop. Unfortunately a small group of ethnic insurgents which have based their view on narrow racism still refuses to come to join the other national brethrens to participate in the rebuilding of a new nation. More unfortunately, this organization which calls itself the Kayin National Union (KNU) has now openly resorted to terrorist activities with the financial support, material assistance and terrorist training from western countries. After the Secretary One's clarification on 27th. June 1997 on “ The acts of terrorism presented by illegal expatriate anti-government organizations ” and also on “ How some western power have been aiding and abetting terrorism committed by certain organizations operating under the guise of Democracy and Human Rights by giving them assistance in both cash and kind ”. All the armed groups which have come into the legal fold and are currently participating in the nation building activities as well as the strengthening of national unity have expressed their views and comments on Mrs. Aris'(Daw Suu Kyi's political activities as such : - 1. New Democratic Army - Kachin ( Kachin State Special Region -1 ) “ We fully appreciate Secretary One's clarification. Terrorist activities are being systematically carried out with the support and assistance of western countries which is of great danger to us. Daw Suu Kyi has been exploited by the western countries including the United States and she has put herself in a situation where she has got herself trapped. The mass should be properly informed about the current situation and it is important for the mass to participate in safeguarding the nation .” 2. Kachin Independence Organization (Kachin State Special Region -2) “ Secretary One's clarification is very effective. Daw Suu Kyi made a great mistake relying on outside countries. We immediately left Methawatta once we realized it was a wrong movement and we will never again get ourselves involved in such activities in the future.” 3. Myanmar National Democracy Alliance ( Northern Shan State Special Region -1 , Lauk-Kai ) “ The governments of US Australia and Thailand should cooperate and find ways to arrest these terrorists. The explosives can be smuggled in from Indian borders just as it did from Thai border. The people have gradually come to realize the government's sincere intention and activities which make instigation among the people and workers difficult. The people will definitely inform the government to prevent terrorist activities from taking place due to their understanding of the government's sincerity.” 4. Myanmar National Democracy Alliance. Mong-Ko Defence Army ( Northern Shan State Special Region -1, Mong-Ko ) “ It shocked us to learn that May 26 was targeted for creating disturbances. The situation would be frightening if the explosives and other related objects were not seized. Daw Suu Kyi should be punished severely like they do in China for her activities to disrupt the development of the economy, religion and social sector. ” 5. Myanmar National Solidarity Party ( Wa ) ( Northern Shan State Special Region -2 ) “ We agree and support Secretary One's activities and guidelines. The political events taking place can be more appreciated after following Secretary One's clarification. We commend the government for being able to expose the involvement and interference of Western Nations in Myanmar's internal affairs. The NLD once came to us to win us over. We told them we are not interested in their party politics and that we are only interested in the development of economy and this present military government has improved our living conditions and raised our living standards. We support this government. ” 6. Shan State Army ( Northern Shan State Special Region -3 ) “ There are a lot of instances and evidence of outside countries blatantly interfering in our internal affairs. We came back into the legal fold because we place our trust and confidence in this present government. We do not trust the NLD which is causing the destruction of our country and more over we know the NLD can never keep the country united and stable as it is now even when it is given the role to do so. ” 7. Kachin Defence Army ( Northern Shan State Special Region -5 ) “ We have our areas much developed and upgraded since we had peace agreement with the government. Because of the mutual understanding, confidence and respect we have with the government. No political party can drive a wedge in between us. We are much concerned about the peace agreements being shattered if civil unrest take place and if this government is replaced by another group. ” 8. Pa-O National Organization (Southern Shan State Special Region-6) “ According to the government's clarification it is obvious that our nation is in grave danger. We fully support the government and time has now come for all our national brethrens to unitedly repel the interference coming from inside the country and outside as well. ” 9. Palaung State Liberation Party (Northern Shan State Special Region -7) “ There is no denying of Daw Suu Kyi's and NLD's acceptance of assistance and support from abroad. There are a lot of evidence which can not be refuted and it is also a fact that the NLD is striving to gain the state Power. This press conference is not only a success for the government but also a major political achievement and the NLD should be taken action severely to the extent that the party itself should be de-registered. The country made significant changes and developments since the military government took over the state power. It is very obvious that the US does not want Myanmar and China to have cordial relationship and it is trying to harm this friendship. Daw Suu Kyi is a puppet dancing to the tune of the western countries. If she comes into power our national unity will be destroyed and we do not support her at all.” 10. Shan State National People's Liberation Organization ( Pa-O ) “ CIA could create misunderstanding and distrust among our national brethrens. We should safeguard our national unity very carefully. ” 11. National Democracy Alliance Army, Military Local Administration Committee ( Shan/Akha ) ( Eastern Shan State Special Region-4 ) “ We denounce foreign interference in Myanmar's affairs and do not accept their involvement. We fully support Secretary One's clarification held on the 27th. of June.” 12. Kayinni National People's Liberation Front (Kayah State Special Region -2 ) “ NLD will exploit the situation whenever an opportunity arises. We will join hands with the government to get rid of the destructionists.” 13. New Mon State Party “ Secretary One's clarification of 27th. June serves as a reminder to us. Foreign organizations and the Kayin National Union's (KNU's) infiltration into our party is a possibility which we have to be very careful and more united. The statement issued during the Methawatta Declaration is something which is harmful to the national unity and can not be accepted by any national group. There is nothing to object in Secretary One's clarification.” 14. Kayinni National People's Liberation Front ( Kayah State Special Region-2) “ We see Daw Suu Kyi as a person who is taking financial assistance from the Western Bloc and is being manipulated by them. Kayin National Union (KNU) and Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP) are also being supported by CIA and these groups are traitors to the nation. KNPLF shall under the guidance of the government, resist all external interference and influences.” 15. Kayan New Land Party ( Kayah State Special Region-3 ) Daw Su Kyi most probably has received far more financial assistance from the western countries than what is being exposed now. She is acting according to the instructions from the West. We do not accept the western interference. The Kayin National Union (KNU) and Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP) are under the influence of the western countries and CIA. These (2) groups are also given support from the West. ” -------------------------------------------- A- 0062 17-7 - 97 (A) On the 16th of July in Northern Shan State in LAUKKAI a ceremony was held to destroy the seized narcotic drugs. It is the 7th destruction of seized narcotic drugs in Kokang area of the Northern Shan State. The destruction included 783.13 kilos of opium, 64 blocks of heroin weighing 21.33 kilos, 15.26 kilos of morphine, 92 gallons of liquid opium, 45 gallons of opium oil, 4.47 kilos of opium precursor chemicals, 89 gallons of ether, 553 kilos of other chemicals (powder), six liters of ammonium chloride and paraphernalia. The Kokang leader of the region U Phon Kya Shin and nationalities leaders, narcotic drug control officials, police officers and law officers from Yunnan Province of the People’s Republic of China attended the ceremony together with Myanmar Minister for Religious Affairs and the Minister for the Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs. (B) U Aung San U (elder brother of Mrs. Aris) and spouse donated cash to the Dagon University Library on the 16th. of June while they were in Myanmar to attend the 50th. Anniversary of the Martyrs Day. U Aung San U resides in the United States and visit Myanmar occasionally, it is learnt. ***************************************** REUTER: PRESIDENT MANDELA CONCERNED ABOUT SUU KYI July 17, 1997 By Deborah Charles BANGKOK, July 17 (Reuter) - South African President Nelson Mandela said on Thursday he was concerned about fellow Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma and called for dialogue to solve the political problems in Rangoon. Mandela, who called the Burmese opposition leader very courageous, told a news conference he had been discussing how best to try to find a solution to the political standoff in Burma. ``(Suu Kyi's) position has been a matter of concern in almost every part of the world,'' Mandela said. Suu Kyi has often been referred to as the ``Mandela of Asia.'' The 1991 Nobel prizewinner was freed from six years of house arrest in July 1995. But she told Reuters last week on the second anniversary of her release that repression had increased since then. Suu Kyi herself is closely monitored and members of her National League for Democracy party have been arrested over the past year. ``I discussed the matter with one eminent leader in this region and put forward that point (of her lack of freedom),'' Mandela said. He said the Asian leader did not support a plan proposed by South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu to send a delegation of Nobel Peace laureates to Burma to call for reform. ``As (he) said, as a result of the pressure that had been put on the leadership, the government of Burma, they had become hardened in their attitude and it would be better not to send a delegation but to send somebody...and do it quickly,'' he said. ``It is easier to persuade people in private conversations... If we want a quick result it is better to do so through dialogue,'' Mandela said, without saying who might be sent or when talks would take place. Since her release from house arrest, Suu Kyi has made repeated calls for dialogue with the military government. But leaders of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, which seized power after crushing pro-democracy uprisings in 1989, have not responded. Mandela was speaking at the end of a two-day visit to Bangkok where he was trying to drum up investor interest in his country. Thailand was the last stop on a three-nation tour that included Britain and Indonesia. Mandela, who turns 79 on Friday, received an honorary degree in the morning from Chulalongkorn University. ********************************************************* REUTER: BURMA CURRENCY TRADING RESUMES AS TRADERS RELEASED July 16, 1997 RANGOON, July 16 (Reuter) - Trading in the Burmese kyat resumed late on Wednesday after the military government released some dealers from questioning over the currency's recent fall. The kyat, which has plummeted nearly 46 percent this month, firmed to 230 per dollar-denominated foreign exchange certificate (FEC) after a trading interruption of nearly two days, dealers said. On Monday, the last day of trade, it was quoted around 270 to the FEC. Trading was brought to a halt when the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) picked up head traders late on Monday to question them about the plunge, witnesses said. Some illegal FEC and dollar traders were also detained, they said. ``They were just called in for questioning about the prevailing situation and some have already been returned to their homes,'' a military official told Reuters. The FEC was introduced in February 1993 mainly so that foreign tourists would not have to buy the currency at its overvalued official rate. As of Monday, the kyat had plunged nearly 30 percent in a week and almost 46 percent since the beginning of the month. It was trading at around 270 to the FEC late on Monday compared to 210-211 on July 9 and 185 in the last week of June. In the official exchange market, which is rarely used, the kyat was quoted unmoved at around six to the dollar. The sharp plunge in the kyat against the FEC was due to a lack of confidence in the currency, the government's decision to open FEC-denominated letters of credit and rumours of a possible change in the monetary system, local analysts said. A senior general denied the rumours. ``Unscrupulous persons are spreading rumours in Yangon (Rangoon) that the monetary system will be changed after Myanmar (Burma) becomes an ASEAN member,'' state-run newspapers quoted SLORC Secretary One, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, as saying. Burma is due to become a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) later this month. Khin Nyunt said other false rumours included talk that FECs would be withdrawn from circulation and that foreign exchange deposited in banks would be seized by the government. ``The rumours about financial and economic matters...are utterly untrue and have merely been concocted by destructionists,'' he was reported on Wednesday as saying. ``Don't believe the rumours spread by the destructionist elements.'' The government had implemented a new measure that caps the amount of FECs that can be transferred abroad at $50,000, bank officials said on Wednesday. Analysts said the measure should help stem the growing demand for FECs and help stabilise the currency. ``One major drawback in our FEC system was allowing importers to transfer money abroad by buying FECs with local currency,'' one analyst said. The sharp drop in the kyat has caused prices to skyrocket over the past few weeks. Some shopkeepers said they had stopped selling wholesale goods in kyat because of the rapidly changing value. ``We don't want to change the price tags all the time to adjust with the galloping rate,'' one store owner said. ``If they (locals) pay in FECs it is all right.'' Since it became legal to exchange FECs for kyat, a growing number of ordinary Burmese residents have been buying FECs as they lose faith in the kyat, analysts said. ********************************** THE NATION: BEHIND BURMA'S IRONY CURTAIN July 13, 1997 Lisa Laing Lisa Laing finds herself in a dilemma on a visit to Burma: should we boycott the country in 'visit Myanmar year'? The Burmese people can't decide either, and they've read Shakespeare. "I have heard it generally said throughout the East Indies that the closer a people lives to Burma the more lively and intelligent it is." Simon De la Loubere, leader of a French mission which arrived in Siam in the late 1600s during the region of King Narai of Ayutthaya. Have you read Julius Caesar?" My 25-year-old Burmese guide is on a roll again. I panic. Have I? I should have read it in high school. But did I? "Sure" I say, "Shakespeare." He smiles, relieved. "Very good story. Brutus is like the Slorc [State Law and Order Restoration Council]. When Brutus betrays Julius Caesar it is ironic. To understand Burma you must understand irony. Do you understand?" I nod. Like I did in high school. And so begins my initiation into Burma behind the irony curtain of "Visit Myanmar Year". If you have conflicting feelings about visiting Burma you're not alone. Many Burmese people aren't sure you should go either. They like having you there but they're not necessarily opposed to the tourist boycott. When asked about their opinion on US sanctions they're also likely to smile mysteriously with a twinkle in their eyes and say "the government is not too happy about it." If you meet the same guy I did in Mandalay he'll add, "get my drift?" Getting the drift in Burma is a challenge. Communication is a problem since most people don't speak English and the people who do have to be careful about what they say. Guide books aren't very helpful either. The Myanmar Tourist office in Rangoon will only tell you where you're allowed to go and how much it costs to fly there. Beyond Rangoon you're on your own. So you swallow your traveller's pride and look for tour guides wherever you go. That's when the adventure begins. Licensed tour guides are the official ambassadors of "Visit Myanmar Year" but if you think that means being condemned to a dreary official tour of temples, government-run handicraft shops and enthusiastic support for all the wonderful things the government is doing for the country, you're in for a subversive surprise. Burma's people are as lively and intelligent as they were in the 1600s. The guides I had the pleasure of meeting were analytical, philosophical, politically astute and not only understood irony, but were patient enough to help me understand it too. If you're willing to take a mental-leap into the unknown you'll be in awe of the way the Burmese negotiate the crazy contradictions of their lives. You will see how the decisions of Burma's whimsical rulers affect people in the most fundamental ways and you'll begin to appreciate how insidious political repression can be. Take the simple act of driving. The rules of the road were laid down by the British, long before Burma's independence and before Burma became Myanmar. To throw off the yoke of colonialism, those rules had to be changed. The architects of the "Burmese Way to Socialism" came up with the perfect compromise; use vehicles with steering wheels on the right, while also making people drive on the right hand side. That way, the government can't be accused of pandering to the Americans, who drive on the right with the steering wheel on the left,-for remaining mired in the British system of right-hand steering, while driving on left side. The resulting system makes it difficult to avoid head-on collisions. Since getting around is an intimidating prospect, the ideal solution is a tour guide with his or her own wheels. One I met in Mandalay had driven an American couple around the country for several months. They said he had the heart of a racing driver. They were right. He negotiated hairpin turns on treacherous mountain roads with the same casual fearlessness that characterised his running commentary. "See those workers over there?" I could barely see them in the distance. "That's forced labour. They're from the prison, you can tell from their white clothes. See that car? It's driving to the Chinese border where it will be sold for a big profit. See that over there? That's a prison. Is that pagoda in your guidebook? That's a school. It's closed. Schools have been closed since December." He shifts gears. "Did you know that?" I nod. "After the student demonstrations?" Another shift. We pass vendors with their children selling mangoes by the roadside. He sighs. "There is nothing for students to do right now." He has two daughters. Nobody knows when schools will re-open. So where do you find the students? In the temples. A medical student who was forced to return home when the universities shut down in Rangoon is now one of many temporary monks at temples all over the country. He speaks excellent English. "You must remove your slippers," he said sternly when we first met, "this is sacred ground." We were standing in the sun outside a temple. Labourers were constructing a new temple building and all the monks were wearing slip-on sandals. Unlike Thailand, the temple grounds are just as sacred as the temples themselves and pilgrims must respect that. Embarrassed, I removed my offensive footwear and made a frantic run for a shaded bit of concrete. Taking pity on my unenlightened feet, he showed me around the shady parts and explained how the mental discipline required to understand Buddhism kept him sane amid the chaos and uncertainty of life outside the sacred ground. He smiled wryly. "Until I can go back to school I must study so I don't lose my mind." He introduced me to his teachers, the senior monks, and then we all hopped into a kind of tuk tuk and toured the other temples and meditation centres in the hills. "See that land? That used to be my family's orchard. It belongs to the military now. They cut down all the trees." Trucks of soldiers passed by. A stone wall followed us for miles, punctuated by holes at regular intervals just big enough for canons to poke through. Just in case. We passed through pine forests and eventually came upon a Buddhist sanctuary. Hundreds of women wearing their finest longyis (Burmese sarongs) fussed over young monks while just as many monks and generals looked on. The medical student said they were the mothers and relatives of some one hundred soldiers who had just been ordained. "Even soldiers are Buddhists", he said, "they're like me, they want to make merit for their mothers, they want their parents to be proud of them." Another student keeps his mind sharp by talking to strangers in a town that until very recently was closed to tourists without official visiting permits. There is only one hotel that has a license to accept foreigners. The staff don't speak English very well but when they figured-out I needed a guide they introduced me to my Irony Teacher. When I asked him how many tourists come to town he grinned widely, and said, "Oh, many! Sometimes 13 a month! From all over the world Singapore, Thailand, even China!" He makes friends with tourists who try to send him books. Sometimes he gets them, sometimes he doesn't. He reads everything: Medical encyclopaedias, physics texts, geology books. He has read the great philosophers, all the classic novels I keep meaning to read but probably never will, and of course, Shakespeare. He wants me to send him English translations of Japanese and Egyptian novelists and was disappointed when I admitted I had never heard of the Canadian economist Herbert Casson. "He's so famous!," he said, shaking his head in amazement. When there aren't any tourists around, he likes to hang out at the market and help with deliveries. That way he has access to newspapers. Goods from Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are often packed in newsprint. He reads the ones in English. That's why he knows about super models. . After tiring of a discussion about Albert Camus' mentor he shifted gears as smoothly as my Mandalay guide and said, "I think Naomi Campbell is more beautiful than Claudia Schiffer, what do you think?" Burma is full of great minds. The tragic irony is that they aren't the ones running the country. Even if you find guides who will steer you away from the shops and hotels owned by the government or the drug barons, so that your tourist dollars can go directly to the people you want so much to support, the bottom line is you are still filling the coffers of a paranoid regime just by being there. That's the dilemma. The international tourist boycott against "Visit Myanmar Year" has been successful. The hotels are empty. Some, like the luxury Trader's Hotel in Rangoon, are closing down. The government, however, is not about to admit defeat. People living on the riverside in Mandalay have been forcibly relocated because the road there isn't wide enough yet to accommodate the tour buses. People are being shuffled all over the place in the name of tourism and national reconciliation. It's easier for the troubled tourist to either stay away, or go and give in to the awesome beauty of the country and its generous people and ignore politics. It's a holiday after all. Burmese people understand that and will welcome you if you go and applaud you for staying away. They'll also take you behind their irony curtain if you're interested. My Mandalay guide thinks Burmese people go out of their way to welcome tourists because most are Buddhist. "We Buddhists are all travellers after all," he says, "we're just passing through this world from our last life into our next one. That's why you find public water pots with metal cups everywhere you go. Travellers get thirsty." ************************************************** THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS [excerpts only] July 6, 1997 OISCA, A & I MINISTRY OPEN AGRO-FORESTRY TRAINING CENTRE YANGON, 5 July - The Agro-forestry Training Centre was opened under the joint sponsorship of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and Japan-based Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA), a non-governmental organization, at Pakhangyi Village in Yesagyo Township, Pakokku District, Magway Division yesterday morning as a result of accomplishment in the dry zone development project in accord with the objectives for the development of agriculture, forestry and socio-economic sectors. July 7, 1997 SECRETARY-1 RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF PRC YANGON, 6 July - Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt the received Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Ms Chen Baoliu , who has completed her tour of duty, at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence this morning. SECRETARY-1 RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF BANGLADESH YANGON, 6 July Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt received Ambassador of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Mr. Chowdhury Khalequzzaman, who has completed his tour of duty, at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence this afternoon. TV REPEATING SECRETARY 1'S CLARIFICATION TODAY YANGON, 6 July Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt clarified in the meeting hall of the, of Defence on 27 June 19 Western powers had been aiding and abetting terrorism committed by certain organizations operating in the guise of democracy and human rights by giving them assistance in cash and kind TV Myanmar will repeat its coverage at 5.45 p.m. on 7 July 1997, Monday. July 8, 1997 GENERAL MAUNG AYE RECEIVES COMMANDANT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE OF THAILAND YANGON, 7 July Vice-Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army)General Maung Aye received Commandant of National Defence College of Thailand Air Marshal Chanchai Chanchidchingchai and party at Zeyathiri Beikman at Konmyinttha at 3 p.m. today. Present together with General Maung Aye were Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Chief of the Office of Strategic Studies and Director of Defence Services Intelligence Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-2 of the State Law and Order- Restoration Council Chief of Bureau of Special Operations and Chief of Staff (Army) Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Vice- Admiral Tin Aye, Commander-in-Chief (Air) Lt-Gen Tin Ngwe, Chief of Armed Forces Training Maj-Gen Saw Lwin and Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Khin Maung Than. The guests were accompanied by Ambassador of Thailand Mr. Poksak Nilubol and Military Attache Col-Ongard Ratanawichai. MINISTER FOR CULTURE RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF ISRAEL YANGON, 7 July Minister for Culture U Aung San received Ambassador of Israel Mr. Gad Nathan at his office this afternoon. Present also were Deputy Minister for Culture U Soe Nyunt, Director-General of Fine Arts Department U Tin Htoo, Director- General of Department of Cultural Institute U Myint Thein Swe, Director-General of Department of Archaeology U Nyunt Han and officials. MYANMAR, THAILAND AND LPDR HOLD THIRD MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON COOPERATION IN DRUG ABUSE CONTROL YANGON, 7 July-The Myanmar-Thailand-Lao People's Democratic Republic Third Ministerial Conference on Cooperation in Drug Abuse Control was held in Luang Prabang, LPDR, on 4 and 5 July. It was attended by delegations of the three countries led by Chairman of the Central Committee for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Mya Thin, Minister at the Office of the Thai Prime Minister Mr. Werakorn Khumprakok and Minister of Foreign Affairs of LPDR Mr. Samsavat Leng Savad with representatives of UNDP, UNDCP and WHO in Laos and those of US, French, Russian Federation and Australian embassies as observers. High-ranking officials attended the first-day meeting on 4 July and the Ministerial Conference took place on 5 July. The ministers of the three nations issued a joint statement calling for cooperation in hill region development projects for eradicating opium poppy cultivation in border areas; strictly curbing illicit production and trafficking of precursor chemicals and materials which are vital for illicit production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; exposing profits made from illicit production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and taking action against the wrongdoers; enacting laws and rules on drug abuse control in the sub-region by the respective nations; coordination among the law enforcement bodies and introducing procedures on drug abuse control measures including exchange of information to be able to cooperate practically in the border areas; cooperation in public education, providing medical treatment and rehabilitation to eradicate narcotic drugs abuse; and cooperation in exchanging study delegations and conducting courses and providing technical assistance. The conference requested the international community to provide financial and technical assistance to implement the joint programmes. It decided to hold the fourth ministerial conference in Thailand in 1999. MYANMAR DELEGATION ATTENDS ASEAN ENERGY MEETING YANΟON, 7 July Myanmar delegation led by Minister for Energy U Khin Maung Thein returned from Manila, the Philippines, by air today after attending the 15th ASEAN Ministers of Energy Meeting. Delegation members Director-General of Energy Planning Department U Soe Myint, Managing Director of Myama Oil and Gas Enterprise U Kyaw Nyein and Officer on Special Duty at the Ministry of Energy U Nyo Myint were also on the same flight. July 9, 1997 SECRETARY-1 RECEIVES MEMBERS OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF JAPAN YANGON, 8 July Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt received nine members of House of Representatives of Japan led by Mr. Minoru Noda at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence, this evening. AWB OPENS MINGALA MARKET BRANCH YANGON, 8 July Secretary-2 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo attended the opening ceremony of the Asia Wealth Bank's Mingala Market Branch in Mingala Taungnyunt Township this morning. MINISTER FOR RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS RECOUNTS SECRETARY-L'S CLARIFICATION YANGON, 8 July-Member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Minister for Religious Affairs Lt-Gen Myo Nyunt recounted clarification of Secretary- 1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt on how Western powers had been aiding and abetting terrorism committed by certain organizations operating in the guise of democracy and human rights by giving them assistance in both cash and kind, at the Religious Affairs Department on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road this afternoon. Minister Lt-Gen Myo Nyunt also said two motions were tabled at the mass meetings on implementation of community welfare services of the Union Solidarity and Development Association held at 16 towns in States and Divisions in May. Of the two, one denounces internal and external destructive acts and USDA members who attended the mass meetings have supported it unanimously, he said. He stressed the need for departmental personnel to cooperate in crushing the Instructionists and carrying on with the nation-building tasks. DEPUTY PREMIER RECEIVES TOKIWA PRESIDENT YANGON, 8 July -Member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Chairman of Myanmar Investment Commission Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin received President Mr. Naoyuki Soga of Tokiwa Corporation of Japan and party at his office today. MYANMAR ENERGY DELEGATION ENHANCES COOPERATION WITH ASEAN NATIONS YANGON, 8 July-The Myanmar Energy delegation led by Minister for Energy U Khin Maung Thein attended the Fifteenth ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, as observers. In Bangkok on 4 July morning, in Myanmar Energy delegation led by Minister U Khin Maung Thein called on Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh at the Government Guest House. They cordially discussed cooperation in the energy sector. Also present were Minister at the Thai Prime Minister's Office Mr. Sompong Amornvivat and officials, Myanmar Ambassador U Hla Maung, Thai Ambassador to Myanmar Mr. Poksak Nilubol and members of the Myanmar Energy delegation. Next, a signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding on the sale of electricity generated in Myanmar to Thailand was held at the Government Guest House. Members of the delegation also looked into fabrication of well platforms for the Yetagun Natural Gas Project. The minister heard progress reports on fabrication of the platforms and gave counsel. Minister U Khin Maung Thein and members of the delegation also held discussions in Singapore with organizations of Malaysia, Singapore and Japan which are undertaking tasks in cooperation with the Myanmar Ministry of Energy. MYANMAR DELEGATION LEAVES FOR INDONESIA YANGON, 8 July A nine-member Myanmar delegation led by Minister for Livestock and Fisheries U Aung Thaung this morning left here for Indonesia to cooperate in fish and meat sector and to exchange technology and experience at the invitation of Minister of Agriculture Dr Sjar-lfudin Baharsjah. The delegation will also study livestock and breeding in Singapore. ************************************************ ALTSEAN: ALTERNATIVE ASEAN BOOK LAUNCH IN KUALA LUMPUR July 17, 1997 From: altsean@ksc.th.com ALTSEAN-BURMA A L T E R N A T I V E A S E A N N E T W O R K O N B U R M A tel: 66 2 275 1811, 66 2 693 4515 fax: 66 2 693 4515 c/o FORUM-ASIA 109 SUTHISARNWINICHAI RD SAMSENNOK HUAYKWANG BANGKOK 10320 THAILAND For immediate release: July 17 1997 MEDIA RELEASE: ALTERNATIVE ASEAN BOOK LAUNCH IN KUALA LUMPUR KUALA LUMPUR: A panel of speakers from member states and Burma will speak at a press conference to launch the book "From Consensus to Controversy - Asean's Relationship with Burma's Slorc" days before Burma is scheduled to be formally admitted into Asean at its Summit in Kuala Lumpur. The press conference will be held at the FOMCA office (8, SS1/22A, Petaling Jaya) at 10 a.m. on Friday July 18. The press conference will feature speakers from Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, including contributors to the book. "From Consensus to Controversy" is a compilation of articles by political leaders, activists and academics from Asean and Burma, and is published by ALTSEAN-BURMA (Alternative Asean Network on Burma). The book will be sold for US$4.00 (Asia Pacific region only) and US$7.00 (Europe and North America). ENDS For more information, please contact: (until July 27) Kuala Lumpur ++ 60 16 322 6152 or ++ 60 10 217 8011 (after July 27) Bangkok ++ 662 275 1811 or 693 4515 (anytime) Email: altsean@ksc.th.com ********************************************************