BurmaNet News, Oct 7, 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

Oct 7, 2003 Issue # 2342


INSIDE BURMA
Xinhua: Myanmar in preparation for reconvening national convention

BUSINESS/MONEY
Xinhua: Chinese lighting products dominate Myanmar market

REGIONAL
BBC Monitor: Indonesia: Malaysian, Burmese leaders meet, say progress made
on Suu Kyi
AP: Japan confronts Myanmar about Suu Kyi at regional summit in Bali
AFP: Myanmar wins praise not censure at ASEAN summit
AFP: Southeast Asian nations sign key pact with commitment to democracy
New Straits Times: Malaysia pledges to help Myanmar in its democracy efforts

INTERNATIONAL
BBC: Burma Feels Leaders' Ire Over Arrest Of Suu Kyi
The Age: Bali And Burma Haunt ASEAN
Financial Times: Activists seek commitment to rule of law
AP and Local Wire: Burmese refugees plan pro-democracy conference in Fort
Wayne

OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: Burma’s Yadaya Battle
The Hindu: Purple Delight

__________________ INSIDE BURMA ___________________
Oct 7, Xinhua
Myanmar in preparation for reconvening national convention

YANGON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) --To break the political deadlock of Myanmar that
has already prolonged for over 10 years, realize the national
reconciliation and draw up a new constitution, the Myanmar government is
making preparations to reconvene its national convention that has been
adjourned for eight years.

In order that the convention be reconvened which was suspended in 1996
after the walk-out in 1995 of Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK)'s National League
for Democracy (NLD), Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) Senior-General Than Shwe appointed a five-member National
Convention Convening Commission on Sept. 6 with SPDC Second Secretary
Lieutenant-General Thein Sein as chairman and Chief Justice U Aung Toe and
Minister of Electric Power Major-General Tin Htut as vice-chairmen.

The commission was added with 13 members on Sept. 23 and a 35-member
National Convention Convening Work Committee was reformed on Oct. 2.

The reconvening of the national convention constitutes the first step of
Myanmar's seven-point "roadmap" to national reconciliation and democracy
introduced recently.

After taking up the post of new prime minister on Aug. 25, the roadmap was
announced on Aug. 30 that includes the reconvening of the convention which
began in 1993 and has been adjourned since 1996, the drafting of a new
constitution, the adoption of the constitution through national
referendum, the holding of a "free and fair" general election and
convening the parliament to elect state leaders and form a new government.

The NLD won the 1990 general election with 392 parliamentary seats out of
485. Despite introduction of the roadmap, the government did not give any
indication of when ASSK would be freed, when the national convention be
reconvened and whether the NLD could participate in it.

There has produced a vacancy of constitution in Myanmar for 15 years. The
first constitution was adopted in 1947 before independence, while the
second was introduced in 1974 during Ne Win's government. After taking
over power on Sept. 18, 1988, the present military government dropped the
1974 constitution. However, another new constitution has not yet been
drawn up, resulting in the absence of constitution for a long period. The
new constitution that will be drawn up after reconvening the national
convention will be the country's third one.

_____________ BUSINESS/MONEY ______________

Oct 7,  Chinese lighting products dominate Myanmar market

YANGON, Oct. 7 -- Lighting products made in China have dominated Myanmar's
local market when sales of such common household items have now become
very competitive in the country, the local Myanmar Times reported.

Quoting a lighting manufacturing company, the report said the Chinese
lighting products, imported through border trade, are charged only a
nominal sum in sales tax and duty, thus bringing about a flood of cheap
Chinese products on the Myanmar market.

Meanwhile, local manufactures have to pay higher amount of sale tax and
duty, thereby increasing costs and making it difficult to compete with
Chinese imports.

According to a market survey, the Chinese products are of good quality
with reasonable price, suiting Myanmar people's consumption as in a
developing nation.

The survey also indicates that Myanmar people are also keen on using other
Chinese products such as daily necessities and capital goods for their
cheap price and good quality.

Myanmar official statistics show that the country's bilateral trade with
China amounted to 840.98 million US dollars in 2002, standing as the
second after Thailand in Myanmar's foreign trade and accounting for 16
percent of the total.

__________________ REGIONAL ____________________

Oct 7,  BBC Monitor
Indonesia: Malaysian, Burmese leaders meet, say progress made on Suu Kyi

SOURCE: Bernama news agency web site, Kuala Lumpur, in Malay 6 Oct 03

Text of report by Salbiah Said and Openg Onn, carried by Malaysian news
agency Bernama web site

Nusa Dua (Bali) 6 October: Datuk Sri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday 6
October that he had expressed Malaysia's view on the issue of
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, to his
counterpart, Gen Khin Nyunt.

He said Khin Nyunt explained to him what was happening in Burma and the
Road To Democracy And Reconciliation plan that the country's military
junta had started to implement.

"Malaysia is a good friend of Burma and we will try our best to help
Burma," he told Malaysian journalists after meeting the general who called
on him at the hotel where they are staying for the two-day ASEAN Plus
Three (China, South Korea, and Japan) Summit which begins tomorrow.

After Khin Nyunt, ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong called on Dr
Mahathir.

Dr Mahathir caused a stir sometime ago when he said that Burma, one of the
10 ASEAN members should leave the group if it refused to release Suu Kyi
who was arrested on 30 May after a clash between her and government
supporters.

She was released recently following a medical operation, but she is still
under house arrest.

The detention of Suu Kyi has caused international outrage and the issue
has been a torn in the side of ASEAN with some ASEAN members and dialogue
partners expected to bring up the matter during their meeting on this
popular Indonesian resort island.

Asked whether he was happy with Burma's explanation, Dr Mahathir, who
arrived here on Monday, said: "At least, there was progress."

"We have to admit that there is some progress. I think we should show our
appreciation. Of course, progress can only be attained step by step," he
said.

He said it is for Burma to make its own decision on the release of Suu Kyi
now that ASEAN had given its views.

Asked if ASEAN will issue a strong statement against Burma, he said it is
not the way ASEAN works as a regional body engaged in a constructive, not
confrontational, approach.

He was also asked what kind of leadership he expected of the 36-year-old
organization as he would retire as prime minister at the end of this month
and told that his retirement would surely be a loss for the ASEAN members.

He responded by saying that ASEAN practices a collective leadership and
that all the leaders of ASEAN provide the leadership.

"No single person does more or less than the other. We work together. It
is a kind of almost like a federation, though it cannot be called that but
it is a group of countries which are independent. No one country can lead
a group.

"Of course we can give our views. Maybe it is useful, maybe not. I have no
worry about ASEAN," he said.

On his plan upon retirement, Dr Mahathir said he wanted to rest and have a
nice holiday.

"If I am invited to talk, I will talk. That is all I am good for," he said
with a chuckle.

He was referring to an unscheduled talk he had made at the insistence of
the delegates to the first ASEAN Business and Investment Seminar which is
being held at the hotel in conjunction with the summit. Mahathir's remarks
were unscheduled and made at the request of the delegates.
___________________________________

Oct 7,  AP
Japan confronts Myanmar about Suu Kyi at regional summit in Bali

With Tokyo demanding the immediate release of Myanmar democracy campaigner
Aung San Suu Kyi, the Japanese prime minister confronted his Myanmar
counterpart on the issue Tuesday at a regional summit, a Japanese
government spokesman said.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with Myanmar's Prime
Minister Khin Nyunt for five minutes on the sidelines of a summit at which
Myanmar's Southeast Asian neighbors failed to take any action on the
military junta's crackdown on pro-democracy dissidents.

"The international community is concerned with the situation ...
surrounding Suu Kyi and I am personally concerned and worried about the
current situation in Myanmar," Koizumi told Khin Nyunt, according to
Japanese government spokesman Jiro Okuyama.

Okuyama said Khin Nyunt responded by saying that he understood Koizumi's
concerns, adding that since becoming prime minister two months ago, he has
had "a strong determination to move toward democratization of Myanmar."

The exchange came hours after Okuyama said that Suu Kyi remains in
detention, despite claims to the contrary by Myanmar's junta. "We will be
stressing, and will be stressing to the highest echelon, about the
immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," Okuyama said. Daw is an
honorific.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations was holding a two-day
summit ending Wednesday in Bali, along with Japan, China, South Korea and
India.

ASEAN members, embarrassed by Suu Kyi's detention, unsuccessfully pushed
Myanmar to release Suu Kyi from house arrest ahead of the conference as a
goodwill gesture, but adhered Tuesday to their policy of not interfering
in domestic politics of member nations.

"This is not a retreat. This is a vindication of ASEAN's dialogue
approach," said Marty Natalegawa, the Indonesian government spokesman.
"Whether we like it or not, Myanmar is part of the regional environment
.... We cannot wish Myanmar away."

In closing the ASEAN-only portion of the summit, host Indonesian President
Megawati Sukarnoputri made no mention of Suu Kyi but cited Myanmar's
recent pledges to work toward democracy as a "positive development."

The junta has given no timetable for the process, nor a date for the
release of Suu Kyi. She won the Nobel Peace prize in 1991 for her
pro-democracy campaign in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Meanwhile, human rights protesters tied a large oil painting of the
detained leader to scaffolding near the summit venue. The painting was
taken down, and police dispersed the protesters.

"It's been very disappointing that the strong words from ASEAN leaders
earlier this year after Ang Sang Suu Kyi's arrest seem to have petered
out," said protest organizer Debbie Stothard of the Bangkok-based activist
group ALTSEAN.

"The ASEAN leaders have wimped out as far as Burma is concerned," she said.

Following a May 30 clash between her supporters and a pro-junta group in
Myanmar, Suu Kyi was detained at an undisclosed location in a move that
the junta said was aimed at protecting her and quelling unrest. Her
detention and a crackdown on her pro-democracy party prompted
international outrage.

Last week, the junta announced that, after undergoing surgery at a
hospital, Suu Kyi had been allowed to return Sept. 26 to her home in
Myanmar's capital.

Myanmar's leaders sought to use this softening of her status - from direct
military custody to house arrest - to defuse the issue ahead of this
week's summit.

During weekend talks leading up to the summit, Myanmar went further,
saying Suu Kyi was no longer in detention, according to Indonesian
officials.

"They say she's at home recuperating," said Natalegawa, the Indonesian
government spokesman. "In the next few days we will see if this bears in
any way to the real situation."

The United States, United Nations and many of Myanmar's Asian neighbors
have demanded Suu Kyi's release.
___________________________________

Oct 7,  AFP
Myanmar wins praise not censure at ASEAN summit

ASEAN's most troublesome member Myanmar won praise rather than censure
during a summit Tuesday, even though fellow members had urged the army-run
state to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi before the meeting.

None of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders made
any reference to Myanmar's political situation at a summit Tuesday
morning, according to several delegates.

An afternoon statement by chairman Indonesia, on behalf of all members,
welcomed "recent positive developments" in Myanmar and said sanctions are
not helpful in bringing about democratic change.

"The leaders welcomed the recent positive developments in Myanmar and the
government's pledge to bring about a transition to democracy through
dialogue and reconciliation," said a statement by President Megawati
Sukarnoputri.

"The road map (towards democratisation)...that would involve all strata of
Myanmar society is a pragmatic approach and deserves understanding and
support.

"The leaders also agreed that sanctions are not helpful in promoting peace
and stability essential for democracy to take root."

The United States and some other nations tightened sanctions on Myanmar
after Aung San Suu Kyi was detained at an undisclosed location following a
bloody clash between her supporters and pro-junta demonstrators on May 30.

The Nobel peace laureate was admitted to hospital on September 17 for
surgery and was transferred from there to house arrest on September 26. It
is her third period of house arrest since the late 1980s but the junta is
portraying her current status as a positive and planned development.

Officials even deny she is in detention, saying she is convalescing at
home, although it is not clear whether fellow ASEAN leaders accept this.

"Myanmar didn't come up at all this morning. They talked among themselves
bilaterally but not at this forum," said Thaung Tun, a senior Myanmar
foreign ministry official.

A delegate from another country said Prime Minister Khin Nyunt gave a
seven-10 minute statement outlining his position on ASEAN issues. But the
general made no mention of Aung San Suu Kyi or Yangon's proposed "road
map" for democratic reform, the delegate said.

The leaders "welcomed" the Myanmar leader who is attending his first
summit, the delegate said.

"They are very careful about it because there's a new prime minister, so
let's give him face, give him time to sort things out. That's the ASEAN
way," another delegate said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity.

Khin Nyunt in August announced a seven-point "road map" for democratic
reform.

Last June the ASEAN leaders broke a long tradition of non-interference in
each other's affairs by calling for Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

Indonesia had pushed particularly hard for her freedom out of concern that
her detention could overshadow the summit.

But in the end, Myanmar escaped any public criticism although delegates
said they want Myanmar to take further steps toward democratisation.

"We have to admit there is some progress and I think we should show our
appreciation. Of course all progress must be step-by-step. You just can't
change overnight," said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir held a bilateral meeting with Khin Nyunt Monday and the Myanmar
leader also volunteered to explain political developments at a dinner with
ASEAN leaders Monday evening.

"He said that they have started implementing the road map," Mahathir said.

Japan, which has attended separate talks with ASEAN leaders, said it is
concerned about the lack of details or any reference to Aung San Suu Kyi
in the road map.

"We are watching with very keen interest how this road map announcement
will develop in the future," said Jiro Okuyama, spokesman for Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

About 25 human rights activists hung a large poster of Aung San Suu Kyi
Tuesday at an intersection near the meeting venue. Police quickly removed
it.
___________________________________
Oct 7, AFP
Southeast Asian nations sign key pact with commitment to democracy
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- which includes communist
Vietnam and Laos, the sultanate of Brunei and army-ruled Myanmar -- signed
a pact Tuesday pledging support for democracy.

ASEAN's 10 members, in the Bali Concord II, promise "to live at peace with
each other and with the world at large, in a just, democratic and
harmonious environment."

Sources said several countries, in talks before Tuesday's summit, had
wanted the word "democratic" removed. The Philippines pressed successfully
for it to stay in.

ASEAN was formed in 1967 by a number of then-authoritarian states as a
bulwark against communism. Only six of its current members are
democracies.
"The introduction of the notion of democratic peace sets the standard of
political norm in the region. It means that member states subscribe to the
notion that democratic processes promote regional security," said ASEAN
spokesman M.C. Abad.

"It (democracy) is something that member states will aim for," he said.
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri said after the signing that the
Bali Concord II was a "watershed in the history of ASEAN."  The document
will establish an ASEAN community that will make it possible for our
children and their children to live in a state of enduring peace,
stability and shared prosperity," she said.

The concord lays the foundation for closer security and economic bonds.
It establishes an ASEAN community of "three pillars" -- the ASEAN Security
Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-cultural Community --
"for the purpose of ensuring durable peace, stability and shared
prosperity in the region."

Abad has said the concord marks a major change for a grouping founded as
an inter-governmental organization and not a community of regional states.
 "For the first time, the concept of an ASEAN community will become part
of the ASEAN lexicon," he said earlier. "So it is a paradigm shift and
this will accelerate regional identity-building."

The pact reaffirms ASEAN's principles of "non-interference and consensus."
The security community "is envisaged to bring ASEAN's political and
security cooperation to a higher plane" while aiming to strengthen
national and regional capacities to counter terrorism and other crimes.

Members pledge to settle differences with each other peacefully.
Indonesia sees it as a way to handle security matters and disputes in an
ASEAN framework rather than bilaterally or through international forums
such as the Court of International Justice in The Hague.

Under the ASEAN Economic Community concept, the region aims to achieve a
single production base and market by 2020. It calls for a free flow of
goods, services and investments.

The socio-cultural community "envisages a Southeast Asia bonded together
in partnership as a community of caring societies".

The pact comes at a critical period for a region facing competition and
economic difficulties, and fighting a battle against terrorism. It is
being signed almost one year after terrorist bombs killed 202 people,
mostly Western vacationers, in Bali.

Once the world's fastest economic growth area, Southeast Asia has not
fully recovered from the 1997/98 financial crisis. Investment in the
region has also slowed in the face of competition from China.
___________________________________

Oct 7, New Straits Times
Malaysia pledges to help Myanmar in its democracy efforts
DATUK Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has assured Myanmar that Malaysia will do
its utmost to assist the country in its democracy efforts.

The Prime Minister, in Bali to attend the two-day Ninth Asean Summit which
begins today, said that although Malaysia had given its views on Aung San
Suu Kyi who was under house arrest in Yangon, only the Myanmar Government
could decide when she should be released.

Dr Mahathir had earlier held a 30-minute meeting with Myanmar Prime
Minister Khin Nyunt, who explained the situation in Myanmar and the road
map to democracy it had begun to implement.

"I merely gave Malaysia's views that we would do whatever we could to
help Myanmar (in its democratisation process)," Dr Mahathir said. Suu
Kyi's arrest on May 30 had alarmed all Asean leaders.

It prompted Dr Mahathir to warn Myanmar that it faced expulsion from Asean
if it did not take into consideration the opinion of other countries in
the region.

Asked today whether he was happy with the developments in Myanmar – Suu
Kyi, earlier held in a government "rest house" is now under house arrest
in her lakeside home - Dr Mahathir said: "I think we have to admit that
there has been some progress and I think we should show some appreciation.

"Progress can only be made step by step. We cannot expect it to happen
overnight," Dr Mahathir added.

On whether he had specifically discussed Suu Kyi's release, he said:
"Well, I mentioned something about it." He did not elaborate.

On whether Asean leaders would come up with a strong statement over
Myanmar's treatment of Suu Kyi at the end of their summit, Dr Mahathir
said this was not the Asean way in dealing with issues. "The Asean way is
to take a constructive approach, not a confrontational one."

He was also asked whether Asean would be affected when he retired on Oct
31 as he had provided the grouping with strong leadership.

"Asean has always had collective leadership. All the leaders of Asean
provide the leadership. There is no single person who has done more or
less than others. We work together.

"It is a grouping of independent countries. No one person from one country
can lead a group. I have no worries about Asean."

__________________ INTERNATIONAL ____________________

Oct 7, BBC
Burma Feels Leaders' Ire Over Arrest Of Suu Kyi

The gathered leaders of South-East Asia have begun their annual summit in
the shadow of terrorism, embarrassed and divided by their failure to bring
an end to the political crisis in Burma.

The meeting of presidents and prime ministers from the 10-member
Association of South-East Asian Nations, as well as their counterparts
from China, Japan and South Korea, is shaping as a show of weakness, not
strength, after last year's Bali bombings.

Indonesia, the current ASEAN chair, chose Bali as the venue to try to heal
the wounds of the attack that killed 202 people and devastated the
island's tourist-based economy.

But the massive security operation in Bali led by Indonesian armed forces
merely underscored the continuing threat from Jemaah Islamiah militants,
who also struck the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in August.

The defiant refusal of Burma, a member, to free its opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi and include her National League of Democracy in long-promised
democratic reforms has fuelled a deepening rift within ASEAN.

Several leaders are expected to confront Burma's Prime Minister, Khin
Nyunt , on the issue at today's summit and at a series of scheduled
bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering.

Ms Suu Kyi has been detained since a violent crackdown on the league in
May. She was placed under house arrest at her Rangoon residence 10 days
ago after surgery for what the regime called a gynaecological problem.

To deflect the criticism, the Burmese Foreign Minister, Win Aung, argued
during a preliminary ministerial meeting yesterday that the decision to
allow Ms Suu Kyi to return home was a significant political concession
even though her lakeside home is sealed off by security forces and she is
not allowed to leave or receive visitors.

But in an interview published on the eve of the summit, Mr Win Aung's
deputy, Khin Maung Win, appeared to contradict the line. "The protective
custody order would be lifted at an appropriate time," he told the Myanmar
Times.

Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore all anxious to avoid a damaging public
rift over Burma have welcomed the remarks as a step forward.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirayuda, said yesterday : "We are
encouraged by positive steps taken in Burma by the Burmese Government
concerning Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and we expect to see more positive
developments on the issue."

But regional officials indicated that some leaders would demand a
commitment from General Khin Nyunt that all restrictions on Ms Suu Kyi be
lifted. Japan's Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has confirmed that he
will press the issue in bilateral talks in Bali with General Khin Nyunt.

Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Sen, has also called for Ms Suu Kyi to be
freed, while Malaysia's Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, warned recently
that Burma could face expulsion from ASEAN if it continued to defy
regional and international opinion.

Thailand's Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, said he expected terrorism
to be a key topic for discussion in Bali.

"The meeting will help build strong co-operation in maintaining our
stability and security."

A proposal to move the bloc towards a European-style economic community
will struggle against some member states' that favour trade protection as
they try to attract investment.
___________________________________

Oct 7, The Age
Bali And Burma Haunt ASEAN

Nusa Dua, Bali -- The leaders of South-East Asia have begun their annual
summit in the shadow of terrorism and embarrassed by their failure to
bring an end to the political crisis in Burma.

The meeting of presidents and prime ministers from the 10-member
Association of South-East Asian Nations and their counterparts from China,
Japan and South Korea is shaping as a show of weakness, not strength, in
the wake of last year's Bali bombings.

Indonesia, the current chairman of ASEAN, chose Bali as the summit venue
in an attempt to heal the wounds of the attack that killed 202 people, 88
of them Australians, and devastated the island's tourist-based economy.

But the massive security operation in Bali, led by the Indonesian armed
forces, has only underscored the continuing threat posed by Jemaah
Islamiah militants, who struck again with the Marriott Hotel bombing in
Jakarta in August.

The defiant refusal of member-state Burma to free opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi and include her National League of Democracy in long-promised
democratic reforms has fuelled a deepening rift within ASEAN.

Several regional leaders are expected to confront Burmese Prime Minister
Khin Nyunt on the issue during today's summit and at a series of scheduled
bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering.

Ms Suu Kyi has been detained since a violent crackdown on the NLD in May.
She was placed under house arrest at her Rangoon residence 10 days ago,
after undergoing surgery for what the regime has described as a
gynaecological problem.

In an attempt to deflect the criticism, Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung
argued during a preliminary meeting yesterday that the decision to allow
Ms Suu Kyi to return home was a significant political concession - despite
the fact that her lakeside home is sealed off by security forces and she
is not permitted to leave or receive visitors.

But in an interview published on the eve of the summit, Mr Win Aung's
deputy appeared to contradict the line.

"The protective custody order would be lifted at an appropriate time,"
Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win told the Myanmar Times.

Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore - all anxious to avoid a damaging public
rift over Burma at the summit - have welcomed Mr Win Aung's remarks as a
step forward.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said late yesterday: "We are
encouraged by positive steps taken in Burma by the Burmese Government
concerning Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and we expect to see more positive
developments on the issue."

Regional officials have indicated that a number of leaders will demand a
commitment from General Khin Nyunt that all restrictions be lifted on the
1990 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has confirmed that he will press
the issue in bilateral talks in Bali with General Khin Nyunt.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has also called for Ms Suu Kyi's release
and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned recently that Burma
could face expulsion from ASEAN if it continued to defy regional and
international opinion.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he expected terrorism to be a
key topic for discussion in Bali. "The meeting will help build strong
co-operation in maintaining our stability and security," he said.

A proposal to move the 36-year-old association towards a European-style
economic community will struggle against the determination of several
member states to cling to protectionism as they battle to remain
competitive and attract new foreign investment.
___________________________________

Oct 7,  Financial Times
Activists seek commitment to rule of law

South-East Asian rights activists and academics yesterday warned that the
attempt by the Association of South East Asian Nations to deepen economic
integration and attract investment was unlikely to succeed unless
accompanied by greater political openness and a strong commitment to the
rule of law.

"Good governance, inclusiveness and democracy are some of the
prerequisites needed . . . if Asean people and countries are to succeed in
their endeavours," said Landry H. Subianto, an academic at Indonesia's
Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Asean leaders will sign a deal this week to forge an economic community
where goods, services, investment and skilled workers can move freely
through the region by 2020. Leaders plan to step up security co-operation
and cultural interaction.

But rights groups say the initiatives will be at risk if the region's
governments - which include a military dictatorship, authoritarian regimes
and democracies of varying degree - fail to embrace basic principles of
human rights.

"Asean talks about wanting to be an economic community similar to the
European community," said Gandhi Ambalam, of the Open Singapore Center.
"Within the Asean community of nations, the human rights record needs
immediate addressing.

"They talk about economic integration, economic community and security

Asean officials are concerned that investors relocating from the region's
higher-cost production areas, including Singapore and Malaysia, are
drifting outside the region rather than moving to less developed member
countries such as Burma, Cambodia and Laos.

Ong Keng Yong, Asean's secretary-general, appealed to foreign companies
this week to invest in Cambodia and Laos, which are eligible for
preferential tariffs owing to their status as least developed countries,
and also in Burma, currently subject to US sanctions including an import
ban. "(Burma) may be a political hot potato, but it's still a potato," he
told business people.

But Debbie Stothard, an activist with the Alternative Asean Network on
Burma, said the unpredictable environment created by the junta, and other
regimes with little public accountability, would remain a hindrance to
capital inflows.

The rights activists called on Asean to cast aside its principle of
"non-interference" in the internal affairs of others, a doctrine that has
kept the region from playing a constructive role in resolving problems
that have repercussions for the image and security of South-east Asia,
such as the political situation in Burma.
______________________________

Oct 7, AP and Local Wire
Burmese refugees plan pro-democracy conference in Fort Wayne

About 200 Burmese activists are expected to gather this weekend to plot
strategies for promoting democracy in their troubled southeast Asian
homeland.

Organizers of the Road Map for Democracy in Burma conference said they
selected Fort Wayne because it is home to the largest concentration of
Burmese refugees in the United States. About 1,500 Burmese now live in the
area, said Nai Banyadean of Fort Wayne, one of the organizers.

"We want to make a decision on what way to change the government in
Burma," Banyadean said.

The conference on Burma, also known as Myanmar, is scheduled for Saturday
and Sunday on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort
Wayne.

Exile groups based in Thailand, Canada, India, England, Japan and other
nations have been invited to participate, Banyadean said. Organizers do
not know, however, how many will be allowed to enter the United States for
the conference.

Most of those expected to attend have fled Burma since 1988, when the
country's military seized power after crushing a pro-democracy uprising.
Elections were held in 1990, but the military refused to recognize the
results after pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party won.

Kyi, a 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been under house arrest for much
of the time since 1989.

Scheduled speakers at the weekend conference include Rep. Mark Souder,
R-Ind., and representatives from the office of Sen. Richard Lugar and the
U.S. State Department's Burma desk, Banyadean said.

__________________ OPINION / OTHER ____________________

ONLINE COMMENTARY

Oct 7, Irrawaddy
Burma’s Yadaya Battle

A severe earthquake shook central Burma in late September, damaging
ancient pagodas and causing several injuries. Many superstitious Burmese
were quick to comment that the tremor was the earth’s way of showing its
displeasure with the detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Khin Nyunt at a ceremony honoring one of the junta's prized white elephants.

If so, it would appear the generals’ attempts to woo the spirits’ favor
suffered a setback, or maybe the opposition’s efforts finally bore some
fruit.

Both sides in Burma’s political conflict have a history of consulting
astrologers and using yadaya, a form of magic practiced to ward off evil
spirits. And earthquakes, solar eclipses, white elephants and other
natural phenomena are often linked with both ominous and fortuitious
events.

In 1999, soon after the generals began a renovation project at Rangoon’s
revered Shwedagon Pagoda, a tremor damaged the htidaw ("umbrella") that
crowned the pagoda. Senior monks said the earthquake indicated that
Shwedagon didn’t approve of the generals’ plan. But the junta’s
astrologers disagreed, and the work continued. Finally, the guardians and
spirits of Shwedagon surrendered to the generals’ will. The earthquakes
stopped.

Nonetheless, critics accused the military rulers of renovating the ancient
pagoda to serve their own ends and of practicing yadaya to prolong their
rule.

In 2002, the late Gen Ne Win’s grandsons were arrested for planning an
overthrow of the government. Aung Pwint Khaung, the dictator’s family
astrologer, was also picked up. The raid which netted the plotters also
resulted in the discovery of voodoo-like dolls of the junta’s top three
generals.

Critics accused the military rulers of renovating the Shwedagon pagoda to
serve their own ends and of practicing yadaya to prolong their rule.

Its not only the current and former rulers of Burma that employ
astrologers and soothsayers to court good fortune. Since almost everyone
in Burma practices yadaya—whether to earn greater profit, improve yields
or even launch a successful coup—its not surprising the opposition has
countered with some prayers of its own.

Since Suu Kyi’s latest detention began, supporters have been praying for
her release at temples in Rangoon. Nine temples ending with "Gyi", such as
the Chacuk Htat Gyi Paya ("Six Storey Pagoda"), were selected as the
proper sites. At nine o’clock each morning, nine supporters arrive at the
nine temples to pray.

One of those entrusted with this task told me that he will continue to
attend the prayer sessions until Suu Kyi is freed. He added that the time,
sites and number of people involved was outlined by a "democracy
astrologer," who he cannot name.

Coincidentally, the government has asked monks to conduct daily chanting
for nine months. U Aunt Maung, a former director general of the
government’s religious affairs department, and Bodaw Than Hla have been
seen organizing such ceremonies. Bodaw Than Hla is known to be Prime
Minister Gen Khin Nyunt’s chief astrologer.

Although the number nine features in the efforts of both groups, it’s
commonly associated with the opposition and dissident students. In 1999,
activists inside Burma and in exile plotted a 9.9.99 uprising like the
8.8.88 protests that almost toppled the dictatorial regime. The campaign
failed miserably, but the number’s reputation apparently remains strong.
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Oct 7, The Hindu
Purple Delight

The Dark purple brinjal hails from Assam and Myanmar, but the earliest
evidence of its cultivation is from 2000 BC in north-western India. The
fruit - a berry - was common in Chinese cuisine by 300 AD, and the first
written account of it anywhere comes from Chinese manuscripts of the 5th
Century AD. Trade with Arabs introduced the Europeans to this fruit, and
their initial reaction to it was mixed. The Spaniards, who eventually took
it to the Americas, were familiar with it from the time of the Moors: they
thought it was an aphrodisiac and called it "The Apple of Love". But 17th
Century botanists in the rest of Europe were not so impressed. They feared
that under its purple skin lurked chemicals that could cause insanity,
hence the sobriquet "The Mad Apple".

The brinjal can be orange-red, dark purple, white, green and striped, as
small as a grape or as big as a watermelon, and it is probably the only
fruit with three equally well-known synonyms - the other two being
"eggplant" and "aubergine". Anthocyanin pigment in the skin gives the
fruit its familiar dark purple colour. The pigment is an antioxidant with
anti-cancer properties.

Homemakers and cooks all over the world will be glad to learn that it is
not always their fault if the brinjal dishes just ooze like an oil
pipeline. The truth is the brinjal has a greater capacity for absorbing
oil than even potatoes. The fruit cells are normally full of air: cooking
releases the air and the empty cells fill up with cooking oil.

Soon, the cell walls of the individual cells break down and they ooze oil
slowly. This is one reason why it is difficult to cook brinjal in a way
that is palatable as well as nutritious and calorie-lite. The other
reason, let's face it, is that the brinjal is not very nutritious to begin
with. 100 gm of the raw fruit will gladden the dieter's heart with its
meagre ration of 26 calories, but there is little in it to make a
nutritionist happy. One gram of protein and a little folic acid and
potassium is, on the face of it, a paltry reward for what is really a
mildly bitter oil sponge.

For what it's worth, the best cooking methods are steaming, grilling,
broiling and baking. The brinjal plant is poisonous, and the fruit should
never be eaten raw.

Like all members of the nightshade family, it contains the toxin solanine
that can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, breathlessness and sweating. There is
some evidence to suggest that a few osteoarthritis sufferers owe their
illness to sensitivity to members of the nightshade family like the
eggplant. Eliminating solanine from the diet is one way to find out if
your osteoarthritis is due to food sensitivity. The brinjal has a modest
cholesterol-lowering effect, and it is a folk remedy for piles and
intestinal bleeding.

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