THE BURMANET NEWS
A listserv covering Burma
April 30, 2002 Issue # 2001
www.burmanet.org

INSIDE BURMA

AWSJ: Myanmar Prepares to End Restrictions On Opposition Leader
Irrawaddy: Suu Kyi To Be Released Soon: Reports

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

AFP: US says Aung San Suu Kyi release must be "unconditional"
Bangkok Post: Aid to junta `not justified'
TV Myanmar: Burma holds press conference on clash between Wa troops and
Thai army

OTHER

Straits Times Editorial: Movement in Rangoon
RSF Annual Report: Burma Chapter
The Spectator: From the Land of Green Ghosts, Book Review
ICFTU Press Release: Call for Burma Action

__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
Asian Wall Street Journal

April 30, 2002

Myanmar Prepares to End Restrictions On Opposition Leader Aung San Suu
Kyi

By BARRY WAIN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Myanmar's military government is preparing to lift restrictions on
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi after the latest visit to the country
of a special United Nations envoy, say people familiar with the matter.

Such a decision, which could be announced as early as this week, would
be welcomed by the international community as a possible breakthrough in
efforts to end the 12-year confrontation between the ruling State Peace
and Development Council and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National
League for Democracy. It would open the way for a dialogue between the
two sides on substantive issues, probably starting with less-contentious
matters such as
humanitarian aid to Myanmar .

The country formerly known as Burma has been isolated by Japan and the
West since the military refused to honor the results of an election in
1990 won overwhelmingly by the NLD. Razali Ismail, a retired Malaysian
diplomat representing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, brought the
SPDC and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi together for secret talks in October 2000,
but they haven't
gone beyond what they call the "confidence-building" stage.

Since Tan Sri Razali left Yangon Friday expressing confidence that the
talks were on track, various parties have dropped hints that
developments are imminent. U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said in New York
Friday that Tan Sri Razali is hopeful that "significant progress" is on
the way, and that the U.N. expects the military authorities to make an
announcement "shortly."

The international community has pressed the SPDC to remove the
restrictions that confine Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi to her home in Yangon,
speed the release of political prisoners and begin discussing political
and constitutional issues. The government has so far hesitated to free
Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, because she has made it clear that her release
must be unconditional, allowing her to serve as general-secretary of the
NLD.

But people familiar with the talks say the SPDC leadership is now
convinced that only a gesture such as freeing her will persuade Western
governments that the military is committed to reconciliation.

_________________________________
Irrawaddy News Magazine

April 30, 2002

Suu Kyi To Be Released Soon: Reports

By Aung Zaw

Expectations are high in Rangoon that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
may be released very soon, according to well-informed sources in the
Burmese capital. But they added that Suu Kyi窶冱 release after 18 months
under de facto house arrest could pose new problems, both for her and
for the regime that has repeatedly restricted her freedom.

"She has to be very careful," said one Burmese observer in Rangoon. "Her
release won窶冲 be unconditional. There will be agreements between her and
her captors," he added.

At the same time as she is avoiding a confrontation with the regime,
however, Suu Kyi窶冱 supporters will be expecting her to make some sort of
statement on the progress of her talks with the ruling military regime.
"There are high expectations from her party, from the Burmese people,
and from the international community," remarked Aung Naing Oo, a Burmese
political analyst living in exile.

It is unlikely that Suu Kyi will reveal anything about the substance of
her secret talks with the regime unless the generals agree. "It would be
good if Aung San Suu Kyi and the government can officially announce the
timeframe for substantive dialogue," added Aung Naing Oo.

Meanwhile, in Rangoon, diplomats and journalists for international wire
services are waiting in front of Suu Kyi窶冱 house in anticipation of her
imminent release. They have sought confirmation of rumors that the
release could come today, but say that officials remain tight-lipped.

One veteran journalist in Rangoon suggested that Suu Kyi has softened
her stance on economic sanctions since holding a secret meeting with
Sr-Gen Than Shwe in January. According to the Asian Wall Street Journal,
Gen David Abel, minister for the Prime Minister窶冱 Office, confirmed that
the meeting took place. "After that meeting there has been a lot of
optimism from all quarters that there could be a breakthrough," Abel was
reported as saying. The generals in attendance were especially heartened
by Suu Kyi窶冱 expressions of concern about the country窶冱 deteriorating
economic situation, which they took as signaling a willingness to end
her calls for sanctions.

During a recent meeting with a visiting EU Troika delegation, Suu Kyi
was reportedly very careful about answering questions about economic
sanctions, according to a well-informed source.

"I think when she is released this time, she is going to be passive,"
predicted one observer who is close to the situation. That will not go
down well with some activists who want to see radical changes and impose
stronger sanctions against the military dictatorship.

After her release, Suu Kyi窶冱 focus will be on the release of political
prisoners, rebuilding her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, and
working on the confidence-building process, predicted one veteran
analyst in Rangoon.

Some observers warned that even if she is released, Suu Kyi is likely to
remain under constant scrutiny from the generals, who fear that she may
resume calls for more international pressure.

When she was released from house arrest in 1995, Suu Kyi urged
international donors to continue with their economic sanctions until the
regime made more substantive concessions. The United States subsequently
imposed a ban on new investment in 1997.

The generals don窶冲 want that to happen again. If it does, it could
derail the on-going confidence-building process, warned some Burmese
observers.

According to some Western diplomats, a more likely scenario this time is
that Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders might agree to the resumption of
limited humanitarian assistance to Burma, while continuing to demand
further political reforms.

For its part, the junta may be hoping that the resumption of aid will
help ease internal tensions over hardliners opposition to dealing with
the NLD. Top leaders reportedly told visiting foreign delegates recently
that they want to see if Suu Kyi will keep her promise not to oppose aid
so that they can "sell" the talks to military officers who are reluctant
to deal with the opposition.

Despite the doubts, some in Rangoon are sanguine about the prospects for
further progress. "I think the climate is good for the national
reconciliation process," remarked one Burmese observer.

But skepticism about the generals motives persists. "By releasing Suu
Kyi, they will win praise, but there are no promises that they will go
any further to achieve genuine national reconciliation," said one
political analyst in Rangoon.

"This government is always cautious窶杯hey go step by step," said another
observer. "They will wait to see how others react. If the reactions are
good, they will take further steps."

As always in Burmese politics, patience may be the wisest counsel. "It
will be a very, very slow process," said one long-time observer. "Don窶冲
expect anything dramatic."

_______________REGIONAL/ INTERNATIONAL_____________________
Agence France Presse

April 30, 2002

US says Aung San Suu Kyi release must be "unconditional"

The United States said Tuesday it would welcome the release of Myanmar
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi but said her freedom must be
"unconditional" amid reports the country's military government would
soon end her 18 months of house arrest.

"We would welcome the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political
prisoners inside Burma (Myanmar)," said Julie Reside, a State Department
spokeswoman.

"It is important that the release be unconditional, that Aung San Suu
Kyi be afforded full freedom of movement and association," she said. "We
hope the reports out of Rangoon (Yangon) indicate the Burmese regime is
serious about political reform and national reconciliation."

Earlier Tuesday in Yangon, a Myanmar government source said preparations
were underway for Aung San Suu Kyi to be released from house arrest and
that the move could occur "within a day or two."

"If released from house detention, she will be able to go any place she
likes as before," said the source who declined to elaborate.

United Nations envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail, who made a four-day visit
to Myanmar last week, hinted in Kuala Lumpur earlier that Aung San Suu
Kyi's release could be imminent.

The house arrest restrictions on the dissident were imposed in September
2000 after she attempted to defy the ban and travel to the northern city
of Mandalay.

Diplomats and analysts believe a release this week would signal that she
and the junta forged an agreement on she will be permitted to operate as
leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).

Myanmar observers spent Tuesday watching closely for signs of a release,
particularly as major announcements are typically made ahead of
important holidays, like Wednesday's May Day celebrations.

A high-ranking Myanmar junta official made a rare visit to Aung San Suu
Kyi's lakeside home Tuesday morning, heightening speculation she would
soon be freed.

Brigadier-General Than Tun, the official liaison officer between the
opposition leader and the regime, spent 10 minutes at the University
Drive residence, in his first visit for several months.

_____________________________
Bangkok Post

April 30, 2002

Aid to junta `not justified'

Kraisak urges govt to push for democracy

Onnucha Hutasing

The government should refrain from giving excessive help to Rangoon and
opt instead to push democratic principles in negotiations, Senate
foreign affairs committee chairman Kraisak Choonhavan said yesterday.

The government was going too far in giving financial support to the
ruling junta when there was no sign of movement towards democracy in
Burma, he said.

Problems between Thailand and Burma were structural and
democracy-related, so Bangkok should use democratic principles in
negotiations with Rangoon.

The senator said Thailand had never benefited from paying the ``price of
friendship'' with Burma and at the same time unwittingly put Burmese
people in trouble.

Rangoon made a habit of breaching peace agreements with the 22 Burmese
minority groups and had increased the size of its army from 100,000 to
400,000.

``Even as our government gave Gen Maung Aye a warm welcome during his
visit here, there were clashes at the border.

``An accusation followed that Bangkok allowed the Thai military to enter
Burmese territory.

``Under the Thaksin administration, there have been about 10 skirmishes
at the Thai-Burmese border, killing 20 people. I want to ask how could a
friend do such things?'' he said.

Mr Kraisak said the International Labour Organisation had condemned
Rangoon for using slave labour, burning villages and killing 125 people
in its bid to realise the Yadana gas pipeline project.

Burma had failed to combat drugs despite a UN subsidy equal to 625
million baht to support farming to replace drug crops.

Instead of creating peace, Rangoon had moved at least 100,000 people
from the North to occupy minority-held areas in the lower part of the
country, he said.

___________________________________________
TY Myanmar

April 28, 2002

Burma holds press conference on clash between Wa troops and Thai army


A press conference with local and foreign journalists was held at the
Defence Services Guest House on Inya Road in Yangon [Rangoon] at 1230
today. The press conference explains the capture of two Wa nationals by
Thai Border Patrol Force and the Thai army's attack on a Wa camp at the
Myanmar [Burma]-Thai border. The press conference was attended by Labour
Minister U Tin Win, Vice- Chief of Defence Services Intelligence Maj-Gen
Kyaw Win, Deputy Foreign Minister U Khin Maung Win, Deputy Information
Minister Brig- Gen Aung Thein, Brig-Gen Khin Maung Myint of the Defence
Ministry, senior military officials, heads of departments, news and
information officials of the Ministry of Information, correspondent U
Sein Win of Kyodo news agency, Patron of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents
Club U Hla Htwe, President U Sao Kai Hpa and members and invited guests.


Addressing the press conference, Lt-Col San Pwint, deputy head of
department of the Defence Services Intelligence Bureau, explained that
there is a small encampment of the Wa national group on Hill Point 3850,
approximate map reference U-465488 in the Mong Yawn region of Mong Hsat
Township on the Myanmar-Thai Border. Facing this camp about 400 to 500
yards away on the Thai side of the border is a similar Thai camp of the
Border Patrol Force. Between these two camps is a small creek that
demarcates Myanmar and Thai territories. Members of both the Wa and Thai
camps use the water from this creek and no clashes had occurred
previously between the two camps that are so closely situated.

However, at 1500 on the afternoon of 26 April 2002, when two members of
the Wa national group went to fetch water from this creek between the
two camps they were seized and taken away by members of the Thai force.
The camp commandant of the Wa national group learnt about the capture of
his two men, so he contacted the Thai camp and requested their release
but he did not succeed and they are still in the custody of the Thai
military.

Furthermore, not only have the two members of the Wa group been not
released, the Wa camp was attacked with three rocket missiles and fired
upon with 300 rounds of automatic weapons from two Thai military
helicopters that had arrived at about 1800 and were hovering over the
Thai camp. A section commander of the Wa group was wounded in the right
leg in the attack. After the attack and departure of the two
helicopters, at about 1900 the Thai side again attacked the Wa camp with
heavy weapons. They are said to have fired two bursts of six rounds
each.

At midnight the same day, the Thai side again fired six times with heavy
weapons. There was no retaliatory fire from the Wa camp. Similarly, at
0500 on 27 April the Thai side fired six rounds of heavy weapons and
then from 0805 to 0945 the Thai kept on firing with heavy weapons on the
Wa camp altogether 20 times. The Wa refrained from returning fire. On 28
April, that is today, the Thai side fired again on the Wa camp with
heavy arms altogether 60 times from 0710 to 1000. It was learned that
one Wa national was killed.

With regard to this incident, we have initiated action to resolve the
issue through diplomatic means. Thus Dir-Gen of the Department of
Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Thaung Tun conveyed
an aide-memoire pertaining to this incident to the charge d'affaires ad
interim. Mr Opas Chantarasap at 1615 on 27 April 2002. Likewise in the
evening, Minister of Foreign Affairs U Win Aung lodged a protest with
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand through the ambassador of
Myanmar to Thailand.

While we were doing everything possi