------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
----------------------------------------------------------

The BurmaNet News: jan 8, 1996
Issue #317

Noted in Passing:

        Now they (the US) want to take this guy, that's not fair, and if
        Khun Sa talks then, uh-oh, a lot of soiled linen will come out of
        the cupboard...He will definitely be put on trial in Rangoon, 100
        percent sure. - a Burmese official (see BKK POST: BURMA REFUSES
        TO SEND DRUG LORD KHUN SA TO US)

HEADLINES:
==========
BURMANET: REPORT FROM DEMOC CONVENTION IN INDIA
CONV. FOR THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN BURMA: STATEMENT
BKK POST: GLOBAL BOYCOTT OF BURMA URGED
BKK POST: BURMA REFUSES TO SEND DRUG LORD KHUN SA TO US
BKK POST: KHUN SA LAYS ON GRAND WELCOME FOR SLORC
NATION: ANTI-NARCOTIC LAWMEN EXPECTING NO ADVANTAGE
NATION: WA FORCES SEEK TO TAKE EX-MTA TERRITORY VIA DIALOGUE
BKK POST: BURMESE ENVOY SEES END TO BORDER DISPUTES
BKK POST: BURMESE LEADER ARRIVES IN CHINA
ABSDF PRESS RELEASE: DKBO ATTACK ON JANUARY 3, 1996
ANNOUNCEMENT: APPLICATION FOR JOURNALISM COURSE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BURMANET: REPORT FROM THE CONVENTION ON THE RESTORATION OF
DEMOCRACY AND DASSK'S MESSAGE TO THE CONVENTION
January 5, 1995
>From burtu.atubdo@axcess.net.
New Delhi

The International Convention on the Restoration of
Democracy to Burma opened yesterday with speeches from
powerful Indian politicians and a screening of "Beyond
Rangoon."  Before the screening, Aung Ko, co-star of
"Beyond Rangoon" spoke about democracy and Buddhism in
Burma.

     The driving force behind the convention is Indian
member of parliament, George Fernandes.  Fernandes is
known outside India for having driven Coca-Cola out of
India when he was previously a government minister.  Among
the leading speakers was former Indian Prime Minister
Chandrashekar.  Chandrashekar is aiming to return to the
Prime Minister's post and would likely reverse India's
current Constructive Engagement policy.


DASSK: MESSAGE TO THE CONVENTION

It is most appropriate that this International Convention
for the Restoration of Democracy in Burma should take
place on this anniversary of Burmese Independence.
Forty-eight years ago to this day Burma became a sovereign
independent nation as a result of the combined efforts of
all her peoples.  The greatest lesson that the struggle
for independence taught us was that nothing of national
significance could be achieved without the wholehearted
participation of all those whose fates are linked to the
destiny of the nation.

Burma took her place in the family of independent nations
as a democratic state, aware of its obligations to its own
people as well as to the rest of the world.  The founding
fathers of independent Burma understood that self-government
alone was not enough: there was a clear perception of the
need for responsible and accountable rule that guarantees the
basic rights of the people and accepts the duties due to a member
of the international community.

A resolution by my father U Aung San on 16 June 1947 in the
Constituent Assembly encapsulated the hopes of the people
of Burma for a state sustained by democratic values that
would enable them to live in freedom and dignity.  The
salient points of the resolution, as relevant today as
they were then, are as follows:

     "...all powers and authority of the sovereign
     independent Republic of Burma, its constituent parts
     and organs of government shall be derived from the
     people...

     "...the constitution shall guarantee and secure to
     all the peoples of the Union justice, social,
     economic and political; equality of status, of
     opportunity, and before the law freedom of thought,
     expression, belief, worship, subject to law and
     public morality...

     "...the constitution shall provide adequate
     safeguards for minorities...

     "...this historic land of Burma shall attain its
     rightful and honoured place in the world, make its
     full and willing contribution and welfare of mankind
     and affirm its devotion to the ideal of peace and
     friendly co-operation amongst nations founded on
     international justice and morality."

The aspirations of those who dedicated their lives to
building an independent Burma are at one with the hopes of
all of us now striving to establish in Burma a genuine
democratic system that will guarantee to the people all
basic human rights as recognized by the United Nations.
While it cannot be doubted that our principal strength
lies in the resolve of our own people, we are fully aware
that in the world today all nations are indissolubly
linked by myriad ties.  We welcome warmly the support of
friends across the globe who share our political and
ethical values.

It is particularly heartening for us that this
International Convention should be held in India, the
world's largest democracy.  It is also most heartening that
the Chairman of the Convention is Mr. George Fernandes, a
man widely respected for his efforts in the field of
social and political justice.  It is my belief that this
Convention will promote a better understanding of the
situation in Burma and help to formulate truly
constructive polices that will contribute towards the full
implementation of successive resolutions adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly calling for the restoration
of democracy in Burma.

I would like to take this opportunity to say to Burmese
students and other colleagues who have abandoned the
comforts of home to engage in the struggle for democracy:
the way ahead for us may be hard but we shall surely
prevail; there will certainly come the moment for which we
have all been striving, the time when we are all united
once again in freedom and triumph in our own land.

May I end this message with an expression of deeply felt
gratitude to Mr. Fernandes, the members of the Convening
Committee and to our many Indian friends for their
endeavours in the interests of democracy in Burma.  I wish
the occasion every possible success.

Thank you.

**************************************************

CONV. FOR THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN BURMA: STATEMENT
January 7, 1996
>From burtu.atubdo@axcess.net.inMon Jan  8 09:23:58 1996

STATEMENT OF THE CONVENTION FOR THE RESTORATION OF
DEMOCRACY IN BURMA

NEW DELHI, 4-6 JANUARY, 1996.

The international convention for the Restoration of Democracy meeting in
New Delhi from 4-6 Jan, 1996 declare that :

- The total denial of democracy, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the will
of people of Burma as expressed in the 1990 general elections,

- The continuation of an illegal military dictatorship and the expanding of
domination of the military over all aspects of Burmese society,

- The lack of a comprehensive political solution to the civil war, and

- The continuing gross human rights violations against the people of Burma -
constitute a serious threat to regional and international security and stability.

I. Constitutional Issues:
-----------------------------
The Convention believe
a) that a tripartite dialogue involving the Burmese democracy movement led by
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the ethnic national and the military, is the best was to
achieve national reconciliation and the restoration of democracy in Burma.

b) that the current National Convention to draft a new Constitution to
legitimize military rule in Burma is an illegal and unrepresentative body with
no mandate whatsoever from the people of Burma.

c) that a federal system of government is the best long-term solution to
Burma's long running civil war.

The International Convention for the Restoration of Democracy in Burma,
therefore, strongly supports the National League for Democracy's withdrawal
from the sham National Convention in Rangoon, and urge all governments to
not recognize any conclusions adopted by the National Convention.

II. Human Rights
----------------------
The Convention strongly condemns the continued human rights abuses in Burma,
including the free flow of information, forced labor, particularly of women and
children, force conscription and violation of cultural and religious rights. We specially
condemn the denial of labor rights and the violations of the fights of the women.

We demand of SLORC to immediately release all political prisoners.

Recognizing that thousands of Burmese are forced to leave their homes, we call for
the recognition, support and protection for these refugees according to international
established principles. This appeal is particularly directed to Burma's neighbors.

We call on the UNHCR to exercise its mandate to protect and provide safe havens to
refugees from Burma.

The international community must have access to Burmese refugees.

III. Constructive Engagement
-------------------------------------
Recognizing that the policy of constructive engagement in its various forms
actually strengthen the SLORC and allows it to continue its repressive policies,
the Convention call for

a) and need to all international investments and trade with Burma,
b) all supporters of freedom and democracy to boycott products of companies
investing and trading with Burma,
c) a total boycott of "Visit Myanmar Year 1996".
d) government and international financial institution to refrain from assisting the
illegal military junta in Burma,
e) A the world's largest democracy, the government f India should desist from
cooperating with the military regime in Burma and respond positively to
Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal to India to support the democracy movement.

IV. China- Burma Axis
-----------------------------

The Convention calls upon countries in the region, particularly Indian to recognize
that a democratic Burma with a strong civil society is the best means to ensure
stability and guard against the possibility of the domination by regional super
powers.

We are deeply disturbed by the threat to regional and international health and
security represented by the rapid and uncontrolled spread of HIV/AIDS, heroin
and opium from Burma,

and we do not believe that any military regime can effectively implement policies
to these problems.

In conclusion, the Convention calls on all governments and freedom loving
people to find practical ways to support the Burmese democracy movement
and help restore genuine democracy to Burma.

********************************************

BKK POST: GLOBAL BOYCOTT OF BURMA URGED
January 6, 1996     New Delhi, AFP

An international conference aimed at mobilising global
sanctions to restore democracy in Burma yesterday discussed
measures which organisers said would spell the end of the
country's military regime.

"There are no human rights in Burma," Indian politician
George Fernandes said here. "We are absolutely certain you do
not have anything like this anywhere today." Fernandes, the
organiser of the International Convention for the Restoration
of Democracy in Burma which began here on Thursday, said the
delegates including Mps, lawyers and policy-makers would
unveil the "action plan" today.

"We will lobby around the world asking governments, rights
groups and trade unions to get involved in direct boycott and
other forms of pressure," he said. "This is the first meeting
of its kind in the world. "The ongoing collaboration with the
military regime by Western governments cannot go on. I
believe that all those who stand for freedom and democracy
anywhere in the world will never agree to any compromise with
the military junta," Fernandes said.

"Slavery is rampant, torture is the order of the day and
arrests are a daily occurrence," he said, slamming the seven-
member Association of Southeast Asian Nations for doing
business with the Burmese government.

Fernandes, a former industry minister, also said China's
increased military presence in Burma and the booming drug
trade into India were threatening stability in South Asia.
The 100-odd delegates from around the world demanded the
restoration of full and equal rights to Burmese pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Exiled Burmese leader U Aung Ko, who heads a group called
Aung San Suu Kyi Liberte in exile in France, said her
struggle to end tyranny would eventually triumph. "She has
given her life to the movement and she cannot do more than
this. It is for the world, the United Nations and other
governments to see that she gets her freedom," he said.

Jaya Jaitly, convener of the three-day conference, said
activists in the European Parliament had pushed through
legislation insisting on proper labour laws in Burma as a
precursor to foreign investment.

"They have focused on child and slave labour and the forcible
use of pregnant women in mines and other strenuous work," she
said. Conference organisers said that from 1988 to 1993, US
oil and gas companies invested more than $200 million in
Burma. A number of multinational giants such as Levi Strauss,
Amoco, Apache Oil, Murphy Oil, Petro Canada and Shell have
pulled out of Burma, however, citing human rights and
economic reasons, they said. (BP)

*********************************************

BKK POST: BURMA REFUSES TO SEND DRUG LORD KHUN SA TO US
January 7, 1996

Burma will not turn opium warlord Khun Sa over to the United
States to face narcotics charges partly because of all the
information he could give US authorities, a senior Burmese
official said yesterday. But the veteran rebel commander, who
gave up his guerrilla war and turned himself over to Burmese
government forces at the beginning of the month, would
definitely be put on trail in Rangoon, the official said.

"There will be no extradition to the United States," the
official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters. "Now
they want to take this guy, that's not fair, and if Khun Sa
talks then, uh-oh, a lot of soiled linen will come out of the
cupboard," he said. "He will definitely be put on trial in
Rangoon, 100 percent sure," the official added.

The Burmese official said the United States had been playing
a "win-win" game for too long and it was not fair that Khun
Sa be handed over to them now. "If we don't fight Khun Sa
seriously, they say we are not serious, so we lose. If we go
and fight we lose our men, so we lose," the official said.
"Whether we do it or not the American side, they win," he
added.

The Burmese official dismissed a Bangkok newspaper report
yesterday citing Khun Sa as saying he wanted to remain in his
Shan state headquarters. "The courts are in Rangoon," the
official said.

#Agence France-Presse added on January 8, 1996
(Opium warlord took a calculated risk with surrender)

Burma's reputed opium warlord Khun Sa may have decided
to surrender to the Burmese government and take his chances in
court as the only option left open to him, according to analysts here.

"Khun Sa, who is first and foremost a businessman at heart, must
have weighed his options very carefully and decided to take his
chances with a Burmese court of law," one legal expert told AFP.

Being brought to justice inside Burma could be an attractive
option for Khun Sa as death sentences are rarely carried out in
this predominantly Buddhist nation, another analyst said.

"With the precedence of periodical amnesties, where death
sentences are usually commuted to life imprisonment and further
reduced for good behaviour Khun Sa can become. a free man in no
time at all," the analyst said.

Demands for Khun Sa's extradition by the United States are also
likely to be ignored by the military authorities here, analysts
said, as no extradition treaties existed between Burma and other
nations.

Washington has offered a two million dollar reward for
information leading to the arrest of the alleged drug lord, who
has been accused of being the source of most of the heroin
imported into the United States.

***************

BKK POST: KHUN SA LAYS ON GRAND WELCOME FOR SLORC
January 8, 1996

Burmese leaders held talks with Khun Sa to secure the
allegiance of his Mong Tai Army yesterday, sources said. A
Burmese delegation, led by Eastern Force Commander Maj-Gen
Tin Htut, flew into Ho Mong to a welcome ceremony Khun Sa and
2,000 MTA soldiers.

Khun Sa, who this month gave the Rangoon junta control of Ho
Mong, opposite Mae Hong Son, has given the Slorc a 10-point
set of demands for the MTA's surrender, the sources said. The
key demands were amnesty for himself and his men from drug
charges, a secure future for the troops and cooperation on
narcotics, they said.

As the talks, expected to continue for some time, got under
way, 600 Burmese troops arrived at the MTA's Tha Sopteng base
on the Salween river. Khun Sa sent pick-up trucks for the
troops, who were expected to survey MTA positions.

The sources said Khun Sa and many top Shan leaders were
present at the welcome ceremony followed by a feast. During
the ceremony, the Shan leadership gave Maj-Gen Tin Htut a
list of MTA soldiers in a gesture to mark the end of the
armed struggle against Rangoon.

Despite the apparent warming of relations between the Shan
leader and Rangoon, there are indications Khun Sa may have
surrendered to take his chances in court as the only option
left open to him. Analysts said Khun Sa has for the past few
months been a primary target of the Burmese military.

Burmese offensives on territory held by Khun Sa's forces in
northern Shan State had also resulted in the defection of up
to 6,000 of his troops, they said. As a result, Khun Sa had
few options other than seeking an agreement with Rangoon,
even though he would face a mandatory death sentence if tried
and convicted.

"Khun Sa, who is first and foremost a businessman at heart,
must have weighed his options very carefully and decided to
take his chances with a Burmese court of law," one legal
expert said. Burmese troops have taken control of MTA
territory following the signing of a ceasefire agreement.
Burmese authorities who have consistently stated that they
consider Khun Sa a criminal will most likely bring him to
justice following his surrender," the legal expert said.

Another analyst claimed that being brought to justice in
Burma could be an attractive option for Khun Sa as death
sentences are rarely carried there. "With the precedence of
periodical amnesties, where death sentences are usually
commuted to life imprisonment and further reduced for good
behaviour, Khun Sa can become a free man in no time at all,"
he said.

Demands for Khun Sa's extradition by America are also likely
to be ignored by the junta as Burma has signed no extradition
treaties. Washington has posted a $2 million reward for
information leading to the arrest of Khun Sa, accused of
being the source of most of the heroin imported into America.

Meanwhile, the United Wa State Army has expressed hope it will
be able to take control of formerly MTA-held areas in Shan state, a
Wa official was quoted as  saying.

The Wa was outmanoeuvred by the reported deal struck by Khun
Sa and Rangoon, after the Wa army had been making steady
progress against the MTA since the middle of last year, the
official said. The official said that the Wa, which struck a
ceasefire agreement with the junta in 1989, had told Rangoon
in June of plans for a major offensive against the MTA at the
end of the year.

The deal gave the Wa access to government-held roads and
provided them with mortar rounds with which to attack the
MTA, Wa officials said. In Karenni State, fighting continued
as soldiers of the Karenni National Progressive Party fought
to dislodge Rangoon forces from the mountainous U Lae tract.

***************

NATION: ANTI-NARCOTIC LAWMEN EXPECTING TO GAIN NO ADVANTAGE
FROM KHUN SA'S SURRENDER
January 7, 1996   by ROBERT HORN

THE surrender of Khun Sa, the infamous opium warlord who offered
to sell his crop to the US government for millions of dollars,
won't make much difference in the war on drugs, law enforcement
officials say.

Defectors from Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army say their former leader is
in the process of cutting a deal with Burmese authorities to lay
down his arms in return for amnesty. If that agreement is similar
to those struck with other ethnic minorities, he may well be
allowed to continue narcotics trafficking.

"A ceasefire agreement could be a counter-narcotics setback,"
said Mark Taylor, a US Drug Enforcement Agency officer in
Rangoon.

Because of his penchant for publicity and willingness to give
interviews, Khun Sa is a convenient demon for the Burmese
government as well as Washington, which is offering $2 million
for information leading to his arrest.

The 61-year-old, half-Chinese, half-Shan Khun Sa is easily the
best known drug kingpin in the Golden Triangle, the lawless,
jungled, opium-rich area where the borders of Burma, Thailand and
Laos converge.

But he isn't the only one. Other, perhaps more powerful, players
are ready to fill the void in the event Khun Sa's operations are
completely shut down.

Opium cultivation exploded in Burma during the last several
decades because it was a means for poor, disenfranchised ethnic
groups to fund their wars of independence against the government
in Rangoon.

Now, Burma has become the world's largest producer. The US State
Department estimated that 2,030 tonnes of opium were cultivated
in Burma in 1994, and there was a bumper crop in 1995.

Opium is the raw material for heroin. More than 60 per cent of
the heroin sold in the United States originates in the Golden
Triangle.

Khun Sa's share of Burma's opium business had declined from about
80 percent in 1989 to less than 50 per cent in 1994, the State
Department said. Those figures were released before nearly half
his army defected.

"At this point, eliminating Khun Sa won't make much difference in
the overall picture as far as the drug trade is concerned," said
Martin Smith, a Burma expert based in London.

Disturbingly, the rivals who have been taking business from Khun
Sa have already signed ceasefire agreements with Rangoon and are
trafficking in opium with the government's tacit approval, said
Bertil Lintner a Bangkok-based Burma expert.

The United Wa State Army led by Pao Yu Chang is one. In 1989 the
ethnic rebels signed a cease-fire agreement with Rangoon and have
been fighting Khun Sa in an effort to seize control of the drug
trade.

Other Khun Sa rivals allied to the government are Yang Mu Liang,
who heads the Myanmar New Democratic Alliance, and Lin Ming Xian,
leader of the Eastern Shan State Army.

Lintner calls Lin "the rising star of the opium trade in Burma".

Col Kyaw Thein of Burma's military intelligence, who negotiated
ceasefire agreements with many of the ethnic minorities, and is
reportedly talking with Khun Sa, defended his government's
attempts to eradicate opium cultivation in an interview with the
Associated Press last May.

"This is a complicated matter," he said. "The Wa and the Kokang
have been cooperating with the government. We have told their
leaders to stop the refining of opium in their areas. I'm sure
it's still going on, although they don't operates labs as openly
and freely as they used to."

The latest aerial survey of opium cultivation in Burma, to be
released in March, shows the opium crop has increased in Wa,
Kokang and other areas.

Rangoon, which has an ambitious minority development plan, argues
that eradicating opium needs patience and foreign assistance.

"The Burmese are serious about fighting the drug trade," said
Gerald Moore of the UN Drug Control Programme in Burma. "But it's
a long-term process."

One problem is access: even those ethnic groups that have made
peace with Rangoon don't want Burmese troops around. They have a
notorious record of brutal treatment of local populations.

Smith says that if the Burmese make a deal with Khun Sa that
doesn't include other ethnic Shan leaders and has the support of
troops in the various Shan armies, opium cultivation will
continue

"What's needed is a political solution that includes everyone and
allows the poor farmers to participate in development," Smith
said. "If the Burmese just go for the international publicity
nothing will be solved."

Most analysts agree that only true political settlements between
the minorities and the government will allow development to
begin. And only then can the narcotics scourge be curbed.

*****************************************************************

NATION: WA FORCES SEEK TO TAKE EX-MTA TERRITORY VIA DIALOGUE
January 7, 1996
YINDEE LERTCHAROENCHOK

CHIANG MAI _ Ethnic Wa forces, outmanoeuvred by the Burmese
junta's deal with opium warlord Khun Sa last month, hope to gain
control of the Mong Tai Army's territory in southern Shan State
through a peaceful dialogue with Rangoon.

In an interview yesterday, a senior member of the United Wa State
Army said its leaders were "very surprised" by the "unexpected
secret deal" between Khun Sa and the Burmese military rulers. The
agreement allowed the MTA to withdraw from several strategic
outposts in the Doi Lang and Mong Yawn areas, opposite Thailand's
Mae Ai district of Chiang Mai.

The UWSA has been making steady progress in capturing MTA
strongholds in Doi Lang and Mong Yawn and had planned a final
push to conquer all MTA territory late last year, the senior Wa
leader said.

UWSA leaders informed junta leader Lt Gen Khin Nyunt in June of
their planned offensive, he said.

The junta agreed to allow Wa to use government-controlled roads
to transport artillery and other weapons needed for the attack
from its Pangshang headquarters on the Sino-Burmese border down
to the northern Thai frontier. Previously Wa forces had to use
troops, mules or horses to transport the arms.

Another UWSA official said earlier that the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC) had supplied the group with mortar
shells when it fought with Khun Sa's forces last June.

The government's agreement with Khun Sa to take over the disputed
territory was ' cheating", he said. The deal forced UWSA deputy
commanders Li Ze Ru and Bo Lai Kham, who visited the southern Wa
headquarters near the Thai border on Oct 28, to call off the
planned attack on MTA territory.

Li Ze Ru and Bo Lai Kham have informed the five other UWSA
central committee members in Pangshang of the changing situation
and would let them decide the next move, the senior Wa leader
added.

He said he believed the Wa leaders will inform SLORC of Wa's
intention to fully occupy the southern Shan State area.

He said Li Ze Ru and Bo Lai Kham are in contact with the governor
of Kentung, an eastern Shan State town, who has joined the
hundreds of Burmese troops occupying Mong Yawn and Doi Lang.

Thailand also claims ownership of Doi Lang, a mountain.

UWSA struck a ceasefire agreement with the SLORC in early 1989
soon after its members revolted from the Burmese Communist Party.
The Wa is now estimated to have about 30,000 well-equipped troops
armed with Chinese weapons seized from the now-defunct BCP.

Following Khun Sa's secret deal, MTA and Burmese government
troops have jointly occupied some border strongholds and have
hoisted Burmese flags to prevent UWSA attacks, the official said.

In his deal with SLORC, Khun Sa, who was indicted by a US court
on 10 separate drugs trafficking counts, agreed to give up some
of the MTA's weapons, transform at least a third of his troops
into local militias and allow the Burmese army to control much of
the MTA's territory. Many believe SLORC has assured Khun Sa that
he will not be extradited to the US.

At least three Burmese battalions of about 1,000 troops entered
the MTA's Homong headquarters, opposite Thailand's Mae Hong Son
province, without resistance earlier this month.

Although the exact whereabouts of Khun Sa are unknown, Wa and
Thai military officials- believe he is being protected by loyal
MTA troops at his Hmong headquarters.

*****************************************************************

BKK POST: BURMESE ENVOY SEES END TO BORDER DISPUTES
January 6, 1996

Burma and Thailand should be able to settle their boundary
demarcation disputes after ending the war with drug warlord
Khun Sa, Burmese Ambassador to Thailand Tin Winn said on
Thursday.

Areas the two countries are currently unable to agree on
include the overlapping land of some 30 square kilometres at
Doi Lang in the Mae Ai District of Chiang Mai province which
once was controlled by Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army.

The Thai military has expressed concern over whether the
Burmese troops should withdraw from the disputed area. Mr Tin
Winn said Khun Sa's surrender could make it much easier to
define the 2,041km Thai-Burmese border.

And he said there was no reason for Burmese troops to build
an atmosphere of distrust or confrontation because "the
government troops are more friendly with the Thai troops."
"We should look forward to the positive side," he said,
adding the fighting between the government and armed
insurgents has stopped Burma defining disputed border areas
with Thailand.

Burma has agreed on border demarcations with all its other
neighbouring countries; India, Bangladesh, China and Laos.
The Thai-Burmese Border Demarcation Committee, in a meeting
last March, agreed to define the border as soon as possible,
but the technical teams of both sides have not conducted a
joint survey yet due to security reasons from the Burmese side.

The committee's next meeting has not been fixed yet.
Regarding the disputed overlapping claim at Doi Lang, Foreign
Ministry officials said the demarcation will be based on the
1894 Siam-British treaty. But the details of the map attached
to the treaty needs to be discussed and identified since it
does not conform with Thailand's modern map, they added.
Thailand and Burma have both claimed the hill is in their  territory.

The Burmese ambassador said opium eradication after Khun Sa's
surrender is another thing that will take time. He added the
Burmese government will try to introduce development projects
in these remote areas and educate people on crop substitution.

"It cannot happen within one day or one month since people
have relied on poppy plantations for more than 150 years. We
have to win their hearts and educate them," he said. The
golden triangle borders northern Thailand, Burma and Laos and
is infamous as a drug trafficking area. (BP)

******************************************

BKK POST: BURMESE LEADER ARRIVES IN CHINA
January 8, 1996 Beijing, AP

The leader of the military council that runs Burma arrived in
China yesterday for a six-day visit to strengthen already
solid political, military and trade ties. Underscoring the
importance of his trip, Gen Than Shwe brought along a 40-
member delegation packed with other high-ranking officials,
including Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, secretary of the State Law and
Order Restoration Council. (BP)

***********************************************

ABSDF PRESS RELEASE: DKBO ATTACK ON JANUARY 3, 1996
5 January, 1995
from caroline@ksc.net.th

Medicine robbed in DKBO attack

        Medicines and medicinal instrument were robbed in Sho Khlo Karen
refugee camp in Thailand on January 3, 1996.  Refugees from the camp said
at least 60 gunmen led by DKBO leader Maung Soe intruded into the Sho Khlo
camp at about 11pm, on January 3, 1995 and took away the medicine and
instruments from hospitals run by Medecins Sans Frontiere, a western
relief NGOs and from newly-established research center for malaria run by
World Health Organization (WHO) in the camp. Five microscopes, one walkie-
talkie and many other medicines and instruments were taken by the DKBO
according the sources from the camp.
        There was a gun fire exchange between the DKBO and Thai Border
Patrol Police while DKBO was withdrawing from the Thai soil. Many DKBO are
believed to have been killed and injured in the clash.  Thai Border Patrol
Police followed after the DKBO and another clash was taken place in the
next morning. Two DKBO were reportedly killed in the clash.

ABSDF NEWS AGENCY
ABSDF (Dawn Gwin)

*********************************************

ANNOUNCEMENT: APPLICATION FOR BROADCAST JOURNALISM
TRAINING COURSE IN USA
January 7, 1996                   From: woo@sorosny.org

     APPLICATION FOR BROADCAST JOURNALISM TRAINING COURSE

     This course, for Burmese students, will last two-weeks.  The course in
     India  and in Thailand has been completed.  We will conduct the next
     course in the United States:  Eastcoast course will be held Jan.
     28-Feb. 11, 1996.  Westcoast course will be held Feb. 15-29, 1996.
     Exact location of training sites will be announced  to trainees after
     selection.  Eastcoast will probably in the Washington, D.C. area, and
     Westcoast probably in the L.A. area.  Students resident in other parts
     of the United States urged to apply to site closest to their residence.

     Please fill out Part I of the application in English and Part II in
     Burmese and return it to the Burma Project by January 20, 1996. (Burma
     Project/OSI, 888 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY  10106 or fax: 212-489-
     8455.)  If you would like a copy of the application faxed to you,
     please request one by emailing woo@sorosny.org

     The courses must be kept small, so only 10-15 of the most promising
     applicants will be chosen . Travel and related costs for successful
     applicants will be covered.  NOTE:  Students who have already filled
     out an application for the India and Thailand Broadcast Journalism
     Course need not fill this out.


     PART I  (in English)

     Name :  ___________________________alias: ___________________________

     Address :       Number & Street  _________________________________

              City  ______________       Country  _____________________

              Telephone # :    ______________     Fax # : _____________

     Age:   _______     Sex:   _______        Ethnic Group:   ____________

     Immigration Status:    _______________________________________

     When did you leave Burma?    ___________________________________

     Highest education received in Burma:  _______________________________

     Subject studied:    _________________________________________

     Education/Courses elsewhere (in detail):   ___________________________

     ______________________________________________________________________


     English language ability: (check one)  good ___ average ___ poor ___

     List name of  non-Burman language you speak:  _______________________


     Rate expertise (check one):  good  _____ average  _____    poor  _____


     Other interests  or  hobbies _________________________________________
                                       (e.g. music, dance, theater, etc.)


     PART II (in Burmese)

     Please write a well-composed essay why you want to take broadcast
     journalism training:


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     Signature:  ______________________   Print Name: ____________________

     g:\jourapp.usa

