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


The BurmaNet News: June 5, 1996
Issue #434

Noted in Passing:


HEADLINES:
==========
THE NATION: RISK SEEN IN PTTEP'S BURMA PLAN
THE NATION: NLD FACES BAN IF CHARTER DRAFTING PLAN GOES AHEAD
THE NATION: PROMISE OVER LABOUR
THE NATION: AUST, NZ WANT STRINGS ON BURMA'S ARF STATUS
THE NATION: MILITARY OPTION
THE NATION: LAWLESS ELEMENT
THE NATION: RISK SEEN IN PTTEP'S BURMA PLAN
BKK POST: BURMA'S NEW MUSLIM REFUGEES POSE DILEMMA FOR UN AGENCY
BKK POST: BURMA SET TO MAKE TERRITORIAL CLAIM AT BORDER PANEL
MEETING
------------------------------------------------------------
THE NATION: RISK SEEN IN PTTEP'S BURMA PLAN

June 5, 1996

WATCHARAPONG THONGRUNG

The Nation, AFP

STANDARD and Poor's assigned an "A" long-term foreign currency
rating yesterday to Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production Plc
(PTTEP) but noted "some political risk" in a project in Burma,
PTTEP announced yesterday.

The US-based credit rating agency gave a bullish forecast for
PTTEP's prospects and said the firm will face substantial capital
requirements, with investments between 196 and 2000 projected at
about US$1 billion (Bt25.5 billion).

The "A" rating is the highest possible rating that S&P can give
to any Thai firm as it is already equal to the country's rating.
"A" is the third highest under Standard and Poor's system for
assessing credit risk.

Moody's Investors Service also approved an "A" rating for the
company which is equal to S&P's "A" rating.

Prajya Phinyawat, president of PTTEP said in a press conference
yesterday, the credit rating assigned by the two institutions
will help PTTEP which is planning to issue a $200 million Yankee
bond in the third quarter of this year.

Funds raised from the bond will help finance PTTEP's new gas
field development projects, especially the Martaban gas
development and pipeline project in Burma and the expansion of
its Bongkot gas field production, he said. Other projects in the
exploration stage include the Pailin (Bt12/27) project in the
Gulf of Thailand and the JDA (Joint Development Area) project in
a disputed offshore area between Thailand and Malaysia.

PTTEP is now the only Thai state enterprise to receive an
international credit rating.

"The most significant of these new projects is a pipeline project
in the Gulf of Martaban in Burma. There is some political risk
involved in this project. However, the economic reality of the
pipeline gives Burma a strong incentive to ensure its successful
operation," Standard and Poor's said.

Despite its large capital; requirements, PTTEP has a low gearing,
or ratio of long-term debt to shareholder funds, so the
investment programme is expected to be "comfortably covered by
debt and internal cash flow," the agency said.

It said PTTEP had not proven reserves of 486 million barrels of
oil equivalent at the end of 1995, making it capable of
sustaining current annual production of about 12 million barrels
for the next 40 years.

Prajya said PTTEP's total production will be 37,000 barrels par
day of oil; the same in 1996 and 1997 and will be increased to
45,000 in 1998; 76,000 in 1999; and 94,000 in 2000 as the output
from the Bongkot field picks up and new projects come on stream.
The ratio of gas from the total production will be increased from
75 per cent at present to 90 per cent in the year 2000.

CS First Boston, which is the PTTEP's adviser for the credit
ratings, commented that the good rating secured by the company
reflects the vision of its management and will benefit the
company in raising funds from the long term debt market in the
US. The funds raised must be appropriate to the company's
financial structure in terms of its capital-intensive nature and
its US-dominated revenue structure.

Furthermore, the adviser said, the A2/A rating will enable PTTEP
to receive good loan terms, thus reducing its lending cost when
it goes to other leading financial markets, as well as in the
eyes of foreign investors.

With a total market capitalisation of Bt100 billion, PTTEP is
owned 71 per cent by the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT)m
which has a monopoly on buying and selling gas in the country. By
world standards, it is a medium sized oil and gas company with
core holdings in the Gulf of Thailand.

Gas production from the Bongkot field is expected to increase to
550 million cubic feet per day in mid-98 from the present rate of
350 million cubic feet per day. The Pailin field is scheduled to
start production in May next year with a daily production of 165
million cubic feet.

The confirmation of JDA's gas reserve will be made by the end of
this year or early next year.

Human Rights groups last week said that forced labour was being
used by Burma's military junta on railway and road construction
work in  areas being developed around a multinational pipeline
project that would bring gas from Burma's Yadana oil field to
energy-starved Thailand.

The pipeline project includes PTTEP, Myanmar Oil and Gas
Enterprise of Burma, Total of France and Unocal of the US. Total
and Unocal have denied any links between the controversial
projects and the pipeline.

Two Thailand-based groups last week said that while there was no
evidence to suggest human rights abuses in the pipeline project
itself, the foreign oil firms involved should take responsibility
for what the critics regard as related infrastructure projects in
eastern Burma.

Entities with the rating have a strong capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in a timely manner but may be "somewhat more
susceptible to the adverse affects of changes in circumstances
and economic conditions" compared to those in the "AA" or "AAA"
categories, S&P said in a statement. (TN)

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

THE NATION: NLD FACES BAN IF CHARTER DRAFTING PLAN GOES AHEAD

June 5, 1996

AP

RANGOON - Hinting at a fresh crackdown, Burma's state-controlled
press said yesterday that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's
party could be banned if it goes through with pans to draft an
alternative constitution.

The suggestion follows others that the Slorc crackdown on public
gatherings held each weekend outside the home of Suu Kyi.

The military regime so far has failed to heed the calls. But the
press is the regime's indirect voice and the articles clearly
imply that Suu Kyi's movement operates only at the indulgence of
the authorities.

Suu Kyi staged a party congress last week despite the mass arrest
of delegates, scoring her biggest political triumph since being
released last July.

The 18 delegates who eluded arrest adopted resolutions urging the
military to quit power, and said the pro-democracy party would
draft an alternative constitution to one being considered by a
government-stacked panel.

Burmese newspapers carried articles yesterday stating, "If a
single party writes a constitution to its own liking and
threatens the stability of the country by pressure and coercion,
it could be declared an unlawful association."

A separate constitution - even if unenforceable - could provide
Burmese with a written contrast between a form of government
stressing democracy and human rights against one weighted toward
a paramount military.

Burma has been without a constitution since 1988, when the
military violently suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations,
killing hundreds. Suu Kyi's supporters overwhelmingly won
parliamentary elections in 1990 but were not allowed to take
power.

The so-called National Convention picked  by the military has
been labouring since 1993 on guidelines for a new charter.
Articles agreed on so far would ban Suu Kyi from an executive
position and ensure the military a significant political role.
Her party walked out of the convention last November, calling it
"undemocratic".

Since last week's party congress, Suu Kyi and her colleagues have
been attacked daily in the media. The government has organised
mass rallies described them as "stooges" of a US-led conspiracy
to colonise Burma.

Nearly half of the 262 people detained in the roundups remain
unheard from, despite the regime's announcement last, Friday that
they were being released.

Reuter reports from Sydney: A senior member of Burma's military
government has told radio Australia that talks with Suu Kyi are
not possible until she softens her attitude towards the country's
rulers.

Tourism Minister Gen Kyaw Ba said the Slorc was prepared to hold
talks with Suu Kyi if she stopped criticising it.

"If she agree on that matter I think that can be dialogue, but it
will take time," Kyaw Ba said. "To dialogue with her we must
consider how she will go with her attitude and we can not know
what is in the her mind," he said.

"She is always confronting us and also she is criticising to us,
and we know, we understand that it won't make any progress when
we hold dialogue with her," Kyaw Ba said in English. "So the only
thing is we must concentrate on our work only. Not talking."

The general said the Slorc would allow Suu Kyi to continue to
hold rallies as long as she does not incite people against
authorities.

"If she not insulting, arousing the people to go on the street,
we will not say anything, it will depend on her attitude and
activity," he said.

Asked if authorities would re-detain Suu Kyi to prevent
opposition to the military's plans, he said, "we do not want to
do such things. If our country is going to be disintegrated we
must consider that matter".

Asked to comment on plans by Suu Kyi's opposition to write a
constitution, the general said, "The constitution can not be
written by one party. All the levels of the people must be
involved in the constitution". (TN)

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

THE NATION: PROMISE OVER LABOUR

June 5, 1996

Reuter

TAUNGGYI - Burma - Burmese government officials opened a new
section of railway in the east of the country yesterday and said
"people's labour" will no longer be used in laying railway lines.

Minister of Rail Transport Win Sein presided over the opening
ceremony for the 43 kilometres Banyin-Phamon railway line in the
hills of Southern Shan state.

He said that "people's labour" was no longer being used in the
construction of railway lines, with effect from May 31. Instead,
soldiers will build railway lines as part of their public welfare
duties.

Burma has faced much criticism from international human rights
groups who have said "forced labour" has been used on public
projects, including new railway lines but the government rejects
the accusations, saying voluntary contribution of public labour
is a Burmese tradition. (TN)

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

THE NATION: AUST, NZ WANT STRINGS ON BURMA'S ARF STATUS

June 5, 1996

The Nation

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand have urged Asean countries to set
"certain conditions" on Burma before officially allowing it to
attend the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) scheduled for next month,
Foreign Permanent Secretary Thep Devakul said yesterday.

Both countries conveyed the message when they met Thailand in
separate joint commission meetings in Canberra and Wellington
last month.

"Our Australian and New Zealand counterparts informed us that
Asean should lay down certain conditions on Burma before it is
officially accepted to the ARF meeting in Jakarta. The conditions
are sought so Burma adopts a more lenient attitude towards
democratic groups within the country," Thep said.

Both Australia and New Zealand are ARF members and at a meeting
in Yogjakata early last month, neither country raised any
conditions over Burma attending the forum.

He did not say whether Thailand would heed the suggestions, but
so far there has been no unified Asean position on the current
Burmese situation. Foreign Minister Amnuay Viravan stressed
yesterday that Thailand would not interfere in other countries'
internal affairs as it would not appreciate any such outside
interference in its own affairs. Amnuay added that when Asean
foreign ministers meet next month, they will certainly do
everything to protect and ensure regional and interests. He said
the ministers had not had an opportunity to meet. The Foreign
Ministry will continue to work in line with the government's
platform and will encourage officials to be more creative, he
said.

Burma's military-controlled government has been criticised for
not handing over administrative power to the National League for
Democracy after it won a landslide victory in the 1990 elections.
The Burmese government arrested over 200 NLD supporters, most of
whom were the party's elected Mps, in an attempt to discourage
them from attending last week's NLD congress, resulting in strong
international protest, particular from the US. The junta later
released about half of those held....Except for Thailand and the
Philippines, other Asean members - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore ad Vietnam - were reserved about commenting on the
current Burmese situation.

In keeping with last month's decision arrived at by senior Asean
officials in consultation with Western and non-Asean states in
the ARF, Burma will be admitted as an observer in Asean this
July, which would qualify it for ARF membership. The forum was
established in 1994 to promote regional security and stability.

It is unclear whether this decision can be reserved since it
preceded the Burmese junta's crackdown. Thep said the seven Asean
foreign ministers would have the final say on Burma's ARF
membership.

Thep yesterday lashed out at Western pressure on Asean to adopt a
harder stance towards Burma. He said the West should pressurise
Burma on its own rather than depend on Asean.

Instead of pressing Asean through the mass media over Burma,
Western countries should get tough and hold back some financial
assistance, he said.

"With these measures, the West could encourage Burma's military
junta to talk to Aung San Suu Kyi and other democracy groups.
This could possibly yield better results," he said.

Thep said Asean prides itself on not allowing other countries to
pressurise the grouping, and it has been known for a while that
Asean wants all 10 Southeast Asian countries to be integrated.
However, he said compared with Cambodia and Laos, which are now
enjoying observers status, Burma seems to be less committed to
Asean. (TN)

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

MILITARY OPTION

5.6.96/The Nation
On May 24, senior officials at he National Security Council
met to discuss the situation in Burma. A day later, the White
House issued a statement that a special presidential envoy would
he sent to coordinate the West's response to recent developments
in Burma. In American terminology, Burma is no longer on the back
burner.

The appointment of a special s presidential envoy usually leads r
first to economic sanctions and then later to coordinated
military action.

In the case of Burma the response could be a military _operation.
The US government as announced a US$2 million ~Bt50 million)
reward for information leading to the arrest of drug warlord Khun
Sa. My best guess is that they will go and get _him through a
military operation.

>From May 10 to 17 this year, US and British troops held the
largest military exercise in recent history in North Carolina,
with 55,000 troops involved in air, land and naval war games. The
Americans contributed dozens of ships and more than 100 aircraft.
The British troops had 27 ships and 57 aircraft.

There are no deserts in North Carolina. But the state has hills
and forests and its terrain is very much like that of a Southeast
Asian country, or that of the Shan states. The US Marines have
two primary training bases. If you train in the Mojave desert in
California, you know you are going to the Persian Gulf. If you
train at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, any Marine will tell you
they are going to Southeast Asia.

The "invasion" in this particular exercise was started by
parachuting 5,000 troops.

Our message to Slorc is very clear. Do not reject our olive
branch without much thought and consideration. Do not also
underestimate our determination and ability to restore freedom
and democracy in Burma.

Myint Thein
Dallas, Texas

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

LAWLESS ELEMENT

5.6.96/The Nation
No amount of venomous rantings against Aung San Suu Kyi and the
people's representatives can help Slorc avert the winds of change
howling ever louder in Burma today.

The kind of jargon used by Slorc to denigrate their perceived
enemies belong to another era and bear no meaning or relevancy to
contemporary reality.

Slorc should wake up and realise that the age of colonialism is
long gone and that the age of militarism and dictatorship is in
its final gasp.

The Burmese armed forces no longer have the respect of the
citizenry. It has become a lawless element that intimidates,
kills, rapes and maims the people it has sworn to serve and
protect. These facts are well known to the international
community.


Myint Than
Chiang Mai
*******************************************
Risk seen in PTTEP's Burma plan
5.6.96/The Nation/Business
AFP

WATCHARAPONG THONGRUNG

STANDARD and Poor's assigned an "A" long-term foreign currency
rating yesterday to Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production Plc
(PTTEP) but noted as e political risk" in a project in Burma
PTTEP announced yesterday.

The US-based credit rating agency gave a bullish forecast for
PTTEP's prospects and said the firm will face substantial capital
requirements, with investments between 1996 and 2000 projected at
about US 1 billion (B 25.5 billion).

The "A" rating is the highest possible rating that S&P can give
to any Thai firm as it is already equal to the country's rating.
"A" is the third highest under Standard and Poor's system for
assessing credit risk.

Moody's Investors Service also approved an " 2" rating for the
company which is equal to S&Ps "A" rating.

Prajya Phinyawat, president of PTTEP said in a press conference
yesterday, the credit rating assigned by the two institutions
will help PTTEP which is planning to issue a $200 million Yankee
bond in the third quarter of this year.

Funds raised from the bond will help finance PTTEP's new gas
field development projects, especially the Martaban gas
development and pipeline project in Burma and the expansion of
its Bongkot gas field production, he said. Other projects in the
exploration stage include the Pailin (B12/27) project in the Gulf
of Thailand and the JDA(Joint Development Area) project in a
disputed offshore area between Thailand and-Malaysia.

PTTEP is now the only Thai state enterprise to receive an
international credit rating.

"The most significant of these new projects is a pipeline project
in the Gulf of Martaban in Burma. There is some political risk
involved in this project. However, the economic reality of the
pipeline gives Burma a strong incentive to ensure its successful
operation," Standard and Poor's said.

Despite its large capital requirements, PTTEP has a low gearing,
or ratio of long-term debt to shareholder funds, so the
investment programme is expected to be "comfortably covered by
debt and internal cash flow," the agency said.

It said PTTEP had net proven reserves of 486 million barrels of
oil equivalent at the end of 1995, making it capable of
sustaining current annual production of about 12 million barrels
for the next 40 years.

Prajya said PTTEP's total production will be 37,000 barrels per
day of oil the same in 1996 and 1997 and will be increased to
45,000 in 1998; 76,000 in 1999; and 94,000 in 2000 as the output
from the Bongkot field picks up and new projects come on stream.
The ratio of gas from the total production will be increased from
75 per cent at present to 90 per cent in the year 2000.

CS First Boston, which is the PTTEP's adviser for the credit
ratings, commented that the good rating secured by the company
reflects the vision of its management and will benefit the
company in raising funds from the long term debt market in the
US. The funds raised must be appropriate to the company's
financial structure in terms of its capital-intensive nature and
its US-dominated revenue structure.

Furthermore, the adviser said, the A2/A rating will enable PTTEP
to receive good loan terms, thus reducing its lending cost when
it goes to other leading financial markets, as well as enhancing
the company's creditability in the eyes of foreign investors.

With a total market capitalisation of Btl00 billion, PTTEP is
owned 71 per cent by the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT),
which has a monopoly on buying and selling gas in the country. By
world standards, it is a medium sized oil and gas company with
core holdings in the Gulf of Thailand.

Gas production from the Bongkot field is expected to increase to
550 million cubic feet per day in mid-98 from the present rate of
350 million cubic feet per day. The Pailin field is scheduled to
start production in May next year with a daily production of 165
million cubic feet.

The confirmation of JDA's gas reserve will be made by the end of
this year or early next year.

Human rights groups last week said that forced labour was being
used by Burma's military junta on railway and road construction
work in areas being developed around a multinational pipeline
project that would bring gas from Burma's yadana oil field to
energy-starved Thailand.

The pipeline project includes PTTEP, Myanmar Oil and Gas
Enterprise of Burma, Total of France and Unocal of~ the United
States. Total and Unocal have denied any links between the
controversial projects and the pipeline.

Two Thailand-based groups last week said that while there was no
evidence to suggest human rights abuses in the pipeline project
itself, the foreign oil firms involved should take responsibility
for what the critics regard as related infrastructure projects in
eastern Burma.

Entities with the rating have a strong capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in a timely manner but may be "somewhat more
susceptible to the adverse affects of changes in circumstances
and economic conditions" compared to those in the "AA" or "AAA"
categories. S&P said in a statement.
*******************************************
BKK POST: BURMA'S NEW MUSLIM REFUGEES POSE DILEMMA FOR UN AGENCY

June 5, 1996

By Alistair Lyon

Teknaf, Bangladesh, Reuters

AMID lush green fields in sight of surf pounding in from the Bay
of Bengal, Jafar Ahmed explained why life in Burma had become
unbearable.

"Twenty days before we left our village of Inn Chaung, the
military took me for forced labour," he said. "They said it was
for 10 days, but they kept me for 16."

"They tax us and make us give donations, such as logs, to their
requirements. If we can't pay, they take us to a Nasaka (border
force) camp and torture us."

Ahmed, a 40 year-old labourer, said he had once spent 24 hours
with his legs held in wooden stocks at a Nasaka camp.

The Rangoon military government has long denied reports of ill-
treatment of minority Muslims, or Rohingyas, in its impoverished
in a hut on a Bangladeshi peninsula separated from their homeland
by the broad Naf River.

They arrived in April after paying 500 kyat (about $3.70, or
seven times a day labourer's wage) a head  for passage, including
bribes to Nasaka border troops to look the other way.

The UNHCR estimates that 5,500 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh
since march, while other relief agencies say there may be up to
10,000.

The influx is something of an embarrassment for the UNHCR, trying
to meet its target of repatriating the last 50,000 of 250,000
Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh in 1991 and 1992.

The UN agency, keen to anchor the 200,000 returnees tot heir
villages and head off any fresh exodus, fears that any move to
help the newcomers would spur others to follow.

"If we give food to this group, we'll attract 50,000 more the
next day," UNHCR representative Canh Nguyen-Tang told Reuters in
Dhaka. "We don't want to create a 'pull' factor."

Yet the hardships cited by Ahmed and other new arrivals appear
identical to those claimed by their fellow-Rohingyas who were
accepted as refugees after the original mass flight.

Bangladesh, at first unwilling to admit the existence of any
newcomers, now says they are illegal immigrants fleeing poverty,
not persecution, and must be deported.

UN officials said economic conditions for Rohingyas, mostly
uneducated farm workers, had worsened after a cyclone in November
cut rice output up to 20 per cent. Rangoon helped push up prices
by demanding the same rice tax as before.

"This two-way traffic of influx and repatriation has created a
very old situation," said Dick van der Tak, representative of the
medical relief agency Medecins sans Frontieres.

We're afraid that if everyone classifies them as economic
migrants, we'll lose sight of the context - the reasons for their
poverty and the whole human rights situation in Burma."

The UNHCR, yet to define its policy on the newcomers, hopes that
its staff stationed in mainly Buddhist Burma's neglected Rakhine
province can intercede with its military rulers to ease the
plight of Rohingyas and encourage them to stay put.

"We have organised an information campaign asking people to
return to their villages or origin and contacted the authorities
to provide transport back home," said Tang.

He argued that compulsory labour, while an issue of great concern
to the UNHCR, did not count as persecution of Rohingyas because
it was prevalent throughout Burma.

At the same time, he said, Rohingyas are not recognised as full
citizens, but only as "residents" of Burma. And they do not have
freedom of movement, needing permission from the military
authorities if they want to leave their home villages.

The 50,000 remaining refugees live under UNHCR protection in camp
run by Bangladesh officials. They may not work, or leave the
camps without permits, but are relatively secure. (BP)

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

RISK SEEN IN PTTEP'S BURMA PLAN

5.6.96/The Nation/Business
AFP
WATCHARAPONG THONGRUNG

STANDARD and Poor's assigned an "A" long-term foreign currency
rating yesterday to Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production Plc
(PTTEP) but noted as e political risk" in a project in Burma
PTTEP announced yesterday.

The US-based credit rating agency gave a bullish forecast for
PTTEP's prospects and said the firm will face substantial capital
requirements, with investments between 1996 and 2000 projected at
about US 1 billion (B 25.5 billion).

The "A" rating is the highest possible rating that S&P can give
to any Thai firm as it is already equal to the country's rating.
"A" is the third highest under Standard and Poor's system for
assessing credit risk.

Moody's Investors Service also approved an " 2" rating for the
company which is equal to S&Ps "A" rating.

Prajya Phinyawat, president of PTTEP said in a press conference
yesterday, the credit rating assigned by the two institutions
will help PTTEP which is planning to issue a $200 million Yankee
bond in the third quarter of this year.

Funds raised from the bond will help finance PTTEP's new gas
field development projects, especially the Martaban gas
development and pipeline project in Burma and the expansion of
its Bongkot gas field production, he said. Other projects in the
exploration stage include the Pailin (B12/27) project in the Gulf
of Thailand and the JDA(Joint Development Area) project in a
disputed offshore area between Thailand and-Malaysia.

PTTEP is now the only Thai state enterprise to receive an
international credit rating.

"The most significant of these new projects is a pipeline project
in the Gulf of Martaban in Burma. There is some political risk
involved in this project. However, the economic reality of the
pipeline gives Burma a strong incentive to ensure its successful
operation," Standard and Poor's said.

Despite its large capital requirements, PTTEP has a low gearing,
or ratio of long-term debt to shareholder funds, so the
investment programme is expected to be "comfortably covered by
debt and internal cash flow," the agency said.

It said PTTEP had net proven reserves of 486 million barrels of
oil equivalent at the end of 1995, making it capable of
sustaining current annual production of about 12 million barrels
for the next 40 years.

Prajya said PTTEP's total production will be 37,000 barrels per
day of oil the same in 1996 and 1997 and will be increased to
45,000 in 1998; 76,000 in 1999; and 94,000 in 2000 as the output
from the Bongkot field picks up and new projects come on stream.
The ratio of gas from the total production will be increased from
75 per cent at present to 90 per cent in the year 2000.

CS First Boston, which is the PTTEP's adviser for the credit
ratings, commented that the good rating secured by the company
reflects the vision of its management and will benefit the
company in raising funds from the long term debt market in the
US. The funds raised must be appropriate to the company's
financial structure in terms of its capital-intensive nature and
its US-dominated revenue structure.

Furthermore, the adviser said, the A2/A rating will enable PTTEP
to receive good loan terms, thus reducing its lending cost when
it goes to other leading financial markets, as well as enhancing
the company's creditability in the eyes of foreign investors.

With a total market capitalisation of Btl00 billion, PTTEP is
owned 71 per cent by the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT),
which has a monopoly on buying and selling gas in the country. By
world standards, it is a medium sized oil and gas company with
core holdings in the Gulf of Thailand.

Gas production from the Bongkot field is expected to increase to
550 million cubic feet per day in mid-98 from the present rate of
350 million cubic feet per day. The Pailin field is scheduled to
start production in May next year with a daily production of 165
million cubic feet.

The confirmation of JDA's gas reserve will be made by the end of
this year or early next year.

Human rights groups last week said that forced labour was being
used by Burma's military junta on railway and road construction
work in areas being developed around a multinational pipeline
project that would bring gas from Burma's yadana oil field to
energy-starved Thailand.

The pipeline project includes PTTEP, Myanmar Oil and Gas
Enterprise of Burma, Total of France and Unocal of~ the United
States. Total and Unocal have denied any links between the
controversial projects and the pipeline.

Two Thailand-based groups last week said that while there was no
evidence to suggest human rights abuses in the pipeline project
itself, the foreign oil firms involved should take responsibility
for what the critics regard as related infrastructure projects in
eastern Burma.

Entities with the rating have a strong capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in a timely manner but may be "somewhat more
susceptible to the adverse affects of changes in circumstances
and economic conditions" compared to those in the "AA" or "AAA"
categories. S&P said in a statement.
******************************

BKK POST: BURMA SET TO MAKE TERRITORIAL CLAIM AT BORDER PANEL
MEETING

June 5, 1996

Mae Sot

BURMA is to make an official claim to 20 rai on its side of the
Moei River opposite Ban Thaarj.

It will claim at a meeting of the 14th Local Thai-Burmese Border
Committee today that the area was in its territory but was washed
away after heavy rainfall in 1994.

It has erected stakes and a Burmese flag to mark its boundary,
amid Thai protests. The meeting is the first since Burmese
officials closed the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border on March 4 last
year.

Lt-Col Kyaw Hlaing and Col Suvit Maenmuen will represent Burma
and Thailand respectively.

Burma will ask Thailand to allow foreigners to cross from Mae Sot
to Myawaddy for tourism.

But a source here said that is impossible since under an Interior
Ministry announcement, foreigners are not allowed to cross
temporary border passes.

"The governments of both countries must agree to upgrade the
permanent border crossing at Mae Sot- Myawaddy," the source said.

Burma will ask Thailand during the meeting to keep an eye out for
KNU troops, the source said.

Thai soldiers have confiscated a large number of weapons from a
deserted KNU refugee camp in Mae Ramat district.

A special task force of 70 troops from the Fourth Infantry
Regiment found and seized various heavy weapons at an abandoned
refugee camp in Soe Lu village between Mae Ramat and Tha Song
Yang districts. The operation was carried out on Monday under the
provincial border security plan.

The seized weapons included 47 assault rifles (HK33, G-33and Nato
01), a machine gun, an 82mm mortar, four 2-inch mortar, two anti-
tank rocket launchers, 5,223 rounds of assorted rifle ammunition,
seven rounds of 40mm ammunition, 30 81mm mortar shells, 20 82mm
mortar shells and six RPG rocket.

Col Suvit Manmuen, chief of the special task force, said the
operation was made possible after Karen refugees informed
military authorities.

The situation along the border in Tha Song Yang and Mae Ramat
districts is expected to return to normal soon because most of
the Karen refugees have been sent to refugee camps. The Third
Army Region has also implemented measures to foster understanding
between the Thai residents and the refugees, he said. (BP)
******************************************
From: John Scherb <mcs@primenet.com>
To: Burmanet <strider@igc.apc.org>
Subject: AP Dow Jones: Unocal Protest

Burma Military Govt. Opponents Protest U.S.'s   Unocal

 AP-Dow Jones News Service

BREA, Calif. -- Opponents of Burma's military government protested at
the    Unocal Corp. shareholders' meeting Monday against the company's $1
billion    Yadana gas joint venture with the regime, The Associated Press
reports.

  Human rights groups last week accused the Burmese military of burning
villages and using forced labor to build infrastructure for a pipeline that

will carry gas to Thailand.

  Unocal and Total S.A. of France are part-owners.

  Unocal maintains the joint venture is actually helping people in southern

Burma by bringing roads, schools and hospitals.

  A resolution calling on the company to review its 'Statement of
Principles'    in light of its investment in Burma, was introduced.

  The statement pledged Unocal to 'treat everyone fairly and with respect'
and    'maintain a safe and healthful workplace.'

  The shareholders voted down the resolution, which got only about 6%
support, said Larry Dohrs of Seattle, a member of the Campaign for a Free
Burma. That is enough to allow it to be brought up again next year, he said.

  The company did agree, however, to send an independent human rights
observer or group, if the government allows, said Zarni, a University of
Wisconsin student speaking for the Free Burma Coalition.

  The 416-mile pipeline will carry gas from the offshore Yanada field
across    the Andaman Sea to Ratchaburi, Thailand, when it is completed in
1998.

  Most of the line is offshore, but 39 miles of it passes through southern
Burma. The military government, which owns half of the project, is
expected to earn $400 million a year from it in badly needed foreign
currency.

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

----------------------------------------------------------
BURMANET SUBJECT-MATTER RESOURCE LIST

BurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of different
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following subjects, please direct email to the following
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102113.2571@Compuserve.com
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z954001@oats.farm.niu.edu
Burma-India border            [volunteer needed]
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burmanet@igc.apc.org
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Shareholder activism:       simon_billenness@mail.cybercom.net
Total/Pipeline          Dawn Star: cd@utopia.EUnet.fr
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S.Sutcliffe"
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[Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage]
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