BurmaNet News: January 7 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

January 7 2003 Issue #2151

INSIDE BURMA

The Hindu: Suu Kyi not allowed to phone in message

DRUGS

Xinhua: Germany, Italy fund Myanmar’s drug control project
AFP: China seizes eight tones of drugs in Golden Triangle in 2002

ON THE BORDER

Irrawaddy: Dissidents face crackdown; Burmese hiding along border

REGIONAL

Narinjara: Bangladesh, Myanmar feeder shipping service in the offing
SCMP: 30 years after fleeing India, tribal separatists’ leaders return for
talks
DPA: China, Myanmar leaders pledge closer economic ties
Xinhua: Chinese president holds talks with Myanmar head of state

INTERNATIONAL

Myanmar Times: In the Capitol a talkfest on Myanmar

INSIDE BURMA

The Hindu January 6 2003

Suu Kyi not allowed to phone in message
By W. Chandrakanth

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate, fighting for restoration
of democratic rights of the Myanmarese was allegedly not allowed by the
military regime on January 2 to deliver a message over telephone to the
first Asian Social Forum summit being held here.
The telephone lines were reportedly cut as the regime feared she would
speak against it in the phone-in programme. As a result, her recorded
message would be delivered here on the concluding day on Tuesday.
A human rights delegation from Myanmar attending the summit reiterated its
call to the international community to cut aid to the military Government
``in every form'' till it complies with ``civilised norms'' and halts
crime against women.
Talking to The Hindu, Thin Than Aung, joint general secretary of the
Women's League of Burma and Nang Hseng Moon of the Shan Women's Action
Network said the `military regime's atrocities against women continue'.
It had only released Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest but human
rights continue to be ``under arrest'' and there is no sight of their
being ``released.'' ``The Burmese military has been systematically using
rape as a weapon of war against women and girls belonging to the ethnic
minorities. Our carefully documented work covering 173 cases proves that
83 per cent of rapes had been committed by the military officers and in
most cases, in front of their troops. These rapes often involve extreme
brutality and torture. At least 25 per cent of such rapes have resulted in
the death of victims'', they say.
The military regime uses foreign funding to train officials in human
rights but has it any positive effect ? ``No, not at all. Any support to
the regime only means a continued license to rape and kill. We have
appealed to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women to send a
fact finding mission to the Thai-Burma border to investigate sexual
violence committed by the military. We had submitted a report to the
officials, Radhika Comaraswamy, in Colombo. We are yet to see a positive
response from the international community''.
``A tripartite dialogue is needed with representatives of non-Burmese
ethnic nationalities and the democratic opposition on the country's
political future. The civil war in Burma should be viewed in the context
of systematic sexual violence and not just from other angles. As long as
others continue to support the regime for one reason or the other, the
nightmare of sexual violence continues indefinitely'', they plead.

DRUGS

Xinhua News Agency January 7 2003

Germany, Italy fund Myanmar's drug control project

Germany and Italy have provided a total of 1.1 million US dollars as an
extra fund for a four-year drug control project in Wa region, Myanmar's
Shan state, to prolong it for another two years, according to a United
Nations agency here.

The Wa Alternative Development Project was launched in 1999 and with the
support of the extra fund from the two countries, it will continue up to
2005, said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, an official of the UN Office on Drug and
Crime (UNODC) here. The amount contributed by Germany and Italy last year
for the project were respectively 1 million euros (1 million dollars) and
100,000 dollars.

The UN agency had first sought nearly 16 million dollars for the project
but until last year it had received about 8 million, most of which was
extended by Japan and the United States. Last year, the two countries
contributed 1.6 million dollars and 700, 000 dollars, respectively, he
said.

Meanwhile, according to the official, France has agreed to extend 200,000
dollars to enhance the operational capacity of the UNODC residential
office.

The Wa project includes the development of a 500-hectare rice cultivating
area in the Mong Kar region near the Myanmar-China border.
__________

Agence France-Presse January 7 2003

China seizes eight tonnes of drugs in Golden Triangle in 2002

China seized more than eight tonnes of drugs along its southwestern border
with the Golden Triangle poppy-growing region last year, state media said
Tuesday.

Without specifying what the drugs were, the Xinhua news agency, quoting
statistics from the Yunnan provincial government, said they accounted for
70 percent of all drugs captured in China. The figures showed 15,601 drug
cases were investigated and 5,292 people "punished" in Yunnan province
alone.

However, the haul is only a small fraction of the 1,800 tonnes of heroin
that Chinese police estimate is produced in the Golden Triangle, mainly by
Myanmar and Laos, which share porous borders with China.

Of around 92,400 hectares (230,000 acres) of poppy fields in the Golden
Triangle, 87,000 hectares are in Myanmar.

According to Chinese police maps seen last year, a wide belt of poppy
plantations sits just inside the Myanmar side of the country's 1,400
kilometer (840 mile) border with China.

It is not clear how much is shipped into China, police say, but since the
1980s, drug traffickers have increasingly routed heroin to the United
States and Europe via China and through either Hong Kong or Taiwan.

Xinhua said that in a bid to crack down on the flourishing trade, seven
cross-border campaigns were launched in collaboration with Myanmar and
Laos police.

They led to the destruction of 10 drug laboratories, 33 arrests and the
seizure of 280 kilograms (616 pounds) of heroin and 120 kilograms of
metamphetamines.

Police refuse to estimate how many Chinese have tried heroin or use it
recreationally, but they readily admit that heroin and other drugs like
ecstasy and methamphetamines are easily available in bars and night clubs
around the country.

ON THE BORDER

Irrawaddy January 7 2003

Dissidents Face Crackdown; Burmese Hiding along Border
By Naw Seng

Both Burmese and Thai human rights advocates have expressed grave concerns
regarding the future security and safety of Burmese democracy activists
working from Thai soil, as top ranking Thai officials prepare for an
upcoming visit to Burma.
The response comes in regards to a stepped up crackdown on Burmese
dissidents in the Thai border towns of Sangklaburi and Mae Hong Son.
Dissidents fear more pressure is looming as Thai Deputy Prime Minster Gen
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and top army leaders are planning to visit Burma
this month.
Rights advocates and dissidents have long equated the crackdowns with an
attempt by Thailand to appease Rangoon.
"I think it is the policy of the [Thai] government to restrict Burmese
activists as well as refugees and migrants in order to have better
relations and to please the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] in
Rangoon," says Somchai Homlar, Sec-Gen of Forum-Asia, a Bangkok-based
regional human rights watchdog.
"This policy will bring a very bad impact on human rights and development
in Burma," the human rights lawyer added.
Burmese dissidents in Thailand have already begun to feel the
reverberations of this alleged policy shift being enacted by Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s administration.
In late December, Burmese dissidents living in Sangklaburi, across from
Burma’s Mon State, were given two days to evacuate from their homes by
Thai authorities. One dissident, requesting anonymity, said from a border
hideout that some Burmese women and children had been in hiding since
December and do not know where to go. "We are taking risks and we don't
know what will happen to us," he said.
Dissidents in Sangklaburi said they want to open up a communication line
with Thai officials, but have been unsuccessful. "We want to know what
they want us to do," the dissident continued. "But they just told us to
leave."
Col Somkhuan Saenpattaranate, a Thai Army spokesman, said: "The government
and the army will not allow any foreign groups or nationals to use our
territory to launch military raids or conduct unfriendly activities
against Thailand's neighboring countries. Their misadventure could
seriously affect our national security and relations with our neighbors."
The activists say they want to continue working for Burma’s democracy
movement, and if Thailand does not want them here, they should have an
option to go somewhere else. But that a return to Burma is out of the
question, as the situation there remains far too dangerous for a safe
return.
It is still unclear why the democracy activists were told to leave their
homes. Dissidents there, however, acknowledged that the situation has
deteriorated since Burma's Culture and Economic Committee office was
opened last November in Sangklaburi and that pressure has been mounting on
them to curtail their activities since then. The office operates under the
auspices of the Thai-Burma Culture and Economic Association, which was
established in 2001.
Despite Bangkok-based diplomats and international human rights
organizations following the event, Burmese activists say that this time
they are not convinced pressure and diplomacy will prevent Thailand from
enacting a tougher line against them.
This is not the first time Burmese dissidents in Sangklaburi have faced
pressure from the Thai government. Last August members from several
organizations were arrested and deported to the Burmese border, but were
then able to slip back into Thailand safely.
But things are different this time, say Burmese dissidents. They say Thai
officials are more interested in establishing business and trade
connections inside Burma via Three Pagoda Pass, which lies just outside
out of Sangklaburi. Other observes also say Thailand and Burma are looking
to develop tourism in the area.
"I think the case in Sangklaburi is more to do with business than a
national security concern for Thailand," said one Burmese dissident in
Sangklaburi.
He added that dissidents living in Thailand have been collaborating with
local Thai authorities in order to prevent crimes and infiltration by
Burmese spies. "We always collaborated with Thai authorities for the
security and stability of Thailand," said the Burmese dissident.
Karen villagers living in the Sangklaburi area have also been pressured
recently by Thailand.
In December, Surasi Task Force, which oversees security along the
Thai-Burma border in Kanchanaburi Province, rounded up 65 Karen from Wia
Ka Di Village. The Karen were instructed to leave their homes within three
days.
Forum Asia, however, issued a statement in late December describing the 65
Karen as "unarmed civilians".
Also in early January, according to Somchai Homlor, Thai soldiers and
officials in Kanchanaburi forcibly repatriated 11 villagers. "I think it
is a very inhumane tactic and also against the principal of the rule of
law," says Somchai.
The Thai Human Rights Commission is looking into the alleged repatriation
of the 11 villagers.

REGIONAL

Narinjara News January 7 2003

Bangladesh, Myanmar feeder shipping service in the offing
A feeder shipping service between Bangladesh and neighbouring Burma is in
the offing to boost bilateral trade, official sources said Monday,
according to today's the independent quoted AFP, Chittagong.
The sources in Chittagong Port and Mercantile Marine Department said the
government had already asked a private shipping company to start operating
its feeder container vessels on the Chittagong-Rangoon route as soon as
possible to increase bilateral trade.
"A high-level meeting to this effect was held recently on this issue and
if the service starts on this route, the trade gap between the two
countries will come down to a great extent," one port official said.
Imports from Burma include timber, maize, rice and fish, while exports
include fertiliser, cement and medicines, but there are no official
estimates bilateral trade, which is said to be very small. Smuggling also
takes place across the border.
The official said the step was a follow up to the landmark visit by Burma
Senior General Than Shwe in December when the countries pledged to boost
bilateral ties to overcome economic challenges facing them both. "The
Burma government has also agreed to place a container vessel on the
route," he said.
Shipping sources said due to a lack of vessels, the state-owned Bangladesh
Shipping Corporation was unable to provide the service immediately, so the
government opted for the private HRC Shipping Lines, which is already
operating feeder vessels between Chittagong and Sri Lanka as well as
Malaysia.
Than Shwe was the first leader of Burma's junta to visit Bangladesh. The
last leader to come was the then Burmese President U San Yu in 1986.
Burma was among the first countries to recognise Bangladesh after it won
independence from Pakistan in 1971. But relations were strained in the
early 1990s when around 250,000 Rohingya Muslims flooded into Bangladesh
from Burma, claiming atrocities by the junta.
Ties have improved since then, with the repatriation of most of the
refugees under a United Nations agreement, but more than 20,000 still live
in camps in Bangladesh.
___________

South China Morning Post January 7 2003

30 years after fleeing India, tribal separatists' leaders return for talks
By S.N.M. Abdi in Calcutta

The Nagas, who seek independence in the east, will meet the prime minister

Separatist Naga rebels - who have not set foot in India for more than 30
years - will arrive in New Delhi today for talks.

The rebels are fighting on behalf of more than 3.5 million Naga
tribespeople for an independent homeland in northeastern India.

The homeland would be made up of Nagaland, parts of adjoining Manipur and
Assam states and Naga-majority areas of western Myanmar. National
Socialist Council of Nagaland's Issac Chisi Swu and Thuingalent Muivah,
who live in exile in Norway and Japan respectively, accepted an invitation
from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to come to India for talks with
him and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani. The invitation followed
negotiations with Indian government representatives abroad. But the agenda
for the long-awaited talks has not been revealed.

Indian officials refused to comment on the prickly issue of independence.
The Naga council too is holding its cards close to its chest.

The government has withdrawn all criminal charges against, and rewards for
the arrest of, Swu and Muivah to pave the way for their return.

Arrangements for their stay have been made by the government but a Naga
spokesman said yesterday the rebel chiefs will be guarded by Naga council
military squads - in addition to the security provided by the government -
during their week-long stay in New Delhi.

Analysts say that a major breakthrough will be achieved if the Naga
council gives up its secessionist demand and agrees to contest the
provincial elections in Nagaland next month.

"As things stand today, the NSCN has really no other option but to
negotiate within the framework of the Indian constitution," said a senior
government official engaged in the peace initiative.

K. Padmanabiah, the government's chief negotiator, said that "expectations
are soaring in Nagaland after five years of peace".

"Ordinary Nagas now have a stake in peace and the NSCN is under as much
pressure as we are to carry the negotiations forward," said Mr
Padmanabiah.

The Naga armed rebellion against Indian rule, often described as the
world's longest-running insurgency, started in 1947 and claimed an
estimated 25,000 lives before a 1997 ceasefire agreement with New Delhi.

Predominantly Christian, Nagaland was once described as India's Vietnam by
socialist leader Jayaprakash Narain.

But since the 1997 accord, several rounds of peace talks have been held in
Europe and Thailand.

The Nagas first raised the standard of revolt a few hours before India's
independence on August 15, 1947.

The Nagas, formerly headhunters who embraced Christianity in the 19th
century, argued that they were never ruled by outsiders until the British
came.

After the British left, they did not expect another government to step in.

But New Delhi sent in the army and helicopter gunships to break the Naga
resistance, triggering a civil war.

Swu and Muivah fled Nagaland in 1972 to set up a provisional government-in
-exile in Geneva.
___________

Deutsche Presse-Agentur January 7 2003

China, Myanmar leaders pledge closer economic ties

Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Myanmar (Burmese) Prime Minister Than
Shwe on Tuesday agreed to expand economic cooperation and signed three
bilateral agreements.

The two leaders signed three documents mainly covering economic and
technical cooperation, state television said. Than Shwe and his delegation
held extensive talks with their Chinese counterparts, vowing to strengthen
cooperation in all fields, the report said.

China agreed to grant Myanmar preferential loans worth 200 million
dollars, it said without giving details.

Than Shwe's five-day visit is aimed at firming the already close ties
between his country's ruling junta and one of its closest allies and
principal weapons suppliers.

He is accompanied by General Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and head of the junta's secret
police, along with a 40-strong delegation of senior military and economic
leaders.

On Wednesday, Than Shwe is scheduled to meet Chinese Communist Party
Secretary General Hu Jintao and other senior leaders before flying to the
southwestern city of Chengdu, China's foreign ministry said.

China is Myanmar's largest importer and its third largest export market.
According to Myanmar government statistics, trade volume between the two
countries for the year ending March 31, 2002 amounted to more than 530
million dollars.

Chinese military aid to Myanmar has included fighter jets, tanks and other
weapons systems estimated to be worth some 2 billion dollars.
______________

Xinhua News Agency January 7 2003

Chinese President holds talks with Myanmar head of state

China is to offer 200 million US dollars in preferential loans to Myanmar
to aid its economic development, Chinese President Jiang Zemin said here
Tuesday.

During his talks with visiting Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council of Myanmar Than Shwe in the Great Hall of the People this
afternoon, Jiang said the two countries should further strengthen economic
cooperation, adding that China would support Chinese enterprises
conducting cooperative ventures in Myanmar. He expressed the wish that
Myanmar keep improving its investment environment so as to facilitate
Chinese investment and cooperation.

He said the two countries should expand cooperation in such fields as
science, technology, culture, education, sports, public health and
tourism.

He said the two sides should continue to coordinate and cooperate on
regional and international issues and within the framework of multilateral
mechanisms such as the United Nations and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Than Shwe said Myanmar is satisfied with the progress in Myanmar-China
cooperation in agriculture, exploration of human and natural resources,
and construction of infrastructural facilities.

He said Myanmar, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), was ready to help China strengthen its relations with ASEAN.

After the talks, Jiang and Than Shwe attended the signing ceremony for
three agreements on economic and technological cooperation, cooperation in
public health, and sport cooperation.

INTERNATIONAL

Myanmar Times December 23-29 2002
In the capitol a talkfest on Myanmar

Editor-in-Chief Ross Dunkley recently attended a conference in  Washington
DC where the issue of Myanmar was comprehensively  discussed by a high
level group of academics, politicians, diplomats,  and representatives of
the NGO and business communities.  In this round up he looks at some
viewpoints expressed in the Capitol.
WHILE the hard rhetoric of the United States government may have been the
most noticeable news event to come out of a high-level conference on
Myanmar held in Washington in late November, a much more subtle approach
to Myanmar issues is pervading international discussion. Where to go? What
to do? How to help Myanmar at this time? These were the main questions
examined during the three-day event at the prestigious School of Advanced
International Studies of Johns Hopkins University just a short taxi ride
from America’s seat of power. More than 200 people attended the event,
titled Myanmar: Reconciliation and the crises of change. Academics said it
was the largest event focusing on Myanmar to be held in the US.  The
Myanmar Government was represented by two of its most senior diplomats.
They were its ambassador in London, Dr Kyaw Win, and its ambassador to the
US, U Linn Myaing. Many of the participants represented various elements
of the alphabet soup of exiled anti-SPDC groups supported by American
funding. Despite being largely antagonistic to the views of a number of
speakers, the level of exchange was generally civil and even at times,
cordial.  After a dinner to welcome delegates at which US Assistant
Secretary of State Jim Kelly reiterated Washing-ton’s stance on Myanmar,
the formal conference began the next morning with a panel reviewing
progress on the reconciliation process. The most dramatic presence was Dr
Kyaw Win, who spoke on how the easing of pressure on the regime from
abroad during the past two or three years had allowed for gradual progress
inside Myanmar. This had been marked by the release of hundreds of
detainees and the decision to lift travel restrictions on the leader of
the National League for Democracy, Daw Aung San Su Kyi, and the members of
other political parties. The ambassador cited the cessation of armed
opposition and the signing of peace deals with ethnic armies as the signal
for the SPDC under Senior General Than Shwe to begin work on re-building
Myanmar, most notably infrastructure work with 145 major new bridges and
136 new dams. He said that with "peace restored in most areas, one perhaps
should not underestimate the political influence that these former
insurgencies wielded and the magnitude of the political reconciliation
that has also taken place simultaneously."  Dr Kyaw Win argued that cries
and demands to immediately liberalise party politics, so loudly audible in
the past decade, seem to people living with the realities inside the
country, tantamount to demanding that "the cart be put before the horse".
He said that those who argue in favour of a slow and steady transition
would say the chaotic consequences that might follow premature political
liberalisation will have to be borne by the people who live in Myanmar –
and perhaps to a degree by her immediate neighbours – but certainly not by
those political pundits from afar in the safe havens of stable, developed
countries. The ambassador then posed the following questions to the
audience so the participants could make some specific assessment of the
current situation: 1. What was the relationship between the NLD and the
Government three years ago and what is it today? Consider the number of
meetings that have been held?; 2. What are the political parties and their
leaders able to do now compared to a few years ago?; 3. How much
cooperation has the UN been extended in the past two years, especially
with the Human Rights Commission, the ILO and with the Secretary-General?;
4. How has the ICRC been establishing itself throughout the country and
carrying out its mandate? Finally, the ambassador reminded the audience of
the "progress to date" which has been stressed time and again as
evolutionary in nature from the start, not a revolution or an overnight
transformation. He then predicted that the speed of change would continue
to depend on how much goodwill and cooperation Myanmar received from the
international community. Of course other panelists did not share all of
the ambassador’s view, but one of the striking aspects of the conference
was the ability for all sides of the political spectrum to sit in the one
room at the same time without vindictiveness. In the evening a dinner was
hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for more than 200 people with two high
level speakers – Singapore’s ambassador in Washington, Ms Chan Hang-chee,
and the former deputy foreign minister of Thailand, Sukhumb-hand
Paribatra, a member of the opposition Democrat Party in the Thai
parlia-ment. Ms Chan gave a solid insight into Myanmar’s relationship
within Asean and its rationale of constructive engagement with its
neighbours, while Mr Sukhumbhand debunked many myths about the historic
relationship between Thais and Myanmars. One high level representative at
the conference said he was surprised at the comments from Mr Sukhumbhand,
given his government’s position on Myanmar, and even more so that little
debate was generated by these two individuals, who normally would have
been emphasising the different nuances of constructive engagement. The
second day’s sessions began with panel discussions on national minorities
and then an exploration of strategic issues and Myanmar’s place in the
region. Participants first had to pass through a low key anti-Myanmar
demonstration by exiled dissidents, but as one participant noted, the
paranoia and infighting amongst these groups was more than obvious as they
proceeded to accuse the conference organisers of doing the SPDC’s work.
What was clear from the discussions on national minorities was that the
government is allowing ethnic communities to come together in an endeavour
to try to patch up the many rifts which divide them. This was seen as
essential if they were to be in a position to advance their own interests
and play an important role in the reconciliation process and in the
changes that are (and be) will taking place in Myan-mar.  The final panel
was distinguished for the range of views expressed. The first speaker
pursued the argument that engagement as the best way forward.
Acknowledging the government’s small steps toward change, he insisted, was
the only way to move forward.  A US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
reiterated the speech of Mr Jim Kelly of Thursday evening and his views
were partially contradicted by a Democratic staffer from the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee who took a more real politik approach.  The
final speaker was Myanmar’s ambassador in Washington, U Linn Myaing, who
reiterated a number of the points his London-based colleague had made at
the start of the conference.  Following these presentations, the audience
was not asked by the chairman to question the panelists, as was the case
on previous occasions, but rather to state what they would like to happen.
Releasing prisoners and moving forward on constitutional dialogue were at
the top of the list. Strongly Bama, anti-minority views, were also
expressed. Further sanctions and the like were not asked for. At the end,
the ambassador promised to relay these views back to Yangon. While this
summary does not exactly ring out as a manifesto for the way forward, the
less strident and more sober reflection on Myanmar issues that occurred
suggests that more serious thinking is taking place than previously. The
presence of two representatives of the government also forced a degree of
civility and lowered the stridency of accusations.  The conference
demonstrated that dialogue, or at least listening, is possible outside the
country and one of the interesting points made from the floor was that
perhaps it was the right time to hold similar conferences in Yangon.KEY
SPEAKERS AT THE WASHINGTON EVENTBradley Babson – is a consultant in Asian
affairs and an adviser to the UN country team on Myanmar. He worked for
the World Bank for 28 years before retiring in 2000.Priscilla Clapp –
retired mid-year as the US’s Charge d’Affairs and Chief of Mission in
Yangon.Matthew Daley – Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia
and Pacific. Daley is closely involved with the issues concerning Myanmar
today.Kyaw Yin Hlaing – is currently assistant professor of political
science at the National University of Singapore. He is currently
conducting research on "State-Sangha relations in SPDC’s Myanmar," and
"Civil society and social capital in post-colonial Myanmar."Mike
Jendrzejczyk – the Washington director for the Asia Division of Human
Rights Watch, he testifies frequently before the US Congress.Stuart Larkin
– has lived in Myanmar for the past seven years and written major studies
on currency reform and for the last year has been working as a consultant
to the UNDP.Zaw Oo – is a director of policy and research programs at the
Burma Fund.HE Sukumbhand Paribatra – is an MP in Thailand with the
Democrat Party where he served as Deputy Foreign Minister in the Chuan
Lekpai Administration.Morten Pedersen - has been a policy analyst for the
Brussels based International Crisis Group and consultant to the World
Bank.Josef Silverstein – is a visiting professor at Princeton University
who has published and edited seven books on Myanmar or SE Asian
politics.David Steinberg – Distinguished Professor at Georgetown
university and is the author of 45 articles and four books on Myanmar. In
his early days Dr Steinbeg served as a representative of the Asia
Foundation in Rangoon (1958-62). He co-organised the Washington
conference.Debbie Aung Din Taylor - is a consultant and native of Myanmar
who recently co-authored a report for the UN country team on food security
in Myanmar.Robert Taylor – is a London-based consultant on Myanmar affairs
following an academic career including stints as Professor of Politics at
London University. Dr Taylor is a pre-eminent authority on Myanmar.Frances
Zwenig – is the senior country director for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia,
Laos and Myanmar at the US_ASEAN Business Council since 1988. In 1993-94
she was the Chief of Staff to Madeleine Albright.Frank Jannuzi – works as
a member to the US Foreign Relations Committee