BurmaNet News: October 3, 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

October 3, 2003 Issue # 2340

INSIDE BURMA
AFP: US sanctions on Myanmar forcing young women into prostitution – official
AFP:  Myanmar seeks SEAsian backing for its 'positive' steps towards
democracy
AFP: UN envoy's Myanmar visit prompts cautious hopes, analysts say
AP: U.N. envoy remains positive despite winning no assurance from Myanmar
rulers on Suu Kyi
DVB: BURMESE MON GROUP ADOPTS WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE ON ROAD MAP
BBC: US sanctions 'hit Burma hard'
Radio Australia: Aung San Suu Kyi willing to work with Burmese junta
Bloomberg: UN Envoy Razali Says Myanmar's Suu Kyi Is in `Good Spirits'
Irrawaddy: Razali’s Optimism Questioned
BBC: Burma seeks 'home grown democracy'

MONEY
AFP: Former Total executive in Myanmar questioned over pipeline labour:
source
PR Week: JJB SPORTS ISSUES WARNING ON BURMA LINKS TO SUPPLIERS

INTERNATIONAL
AFP: Japan's PM urges Myanmar counterpart to release Aung San Suu Kyi: report
Reuters: ASEAN Keen to Put Aside Suu Kyi Issue for Trade
Press Trust of India: US plans to impose new sanctions on Myanmar military
junta

REGIONAL
Bangkok Post: Visa ban to keep foreign activists out of country
Irrawaddy: Mae Tao Clinic in Fine Health
Irrawaddy:  Exiled Editors Get Together

EDITORIAL/STATEMENT
Human Rights: Thailand: Do Not Close Burmese Refugee Clinic
INSIDE BURMA

Agence France Presse, October 3, 2003
US sanctions on Myanmar forcing young women into prostitution – official

US sanctions imposed on Myanmar to press for democracy and the release of
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi are inflicting economic hardship and
mass job loss on its people, a US official said Thursday.

Reports from international groups in Myanmar show young women driven out
of the country's hard-hit garment sector are being forced into
prostitution, Matthew Daley, deputy assistant secretary of state for East
Asia and Pacific affairs, testified before subcommittees of the House
International Relations Committee.

Economic sanctions signed into law by President George W. Bush last July
include a ban on the import to the US of all Myanmar products, a freeze on
certain of its assets and a ban on the export of financial services to
Myanmar.

But the sanctions are proving to be a double-edged sword, said Daley.

"These measures immediately disrupted the economy in Burma," said Daley,
using Myanmar's former name.

"The garment sector was hardest hit and the (governing military) junta has
been unable or unwilling to assist affected businesses or their
employees," he said.

"The measures now in place send a clear signal to the junta to release
Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners and move down the path to
democracy," Daley said.

"Unfortunately, the sanctions also affect ordinary Burmese... Some
international NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have expressed concern
that the destruction of already troubled export industries, especially the
garment sector, will lead to significant unemployment and a spike in
economic migrants seeking illegal work inside Burma or over the border in
Thailand or China."

Within the first month of sanctions, said Daley, "we estimate that more
than 40,000 garment sector jobs were lost. In the long term, the garment
sector will likely lose 100,000 jobs, most of which are filled by young
women."

He said credible NGO reports indicated that some of the young women forced
into unemployment by US sanctions "have entered the flourishing illegal
sex and entertainment industries.

"Such effects are unfortunate, but Burma's greatest misfortune is the
junta's misrule and the suffering of all the Burmese people, every day,
under this military dictatorship."

Aung San Suu Kyi told visiting UN envoy Razali Ismail she was willing to
work with the ruling junta on a new national reconciliation process,
diplomats said Thursday.

But in meetings with the ruling generals, Razali said he was given no
indication of when the 58-year-old Nobel peace laureate or other members
of her National League for Democracy (NLD) will be freed from house
arrest.

______________________________________



Agence France Presse October 3, 2003
Myanmar seeks SEAsian backing for its 'positive' steps towards democracy
By Ian Timberlake

Myanmar on Friday sought support from fellow Southeast Asian states for
its "positive developments" towards democratisation but made no mention of
detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to senior officials
preparing for a regional summit.

They said Myanmar's top official Thaung Tun had told them Prime Minister
Khin Nyunt would go ahead with plans to attend next week's Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, even though he appears unlikely to
offer any concessions on Aung San Suu Kyi.

The officials were meeting on the resort island of Bali to prepare for an
October 7-8 meeting intended to chart a new course for the 10-nation
grouping. But host Indonesia fears the summit could be undermined by the
furore over the continued detention of the pro-democracy leader.

Indonesia has been seeking her release before the summit and recently sent
its special envoy Ali Alatas to Myanmar. He was unable to meet the
detained opposition leader but said Myanmar's military rulers told him
they would carefully consider Indonesia's request.

Thaung Tun told fellow officials about the "positive developments" but did
not specifically mention Aung San Suu Kyi, said Sundram Pushpanathan,
ASEAN's head of external relations.

Thaung Tun said that "the ASEAN family should know about this,"
Pushpanathan told AFP.

Senior officials from the other member countries welcomed the positive
developments, he said.

Another official at the meeting, who declined to be identified, also said
Thaung Tun did not mention Aung San Suu Kyi in his five-minute address.
"Everybody expressed appreciation over the positive developments," he
said.

Thaung Tun declined to say what he had told fellow officials.

"The international community must realise that there are many positive and
constructive developments that are going on in Myanmar now," he told AFP.

Asked about international pressure for the opposition leader's release
from house arrest, he said: "They should not be looking at the hole in the
doughnut, they should look at the surrounding areas."

The opposition leader was held at a secret location for nearly four months
after she was taken into custody May 30 in a crackdown which saw the
entire leadership of her opposition party placed in detention.

The crackdown sparked fury in the West and in June even ASEAN called for
her release -- breaking a long tradition of non-interference in each
other's affairs.

Aung San Suu Kyi was admitted to hospital on September 17 for major
gynaecological surgery and last week placed under house arrest for the
third time.

It was unclear how hard foreign ministers and leaders would press Myanmar
next week. But several senior officials accepted Myanmar's assertion that
house arrest, rather than detention in an unknown location, is a step
forward.

Top Indonesian foreign ministry official Makarim Wibisono said Thaung Tun
told them the democratisation process started with the appointment of Khin
Nyunt as prime minister.

Asked whether the official had promised that Aung San Suu Kyi would be
freed before the summit, Wibisono replied: "He did not say about that. He
only spoke about the democratisation process and the road map (to
democracy)."

He said ministers and leaders would continue discussions and "I can't
predict what the leaders will say."

Wibisono added: "Before, she was under detention, now she is under house
arrest. It is a progressive step."

Indonesia wants the summit to focus on its proposal for an ASEAN Security
Community -- a way to handle security matters and disputes in an ASEAN
framework rather than bilaterally or through international forums such as
the International Court of Justice.

The proposal is part of a document known as Bali Concord II, which will
mark a major change for the regional grouping founded in 1967 as an
inter-governmental organization and not a community of regional states.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

______________________________________


Agence France Presse, October 3, 2003
UN envoy's Myanmar visit prompts cautious hopes, analysts say
By Samantha Brown

UN special envoy Razali Ismail's latest mission to Myanmar has prompted
cautious hopes of progress in the military-ruled state's long awaited
return to democracy, analysts said Friday.

Razali departed Myanmar Thursday after a three-day visit focused chiefly
on reviving stalled talks between the ruling generals and opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest this week after four months
of detention at a secret location. Analysts said Razali's meetings with
the government and the opposition leader had inspired hope for the
"roadmap" plan unveiled by Prime Minister Khin Nyunt in August.

"Right now the SPDC (ruling State Peace and Development Council) has
offered something in a positive direction and we just have to wait and see
if they will follow through," said Chayachoke Chulasiriwongs from
Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

The first step under the roadmap is the setting up of a national
convention to draft a new constitution. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League
for Democracy (NLD) quit an earlier convention in 1996, declaring it
unrepresentative.

But during her 90-minute meeting with Razali, the Nobel peace laureate
said she was willing to work with the junta on the new reconciliation
process, diplomats briefed by Razali said Thursday.

"This is good, this is great," Chayachoke said, noting however that the
general had still to indicate when any of the proposed steps might happen.

Further steps in the roadmap include the actual drafting of the new
constitution, its submission to a referendum, national elections, the
convening of a new parliament and the formation of an elected government.

Diplomats in Yangon said Razali's mission was a crucial if small first
step towards reviving talks that collapsed with the arrest of Aung San Suu
Kyi on May 30 following violent attacks on her supporters by a
junta-backed mob.

"Razali's visit was important in that, although it is difficult to obtain
concrete answers, it was important for him to propose a number of things.
It was a first small step that could show the direction of the roadmap,"
one Western diplomat told AFP.

"Everyone understands that our Myanmar friends do not answer straight
away. But they listen, and this is real progress," he said.

The SPDC also failed to give Razali any sign of when there may be a
lifting of restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar's deputy foreign minister Khin Maung Win on Friday echoed previous
statements from the junta on the issue.

"Unfortunately we have had some problems in the past, so when the
situation returns to normal, then we can think of the release," he told
the BBC.

The minister also said the handling of the visit showed Myanmar's
"intention to co-operate with the UN... The process that has begun with
the announcement of the seven-step roadmap, it's being implemented," he
reportedly said.

Aung San Suu Kyi's detention is expected to overshadow next week's
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Bali, which
Myanmar's state-run press said Friday that Khin Nyunt would attend.

"One can continue to hope that a small step is taken in Bali, that an
announcement can be made," the Western diplomat said.

Chulalongkorn's Chayachoke however said that Razali's visits were the only
chance the international community had of pushing for democratic reform
that would not be rejected outright by the junta, referring to pressure
from Thailand and ASEAN.

"The UN is the best means of achieving any fruitful result. We will have
to allow Razali to go on working," he said.

______________________________________


Associated Press, October 3, 2003
U.N. envoy remains positive despite winning no assurance from Myanmar
rulers on Suu Kyi
By Jasbant Singh

A U.N. envoy said Friday he remained optimistic about achieving political
reform in Myanmar, despite failing to secure assurances from the military
government that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi would be released.

Razali Ismail, a former Malaysian diplomat, held separate talks with Suu
Kyi and Prime Minister Khin Nyunt during a three-day visit to Myanmar this
week. He pressed the junta to free Suu Kyi from house arrest and push
forward with a so-called "road map" to democracy.

On his return to Malaysia Friday, Razali said he also told government
officials that her National League for Democracy should be allowed to take
part in the planned National Convention, which is part of the seven-point
"road map" outlining a path to national elections and a new government.
The military junta has not provided a timetable.

"I ... stressed the need to get all the political parties, including the
NLD, to be allowed to work together with the government in preparing for
the National Convention and other steps related to the road map," Razali
told The Associated Press at Kuala Lumpur's airport.

"We are talking about (Suu Kyi's) release and getting (her) involved in
efforts to do with preparing for the convention and national
reconciliation," he said.

The government gave no assurances on either count, he said.

Nevertheless, Razali described his trip as "useful" and said he believed
Khin Nyunt "is trying very hard to move the national reconciliation
process" (forward).

Razali said he was optimistic, "but you don't expect dramatic results. All
my visits cannot be measured on the basis of dramatic results. It is a
step-by-step approach."

Suu Kyi, 58, has been detained since a violent clash May 30 between
members of her entourage and a government-backed mob. There was also a
general crackdown on her party.

She underwent gynecological surgery last week, and has been under house
arrest since leaving the hospital. She had previously been held at an
unknown location since the unrest.

Myanmar's military seized power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy
uprising. It held elections in 1990, but refused to recognize the victory
of the NLD.

Veteran Malaysian opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said the failure of
Razali's visit to secure Suu Kyi's immediate release was an "open rebuff"
to international opinion, and urged the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations to shut Myanmar out of its leaders' summit in Indonesia next week.

"The latest futile and fruitless Razali visit to Burma must bestir ASEAN
to resolute action to demonstrate its commitment not to allow Myanmar to
continue to hamper and sully ASEAN's international reputation and standing
- by suspending Myanmar's participation at the ASEAN Bali summit," Lim
said in a statement.

______________________________________


Democratic Voice of Burma, October 3, 2003
BURMESE MON GROUP ADOPTS WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE ON ROAD MAP

Although the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) has declared to
revive the National Convention and has been holding mass rallies in
support of the prime minister's seven-point road map at various places,
the New Mon State Party (NMSP) that has signed a cease-fire agreement with
the SPDC told DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) that the NMSP would not
accept any National Convention without genuine delegates. NMSP claimed,
rather than convening a farce National Convention unacceptable to the
majority, the SPDC should make attempts for the emergence of tripartite
talks accepted by everybody including the United Nations. This is a report
on the NMSP's views filed by DVB correspondent Htet Aung Kyaw who visited
the NMSP-controlled areas.

(Htet Aung Kyaw) (Passage omitted) When asked about political developments
after inquiring about administrative and military matters, NMSP
spokesperson Nai Banyar Mon said the following:

(Nai Banyar Mon) The main reason why the NMSP entered into a cease-fire
agreement with the military government is to solve our political problems
by political means. Our party has also made some demands but so far we
have not received any practical or concrete response. It is the belief of
our party that the prevailing political problem could only be solved by
holding a tripartite dialogue which includes all the political forces and
has already been accepted by the United Nations.

(Htet Aung Kyaw) That was Nai Banyar Mon. When asked whether the NMSP
would attend a National Convention convened in accord with the seven-point
road map of the new SPDC prime minister, Gen Khin Nyunt, if invited, Nai
Banyar Mon gave the following response:

(Nai Banyar Mon) It would be very difficult for our party to accept the
invitation to attend the National Convention if it is similar to the
previous one. The delegates should be genuinely chosen, they should be
freely selected by their own group, and they should have the right to
discuss freely at the National Convention. Only then would a reasonable
outcome emerge for our country to solve all its prevailing problems. We
have discovered that the road map of the new prime minister, Gen Khin
Nyunt, has provided no definite details. In regard to this condition, our
delegates were not included in the previous National Convention and the
current road map has no definite provisions. That being the case, we would
like to say that our party is adopting a wait-and-see attitude regarding
the new National Convention.

______________________________________


BBC, October 3, 2003
US sanctions 'hit Burma hard'
By Larry Jagan

The Burmese economy has already begun to feel the effects of United States
sanctions, according to a diplomat in Washington.

In a congressional committee report, US deputy assistant secretary of
state Matthew Daley said the sanctions - imposed in late July - had
immediately disrupted Burma's industry.

He added that the country's military rulers had been unable or unwilling
to help the affected businesses.

The country's garment industry was hardest hit, according to Mr Daley, and
more than 40,000 people may have been thrown out of work, many of them
ending up in the sex industry.

Beleaguered economy

Businessmen in Rangoon say the economy began to dip badly within days of
the sanctions coming into effect.

Import and export industries, already hard hit by licensing problems,
almost ground to a complete stop overnight. Prices of imported goods
skyrocketed.

Even the newspaper and magazine industry was hard hit. The price of
newsprint increased by almost 50% within the first month that the
sanctions were implemented, the editor of the Myanmar Times told the BBC.
But it was the garment and textile industry that were worst affected.

More than 100 of the small factories around the outskirts of Rangoon have
closed in the last two months, according to Burmese businessmen.
As a result, they say, more than 80,000 workers - mainly young women -
have been thrown out of work.

International development organisations working in Burma say that many of
the young women who found themselves jobless have entered the illegal sex
and entertainment industries.

There has certainly been an increase in the number of prostitutes in
Rangoon seeking customers in the city's hotels, bars and karaoke clubs.
There has also been a visible increase in the number of working women on
the streets of the city after dark.

The government has acknowledged that the US sanctions have deprived
thousands of Burmese workers of a regular source of income.
But the authorities do not admit that many of them may have ended up
working on the streets.

Government officials say there are plans to generate alternative
employment for those who have been made unemployed, but nothing has been
put into effect as yet.

______________________________________


Radio Australia, October 3, 2003
Aung San Suu Kyi willing to work with Burmese junta

Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says she is willing to work
with the military junta on a new reconciliation process.

UN special envoy, Razali Ismail, told foreign diplomats just before
leaving Rangoon after a three day visit, that Ms Suu Kyi is willing to
work with Prime Minister Khin Nyunt.

Last month the Prime Minister unveiled a seven-point "roadmap" to
democracy which includes free and fair elections to be held under a new
constitution.

During his trip Mr Razali urged the junta, the democratic opposition and
ethnic political parties to revive the reform process by taking part in
the first step - a national convention to draft a new constitution.

But the military government did not give the UN envoy any indication of
how the convention would be established or when it would convene.

Meanwhile, Ms Suu Kyi remains under house arrest, recovering from surgery.

She had previously been detained for three months at an undisclosed location.

She was arrested by the ruling military on May 30, when violence broke out
following an attack on her convoy by a pro-government mob in Burma's
north.

______________________________________


Bloomberg, October 3, 2003
UN Envoy Razali Says Myanmar's Suu Kyi Is in `Good Spirits'

Razali Ismail, the United Nations special envoy to Myanmar, found detained
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be ``well and in good spirits''
during his visit to the country earlier this week, the UN said.
Razali met Suu Kyi in Myanmar's capital, Yangon, on Wednesday and said she
is recovering well from surgery last month, the UN said in a statement on
its Web site.

His talks with Myanmar's military leaders failed to produce any response
to international demands for the 58-year-old opposition leader to be
released immediately.

Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, has been
detained since May 30. She was transferred to her home in Yangon under
house arrest after undergoing gynecological surgery. Razali ended his
visit by calling on the military that has ruled the country formerly known
as Burma for 41 years to release opposition leaders and restart a process
toward democracy.

Razali said in talks with Myanmar's leaders, including Prime Minister
General Khin Nyunt, the junta should take ``timely steps'' to include all
parties in discussions on forming a national convention that will begin a
process of returning the country of 42 million people to democracy, the UN
said.

Razali ``hopes that an understanding will emerge between the government
and Daw Aung Suu Kyi shortly so that their dialogue on the country's
democratic transition may resume,'' Fred Eckhard, a UN spokesman, said
according to the UN statement.

Suu Kyi is willing to work with the junta on a new national reconciliation
process, Agence France-Presse said yesterday citing an unidentified
Western diplomat, who attended a briefing in Yangon given by Razali. The
opposition leader considers there can be a working relationship with Khin
Nyunt, AFP cited the diplomat as saying.

National Convention

Khin Nyunt, who took over as prime minister in August, says the government
will support holding a national convention to draw up a constitution
paving the way for new elections. He didn't give a timetable for holding
the convention.

The military government considers it ``too early'' to return the country
to democracy, AFP cited Labor Minister Tin Win as saying last month.
The National League for Democracy won elections in 1990 before the result
was nullified by the military. Suu Kyi, the winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace
Prize, has spent most of the past decade under house arrest.

______________________________________

Irrawaddy, October 3, 2003
Razali’s Optimism Questioned

UN Special Envoy to Burma Razali Ismail wrapped-up his three-day visit to
Rangoon yesterday, but opposition sources inside the country worry he may
be misrepresenting Aung San Suu Kyi’s position on resolving Burma’s
political conflict.

News services reported yesterday that Razali told diplomats in Rangoon
that the opposition leader could support Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt and
his recently proposed seven-step "road map" for political progress and new
elections. Some, however, are unconvinced.

"I think Razali is spinning Suu Kyi’s words," charges an elected Member of
Parliament of the National League for Democracy (NLD) from Upper Burma. "I
don’t think [Suu Kyi] will ignore the 1990 election results, and UN
resolutions have also recognized the election outcome." The NLD won the
1990 elections by an overwhelming margin, but the generals have refused to
honor the outcome.

Other NLD officials share his suspicions, noting that while Suu Kyi is
taking a flexible approach in order to jumpstart political dialogue
between the opposition and the government, she would never make any
drastic policy changes without consulting other party leaders.

"Instead of succeeding in securing Suu Kyi’s release, as is his mission,
Razali has tried to sell the junta’s road map to us," explains Cin Sian
Thang, an ethnic Zomi leader who met Razali on Wednesday. "Even when
Razali was advertising the military government’s road map, the generals
did not seem interested."

An NLD senior official in Rangoon who declined to be named, said: "I think
he wants to be seen as a successful diplomat after each trip he makes [to
Burma]. But he should not forget that he is dealing with the generals, who
never keep their words."

According to diplomatic sources in the capital, the UN envoy said that Suu
Kyi distrusts other members of the junta and that she doubts if Khin Nyunt
has a full mandate to negotiate with the opposition.

"What Razali should do is to secure Suu Kyi’s release so that she can
speak for herself," says a political analyst in Rangoon.

Burmese reporters were also disappointed with Razali. "He was very
undiplomatic in the way he dealt with the local press," says a journalist
in Rangoon. "He didn’t disclose anything to us, but only made his spin
with the diplomats."

______________________________________

BBC, October 3, 2003
Burma seeks 'home grown democracy'

The Burmese military government says it is in direct contact with all
political parties in the country as part of a "home grown" process to
restore democracy.

Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Mong Win told the BBC's World Today programme
that the authorities were also in touch with detained pro-democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi.

On Thursday, the UN special envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, completed a two
day visit to the country, without securing her release, or breaking the
political deadlock between the government and opposition.

However Mr Mong Win said Mr Razali did not leave empty-handed as the visit
showed "Burma's intention to co-operate with the UN".

"The process that has begun with the announcement of the seven-step
roadmap, it's being implemented," he said on Friday.

"The roadmap is the future of the country. It is the road to the
establishment of a democratic society in the country. Our position has
always been that the process must be home-grown.

"While, we do not want to belittle the role of Mr Razali, but allow me to
say that we do have contacts with all the major parties."

Disappointment

Mr Mong Win said that it was because of the authorities contact with Aung
San Suu Kyi that they were able to help when she needed medical treatment
last month.

Asked when the opposition leader would be released from house arrest, he
said: "Unfortunately we have had some problems in the past, so when the
situation returns to normal, then we can think of the release."

Mr Razali had spent three days in Rangoon meeting military leader General
Than Shwe. He also met Prime Minister Khin Nyunt and Ms Suu Kyi, who is
currently under house arrest outside Rangoon.

He was the first outsider to meet her since she left hospital last week
following a major gynaecological operation.

But despite Mr Razali's efforts, he was unable to get political talks
started between the military junta and Ms Suu Kyi.

He is said to be disappointed at the lack of progress as he had wanted to
get more details and a time frame for democracy plans that the junta
announced in August which could form the basis of political
reconciliation.

______________________________________


MONEY

Agence France Presse, October 3, 2003
Former Total executive in Myanmar questioned over pipeline labour: source

The former director of operations in Myanamar of French oil company Total
has been questioned about the alleged use of forced labour in Myanmar to
build a pipeline in the 1990s, a source close to the matter said.

The executive, Herve Madeo, who directed the Total subsidiary in Myanmar
from 1992-1999, was questioned on Thursday by an investigating magistrate
for about two hours at Nanterre in the western suburbs of Paris, the
source said.

He was the first Total executive to be questioned by French legal
officials investigating the allegations.

Madeo had been questioned as a so-called "assisted witness" giving him a
status between that of an ordinary witness and that of someone who might
be charged.

A lawyer for Madeo, Jean Veil, told AFP that anonymous plaintiffs had made
"unfounded" allegations.

He said: "As is the case for non-governmental organisations, industrial
and financial groups and notably Total do more for local populations by
being present in some countries such as Burma (Myanmar) than do those who
rant behind television cameras."

The questioning was the result of an investigation opened on October 9,
2001 following a complaint by two Myanmar nationals who said that they had
been forced to work on the Yadana gas pipeline.

The pipeline, which carries liquefied gas from the Andaman sea off the
south east of Myanmar to Thailand, was built from 1994 by a consortium of
which Total was a member.

From the start of construction Total was accused by human rights activists
and by political opposition to the military authorities in Myanmar of
having used forced labour.

Total has consistently denied these allegations.

______________________________________


PR Week, October 3, 2003
JJB SPORTS ISSUES WARNING ON BURMA LINKS TO SUPPLIERS
By Peter Simpson

The Burma Campaign UK has claimed another scalp during its drive to expose
British companies dealing with the South East Asian nation.

JJB Sports CEO Tom Knight has sent a stern letter to all its suppliers
saying he would not order any more goods made in Burma.

His dispatch was sent after members of the campaign found Burma-made Kappa
clothes on sale at JJB's flagship store in London.

'This was despite previous assurances by JJB that it did not stock goods
made in the country,' said Burma Campaign media officer Mark Farmaner.

In response, the pressure group launched a boycott of JBB and Italian
sportswear label Kappa - prompting Knight to write to his suppliers that
his company would not order any more goods 'manufactured in Burma or under
any regime considered to be oppressive'.

'JBB deserve credit for acting swiftly. We hope Kappa withdraw,' said
Farmaner.

WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell recently severed all ties with
Burma, after the firm's inclusion on the campaign's 'dirty list' (PRWeek,
22 August).

British American Tobacco is next on the campaign's hit list, said Farmaner.

'We have something big in store for BAT, with various stunts planned in
various countries,' he added.

______________________________________

INTERNATIONAL

Agence France Presse, October 3, 2003
Japan's PM urges Myanmar counterpart to release Aung San Suu Kyi: report

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi plans to urge Myanmar to release
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi through a direct request to his
counterpart Khin Nyunt, a report said Friday.

Koizumi will seek to meet Khin Nyunt on the sidelines of meetings of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners
in Bali, Indonesia, next Tuesday and Wednesday, the Kyodo news agency
said.

But Kyodo, quoting a Japanese Foreign Ministry official, said no formal
meeting between the two leaders has been set.

If realised, it would be the first time the Japanese premier has delivered
such a message to a Myanmar leader since the pro-democracy Nobel Peace
Prize laureate was detained on May 30, Kyodo said.

Japan, Myanmar's biggest donor nation, suspended new official development
assistance to the country in July although it has avoided imposing
economic sanctions as the United States and the European Union did.

Aung San Suu Kyi and several members of her National League for Democracy
(NLD) have been detained since a violent clash between her supporters and
pro-junta demonstrators May 30 in northern Myanmar.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in June urged her Myanmar
counterpart Win Aung in a phone call to release Aung San Suu Kyi and later
directly on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Phnom Penh.

She also sent Senior Vice Foreign Minister Tetsuro Yano to Yangon in a bid
to appeal for the democracy leader's release.

______________________________________


Reuters, October 3, 2003
ASEAN Keen to Put Aside Suu Kyi Issue for Trade
By Achmad Sukarsono

BALI, Indonesia (Reuters) - Senior officials preparing for a summit of
Southeast Asian leaders appeared keen Friday to put the issue of freedom
for Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the back burner while
they focused on boosting trade.

Officials of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had made
progress in drafting their Bali Concord 2 agreement on creating a security
and economic community for a region increasingly challenged by a resurgent
China, Indonesian diplomat and meeting chairman Makarim Wibisono told
reporters.

With next week's two-day summit taking place on the bomb-scarred
Indonesian island of Bali, terrorism was certain to be at the top of the
agenda, he said, but did not give details.

He sidestepped the issue of whether the group, seen for years as little
more than a talking shop, would again break with a fundamental ASEAN
principle of non-interference in each other's affairs by demanding the
release of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi.

"Officials from Myanmar have delivered a report on what has happened in
Myanmar," he said of the day's meetings of officials of the 10 member
nations.

"They said Aung San Suu Kyi is no longer detained although she is now
under house arrest. She is no longer incarcerated and this is part of the
democratization process outlined in the roadmap," he said, referring to a
plan proposed by Thailand for Myanmar's military junta to loosen its grip
on power.

ASEAN broke with its traditions at a meeting of foreign ministers in
Cambodia this year when nine members demanded Suu Kyi's release in an
unprecedented demonstration of interference in the domestic affairs of one
of their number.

However, it was unclear whether Suu Kyi's freedom would dominate the
leaders' summit, with Wibisono saying no officials had put questions to
Myanmar delegates over Suu Kyi's circumstances and stressing ASEAN
operated on the basis of consensus.

CROSS BRIDGE LATER

Asked what the leaders would do if Suu Kyi, detained on May 30, had not
been freed by the time they begin their two-day meeting Tuesday, he said:
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

ASEAN officials have said the situation in Myanmar is becoming an
increasing embarrassment for the group in its dealings on the
international stage and have repeatedly requested the military rulers
release her.

However, officials were keen to stress that the disparate group that
includes such prosperous economies as Singapore as well as tiny,
underdeveloped Laos, would try to focus on economic integration at this
summit with ratification of the Bali Concord 2 enshrining commitment to
creating a single market.

The action plan for an ASEAN Economic Community, a brainchild of wealthier
members such as Singapore and Thailand, had been completed.

"The ASEAN Economic Community aims to create a big single market and an
attractive and competitive region with economic potential," he said,
adding members had chosen 11 sectors to put on a fast track toward free
trade, including electronics and wood-based industries.

Wibisono declined to give details of how the fast-tracking would work.
However, a report commissioned by ASEAN from business consultants McKinsey
has highlighted lack of integration, non-tariff barriers and disparate
policies that favor the competitiveness of single nations at the expense
of the entire group as among problems facing the bloc.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Laos,
Cambodia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand.

______________________________________


Press Trust of India, October 3, 2003
US plans to impose new sanctions on Myanmar military junta

The United States is planning to "intensify pressure" on the ruling
military junta in Myanmar by way of imposing new sanctions to pave way for
democracy, US officials said on Friday.

Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and
Labour, Lorne W Craner said, "We have taken the lead in instituting new
sanctions against the regime."

Craner was preparing for a joint hearing of the House International
Relations Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Non-proliferation and
Human Rights.

"Our efforts also have succeeded in galvanising members of the
international community to join us -- some publicly and others privately
-- in pressuring the regime," he added.

Craner reiterated the Bush administration's "unwavering commitment" to
support the long-suffering people of Myanmar.

"The junta calling itself the State Peace and Development Council rules
through fear and brutality with complete disregard for the rule of law,
human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the hopes and welfare of the
people," Craner said.

______________________________________

REGIONAL

Bangkok Post, October 3, 2003
Visa ban to keep foreign activists out of country
By Wassayos Ngamkham

Police will revoke the visas of foreign activists planning to visit
Thailand to organise activities during the Apec summit, a high-level
police source said yesterday.

The source said intelligence reports indicated that some international
NGOs would support Thai ones to stage protest rallies against the US,
Burmese and Chinese governments.

Police were worried some groups hostile to the United States might try to
exploit such activities to cause trouble during the Oct 20-21 summit, he
said.

The Immigration Act might be invoked to revoke Thai visas held by foreign
activists who could pose a threat to the national security.

Members of the Falungong spiritual movement, outlawed in China, would be
the first to face the visa ban, the source said.

Several NGOs already had plans to protest against the US, Burmese and
Chinese governments and they had the right to do so under the
constitution, he said.

A number of local NGOs had grouped together under the name of ``Committee
Against US Military Bases in Thailand'', including Forum Asia, the
Confederation for Democracy, Labour Democracy Group, Focus Group and the
Institute for Asian Culture Development.

Their planned activities included an Oct 12 seminar on ``The Danger of
Imperialism and Free Market Mechanisms'' to be run by Chulalongkorn
University's political scientist Giles Ungpakorn; Forum Asia's campaign
against violence caused by economic conflicts under capitalism on Oct 18,
and an anti-war campaign led by Mr Giles on Oct 19, the source said.

There also were groups that would rally against the Burmese government,
including Forum Asia, Amnesty Thailand and Campaign for Democracy in
Burma.

______________________________________


Irrawaddy, October 3, 2003
Mae Tao Clinic in Fine Health
By Aung Su Shin/Mae Sot
October 03, 2003—Despite recent reports, Dr Cynthia Maung does not believe
she or the staff members at the Mae Tao Clinic she founded will deported
to Burma.

"I am not worried because the Thai health department recognizes my work
and its effectiveness," said Dr Cynthia. "Since we are trying for more
cooperation, I believe the Thai authorities will give the situation
serious consideration."

Derek Tachan, chief of the Tak provincial employment office, met Dr
Cynthia at Mae Tao on Monday to explain the new labor registration
restrictions, which allow permits to be granted only to those employed in
hard labor.

Thai-based NGOs and news outlets—including international cable television
networks—consequently published reports stating that Dr Cynthia and her
staff were to be deported because their permits had expired and that they
would not be eligible for permits under the new regulations.

Kanjana Thornton, one of the clinic’s nurses, said reports had created a
misunderstanding between Thai officials and the Mae Tao Clinic. She said
Forum-Asia, the NGO which issued a statement earlier this week apologized
to the clinic staff and would forward a new statement to explain their
error soon.

"To earn money from the donors, the NGOs are creating news," said a Thai
reporter based in Mae Sot. "They should have contacted Dr Cynthia to
confirm the report."

Dr Cynthia said she understood the concern of the NGOs and news outlets.
"They know me and my health workers are considered rebels by Burmese
junta," she said.

Kanjana said she and Dr Cynthia apologized to the labor officer about the
incorrect reports and any misunderstanding that resulted. The clinic staff
is currently waiting for the Thai government’s reply to their request for
assistance.

______________________________________

Irrawaddy, October 3, 2003
Exiled Editors Get Together
By Kyaw Zwa Moe

Editors from 12 Burmese exile media groups discussed ways to improve their
publications at a meeting this week in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The five-day
conference, which ended Friday, was the first time a large assembly of
Thai-based Burmese editors had gathered together.

The meeting helped establish closer links among publications, said Than
Lwin Htun, an advisor from the US-based organization that arranged the
meeting.

"Before, editors didn’t even have a chance to meet each other since they
are based in separate areas," he added.

Aung Naing, editor of the news service, Network Media Group, explained,
"We learned our weaknesses so we will be able to improve our work in the
future."

Many Burmese and ethnic groups founded media outlets after fleeing to
Thailand following the 1988 military crackdown in Burma.

Among those that attended the Chiang Mai meeting were the Burmese-language
newspaper New Vision, monthly journals New Era and Karen Information
Center News, and the Shan Herald Agency for News, which publishes news in
Shan, Burmese, English and Thai.
______________________________________


EDITORIAL/STATEMENT

Human Rights, October 3, 2003
Thailand: Do Not Close Burmese Refugee Clinic

(New York, October 3, 2003)—The Thai government should not force a
renowned health clinic on the Thai-Burma border to close or deport its
predominantly ethnic Karen staff to Burma where they could face
persecution, Human Rights Watch said today. In an apparent attempt to
appease the military government in Burma, Thai authorities on September 29
ordered Dr. Cynthia Maung and her staff of more than 100 medics and
teachers at the Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot to prepare for deportation.

"If deported to Burma, Dr. Cynthia and her staff — most of whom are ethnic
Karens — would face a serious risk of arbitrary detention and mistreatment
by Burma’s brutal military government"

Brad AdamsExecutive Director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division

Dr. Cynthia runs a desperately needed humanitarian medical clinic along
the Thai-Burma border. Last year, she was honored with the prestigious
Ramon Magsaysay Award, created and funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund
of New York, for community leadership. Medics and teachers at the clinic
had work permits that expired on September 25 after Thailand´s cabinet
passed a resolution in August prohibiting more than 12,000 alien workers
from renewing their work permits.

“If deported to Burma, Dr. Cynthia and her staff—most of whom are ethnic
Karens—would face a serious risk of arbitrary detention and mistreatment
by Burma´s brutal military government,” said Brad Adams, executive
director of Human Rights Watch´s Asia Division.

Thailand is prohibited under customary international law from returning
persons to a country where they would face persecution (refoulement).
Human Rights Watch expressed concern that the ruling State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC) in Burma would single out Dr. Cynthia and Mae
Tao Clinic workers because they provide health and other services to
individuals fleeing persecution in Burma. The SPDC has in the past called
Dr. Cynthia and her staff “absconders, insurgents and terrorists.”

Human Rights Watch called on Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to put
humanitarian and human rights concerns above apparent efforts to appease a
government in Rangoon that has ruled Burma by force for over 40 years.

“Thailand should support the efforts of those trying to help victims of
the military government in Burma rather than put them in danger or
threaten them with legal sanctions,” said Adams. “Why is the Thai
government threatening to crack down on vulnerable humanitarian workers
who have done nothing more than help sick people?”

In 1988, Dr. Cynthia founded the Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot in northwestern
Thailand, after she escaped from Burma. Since then, the clinic has tended
to the medical needs of Burmese refugees living in Thailand. Without the
clinic, many people in the area would have no access to medical care. The
clinic treats as many as 150 patients each day. Clinic doctors also train
volunteer “backpack medics,” who cross the border to provide vital medical
assistance to villagers in Burma.

“Closing the Mae Tao Clinic would also threaten its patients´ right to
health,” said Adams. “It is highly unlikely that any other agency would
offer health services to this population if the clinic is closed.”

Thailand is a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, which states that everyone has a right to the highest
attainable standard of health. Forcing the clinic to close without
providing an alternative source of medical care would violate Thailand´s
obligations under the treaty.

Human Rights Watch and other organizations have reported widespread abuses
by the Burmese military, particularly in border areas where non-Burman
ethnic groups predominate. Villages are often destroyed, and the residents
forced to relocate. The army regularly requires villagers to provide
unpaid labor, such as in building roads or working as porters for
soldiers. Residents of Burma´s seven ethnic states face the constant
threat of arbitrary detention, torture, rape and murder by the military.

As many as two million Burmese citizens reside in Thailand. Approximately
125,000 live in camps near the Burmese border, but the rest are classified
by Thailand as “illegal immigrants.” Thailand has not signed the 1951
Refugee Convention, and has no legal process to determine whether
immigrants face a well-founded fear of persecution in Burma, which would
entitle them under international law to protection as refugees.