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

The BurmaNet News: July 3, 1996 
Issue #458

Noted in Passing:
HEADLINES:
==========
REPORT: KALAW -  SOUTHERN SHAN STATE, INCIDENT
AP: U.S. GETTING CLOSER TO MORE TRADE SANCTIONS
NLM: UNOCAL PROUD TO BE PART OF GAS PIPELINE PROJECT
CEO BRUSHES OFF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST POSITIVE EXAMPLE
BKK POST: OSOTSPA SETS SIGHTS ON BURMA, INDOCHINA
AP DOW JONES: FINANCING FOR MANDALAY AIRPORT
OTP: CRACKDOWN PUTS PRESSURE ON VISIT MYANMAR YEAR
LETTER: AN OPEN LETTER TO LEE KUAN YU
BKK POST: CULTURAL PACT FOR RANGOON'S BATTERED IMAGE
AP: SLORC BLACKMAILS NLD MEMBERS
NATION: PRESSURE RISES ON SLORC FOR AUTOPSY
REUTERS: BURMESE GENERAL SAYS AID GROUPS INTERFER
ABSL (INDIA): STATEMENT- 34TH ANNIVERSARY OF 7TH JULY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REPORT: KALAW -  SOUTHERN SHAN STATE, INCIDENT
July 3, 1996

On June 20, 1996 at seven in the evening, Than Oo,son of U Ba Cho
(deceased) from sakantha Ward picked a fight with a shopkeeper and his
sister who were selling betel nut pun at the Muslim neighborhood east of 
the main Kalaw market.
Than Oo was drunk. Than Oo made insulting comments about Muslims
which led to a fight between Than Oo and the shopkeeper and his sister.
The owner of the Taw Win tea shop (Buddists) came out to settle the fight.
Than Oo left and returned with about 30 persons from Sakanth Ward, which
is about two blocks away. They started throwing stones and shouting insults
at Muslims. Several of the shops are owned by Muslims but all the shop 
owners came out when the fight broke out. Police intervened. Several people 
including the pun shopkeeper and his sister were taken to hospital. Than Oo
was unconscious for two days but rumours that he was dead, spread.

According to Tommy Aung, a resident of Kalaw, a former NLD member who
was arrested for a month during 1988 and was tortured (scars on his legs),
anti - Muslim campaign papers were widely distributed during the week of 
June 11 in Kalaw, Pindaya, Pinglon and Ywa Ngwe. These papers were
distributed through the students by three persons from Kalaw, U Kyaw Nyein,
U Than Tun and U Soe Win, the Ward LORC, Board of Trustee and Chairman
of a private owned cooperative shop, all were members of the previous BSPP
and current members of the NUP. The three distributors followed the 30
persons from Sakantha Ward and watched the fight. U Soe Win instead of 
reporting the matter to the concerned authorities, reported the matter to
Taunggyi Eastern Command that the Muslim\Buddist disturbances had
broken out. Sakantha Ward is a slum area where illicit liquor is brewed
and traded. The above mentioned three and the Sakantha ppeople were 
not arrested. Those arrested were those at the shops and restaurant owners,
their workers and friends.

List of Detainees: (8 Muslim, 2 Buddist)

1.      Beta
2.      U Kyaw Aye
3.      Nga - Inn
4.      Ko Latt
5.      Khin Maung Swe
6.      Kyaw Kyaw
7.      Myo Naing (Chinese)
8.      U Kyaw Nyein
9.      Than Tun
10.

Muslim shops were ordered tobe closed by 6.00pm every evening.
Tommy stated that everybody knows everyone in Kalaw. The Muslims
and the Buddists lived together for a long time without any problems. 
Most Buddists are aashamed that the incident took place. However up to
today, Muslim shops and houses get stones thrown at them during the
late evenings. No curfew has been ordered but the shops are closing early
and nobody stays out late anymore.
U Tommy said that this incident was to divert the people's dissatisfaction
of forced labour for the railroads, roads and rising of food prices. Most 
people at Kalaw are eating one meal a day. They have to work for 
themselves as well as working for the government projects.    
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The attatchment is the Anti-Muslim campaign paper which was
distributed on the week of  June 11.

"The confidential distribution of the report is to strengthen the National
Spirit of the Burmese Muslims."

Addressing the Muslim community of Burma, the note stated that the
Muslim must buy and eat things which is marked (786) and where a
cresent is shown according to the Islamic custom.

The (786) when added together equals 21 and in the twenty-first
century, the Muslim will be the top religion in the world.
NOTE: It is prohibited to buy or eat together with foreigners such
as Burmese, Shans, Chinese, Rakkine, Karen or eat from places which
are not marked (786).

In Burma, the Islamic Religion has become very strong. Those who are not 
economically strong will have to work in Burma and earn their livelihood.
The surest way to build up Islamic force is to marry Burmese Buddist women
who lack moral.

(Extracts from the Islamic Religion Publication; ref- pg 500, 280 and 30)

The future expansion of Islam
-------------------------------------
Addressed to the Islamic force: Burma is now corrupted, therefore our
people here in Burma must be united and have a strong foothold in this 
country. Even if we have to leave this country (Burma), our blood will
still flow through our sons.

The Burmese Buddist women can easily be obtained like prostitutes. It is 
the best way for the Islamic to seduce the Burmese Buddist women and the
Burmese citizens wholeheartedly by means of money and economically.
The most important thing is to impregnate our blood into their veins.
Anyone who can impregnate their blood into a Burmese Buddist woman
will be awarded kyat 500. If four women are impregnated, the mosque will
provide a monthly award of  K1000.
The awards of  K20,000 for a Buddist woman who holds a degree or is the 
daughter of a military officer; K50,000 for a military officer's daughter who 
holds a degree. Human makes profit from human and this way Islam will
last long in Burma. Money support is no problem. Mujahhedin government
will provide 5 million Sterling Pounds every month. Please contact the mosque
if there are any accomplishments.
(CONFIDENTIAL: FOR DISTRIBUTION TO MUSLIMS ONLY)

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

AP: U.S. GETTING CLOSER TO MORE TRADE SANCTIONS
July 2, 1996
From: John Scherb <mcs@primenet.com>

 WASHINGTON -- Further U.S. economic sanctions on Burma, also known 
as Myanmar, are growing increasingly likely, according to political 
analysts and industry officials.

 The U.S. already denies Burma export financing and loan guarantees and 
usually votes against World Bank and Asian Development Bank loans to that 
country. But until recently, Washington had not tried to end all economic 
ties with Rangoon.

 The Senate took a step in that direction Thursday when a key committee 
approved a fiscal 1997 appropriations bill containing language to ban U.S. 
aid and investment in Burma. The measure is expected to be voted on by the 
full Senate soon after the chamber comes back from a week-long recess on 
July 9.

 The bill would put at risk an estimated $240 million of private U.S. 
investment, according to 1994 Burmese government statistics. Three 
major U.S. oil companies have significant investments there: Unocal Corp., 
Texaco Inc. and Atlantic Richfield Co.

The Senate effort to penalize Burma is being led by Mitch McConnell, the 
Republican chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the U.S. foreign aid 
budget. McConnell has said the U.S. should take the lead in punishing 
Burma's military led junta for 'flagrant human rights abuses' and for its 
refusal to hold democratic elections.

 Since McConnell has long been in favor of penalizing Burma, observers 
weren't surprised when his bill was adopted last month by his 
subcommittee as part of a fiscal 1997 appropriations bill. But the full 
committee's approval of the McConnell language signaled a greater 
willingness by the full Senate to agree to Burma sanctions.

 McConnell made a similar effort last year when he attached his sanctions 
bill to the 1996 appropriations bill without any announcement or 
warning. He included the sanctions as part of a larger amendment that was 
supposed to contain non-controversial legislative items. But the Burma 
language was later dropped during the bill's House-Senate conference.

 This year, McConnell had better luck. Just days after he announced in mid 
May he would try to push his bill through Congress, reports surfaced that 
Burma's military leaders had arrested scores of democracy advocates 
trying to attend an opposition rally.

 Weeks of arrests haven't escaped the attention of the Clinton 
administration. A senior State Department official, in testimony presented 
last month to the Senate Banking Committee, said the U.S. is willing to 
apply certain 'discretionary sanctions' on Rangoon if necessary.

 Kent Wiedemann, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, declined to take a position on the McConnell bill in his 
testimony. But he said the administration would like a range of sanctions 
options, rather than be 'locked into a set of legislatively prescribed 
measures' such as those proposed in the McConnell bill.

 Scheduled meetings later this month between Danish and White House 
officials will also increase the pressure for U.S. sanctions. Danish Foreign 
Minister Niels Helveg Petersen reportedly has said he will seek U.S. 
support for sanctions against Burma when he visits Washington July 11.

 Petersen has also said he will ask for European Union sanctions at a July 
13 European foreign ministers' meeting.


 A spokesman for Unocal Corp. declined to speculate on the likelihood that 
some sanctions will be passed this year and signed into law. Unocal is the 
company with the most to lose from strict sanctions: it owns a 28% share 
of a $1 billion joint venture to develop the giant offshore Yadana natural 
gas field southwest of Rangoon, and it plans to help build a power plant and 
a fertilizer project in the capital city.

 'The most important thing to remember is unilateral sanctions won't be 
effective. The (Yadana) project will still go forward, whether or not we 
are involved,' said spokesman Barry Lane.

 'Underlying that, the U.S. takes itself out of the game by imposing 
sanctions. We would lose the opportunity to try to influence Burma. It 
(sanctions) also runs counter to the actions of the ASEAN nations,' he 
added.

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

NLM: UNOCAL PROUD TO BE PART OF GAS PIPELINE PROJECT
CEO BRUSHES OFF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST POSITIVE EXAMPLE
June 28, 1996 (New Light Of Myanmar)

Mr Roger Beach, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of UNOCAL
Corporation of the United States, was interviewed in a Hong Kong-Los
Angeles hook-up by CNN's Patricia Chew on UNOCL's involvement in
the Thai-Myanmar natural gas pipeline project. The following are his
impressions:

CHEW: Earlier this week we spoke with Father Joseph Lamar, about
charges of human rights abuses in the construction of a natural gas pipeline
in Burma. The charges were made in a new report by two human rights 
groups. They allege that the Burmese Military is using forced labor to 
guard the pipeline project and subjecting workers to rape, torture and 
excecutions. Roger Beach is the Chairman and Executive Officer of the 
UNOCAL Corporation, one of the two companies building the pipeline.
I spoke to him earlier and asked him for his response to the report.

BEACH: We have been accused of alot of different things that are 
absolutely not true. We have absolutely no forced labor in this project in 
Myanmar and there have not been any villages moved since the inception
of this project in 1992, and as a matter of fact, I am very proud to be part
of
  and being a part of this project. It's the ultimate in constructive
engagement in terms of helping villages. We're really having a positive
impact on the lives of 20,000 people along the pipeline in 13 villages.
It's great to see it. 

I was there in April and toured the whole pipeline route,
talked to villages. We're providing school buildings for them.We're
providing health clinics. We've renovated a hospital. We have  economic
projects that they've elected to be involved in, for instance agricultural,
prawn projects, shrimp farm - just innumerable ways that we're improving
their lot, life, and so it is a very positive example of constructive
engagement. 

CHEW: Father Joseph Lamar on our show earlier this week did say there was
no evidence of forced labor on the Unocal project in Burma but he did say 
and I believe the allegations of the report are that forced labor is used by
the
military which I protecting the project. Is that correct?

BEACH: Well Patricia, the porters and people who support the military 
from their perspective that have anything to do with our project are being 
well paid. We have a very sophisticated audit program whether the villagers 
are working for Total which is the operator of the project or whether the
villagers are working for Total's contractors or whether they're working for
military. We pay them all. And we assure everyone that's working gets paid.
It's not a problem.

CHEW: Your President has admitted there is forced labor in Burma. How
difficult is it to ensure that the labor you are using  albeit paid is not 
unwilling labor ?

BEACH: We've established what we call communication committees 
in each one of the villages. And these villages are a collection of different
cultures - the Karen, Mon, the Burmans are all living in the villages, and
these communication committees provide leads for people who want to work 
on the project.They voluntarily come forward. They also show up at our base
camp and ask for a job. So nobody is working against there volition.

CHEW: It seems such a different scenario than that painted by that report and
previous reports by not only groups like Amnesty International but also the
US State Department. How do you account for their allegations that forced
labor and human rights abuses are on your contract?

BEACH: All I can say is that I've been there and I've seen it. We document 
everything, we're going to great extremes to ensure that everyone is 
voluntarily working that wants to, and that everyone who works gets paid.
I can't explain to you why there are those allegations that had to do with
our project. It just is not true.
        We've been involved in constructive engagement for 30 years in
South-East Asia. We've seen Indonesia and  Thailand and the Philippines
grow in terms of both economic wealth and positive social improvement.
And that's what is going to happen in Myanmar. It's not going to happen
overnight but being involved internally using the constructive engagement
policy that all the other ASEAN countries adhere to and many European 
countries. And by the way, the latest visit to the administration out there
reconfirms that the administration in the United States supports constructive
engagement. So you know, it's working and it's the way it should work. 

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

BKK POST: OSOTSPA SETS SIGHTS ON BURMA, INDOCHINA
July 3, 1996

OSOTSPA, one of Thailand's oldest pharmaceutical and medical
firms, will make inroads into Burma and Indochina next year,
while strengthening its domestic marketing drive.

The company aims to increase sales of pharmaceutical and medical
supplies to 25% of total turnover from. the current 15% over the
next three to four years, president Kanok Abhiradee said yesterday.

Osotspa's annual turnover is now 9.5 billion baht and could reach
20 billion baht in four years if it reaches its goals. To do so,
the company has set four strategic approaches:

 - Developing and producing products by itself;
 - Joining others in product development but doing its own
   production;
 - Becoming a distributor for other firms;
 - Subcontracting the production of Osotspa brand products to others
   but retaining marketing of the products.

Mr Kanok called Burma one of the most interesting markets for the
company. The Burmese government is setting up its food and drug
administration, which should be in place within nine months.
Osotspa will establish an office in Rangoon by the end of next year.

The company expects its medical supply sales both at home and in
Indochina will double from the current 20-30 million baht.

Mr Kanok said the company is now distributing Archimed medical
supplies on behalf of Fast-Medical Thailand. The latter
manufactures the products in Thailand under licence from a French
company.

The first Archimed product to be distributed by Osotspa is
surgical sutures. The company expects sales of the sutures to
reach 20-30 million baht in the first year of operation .

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

AP DOW JONES: FINANCING FOR MANDALAY AIRPORT
July 2, 1996
From: John Scherb <mcs@primenet.com>

 BANGKOK -- Construction contractor Italian-Thai Development PCL 
(ITD) signed a $29.8 million guarantee facility with Overseas Union Bank 
Ltd. in Singapore Tuesday.

Overseas Union Bank said the facility is for the issuance of a performance 
bond and an advance payment bond for Burma's Department of Civil 
Aviation. The Thai concern signed a $150 million deal with the Burmese 
government in March to construct Burma's second international airport at 
Mandalay.

The facility has a term of five years and carries a fee of 0.9% per annum 
for the first four years and 0.8% per year for the fifth year.

As well as Overseas Union Bank, which will act as arranger, guarantor 
bank and facility agent, six other international financial institutions are 
also involved: the Arab Banking Corp., Singapore branch; Australia & New 
Zealand Banking Group Ltd, Singapore branch; Kookmin Bank Singapore 
Ltd.; Malayan Banking Bhd., Singapore branch; the Mitsubishi Trust & 
Banking Corp., Hong Kong branch; and Natwest Markets.

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

OTP: CRACKDOWN PUTS PRESSURE ON VISIT MYANMAR YEAR
July 2, 1996 (Oriental Travel Press Ltd)
From: ider@mail.datanet.hu

MASS media reports on the crackdown on pro-democracy groups has 
resulted in a drop in tourist arrivals into Myanmar and agents say this 
doesn't auger well for the run-up to Visit Myanmar Year which begins 
on 1 October. 

However Myanmar Airways and THAI the two main carriers with daily 
flights to Yangon report high loads from mostly business people. 
The crackdown by the SLORC military hasn't stifled foreign investment 
although hoteliers say they are worried that expected influx in tourist 
arrivals will be delayed until the polical conflict improves. 

SLORC is expected to soon announce a constitution which will be binding 
on the country's many nationalities. The constitution will enable a 
greater access to regions that are not on the tourist map for safety reasons. 

SLORC has placed a ban on visiting journalists but there is no 
restriction of tourist visas. Visas are being processed on demand at Burmese
embassies. The Bangkok embassy is processing visa applications within 15 
minutes. Applicants are required to supply three passport photographs and 
the fee of Bt600. 

Tourists are still required to cash US4300 into foreign exchange 
certificates which can be used for payment to hotels, restaurants and 
souvenir shops. 

SLORC is encouraging visitors to be part of tours. It has passed a law 
which prohibits independent travel within the country but has been 
reluctant to invoke the law as it could affect the world-wide campaign 
for Visit Myanmar Year. 

Hotel developers rushed to complete several luxury hotels in time for 
Visit Myanmar Year on the understanding that the promotional year would
see a swelling in visitor arrivals. But hotels report that the upmarket
tourists 
that can afford to stay in four-star hotels has yet to eventuate. Most
arrivals 
are budget travellers. 

Hotels are relying on business travellers to lift room occupancy. The 
Summit Hotel in Yangon has been operating the past year with occupancies 
of more than 60%. The crackdown has kept travellers mostly in the capital. 
Mandalay has few tourists and the newly-opened 200-room Novotel Hotel 
is ideally located on Mandalay Hill overlooking the renovated Old Palace 
grounds. SLORC has been promoting Mandalay as a secondary tourism 
zone and the the Novotel is the only luxury hotel in Mandalay. 

The Road to Mandalay luxury cruise ship had a successful opening season 
but the E&O operators say they are undecided on what the ship will be 
used for during the monsoon rains which begin next month. 
One proposal was for the luxury liner to be berthed in Pagan where there 
are no luxury hotels and won't be until the Mandarin completes its hotel 
in two years. 

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

LETTER: AN OPEN LETTER TO LEE KUAN YU
July 3, 1996
by U Nyo Htun    

You are enjoying the fruits of your success. Within the strict context of 
performance, your's is a success story we all admire. At 73, you can now 
live a life of your choice, with extraordinary prerogatives to be occasionally
condescending, overbearing and downright arrogant. It seems for some 
people their stars never fade. To all intents and purposes, you are still King
of all you survey--over 2 million and some subjects and a plot of land.
Like your star, the star of U Ne Win is still shining, in spite of the fact 
that he can show nothing for the past. To all intents and purposes he is 
still King of all he surveys--over 45 million and the biggest country in 
the region. Perhaps you were lucky not to have been born in Burma during
his time. If you think the Burmese people still possess a certain degree of
collective innate wisdom born of a thriving culture and traditions with a long
history, then you might like to hear what they (including high echelon 
officials) say about you. "U Ne Win would have dragged him by the nose 
and had him thrown to the dogs.'' Why? For what? Well for your very
brilliance.

For your disparaging remarks concerning our internal politics and your
unsolicited advice about the role of Aung San Suu Kyi, 45 million people 
can do nothing but whine and howl--thus has our lot been reduced to.
They are sad and heavy of heart for the past 30 years they are in no mood 
to get mad at you. Getting even? Pardon us Big Brother Lee. When even
your riffraff subjects are coming here in droves, displaying such haughty
behavior and arrogance, humiliating the Burmese and scalping common 
people and the SLORC alike, how dare we even think of getting even with 
you? But do not think for a moment that the SLORC welcome you with open
arms. They are as much Burmese as we are, undoubtedly more jingoistic and
they resent your presence greatly; but they have to put up with it because it
is
their only means of survival.

In all fairness, although you have a penchant for disregarding it whenever it
suits your interest, I must admit that what you about ASSK remaining as a
symbol is very true. With your innate sense of political survival, you have
seen through it all. We Burmese sensed it a long time ago. Others have 
probably figured it out too. But none had thought it fit to trample on our
sensibilities or heartlessly reject our aspirations and yearnings to decent
lives
under the rule of law. Or are we asking to much to live simple lives under the
rule of law? We could not care less about human rights or democracy or Big
Brotherism. We care only about our rights and the kind of life we lead. At
this important juncture in our internal affairs, when the very future of the 
country is at stake, why do you crusade for the SLORC? I for one do not think
you have any right or justification for what you said. Then again you have
your 
own justification; it could be no other to protect the gold mine you have 
discovered-- the Singaporian investment and business that you have
sanctioned in Burma. We are all perfectly aware that your "constructive 
engagement" (is it policy or approach? we thought of it as a means) is 
nothing more than a facade t camouflage your opportunism and rapacity. No
amount of your contorted logic will ever convince the Burmese people of the
correctness of your actions. You and your ASEAN cronies have decided to
count the Burmese people out. Well we Burmese people have full confidence 
in the future. Under the nefarious shadow of the SLORC we know the road is 
long and fraught with danger, but traverse it we must if we are to live our
lives
as decent human beings. I just hope you live long enough to witness the 
resilience and the rejuvenating power of the Burmese people.

Wherefore have your  Eastern and rather Confucian values deserted you? Have 
they parted with the US bases from the Philippines? Do propose to protect your

"eastern values" with US bases in Singapore? Precisely for what objective do 
want US bases? To contain China? When you are helping China to hold sway 
over Burma - and acquire a backdoor entry to the Indian Ocean? Or has 
your nostalgia for the source got the better of you and you are out to do a 
great service for China? We do not think it is directed against China. To you
we Burmese may appear foolish and unsophisticated. Well it is a matter of 
perspective. We consider ourselves as forthright and plain and unwieldy. With
our naively and ignorance, we only know it is to protect ourselves against 
Malaysia and some of your other cronies. You must have figured that
Singapore will be safe for the tenure of the treaty. And if I may reciprocate 
your unsolicited advice, just try to be content with just toying with your own
diminutive realm. You are not destined to play geopolitics on a grand scale.
Talking about geopolitics we are very concerned that the SLORC is taking
Burma too closely within the orbit of China. And you will easily perceive 
the fact that China cannot fight a winning war against the west for another 
50 years. And should another land war be fought on the Asian land mass,
and the time may be fast approaching, where do you think the ideal 
battleground is? My goodness! with our mountains and our forests and 
our rivers! We definitely do not want to become embroiled in such a war 
on the losing side and subject our country and people to the unmitigated 
horrors of modern warfare. Can you not put yourself in the place of the
Burmese people for one moment and try to understand our miseries an 
our apprehensions? At least U Ne Win, to his credit had managed to steer
clear of  conflagrations at the height of the cold war and for better or for 
worse, preserved the country in it's pristine quality. But how could you
expect us to place the fate of the country in the hands of  a group of people 
whose only purpose is self - aggrandizement and self - survival?

You also seem to relish the fact that there is no civil service in Burma. What
is more is you are rooting for SLORC for there great ability to clear up a
road,
all the while tuning a blind eye to the monstrous injustice and brutality
being
perpetrated against the people. And your call to civilianize the Army (should
it be civilize or better still humanize?). They are smarter than you expect.
They
have been shedding uniforms and usurping the posts of civil servants for the
past 30 years. And what have they to show for it? They might be good enough 
to clear roads and forcibly collect funds for pagodas, but when it comes to
managing the economy and running the country, it has been a proven failure
and everyone knows. Just come and have an intimate look at the lives the 
masses lead, away from their showpiece Rangoon. Do you know that whatever
remained of a once very efficient and cohesive civil service and a highly
respectable judiciary has been systematically dismantled? We did also have a
responsible press which had been the envy of our neighbors. We were really
flabbergasted to hear you comment on this score, from you who have built up
the Singaporean civil service to such a high standard. Here again you must
have your justification. Perhaps it will make it that much easier for your 
subjects to navigate the route to the Golden Land. Pardon me Big Brother,
I think that you will not deny the fact that you have a tendency for 
authoritarianism. To your credit your authoritarianism is tempered with a 
dose of  magnificent intellect, where in our case it is to the contrary.

Lastly you appear quite euphoric at having asked the wrong questions to 
the wrong people. "Any takers?"  Your self - complacency is there for
all to see because you thought you had the last word. Did it ever occur 
to you that your conception of Burma as a country is basically flawed?
How? Because you think that Burma can be torn apart. Therein lies the
fallacy in your preposition. Here even the awesome generals you sought 
to lionize will stand solidly behind me in supporting my assertion. You said
it will take 10 years to fight them? I must take issue with you for that, you
are being overly optimistic. Or has absolute triumph over a small domain
blurred your vision to the realities of history on a larger scale? You 
imagine that the Burmese people will attempt to uncreate the Army.
Again you seemed to missed the crux of the matter. You also fail to
realize that a widespread section of the army itself is disillusioned and is
sympathetic to the struggle led not only by ASSK but also by many former
army commanders and real professional soldiers? The Burmese Army,
unlike your army was born of the people, and was forged in the crucible
of struggle and sacrifice. To do away with your army? I will not mince words
Big Brother. The very next day that we do away with our army, we will be 
deluged with millions from across our neighboring lands. So much for the
allegation that we are out to fight the army as such. The fact is that control
of 
the army has landed in the hands of  a group of  self - seekers and the
struggle 
is meant to dislodge this group. We bear malice against none, we accept
everything as unavoidable part of our lives and our history. I assure you
that when the time comes, the ingenuity of the Burmese people will find a 
happy solution for all. Now to revert to your question - Any takers? 45
million Burmese will give you a resounding YES of such intensity and
resonance that it will reverberate for a millennium. So long shall our
struggle
last should it be necessary.

I have tried very hard to expel any anger or rancor in writing this. I must
confess that I have not been entirely successful. You and Your ASEAN
partners have hurt us deeply. Not content with playing with our fates to
your advantage, you are rubbing salt into our wounds. I wish I have the 
opportunity to meet you though. Simply to know your views and ideas on a
wide range of subjects and, of course, on how our region will fare in the next
century. As for now I must remain incognito, as I reside in Rangoon under
the regime you find so laudable.

U Nyo Htun    
 
**********************************************************

BKK POST: CULTURAL PACT FOR RANGOON'S BATTERED IMAGE
July 2, 1996

THAILAND and Burma plan to sign a cultural cooperation pact
within the next two years to diversify ties, a senior Foreign
Ministry official said yesterday.

"The cultural element is one important aspect [of the Thai-Burma
relationship] and one component of our policy [towards Burma],"
said Surapong Jayanama, director-general of the Information Department.

A timetable for sealing the deal was discussed in talks between
Thai and Burmese officials in Rangoon last Wednesday.

Mr Surapong led a 29-member sub-committee on cultural cooperation
to the talks with Burmese officials led by Aye Lwin,
director-general of the Department of Consular Relations,
International Law and Treaties and Research.

Officials from agencies charged with overseeing cultural policies
also called on Deputy Information Minister Soe Nyunt during their
three day visit to the Burmese capital which ended on Saturday.

Rangoon's decision to sign a cultural pact with Thailand came as
a surprise to Burma watchers.

"Burma wants to rectify its image, which isn't that good," said
one analyst.

Burma must improve its image ahead of its scheduled entry into
the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an
observer in the annual meeting of the grouping's foreign
ministers in Jakarta this month, the analyst said.
     
The ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has
been under intense international scrutiny since its wholesale
detentions of some 260 members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy (NLD) in May.

"Thailand has to prove that [by signing the cultural agreement]
it is not just paying lip service [to cultural ties]," the
analyst said.

The source added that while Thailand had adopted a cultural
cooperation policy before it had never treated it seriously.

Thailand would soon draft the cultural agreement and forward it
to Burma through the Thai embassy in Rangoon, Mr Surapong said.

The agreement would pave the way for Bangkok and Rangoon to
exchange information across broad cultural sectors

The two countries should not allow political issues to hinder
attempts to foster cultural cooperation, first established in
1949, the senior minster said.

China two months ago became the only country to sea. cultural
cooperation agreement with Burma, according to Mr Surapong.

Vietnam is due next mon to become the first South East Asian
country to sign a bilateral cultural agreement with Thailand to
mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties

Burma has agreed to four cultural projects with Thailand this
year including youth table tennis contest. boxing workshop, and
amateur martial arts exhibition and youth employment seminar.

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

AP: SLORC BLACKMAILS NLD MEMBERS
July 1, 1996
From: ktint@earthlink.net

Burma's military government has pressured hundreds of followers to 
quit pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's political party, Suu Kyi 
said Monday.
   So far, 14 of the 262 party members arrested in May have quit, but Suu
Kyi says the resignations are invalid because they were coerced.
   "There were threats of prison sentences, loss of business opportunities,
evictions from state-owned apartments, dismissal from their jobs of family
members who belonged to the civil service," Suu Kyi wrote in her weekly
syndicated newspaper column, monitored here.
   Most of those arrested were representatives elected to Parliament in a
1990 election that the country's military regime never honored. The
government detained the opposition figures to keep them from attending a
conference of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in late May.

She held the conference despite the government round-up, and the 
confrontation has only increased the number of supporters who come to
weekend political forums outside her home.
Military leaders say they have released all but three of those arrested.
However, Suu Kyi said Monday that as many as 69 still are being held,
with 20 transferred to Insein Prison, notorious for torture, where they
will be sentenced to long terms.
   
***********************************************************

NATION: PRESSURE RISES ON SLORC FOR AUTOPSY
July 3, 1996 (abridged)

COPENHAGEN - Denmark and Switzerland on Monday accused the
Burmese government of providing incomplete answers and stepped up
calls for an autopsy on the body of a Danish honorary consul who
died in custody.

Denmark has received "verbal and totally incomplete" answers from
Burma, Danish Foreign Minister Neils Helveg Petersen said in
Copenhagen on Monday.

He added that Denmark was seeking a written reply to its request
for an autopsy on the body of Anglo-Burmese businessman James
Leander Nichols by an international forensic expert. The Danish
ambassador to Thailand Joergen Reimers is in Rangoon and will
seek more satisfying answers from Burmese authorities, he said.

In Bern, the Swiss press agency ATS quoted the Swiss ambassador
to Thailand Blaise Godet as saying, "The Burmese foreign ministry
has provided us with incomplete information. The precise cause of
the death of Mr Nichols has not been given."

Speaking following a short visit to Rangoon, he added that given
the conditions of imprisonment in Burma, Nichols' death was "not
totally unforeseeable".

A Burmese official told the Danish ambassador on Friday that
Nichols, who was suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and
a heart condition, had been examined eight times by a doctor
since he began serving his sentence in April, Petersen said.

Before his death, Nichols had suffered a heart attack and was
taken unconscious to hospital, Burmese authorities said.

While there has been no suggestion of foul play, the four
European countries for whom Nichols worked suspect harsh prison
conditions contributed to his death.

Danish Foreign Affairs Minister  Neils Helveg Petersen also called on 
the European Union to convince Japan, southeast Asian nations and 
the United Nations to impose sanctions against Burma.

"Japan plays a central role in Asia, especially in relation to
Burma, and could place pressure on the Rangoon regime to respect
human rights and restore democracy," he said.

"The European Union should also pressure southeast Asian nations,
which have been reluctant to criticise the Rangoon regime, to
change their attitude," Petersen said. The United Nations should
send its human rights rapporteur to Rangoon to investigate the
death of Nichols, he said, adding he will call for American
sanctions against Rangoon when he visits Washington on July 11.

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

REUTERS: BURMESE GENERAL SAYS AID GROUPS INTERFER
July 2, 1996
From: John Scherb <mcs@primenet.com>

RANGOON: A top Burmese general has accused international social and 
religious organisations of interfering in its internal affairs. 

Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, head of military intelligence, was 
speaking at a course for local Red Cross Society executives. 

``Under the facade, so-called international religious and social 
organisations are assisting the group opposing the state, interfering in 
internal affairs,'' he said. 

Gen Nyunt did not identify the organisations and did not say which group 
was opposing the state. 

But the government has regularly attacked the National League for 
Democracy (NLD) headed by Aung San Suu Kyi for trying to destabilise the 
country. 

Gen Nyunt said the Red Cross Society needed to cooperate with international 
organisations that have ``pure goodwill'' to protect it from being used by 
``unscrupulous organisations''. 

``All are aware of the destructive acts to hamper national development and 
jeopardise peace and stability with the assistance of external elements,'' he 
said. 

``People from all walks of life who are enjoying the fruits of development 
are disgusted with destructive acts jeopardising the stability of the state 
and have expressed their desire to ostracise and crush the axe-handles 
(traitors),'' he said. 

Over the past month, the government has staged mass rallies nearly every 
day across the country to denounce the NLD and call for an end to foreign 
interference. 

Burmese citizens say they are called up and told to attend the rallies, 
which the military enforces. 

Ms Suu Kyi said the ruling junta's State Law and Order Restoration Council 
(Slorc) had told many elected NLD members who were arrested in May to 
resign. They ``are often reminded of the possible consequences of continued 
involvement in politics'', she said yesterday.

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

ABSL(INDIA): STATEMENT ON 34TH ANNIVERSARY OF 7TH JULY
July 2, 1996 (abridged)
From: tom!shar@unv.ernet.in

7th July 1996 marks the 34th anniversary of "the first ever
destruction of democratic structure" in Burma. On the 7th July
of 1962, the murderous Burma Army led by notorious the then
Lt.Col. Seing Lwin bombed the students' union mansion of Rangoon
University of Students Union (RUSU), leaving many parotic
students dead mercilessly. More than 200 students who happened
to be inside the building were killed and hundreds other wounded.
Though the students were peaceful holding books and pen, Gen. Ne
Win, at the night of bombing, announced from Rangoon Radio that
the military junta had to take a drastic action because they (the
junta) had no alternative but to destroy and kill the students
only. "In the future, if anyone dares to test our strength, we
are ever ready to face them sword against sword, spear against
spear", said the General Ne Win.

The present military government, notoriously known as the State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has been manoeuvering
to have good relations with its immediate neighboring countries
through initiating trans-border trades, culture-exchange
programmes, foreign investments in Burma and etc... Recently, it
is reportedly announced that SLORC is sending "a sport team",
its selective football team, to play with the team of Manipur
State of India on 7th July in Chandel District of Manipur State. 

 We, ABSL, appeal to the Indian authorities concerned to cancel the
match unconditionally. 


