BurmaNet News: March 10 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

THE BURMANET NEWS
A listserv covering Burma
www.burmanet.org
March 10 2003 Issue #2191

INSIDE BURMA
AFP: Myanmar rejects comprehensive talks with rebels
Dow Jones: Myanmar's No 2 Leader In Singapore For Medical Treatment
XINHUA: Myanmar, ILO drafting action plan on labor issue
AFP: Myanmar using women's suffering to get aid: rights network

MONEY
Kaladan: Burma, 4 other countries for free¡Vtrade agreement
DVB: Bank crisis continues in Burma
BERNAMA: Up to Petronas and Thai counterparts to solve problems on project

DRUGS
Bangkok Post: Burma moving against opium, not speed, says former envoy
Washington Post: Thailand's Drug War Leaves Over 1,000 Dead
The Guardian (London): Under-fire PM changes tack in Thai drugs war:
Bangkok Post: Kin of dead may request UN inquiries

GUNS
The Nation: Burma demands troops leave Doi Lang

REGIONAL
Mizzima: China detains Burmese cadres
Mizzima: India set to invest in oil and gas abroad

INTERNATIONAL
M2 PRESSWIRE: UK fears grow over the stalled political process in Burma
AFP: Myanmar criticises its inclusion on US religious freedom blacklist
Ethical Corporation: British American Tobacco under human rights pressure

EDITORIALS
Dallas Morning News: Repression of Women; Issue doesn't get notice it
deserves
Nation: Fire of nationalism is burning out of control

STATEMENTS
Parade: All We Want Is Our Freedom, by Aung San Suu Kyi
Open letter to UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma for
International Women's Day

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Women's voices in war zones: A writing contest
FBCNY Protest in New York - March 13

INSIDE BURMA
Agence France Presse   March 10, 2003
Myanmar rejects comprehensive talks with rebels

Myanmar's military junta has rejected suggestions it could initiate
comprehensive talks with an alliance of rebel groups, saying it would only
negotiate individual ceasefire deals with legitimate ethnic groups.

"Up to now, the government has not changed its policy with regard to peace
talks with anti-government organizations," Major General Kyaw Win, deputy
chief of military intelligence, told reporters at the weekend during a
trip to remote border areas.

"We'll do these peace talks on a one-on-one basis, not collectively," he
said.

Officials also stressed that Yangon would not deal with rebels it
considered to be armed splinter factions of ethnic groups that had already
sat down at the negotiating table with the government.

"No new directives have been handed down, and that is the situation as it
stands," added San Bwint, the department chief of military intelligence.

The officials were reacting to last month's announcement by the Military
Alliance Group, a grouping of five rebel militias, that it welcomed Thai
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's promise to push for the Yangon
government to sit down for talks.

Thaksin visited Yangon last month and met with the country's leaders, who
he said told him they would talk with minority groups.

The Military Alliance Group, which includes longstanding Yangon
adversaries the Shan State Army (SSA) and the Karen National Union (KNU),
had met in Myanmar's eastern border region at the end of February to
discuss possible future talks with Yangon.

The government says it acknowledged that the KNU represent the Karen, but
it considers the SSA a breakaway faction of a Shan group that already
negotiated a ceasefire and therefore rejects any deal with the SSA other
than surrender.

Ethnic insurgencies have plagued border areas since Myanmar gained
independence from Britain in 1948. By the end of the 1990s, the junta had
signed ceasefire accords with 17 groups, leaving a handful still fighting
Yangon's rule.

Tens of thousands of villagers have been displaced as a result of the
conflicts, with many of them living in refugee camps on the Thai side of
the border.
________

Dow Jones Newswires   March 9 2003
Myanmar's No 2 Leader In Singapore For Medical Treatment

YANGON (AP)--The vice chairman of Myanmar's ruling junta, Gen. Maung Aye,
has traveled to Singapore for medical treatment, a doctor said Monday.

The 65-year-old deputy chief of Myanmar's armed forces was admitted to a
military hospital in Yangon last week with a minor prostate gland problem,
a doctor from the hospital said on condition of anonymity. He didn't
elaborate.

Maung Aye left for Singapore on Sunday for treatment of the prostate
problem, but his health condition isn't serious, the doctor said.
________

XINHUA NEWS AGENCY   March 10, 2003
Myanmar, ILO drafting action plan on labor issue

The Myanmar government and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have
been drafting a plan of action on eradication of forced labor in Myanmar
and talks have been underway to adopt the plan if agreed, the local weekly
journal Myanmar Times reported Monday.

The talks on the move began on Feb. 21 between senior officials of two
ministries of labor and foreign affairs as well as senior judicial
officials from the Myanmar side and Hong-Trang Perret-Nguyen, Liaison
Officer of the ILO stationed in Yangon.

The journal quoted a recent report of Perret-Nguyen presented to the ILO
for a meeting of its governing body, which started in Geneva on March 6,
as saying that the plan would cover methods for more effective
dissemination of the government's order banning forced labor and endeavors
to heighten public awareness of labor issues.

The action plan also include a proposal to name Leon de Riedmatten as a
mediator to liaise between the government and the ILO.

Riedmatten, who is a Yangon representative of the Center for Humanitarian
Dialogue, served as the ILO's interim liaison officer last year and is
still acting as a facilitator.

The 18-month action plan is expected to begin in April if agreed upon.

Perrot-Nguyen also said the ILO would extend technical assistance and seek
financial support from donors to implement the action plan.

Meanwhile, the ILO is due to send a high-level team to Myanmar to finalize
the action plan, she added.

Since November 2000, the Myanmar military government has been under
pressure from the ILO, which then called on its 175 member governments to
impose sanctions on the military and review their relations with Myanmar
to ensure they were not abetting forced labor.

In March 2002, the Myanmar government reached an agreement with the ILO,
allowing a representative of the organization to station in Myanmar to
ensure eradication of forced labor, and an ILO technical cooperation
mission came to Myanmar in October that year to help the country further
develop labor practices in line with international norms.
________

Agence France Presse   March 9, 2003
 Myanmar using women's suffering to get aid: rights network

Myanmar's military government is using the suffering of women to solicit
aid while doing nothing to tackle the mountains of abuse heaped on them, a
Thailand-based rights network said Sunday.

The Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean) also said 22 of the 30
articles of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights were being
violated in Myanmar under the ruling State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC).

"An alarming development is how the SPDC is attempting to utilise the
suffering of women to solicit international aid and partnerships without
committing to concrete, sustainable and accountable actions of their own,"
Altsean said in a statement. "There must be no toleration of the SPDC's
cynical efforts to use Burma's women as bargaining chips for aid to
alleviate the consequences of its own oppressive rule."

ALTSEAN called for "irreversible reform" in the treatment of women in a
40-page report entitled "Abused Bargaining Chips" that evaluated the
situation of women of Myanmar, formerly called Burma, from mid-2001 to
January 2003.

"The status of women remains stagnant, their living conditions continue to
deteriorate and violence against women appears endemic," according to the
report, released to mark International Women's Day on Saturday.

The report blamed the ruling junta's military rule as the "main
contributing factor" to the systematic persecution of women in Myanmar.

"As the regime works to retain its grip on the country at all costs, the
oppression of women has increased in intensity and breadth," the report
said.

Rights abuses perpetuated against women in Myanmar include rape, forced
labour, trafficking, poor access to health care, the unchecked spread of
HIV/AIDS and a lack of political clout, the report said.

"Rape of women in Burma is endemic with the largest perpetrators being
SPDC military officials," according to the report.

There are virtually no women in Myanmar in decision-making positions, and
noted democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been continually harassed
since her release from house arrest last May, the report added.

At least 87 women are political prisoners, 16 of them who were elected to
parliament in 1990. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won
the vote but the SPDC refuses to recognise the result.

Altsean urged the ruling junta, which is battling ethnic minorities, to
implement a ceasefire, release all political prisoners, recognise the 1990
poll and begin dialogue with ethnic groups and the democratic opposition
on the country's political future.

It also stressed that "the international community has a responsibility to
actively support the efforts of the women of Burma in their struggle to
reclaim their rights."


MONEY
KALADAN NEWS   March 9 2003
Burma, 4 other countries for free¡Vtrade agreement

Chittagong, Mach 09: Commerce ministers from five countries around the Bay
of Bengal on 7th March, called for a free-trade pact to boost regional
economic cooperation, according to AFP, Colombo.

The ministers from Burma, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand set up
a group of experts to work out the details and ensure a framework treaty
by February next year, Sri Lanka¡¦s Commerce Minister said.

¡§ We are positive that we can move towards an FTA (free-trade
agreement),¡¨ Lanka¡¦s Commerce Minister told reporters after the one-day
ministerial meet.

¡§ We are looking to the future and we see a lot of possibilities.¡¨

The BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri lanka, Thailand Economic
Cooperation) ministers also agreed to look at relaxing visa restrictions
for businesspeople traveling between member States.

They will also ask their ambassadors to work closely in Geneva to ensure a
common position on World Trade Organization (WTO) issues, Lanka¡¦s
Commerce Minister said.
________

Democratic Voice of Burma   March 7 2003
Bank crisis continues in Burma

The banking crisis which started in the middle of February is still
continuing to cause problems for the people of Burma. Many people queue in
front of the banks everyday from 3-4am to withdraw their money but most
people return home without being able to do so, according to the reports.
At the 82nd street, Mandalay branch of the Asia Wealth Bank [AWB],
customers who obtained the token for the withdrawal were unable to come
home by the normal route as it was clogged with anxious people that they
had to climb over a electric generator and leave the bank from another
route. Even though the AWB is not giving back all the moneys of its
clients, it is demanding all the moneys from the merchants who borrowed
the money from them, according to a merchant from Yezagyo in central
Burma. The military joint business ventures are also forcibly demanding
all the moneys lent to their customers and they are taking legal actions
on their clients on the Thai-Burma border, according to a report by DVB's
Myint Maung Maung. Because of the banking crisis, it is also reported that
Burmese border merchants at Kengtung region, eastern Shan State have no
faith in Burmese currency any more and they are using the Thai and Chinese
currencies and old silver coins for safe keeping.
________

BERNAMA (Malaysian National News Agency)   March 08, 2003, Saturday
UP TO PETRONAS AND THAI COUNTERPARTS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS ON PROJECT

It is up to Petronas and the Petroleum Authority of Thailand to work
together and resolve problems on a 300km gas pipeline project which has
been delayed, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said today.

These included land acquisition, delay costs, and environmental impact
assessments, he told newsmen after the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Commission
meeting here.

He said decisions to be made on the project, which runs from Thailand to
Malaysia, had nothing to do with both governments as it was a project
between the two national petroleum bodies.

According to him, the two governments merely facilitate the project, which
is undertaken by Petronas and the Petroleum Authority of Thailand.

Syed Hamid said the project had been deferred since March 2001, and it was
costing Petronas more than RM1 million a day. However, he declined to
elaborate.

At a separate interview after the meeting, Syed Hamid's counterpart Dr
Surakiart Sathirathai said the Thai government had intervened to sort out
most of the problems and it was now up to the two companies to set a date
to begin construction.

Thailand also reaffirmed its commitment to the project, which has been
delayed due to various concerns on its part.

The Thailand-Malaysia gas pipeline is one of five components of the
massive Trans-Asean gas pipeline project, a regional network of gas
pipelines.

Under the project, gas pipelines will connect Malaysia, Singapore,
Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar in two years and all the
10 Asean member countries before the end of the decade.

The other Asean countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.


DRUGS
Bangkok Post   March 10, 2003
BURMA MOVING AGAINST OPIUM, NOT SPEED, SAYS FORMER ENVOY
BY Alan Dawson

Burma may stop opium growing in the Golden Triangle within three years but
there is no clear policy against the methamphetamine trade, an American
expert says after a one-month investigation in northern Burma.

Pao Yu Chan, leader of the United Wa State Army, told a documentary film
crew he has ordered replacement of all opium by the end of 2005. Thailand
should not worry about methamphetamine after 2005,'' Mr Pao said. He would
move Wa out of the most rugged hills, which only support opium, to lowland
areas near Thailand in order to grow other crops.

But Barry Broman, a retired US diplomat whose last posting was in Rangoon,
said Mr Pao was evasive on the specifics of his campaign against speed
pills.

He invited us back in 2006 to see if opium has been eradicated,'' Mr
Broman said after leaving Burma last week.

Questioned for the Adventure Film Productions documentary Death of the
Golden Triangle, Mr Pao was less specific about speed tablets. He blamed
China and Thailand for producing the chemicals used to make
methamphetamine.

He also said there are non-Wa producing ya ba and selling it with fake Wa
trademarks','' Mr Broman said.

Left up in the air was how Mr Pao could assure Thailand production of
speed would end in 2005.

The film crew, based in Paris, was more interested in the Burmese campaign
to end production of opium. They said Burmese, United Nations and US
officials agreed the campaign to end opium farming and close the heroin
trade appeared serious and effective.

Kokang officials in the north pledged to switch or destroy all opium in
their areas by the end of this year. In our visit to the Kokang area north
of the Wa along the border with China, we saw no evidence of opium
growing,'' Mr Broman said.

On the other hand, the crew filmed the extensive harvest of huge opium
fields in Wa areas further south.

Experts in the region estimate Burmese opium production has fallen from a
peak of 2,500 tonnes in 1995 to 880 tonnes in the latest harvest.

He said Burmese officials were putting pressure on the Wa and Kokang
leaders who were, in turn, putting pressure on the farmers. But there were
signs the crop substitution programme was inadequate. Kokang leaders said
only one foreign assistance project, a Japanese buckwheat project, was in
place.

Many Kokang remain unconvinced they should stop producing opium. Officials
fear remote villages will continue or resume growing poppies unless there
is a strong, clear substitute crop project.

Some American officials recommended moving Burma off the list of
de-certified'' countries which were not fighting drugs. Burma is the only
nation on the US list of countries ineligible to get aid to, for example,
help to finance the UN crop substitution programme, which Mr Broman
described as active but under-funded''. The effort failed, mainly because
of concern over how Rangoon treated democrats like opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi.

A few congressmen and their staffers seem more interested in putting
pressure on the Burmese government than in worrying about drugs flowing
into the US market from the Golden Triangle,'' Mr Broman said. Adventure
Film Productions, owned and operated by Neil Hollander, are editing the
documentary in Paris. Its release is likely by September.
________

The Washington Post   March 09, 2003
Thailand's Drug War Leaves Over 1,000 Dead; Brutal Campaign Draws Concern
Of Rights Groups
BY Alan Sipress, Washington Post Foreign Service

 JAKARTA, Indonesia: When Thailand's prime minister launched a campaign
Feb. 1 to eradicate drugs from his country within three months, skeptics
predicted the effort would prove no more successful than his earlier
pledges to eliminate pollution and untangle Bangkok's notorious traffic
jams.

But within days, the seriousness of the initiative became brutally clear.
Police reported at least 300 drug-related slayings over the first two
weeks, and by March 1, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced that
1,100 people had been killed during the offensive.

Government officials say most of the killings have been the result of
violence among rival drug gangs panicked by the crackdown. Police
acknowledge responsibility for only about 30 of the deaths, saying these
were largely self-defense shootings.

Human rights activists, however, suspect that many of the killings have
been carried out by Thai security forces and allied gunmen as they try to
meet Thaksin's quota for reducing the number of drug producers and dealers
on a government list of suspects.

"According to our research, most of them are killed by the police, because
they want to meet the target," said Somchai Homlaor, secretary general of
Forum Asia, a human rights group. "They think if the drug dealers are
brought to court, they will be released again. A better way to solve the
drug problem is to kill them."

His group reported it has uncovered at least three cases in which drugs
were planted on victims before their bodies were turned over to the
coroner.

U.N. special human rights envoy Asma Jahangir recently added her "deep
concern" to the mounting criticism, issuing a statement citing
"allegations of excessive use of force resulting in extrajudicial
executions."

Increasingly nervous about Thailand's international reputation, the
Foreign Ministry called diplomats from more than 50 countries to a
briefing Monday to make the government's case. "It's necessary for the
government to take decisive action to deal with the drug problem," Foreign
Ministry spokesman Sihasak Pheungketkaew said after the session. "We are
not insensitive to the concerns of the international community, but we
want the international community to see our side of the story."

Drug use has ravaged Thailand, where the government estimates 5 percent of
the population uses methamphetamines produced in the jungles just over the
border in Burma and known locally as "yaa baa" or crazy medicine. This
makes Thailand the world's largest consumer of the drug, according to the
United Nations' International Narcotics Control Board.

While vowing to continue the sweep, Sihasak said Foreign Ministry
officials had reassured the diplomats that police were under strict
instructions to abide by the law. "The campaign does not mean we will
condone excessive use of force or weapons by the authorities," he said.

Admitting that police have made some mistakes in waging the anti-drug war,
Thaksin has guaranteed that all killings will be investigated. He also
announced he would establish two committees to monitor the police and
protect informants and witnesses.

But he also has evinced continuing resentment of foreign criticism. He was
quoted last month by the Nation newspaper in Bangkok as saying Thailand
should "do away with the thinking of foreigners" about human rights.

Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha, speaking to reporters on the eve
of the crackdown, set the tone for police operations against suspected
drug traffickers. "They will be put behind bars or even vanish without a
trace. Who cares? They are destroying our country," he said.

Based on public opinion polls, most Thais agree. A survey conducted in the
third week of February by the Suan Dusit Institute showed that more than
90 percent of respondents backed Thaksin's campaign. It remains unclear,
however, whether this resounding support will weather continuing
disclosures about excessive violence.

Thai media widely reported the death last month of a 9-year-old boy who
was shot as police tried to arrest his parents, suspected drug dealers. He
was gunned down in the back seat of a car driven by his mother as she fled
the police. Though authorities initially blamed the shooting on unknown
assailants, three police officers have been arrested in connection with
the boy's death.

Other victims include a pregnant woman, a 1-year-old boy killed in a
shooting that injured his mother, and a 75-year-old grandmother suspected
of peddling methamphetamines, according to press reports. The government
has not named the assailants in these cases.
________

The Guardian (London)   March 10, 2003
Under-fire PM changes tack in Thai drugs war: Worldwide concern forces
rethink on government crackdown on speed as police put rising death toll
at up to 1,500
BY John Aglionby in Ban Lan

The embattled Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has been forced to
rethink his six-week-long war on drugs, which has led to 1,200 apparent
extra-judicial killings by police.

Although international alarm over the death toll has prompted the review,
many Thais and independent analysts believe the changes - halting supply
rather than eradicating demand - will prove only cosmetic.

They claim that the prime minister will have to take much more radical
steps if he wants to succeed in eliminating methamphetamines, known as yaa
baa ("crazy pill") in Thailand, or speed in the west. The drug was
virtually unknown five years ago but now up to one-in-10 adult Thais are
addicted. Thai army intelligence estimates that more than 3m pills enter
the country every day, the vast majority from 55 factories over Thailand's
northern border with Burma and most of the rest from 10 similar plants in
neighbouring Laos.

Mr Thaksin is trying to divert attention from the rising death toll, which
the police yesterday put at 1,498. The prime minister now refuses to speak
to the press and has instructed government forces to focus their efforts
on preventing the drugs reaching Thailand, which is seen as the world's
most amphetamine-addicted country.

Few Thais believe the official denials that declare that police are
responsible for only a few dozen deaths; nor do they believe police claims
that most of the killings can be attributed to drug barons settling scores
or silencing potential informants.

One of the first raids - or "village order operations" as the authorities
prefer to call them in the new, softer, campaign - was on Friday in Ban
Lan village two miles from the Burmese border in Fang district, one of the
main trafficking routes into northern Thailand.

Villagers woke to find their homes surrounded by hundreds of heavily armed
troops, police officers and sniffer dogs. Based on tip-offs from
informants, a dozen houses were systematically searched.

"I am not involved in the drug business so I had nothing to hide,"
insisted Ong Panya, whose house appeared somewhat luxurious for an orange
plantation worker. "I don't think they will find anything here (in this
village) because we have seen on the TV that such a raid can happen
anywhere and so I'm sure everything will have been hidden."

Sure enough, the search found nothing illicit beyond eight unauthorised
firearms and 11 illegal migrants.

Army officers claim that their task is being made significantly harder
because neither of Thailand's neighbours is showing any inclination even
to pretend to try and stop the flow of drugs, which, in Burma's case, are
produced mostly by the ethnic minority United Wa State Army or the Shan
State Army.

Ita Tamma, one of the illegal migrants caught in Ban Lan, said: "The
Burmese let us come (over the border). They don't stop anyone."

Even if Burma and Laos were more helpful, many Thais believe that their
government would still be waging a losing battle: the border is several
thousand miles long with as many crossing points.

David Jaeua, a former dealer who lives about 50 miles south of Ban Lan,
believes the border is unsealable because so many corrupt Thai officials
are involved in the lucrative trade.

"I used to pay the police three baht (about 4.5p) a pill when making a
monthly shipment of 100,000 pills and also give money to politicians and
local officials," he said. "There are 10 big dealers like me in my village
alone."

These dealers have their greatest impact on young men, according to Major
Somjai Kidkeukarun, who is running an army rehabilitation camp near the
country's second city, Chiang Mai.

"Urine tests show that 80 to 90% of new army recruits are yaa baa users,"
the major said.

Mr Thaksin is also seeking to hit the dealers and users financially.
Provincial governors and police commanders have been ordered to seize the
assets of drug dealers. As an incentive, it was announced last week,
government officials will be rewarded with up to 30% of what they seize

Critics of the government see this as merely a less-deadly but equally
frightening variant of the extra-judicial killings, in that police and
civil servants will be driven by fear of failure and greed to seize as
much as they possibly can.

Senator Kraisak Choonhavan believes that by using such tactics in its war
on drugs the government has merely cowed many Thais into a permanent state
of fear.

"People feel helpless," Mr Kraisak said, "because they can easily become a
victim of salacious and unsubstantiated gossip."

Despite the human rights abuses, the war has recorded some successes.
Millions of pills and millions of dollars worth of assets have already
been seized, while tens of thousands of addicts have volunteered to enrol
in the new rehabilitation courses. Thai society is also starting to accept
that taking yaa baa should no longer be tolerated.

Ex-dealers such as David Jaeua believe it will be hard to sustain any
success. "Many dealers stopped operating in February because of the
pressure of police operations. But the price of yaa baa has risen so much
that dealers are starting (operations) again. The rewards now outweigh the
risks."

Despite the new official reticence over the high loss of life, the body
count is still rising.

Mr Jaeua is convinced that the police, who insist they are not randomly
executing people, are responsible for most of the deaths. "Drug dealers
would not kill people in the way they are being gunned down," he said.
"It's just not the way they operate.

Kavi Chongkittavorn, a senior editor at the newspaper The Nation and an
ardent critic of Mr Thaksin, agrees that something has to be done but says
the prime minister is merely pandering to the desire for instant results.

"Thaksin is not really tackling the problem seriously, he's just being
populist," Mr Kavi said. He, like many other ana lysts - including foreign
diplomats - believe long-term success will only come through a combination
of prevention through education and policies that go way beyond Mr
Thaksin's current programmes.

"If he's really serious about fighting drugs Thaksin's got to swallow
several bitter pills himself," one diplomat claimed. "He's got to clean up
corruption, stop engaging with Burma and sacrifice the politically
well-connected drug lords."

Most people with first hand experience of yaa baa agree. Jaras Saiya, a
40-year-old tractor driver who chose to attend Major Somjai's
rehabilitation camp after the paranoia and hallucinations induced by
taking seven pills a day for 10 years became unbearable, put it simply.

"The war on drugs is good for the sake of Thailand," Jaras Saiya said.
"But it will only work if the policy makers are strict and honest and not
the ones committing the crimes."

________

Bangkok Post   March 10, 2003
KIN OF DEAD MAY REQUEST UN INQUIRIES
BY Surasak Tumcharoen

Relatives of victims of drug-related murders are entitled to petition the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate the
killings, Vithit Muntabhorn, of Chulalongkorn University's law faculty,
said yesterday.

In a discussion on violence in drug suppression at the university, Prof
Vithit said human rights issues were borderless. Even people of nations
not in the UN could ask for justice from the UN.

He urged people whose loved ones had died in the government campaign
against drugs to petition the commission.

The petition could be addressed to a special rapporteur of the commission
who could then step in to investigate.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in his radio programme on Saturday,
implied Pradit Charoenthaithawee, the national human rights commissioner,
overstepped his authority by talking to the the UN regarding the campaign.

Prof Vithit said the government should invite the special rapporteur here,
and explain its policy at a UN human rights conference in Geneva this
month.

Drug production in Burma and Laos was the main cause of the problem, and
the government should tackle these first.

Gothom Arya, a former election commissioner, said the government should
nail the masterminds of drug-related killings and bring all murder cases
to the justice system.


GUNS
The Nation (Thailand)   March 8, 2003, Saturday
Burma demands troops leave Doi Lang

A dispute over the Thailand-Burma border erupted yesterday when the
Burmese demanded the withdrawal of Thai troops from the strategic mountain
of Doi Lang.

Burmese Lt-Colonel Aung Thien Oo said 32 Thai troops were stationed at the
mountain, 23 on the hills and another nine on cliffs along the border.

The Burmese government, he said, considered the action a violation of its
sovereignty and demanded that the Thai military remove its troops from the
area.

Doi Lang, located on the northwest border with Burma near Chiang Mai, is
considered a strategic military post for monitoring drug trafficking. Both
sides claim sovereignty over the area.

The Burmese officer cited the Thai-British treaty signed on October 27,
1894 to back Burmese claims to Doi Lang. However, Thailand referred to a
1980 map to show that the mountain belonged to the Kingdom.

The demand for the withdrawal of troops was made at the meeting of the
28th Township Border Committee in Chiang Rai between Thailand and a
Burmese delegation led by Aung Thein Oo.

Colonel Apichart Meesommon, heading the Thai delegation, said the Thai
government and the State Peace and Development Council had agreed that the
Thai Army could retain troops in the area, as long as no further soldiers
were deployed.

He maintained that Thai troops in Doi Lang were definitely within Thai
territory.

Apichart also asked the Burmese delegation to ensure that the Burmese
stopped digging along the Sai River, which could change the demarcation
line.

The Thai-Burmese joint border committee is currently trying to define the
border and expects to complete its task soon.

The Thai Army also suggested a meeting with Burmese soldiers stationed
along the border at least once a month to reduce tension and
misunderstandings.

Apichart said at the meeting that Her Majesty the Queen would visit Chiang
Mai's Mae Ai district later in the month. He requested that the Burmese
therefore maintain peace in the area.


REGIONAL
Mizzima News   March 10 2003
China detains Burmese cadres

Chinese authorities have arrested three SPDC cadres who illegally entered
China in February carrying arms with them.

Chinese security police arrested one Burmese Sergeant and two other
soldiers of the Burmese Borderline Administration Branch while they were
entering China illegally via Man Wein Gate on the evening of 25 February.

Reportedly, the path by which they tried to enter is an illegal passage
between Burma and China. The three Burmese carried two pistols and one
revolver. Apparently, they attempted to to enter China in pursuit of
criminals. On 26 February, the Chinese authorities in Jegaung Township
released the three Burmese detainees while their arms were confiscated.
Following a request by the Burmese Frontier Region Interrogation Branch
(Na Sa Ya), the Chinese authorities returned the confiscated arms next
day.

According to a Burmese trader who has lived in China for several years,
the Burmese authorities usually consult with the Chinese authorities
before entering China in search of  criminals. Reportedly, many anti-SPDC
groups currently have a presence in China. According to locals, the
Burmese authorities of M.I (23) arrested two student leaders of the All
Burma Students Democratic Front (Northern Burma) based on the Chinese side
of the Sino-Burma border in July in 1999 without having sought permission
from the Chinese authorities.
________

Mizzima News   March 11 2003
India set to invest in oil and gas abroad

Guwahati: In a bid to reduce the quantity of import of oil and gas, the
Government of India has decided to invest in overseas oil and gas fields.
This was disclosed by the Indian Petroleum Minister Ram Naik in Kolkata on
Saturday evening.

The petroleum minister further said that the Oil and Natural Gas
Commission (ONGC) had received offers from Burma, the United States and
Libya for exploration. The ONGC had so far spent Rs980 crore for
commercial production of gas in Vietnam.
Naik revealed that the ministry has been geared up with modern technique
in order to obtain  effective results. "The government has given 70 blocks
for exploration with an eye to increase the production of gas and oil", he
said, adding that the government is keen to invest in Asian countries.

According to reliable sources, the Burmese junta is in  favour of granting
a contract to the Government of India to explore its oil and gas reserves
in order to cement good relations between the countries. During a recent
visit, the Burmese Foreing minister expressed his willingness to increase
business with India by exploring oil fields and opening trade routes.


INTERNATIONAL
M2 PRESSWIRE   March 10, 2003
UK fears grow over the stalled political process in Burma

In a series of meetings and telephone calls FCO Minister Mike O'Brien
highlighted increasing concern over the situation in Burma and pressed for
political progress there.

Mr O'Brien met the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy to
Burma, Razali Ismail; the Burmese Ambassador in London, Dr Kyaw Win; and
spoke to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the Burmese democracy
movement.

Mr O'Brien told Razali Ismael of his "concern over the deteriorating
economic, humanitarian and political situation in Burma. UK policy towards
the regime will have to toughen unless the Burmese authorities show real
commitment to reform". Mr O'Brien made clear the UK's readiness to support
any real process of change and underlined the UK's strong support for
Razali Ismael's effort to promote national reconciliation in Burma.

Mike O'Brien told Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that "the UK was unconvinced by the
Burmese regime's claims that the political process in Burma was moving
forward - this had led to severe disappointment around the world. A
process of reform in Burma would bring benefits to all sectors of Burmese
society, including the army. This could be achieved if Senior General Than
Shwe could demonstrate statesmanship".

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said "the National League for Democracy is seeking to
improve the economic, humanitarian and political situation in Burma. But,
as yet, there was no sign that the authorities were rising to meet this
challenge".

Mike O'Brien later met the Burmese Ambassador to the UK, Dr Kyaw Win to
drive home the extent of the "deep concern about the economic,
humanitarian and politic situation in Burma and the failure of the regime
to seriously engage with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi". He asked Dr Kyaw Win to
impress upon the Burmese authorities that "a genuine process of reform
would lead to improved links and cooperation. But we needed to see
tangible signs of progress if relations were not to worsen".

News Department, Downing Street (West), London SW1A 2AH
________

Agence France Presse   March 8, 2003
Myanmar criticises its inclusion on US religious freedom blacklist

YANGON: Myanmar's inclusion on a US blacklist for abuses of religious
freedoms is unfair, the military government said Saturday.

"The people of Myanmar together with its government are disappointed to
learn that the US secretary of state unfairly listed Myanmar for 'severe
violations of religious freedom'," it said in a statement. "Myanmar is a
land where the people of all faiths enjoy religious freedom and harmony in
practice," it said.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday designated China, Iran,
Iraq, Myanmar, North Korea and Sudan as countries of "particular concern"
on freedom of worship, keeping in place the possibility of punitive
sanctions against them.

In its statement the junta countered that reports after visits by a
journalist and two fact-finding missions had commented on the religious
and ethnic harmony in the predominantly Buddhist country.

With all the "religions conflicts and upheavals occurring in many places
around the world including the United States" it was "absolutely improper
and insensitive to accuse other nations or governments on the basis of
hearsay evidence," it said.

The US State Department's annual report on religious freedom worldwide
released in October said Myanmar's government maintained a tight grip on
religious activity, fearful of the Buddhist clergy's support of democracy.

The junta also discriminated against Muslims and Christians, even though
the right to religious freedom was enshrined in the constitution, the
report said.

More than 100 monks were imprisoned during the 1990s for supporting
democracy and human rights, while the government has tried to link itself
with Buddhism to boost its own legitimacy, the report said.
________

Ethical Corporation magazine   March 9 2003
British American Tobacco under human rights pressure

Human rights groups in Asia are pressing British American Tobacco (BAT) to
withdraw from a joint-venture partnership with the Myanmar government.
Australia's Union Aid Abroad organisation has said that BAT's involvement
comes against a backdrop of forced labour in Myanmar increasing.

The venture - Rothmans of Pall Mall Myanmar - is 40 percent owned by a
government-owned company. It became part of British American Tobacco four
years ago. BAT insists that it will retain its stake, and says that
contributing to the economy in the country helps to improve the protection
of human rights.

The controversy follows considerable publicity around the company's deputy
chairman Kenneth Clarke, whose letter expressing some disquiet around
Myanmar was released to the press by the Burma Campaign UK.


EDITORIALS
The Dallas Morning News   March 7, 2003
Repression of Women; Issue doesn't get notice it deserves

Women have been called the canaries in a coal mine. How they are treated
is a good indication of how toxic a society is. Think Afghanistan. Think
how women's repression, economic stagnation and terrorism are linked in
countries around the world. Then know that the U.S. and the international
community must more actively support the rights of women.

*In Myanmar, also known as Burma, when military rulers released Nobel
Prize winning activist Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest last year, human
rights flourished like day lilies - they were dead after a day. The State
Department recently confirmed the military has been using systematic rape
as a way to control ethnic minorities in Myanmar, one of the biggest
narcotics producers.

Some Burmese women attending the current meetings of the United Nations
Commission on the Status of Women have said that even a little foreign
attention to their country gets a large response. The State Department
must press Myanmar harder on rights issues. And the U.N. must investigate
rape reports and push for timely redress.

*An international treaty, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women, asks countries to work toward women's
equality in areas from education to employment. Ninety percent of U.N.
members joined. The United States signed but never ratified the treaty. A
Senate panel recommended ratification last year, but the full Senate never
acted. It's up to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard
Lugar, R-Ind., to take it up again. Tell the Senate to support the treaty
and thereby indicate America's commitment to women's rights.

Meanwhile, watch the canaries. Tomorrow is International Women's Day. But
unless women's rights get more attention all year, little progress will be
made.
________

The Nation   March 10, 2003
REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE: Fire of nationalism is burning out of control
BY KAVI CHONGKITTAVORN

In coming weeks, months and years there will be great uncertainty, turmoil
and surprises in Thailand's relations with neighbouring countries. It is
the sine qua non of the Thaksin government continuing to whip up Thai
nationalism and assert its can-do superiority.

In the past weeks, all of a sudden, Thailand has been under siege from
squabbling coming out of Cambodia, Burma and Laos, not to mention
international outrage about the senseless killing of drugs suspects and
innocents.

In Thai-Cambodian negotiations over compensation, conflict has reared its
ugly head. The government's tough approach to Cambodia since the torching
of the Thai Embassy and business premises has backfired. Even Cambodian
Defence Minister General Tea Banh, who is considered the closest friend of
Thailand, is lashing out at perceived unfair policies.

The continued ban on Thai-Cambodian border contacts will continue to
foment unease among the people who used to cross on a daily basis. In
response, the Cambodian government has retaliated and banned Cambodians
from entering Thailand. Such tit-for-tat responses, even on mundane
issues, could make Thai-Cambodian relations deteriorate further. His angry
radio address Saturday could also spin Thai-Cambodian relations out of
control.

Under the veneer of friendship, epitomised by leader-to-leader contacts
and rapport, Thai-Burmese relations are but a web of deceit. Thailand's
efforts to combat narcotics and amphetamine pills is currently taking a
high toll on the Thai people. Without active Burmese cooperation, which
Thailand claims it has, the drug inflows continue unabated.

Now the government is considering sealing off the border with Burma to
stop an increase in drug-smuggling spurred by high demand resulting from
the crackdown. The tension on Thai-Burmese border at Doi Lang has begun to
heat up again in recent days.

Since Thaksin came to power two years ago, Thai-Burmese ties have improved
superficially but without much change in real terms.

As cooked-up Thai-nationalist sentiment trickles down to the border areas,
it will be hard, if not possible, to contain.

Take the Thai-Lao border. Thai villagers living in Chiang Rai at Phu Chi
Fah ("Sky-pointing Hill") have staked a claim saying Laos is trying to
take back this popular tourist destination.

Nationalist feelings, in such a volatile time, can run amok. Unchecked,
they can permeate quickly to other areas including the Thai-Cambodian and
Thai-Malaysian borders. Thailand has yet to conclude any successful land
demarcation lines with its neighbours. In a boarder context, Thailand is
struggling to save its reputation from plunging into an abyss, if it has
not already.

The shoot-to-kill policy against 1,140 drug suspects since February 1 has
become the benchmark of Thailand's lawlessness, turning it into a pariah
state. None of the Thai bureaucrats and/or Foreign Ministry officials
dares to say anything against Thaksin.

Some of the diplomats from 52 countries who listened to the Foreign
Ministry's briefings last week on the extrajudicial killings expressed
serious concern in private about Thailand's bruised human-rights record.

To them, the most troubling aspect has been the attitude of impunity now
prevailing among the Thai leaders.

It is one thing for police officers to defend themselves in the anti-drug
campaign. But it is a different ball game altogether if the killing spree
is the result of state-sanctioned killing. The diplomats were not
convinced that only less than three dozen were considered extrajudicial
killings. Future investigations will confirm or deny this assertion. Any
delay in findings will only harm Thailand's reputation and damage
Thaksin's credibility.

As Thailand prepares for the second ministerial meeting of Asian
Cooperation Dialogue in June and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in
October, it will need all the support and understanding it can get from
countries near and far, Asian or non-Asian. But the Thaksin government
cannot expect the international community to keep silence for ever.

Vitriolic attacks on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
and the international community have added salt to the wounds. Indeed they
will have far-reaching implications on Thailand's international
endeavours, including its recent application to rejoin the Geneva-based
Committee on Human Rights.

After weeks of ambivalence, the government proceeded on this, hoping it
could quell criticism from abroad amid the controversy over the
shoot-to-kill policy. Thailand will need a miracle and an extraordinary
lobbying effort to win the three-year seat again.

In the longer run, the controversy will further delay the ratification of
the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute, which Thailand signed in
October 2000 under the Chuan government. The government repeatedly pledged
it would ratify the statute after completing amendment of domestic law.

If Thailand does ratify it, the families of victims of mad killings, or
civic groups acting on behalf of them, would certainly demand justice from
the International Court of Justice in The Hague. They have no hope for now
that perpetrators in their various guises will be punished.

Thaksin's brand of personalised "high-risk, high-yield" diplomacy towards
neighbouring countries, which he touted as better than that of his
predecessors, is unravelling.

Just look around at what has happened to our country. And this is only the
tip of the iceberg. Never in modern Thai history have we made such fools
of ourselves all at once and everywhere, at home, regionally and
internationally. When the government ignites nationalism and vanity, it is
playing with fire; when fire rages, it knows no bounds.


STATEMENTS
Parade Magazine (U.S. national syndicate)   March 9 2003
All we want is our freedom
BY Aung San Suu Kyi

Traveling across Burma, I ask people why they want democracy.  Very often
the answer is, "We just want to be free."  They do not have to elaborate. 
I understand what they mean.  They want to be able to live their lives
without the oppressive sense that their destiny is not theirs to shape. 
They do not want their daily existence to be ruled by the orders and whims
of those whose authority is based on might of arms.

When I ask young people what they mean by freedom, they say that they want
to be able to speak their minds.  They want to be able to voice their
discontent with an education system that does not challenge their
intellect.  They want to be able to discuss, criticize, argue; to be able
to gather in the thousands or even hundreds of thousands to sing, to
shout, to cheer.  Burma's young people want to play out the vitality of
their youth in its full spectrum of hope and wonder--its uncertainties,
its arrogance, its fancies, its brilliance, it rebelliousness, its
harshness, its tenderness.

What do the women of Burma want?  They tell me that they want to be free
from the tyranny of rising prices that make a household an exhausting
business.  They want to be free from anxiety that their husbands might be
penalized for independent thinking--or that their children might not be
given a chance in life.  Many -- too many --  long to be free from having
to sell their bodies to support their families.

The farmers and peasants I meet want to sow and plant as they wish, to be
able to market their products at will, unhampered by the coercion to sell
it to the state at cruelly low prices.  They struggle daily with the land.
 They do not want unreasonable decrees and incomprehensible authority to
add to their burden.

And what about those of us in the National League of Democracy?  Why are
we working so hard to free our country?  Is it not that we see democracy
through a haze of optimism.  We know  that democracy is a jewel that must
be polished constantly to maintain its luster.  To prevent it from being
damaged or stolen, democracy must be guarded and unremitting vigilance.

We are working so hard for freedom because only in a free Burma will we be
able to build a nation that respects and cherishes human dignity.

As I travel through my country, people often ask me how it feels to have
been imprisoned in my home --first for six years, then for 19 months.  How
could I stand the separation from family and friends?  It is ironic, I
say, that in an authoritarian state it is only the prisoner of conscience
who is genuinely free.  Yes, we have given up our right to a normal life. 
But we have stayed true to that most precious part of our humanity--our
conscience.

Here is what I want most for my people: I want the security of genuine
freedom and the freedom of genuine security.  I would like to see the
crippling fetters of fear removed, that the people of Burma may be able to
hold their heads high as free human beings.  I would like to see them
striving in unity and joy to build a safer, happier society for us all.  I
would especially like to see our younger people stride confidently into
the future, their richness of spirit soaring to meet all challenges.  I
would like to be able to say: "This is a nation worthy of all those who
loved it and lived and died for it--that we might be proud of our
heritage."  These are not dreams. These constitute the reality towards
which we have been working for years, firm in our faith that the will of
the people will ultimately triumph.
________

March 8 2003
Open letter to UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Prof.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro for International Women's Day

Only genuine peace in Burma can protect women from systematic rape

We are regional human rights organisations based in Thailand. We were
encouraged to see that a significant section of your December 2002 "Report
on the situation of human rights in Myanmar" was devoted to the issue of
sexual violence committed by the Burmese military. In particular, we were
pleased that you questioned the credibility of the investigations carried
out by the junta into this issue.

We welcome your calls for an independent assessment of the allegations of
sexual violence in the ethnic areas. This will commence the official
process of proving that the Burmese military regime has committed war
crimes and crimes against humanity in the form of sexual violence against
ethnic women.

However, we are seriously concerned about the increased climate of
insecurity for rape survivors and their communities inside Burma at this
time.

Since the publication of ¡§Licence to Rape,¡¨ local reports have revealed
that the Burmese military has repeatedly used methods of intimidation to
refute its complicity in acts of rape by military personnel.

„h In August and September 2002, during their own ¡§investigation¡¨ into
the report, they forced local Shan communities to deny that their troops
had committed any sexual violence.
„h In October 2002, prior to your visit to Burma, they threatened Shan
villagers in various areas not to testify against their troops. They also
sent out military intelligence officers to track down and interrogate rape
survivors.
„h Before the visit of the International Committee of the Red Cross to
Central Shan State in December 2002, and the visit of Amnesty
International to Burma in January 2003, local Shan populations were warned
not to speak ill of the military.
„h Most recently, in early February, local military officers threatened to
cut out the tongues and slit the throats of villagers who had dared speak
out to the ICRC during their recent visit to Shan State in January 2003.

While it is important to have and maintain international attention and
concern over the issue of sexual violence against Shan and other ethnic
women in Burma, it is clear that this is exposing the women survivors to
even greater danger and trauma, as no protection mechanism exists for
survivors and/or witnesses who dare to testify against the military.

Therefore, it is urgently needed for the UN and other bodies to set up
safe and secure mechanisms for conducting investigations inside Burma
which will protect the women from further risk. This can only be in the
context of genuine peace.

The report Licence to Rape proves how systematic sexual violence is being
used as a ¡§weapon of war¡¨ by the military regime to subjugate the ethnic
peoples. The regime¡¦s very survival at this time is reliant on the
continued exploitation of the natural resources of the ethnic lands. In
Shan State, it relies on significant income from timber, gems and drugs,
and, in the near future, hopes to benefit from the multi-billion dollar
hydro-electric dam on the Salween River to be built in southern Shan
State. Thus, the regime is continuing to build up its military strength in
the ethnic areas, and has authorized the use of any tactics, including
sexual violence, to keep the local populations under control.

The problem of systematic sexual violence is thus instrinsically linked to
the question of ethnic autonomy and rights, and the need to negotiate a
political solution to this issue.

If the regime wants to prove its sincerity about protecting its people
against abuse of power, including sexual violence, it must immediately
begin the national reconciliation process and implement democratic reform.

Thus, in order for an independent investigation into the sexual violence
committed by the Burmese military regime to take place, we urge you to -

Call for the regime to:
„h Immediately withdraw military troops from Shan state and implement a
nationwide ceasefire; and
„h Begin tripartite dialogue with the Burman and non-Burman democratic
opposition;  and

Call for the Royal Thai government to:

„h Immediately set up camps along Thai borders for the Shan women and
girls victims of sexual violence who have fled to Thailand and facilitate
the provision of supprt services for them.

Debbie Stothard
Coordinator, AltSEAN-Burma

Somchai Homlaor
Secretary-General, FORUM-ASIA

Mary Jane Real
Regional Coordinator, Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD)

Jharas Boonrak
Coordinator, Friends Without Borders

  Licence to Rape: Rangoon scrambles for signatures
http://www.shanland.org/shan/inside%20news/2002/Sept/license_to_rape.htm

2 Villagers instructed to vouch for official claim
http://www.shanland.org/shan/inside%20news/2002/Octo/villagers_instructed_to_vouch_fo.htm

3 Inside sources: Also go to www.shanland.org  or www.shanworld.com

4 Feb 11/2203: SWAN's Press release: Military gang-rape occurs as
International Red Cross visits Shan State Jan 6; 27 Feb 2003: "Honesty a
bad policy, say commanders" www.shanland.org


ANNOUNCEMENTS

WOMEN'S VOICES IN WAR ZONES: A WRITING CONTEST

Since Sept. 11, 2001 there has been constant public reference to concepts
of terror, war, and security, but little debate about their meaning, which
differs from place to place and person to person.  And the voices of women
and girls, both within the US and in the rest of the world, have been
conspicuously absent from the discussion.

To bring forward women's ideas on this subject, and enable them to be
heard in the public arena, Women's WORLD, a global free speech network of
feminist writers, is initiating a writing contest which will be
co-sponsored by the US weekly, The Nation.  The topic is Women's Voices in
War Zones.  While the attack on the World Trade Center and the looming war
in Iraq form the central drama in the US, in the West Bank, terror means
house demolitions, curfews, and random shootings; in Israel, it means
suicide bombings; in the Congo or Uganda, it means ethnic war and machete
mutilations by roving gangs; in Columbia or Chechnya, it means kidnappings
and paramilitary attacks.  The list could go on.   Meanwhile other kinds
of security crises particularly affecting women occur beneath the radar of
public consciousness, like the AIDS epidemic, the subsistence crisis, and
mushrooming domestic violence.

Eligibility:  All women are welcome to participate; age and citizenship
are no barrier.  We are particularly interested in seeing work from
writers, activists, students, and immigrants or refugees.

Rules:  Submissions must be previously unpublished personal essays of 1000
words or less, in English, that address one or more of the following
questions:

What does the term "war zone" mean to you?  Do you live in a war zone or
state of terror?  Is it personal or public?  Who is or are the aggressors?
 How do you resist?  What keeps you going?  Where does your hope or
security lie?  How do you imagine bringing this terror to an end?  Does
your government or society or family provide you with security or is it a
source of your unease?

We will read only one entry per person.  All entries must also include
either a one page vita with contact information, or a short biographical
statement with the writer's full name and contact information: mailing
address, phone or fax numbers, and email address.

Deadline:  Submissions must be received by 5 pm (Eastern Standard Time) on
May 1, 2003.   Winners will be announced in early June.

Prizes:  Prizes will be given to women in three categories: 1)  residents
of the US; 2) residents of other countries; 3) immigrants or refugees in
any country.  There will be three first prizes of $250 each, and three
second prizes of $100 each.  Winning essays will be announced to the
press; published on the The Nation  and the Women's WORLD websites; and
circulated to global email lists.

Copyright:  By sending us an essay, contestants automatically give Women's
WORLD the right to publish it in any form and to license others to do so,
whether or not the essay wins a prize.

Address:  Submissions can be sent by email to the following address:
ratna at wworld.org; by fax  to 212 947-2973.  Women' WORLD, 208 W. 30th St.,
#901, New York NY 10001.  Email submissions preferred.
________

FBCNY on March 13 will protest in honor of the lives of Phone Maw and Soe
Naing and in celebration of Burma Human Rights Day

Fifteen years have passed since Phone Maw and Soe Naing paid with their
lives so that people of Burma can hope for the dawn of democracy and human
rights. From their heroic sacrifice followed the downfall of single party
system, emergence of 8888 revolution and creation of democratic force that
had been disappeared under iron-grip rule of Ne Win. However, no matter
how many lives we have paid, revolution is far from end and our dreams are
far from reality.

It is our duty to continue to demand democracy and human rights, stolen by
the brutal dictators over 40 years ago. The one party, authoritarian
system has destroyed Burma and the highly oppressive regime has led the
country to the world's poorest nations list.

Today, 50 million citizens of Burma, are struggling for their survival.
The regime has ignored the legitimately elected democratic government,
failed to promote democracy and human rights, neglected increasing HIV and
AIDS; but continues to close down colleges/universities, practice forced
labor and relocations, allow drug-trafficking, and unlawfully retain
political prisoners. The atrocious results of power abuse by the generals
are endless.

Spiders...it is crucially important to realize that freedom is not free,
the deads have done their part and we, the livings, have to be responsible
for our part too. Therefore, in remembrance of those who gave their lives
and in celebration of Burma Human Rights Day, while peacefully
demonstrated against the illegitimate regime, lets rise again together
peacefully and proudly and show our strength to the armed State Peace and
Development Council by holding a Brave Fighting Peacock flag.

Where:
10 E 77th Street
New York, New York 10021

When:
Thursday, March 13, 2003.
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Contact info:
Zaw Win:  freeburma2001 at yahoo.com
Kathleen:  kdidomenico at hotmail.com
Moe Chan:  srfantasy at yahoo.com