BurmaNet News, April 14, 2004

[Editor]

April 14, 2004 Issue # 2456

INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Two NLD Leaders Released, Meet Party Members
Irrawaddy: Burmese Junta Chief Rumored to Have Had Stroke
Irrawaddy: Burma Ranked Among Worst Places for Human Rights Workers

DRUGS
AP: 600 pounds of heroin found in beehives by Chinese authorities

BUSINESS / MONEY
Mizzima: India and Burma set US $ One Billion Trade Target

REGIONAL
Malaysiakini: Burmese nationals, asylum seekers in police dragnet

INTERNATIONAL
Mizzima: Havel and Nobel Laureates Call for Release of Suu Kyi and Burmese
Writers
Independent: Anger at Kuoni's plans for Burma
AFP: Eyes turn to Suu Kyi after Myanmar releases two democracy leaders
AFP: Myanmar heading towards humanitarian crisis, US warns

OPINION/ OTHER
BBC: Burma maintains bygone buildings
Asia Times: A critical moment for Myanmar


PRESS RELEASE
International PEN: Vaclav Havel and Nobel Laureates Call For Release of
Imprisoned Burmese Writers


INSIDE BURMA
_____________________________________

April 14, Irrawaddy
Two NLD Leaders Released, Meet Party Members - Kyaw Zwa Moe

Aung Shwe and U Lwin, chairman and secretary respectively of Burma's main
opposition National League for Democracy party, or NLD, were released from
house arrest on Tuesday and are meeting with party members, said Thein
Nyunt, a party member that met Aung Shwe on Wednesday morning.

The source added that the party would decide whether to attend the
upcoming National Convention only when two executive committee members
still under detention—secretary-general Aung San Suu Kyi and vice chairman
Tin Oo—are able to join to discuss the issue.

Although Aung Shwe and U Lwin were released on Tuesday, the telephone
lines at the two men’s houses remained cut this afternoon. The two have
been detained since May 30 last year along with Suu Kyi and Tin Oo after a
government-orchestrated mob attacked an NLD convoy at Depayin, Sagaing
Division.

Thein Nyunt said that Aung Shwe appeared healthy, but a lit bit thinner
than before his arrest.

The National Convention, which is tasked with drawing up a new
constitution for Burma, is due to re-convene on May 17 after an eight-year
hiatus as the first of a seven-step roadmap announced by Prime Minister
Gen Khin Nyunt in August last year.

The military regime recently invited representatives of the NLD—including
the two leaders released yesterday—and other political parties to the
assembly. The convention originally opened in 1993 but was halted in 1996
after the NLD walked out, claiming that procedures were undemocratic.

Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung told reporters on April 3 in Bangkok
that Suu Kyi may be released before the start of the convention. UN
special envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, said after his most recent trip to
Rangoon that she might be released on April 16, which marks Burmese New
Year.

NLD executive committee member Than Tun said on Wednesday morning by phone
that the seven members now free are scheduled to meet this afternoon. He
didn’t disclosed what would be discussed.

Other NLD sources in Rangoon said that the authorities allowed Aung San
Suu Kyi, Aung Shwe, Tin Oo and U Lwin to meet in March at Suu Kyi's house.
But the report has not been confirmed independently yet.

On Tuesday the US welcomed the release of the NLD leaders but expressed
concern that Suu Kyi and hundreds of other political prisoners are still
under detention.

_____________________________________

April 14, Irrawaddy
Burmese Junta Chief Rumored to Have Had Stroke

Senior-General Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace & Development, or
SPDC, the junta that controls Burma, cut his trip to Upper Burma short
today and returned to Rangoon, sources said in the capital. It is rumored
that the most powerful man in Burma had a stroke.

There is as yet no confirmation as to whether the stroke rumor is true,
how serious Than Shwe’s condition is, or where he is being treated.

Residents said that they saw his motorcade in the capital on Wednesday.

The state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported that the junta chief
left Rangoon for Mandalay on April 7. Two days later he attended the
graduation ceremony of 6th Intake of the Defence Services Technological
Academy at Maymyo, then visited other towns in Upper Burma.

In February 2003, when Than Shwe was still prime minister, he cancelled a
trip to Malaysia to attend Non-Aligned Movement conference citing poor
health. He reportedly disliked attending international heads-of-state
meetings because of his poor English skills.

In August last year Senior-General Than Shwe handed over the prime
ministership to Gen Khin Nyunt, but he maintained his positions as
chairman of the SPDC and Minister of Defense.
_________________________________

April 14, Irrawaddy
Burma Ranked Among Worst Places for Human Rights Workers  - Associated
Press/Paris

Burma, China and Saudi Arabia stood out as some of the world's most
repressive places for human rights defenders in 2003, according to a
global rights watchdog.

Around the world, rights defenders found it increasingly difficult to do
their jobs faced with violations that ranged from arbitrary arrest and
harassment to murder, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights
Defenders said in a statement Tuesday.

 It has become more and more difficult to denounce the adoption of
restrictive laws, to defend the right to a fair trial, to fight against
the death penalty and to condemn torture. —Observatory for the Protection
of Human Rights Defenders statement

"It has become more and more difficult to denounce the adoption of
restrictive laws, to defend the right to a fair trial, to fight against
the death penalty and to condemn torture," said the statement, released a
day before the publication of the group's sixth annual report.

The report highlights the challenges faced by 550 human rights defenders
and 80 non-governmental organizations that dealt with repression in more
than 80 countries.

It ranks the nations in three groups, with 12 countries listed under the
title, "Absolute repression." They include: Bhutan, China, Eritrea,
Equatorial Guinea, Laos, Libya, Burma, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia,
Turkmenistan and Vietnam.

Other nations, like Iran, Indonesia and Tunisia, are among 23 nations that
practice "systematic repression," it said.

News conferences to release the annual report were to be held Wednesday in
Geneva, Switzerland; Dakar, Senegal and Tunis, Tunisia.

There was a last-minute glitch with the Tunisia event.

Patrick Baudouin, president of the Paris-based International Federation
for Human Rights, was to present the report in the North African capital
but was turned away at the airport Tuesday, the Observatory said in a
statement.

It was the third time Baudouin was denied entry to Tunisia, the group
said, adding that the event would still run as planned.


DRUGS
_____________________________________

April 14, Associated Press
600 pounds of heroin found in beehives by Chinese authorities

Shanghai: Police in southwest China seized about 600 pounds of heroin
hidden in beehives, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.

Acting on a tip, authorities found the drugs Feb. 29 during a pre-dawn
sweep along the mountainous border between Myanmar and China's Yunnan
province, about 1,300 miles southwest of Beijing, Xinhua said. The raid
was the country's largest so far this year.

Four suspects from eastern China were arrested on suspicion of arranging
the shipment, the report said.

The heroin was found inside 63 beehives being transported by truck, Xinhua
said.

It was not clear if smugglers have used that technique before, although
drugs have previously been found inside coconuts and baked into ceramic
figurines.

Yunnan borders Asia's infamous "Golden Triangle," a heroin producing
region which includes parts of Laos, Thailand and Burma.

Heroin smuggled into China is either consumed by the country's growing
numbers of drug users, or shipped to other countries.


BUSINESS/MONEY
___________________________________

April 14, Mizzima
India and Burma set US $ One Billion Trade Target

In a significant recent development, India and Burma have set a trade
target of one billion $US by involving all the Indian north-eastern states
in improved trading conditions.  Trade representatives from the two
countries met for their first task force meeting in Kolkata on April 6,
and it was here that the trade target was set.

The task force also favoured initiating immediate steps to include more
items on the trade list in order for traders from both countries to
receive maximum benefit.

The five member delegation from the Union of Myanmar Federation of the
Chamber of Commerce (UMFCCI) headed by Win Myint also appealed to Indian
traders to boost trade with Burma.  In a pre-prepared speech at the
meeting, Mr Myint advocated the opening of more trade points between India
and Burma in order to increase the volume of trade.

"We should explore our trade potential through out the trade points", he
added.  The Myanmar consul-general in Kolkata, Mr Zeyar Oo, also attended
the meeting.

The task force agreed to look into credit related matters which is an
issue currently forming a major obstacle in trade expansion.  It also
agreed to identify key areas for future investment.

In an interview with Mizzima, Dipankar Chatterji, Chairman of the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), north-east chapter, said that the
task force would submit its report to both the governments and would urge
them to increase the volume of trade in near future.

"We are also in the process of discussing the constitution of the Special
Economic Zones (SEZs) [to be established] on the bordering areas", he
said.

A delegation of the UMFCCI will visit the states of the north-eastern
region in the near future in order to explore future possibilities of
investment in tourism and other sectors.

Chatterji said that the Myanmar delegation was very happy with the steps
taken by the Indian Commerce Ministry to boost trade.  "They are also
willing to invest in the trade sector in India.  We are optimistic that
the target set at the meeting will be met very soon", he observed.


REGIONAL
_____________________________________

April 14, Malaysiakini
Burmese nationals, asylum seekers in police dragnet - Yap Mun Ching

The police arrested 30 Burmese asylum seekers outside the compound of the
United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur early this
morning in the latest operation against undocumented Burmese.


INTERNATIONAL
_____________________________________

April 14, Mizzima
Havel and Nobel Laureates Call for Release of Suu Kyi and Burmese Writers

Fourteen Nobel Laureates, former Czech President and President of
International PEN have called for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and
imprisoned Burmese writers and artists.

Vaclav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic and recipient of
Gandhi Peace Prize in 2003 and Jiri Grusa, the President of International
PEN, and fourteen Nobel Laureates urged the Burmese military government to
immediately and unconditionally release Burmese pro-democracy leader Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi and other imprisoned writers, journalists and artists.

In a letter addressed to Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC), they stated that they are
"profoundly" disturbed by the accelerating suppression of the democracy
movement and by the denial of the freedom of expression in Burma.

Havel and the International PEN President wrote in their letter: "(We) are
urgently concerned for the welfare of all who are currently prosecuted
simply for exercising their essential right of freedom of speech and
expression."

The appeal letter was co-signed by forteen Nobel Literature Laureates
namely J. M. Coetzee, Naguib Mahfouz, Seamus Heaney , Nadine Gordimer ,
Kenzaburo Oe, Wole Soyinka , Toni Morrison, Wislawa Szymborska, Czeslaw
Milosz , V. S. Naipaul, Günter Grass, Claude Simon, Jose Saramago  and
Imre Kertesz.

Vaclav Havel, who himself is a renowned playwright received India's
prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize for 2003 for his contribution to world
peace and upholding human rights through Gandhian means in the most
difficult situations.

He nominated Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, saying
that he holds "her, and her nonviolent struggle for democracy, in high
regard."

The appeal also states that dozens of writers and journalists who had
dedicated themselves to the cause of freedom, were either already in jail
or destined for arrest, and out of the 1,400 political prisoners
languishing in Burma's prisons, at least 19 are writers or journalists.

"If a single political prisoner, if writers, journalists and other
citizens cannot discuss the future of their country without fear, all
announcements of political reform lack credibility. All historical
experience teaches us that freedom of speech and free and open public
debate cannot stand at the end of a road to democracy, but must be at the
very beginning of any meaningful reform".

The letter was delivered yesterday to Burmese embassies in Bangkok,
Berlin, London, New Delhi, Tokyo, Washington DC and others cities
worldwide. Havel and Jiri Grusa will jointly launch the appeal today at
the opening ceremony of the One World International Human Rights Film
Festival at the Archa Theatre in Prague, Czech Republic.

The letter further states "The changes in Central and Eastern Europe, in
the Republic of South Africa and elsewhere have proven that a peaceful and
orderly transition to democracy is possible. That the people of Myanmar
share the same desire for freedom was evident in 1990, when they voted
overwhelmingly for pro-democracy candidates".

_____________________________________

April 14, The Independant
Anger at Kuoni's plans for Burma - Rachel Stevenson

Kuoni Group, the upmarket tour operator, is risking international
condemnation by considering a return to holiday packages in Burma, which
has an appalling human rights record.

The company, which has its headquarters in Switzerland, had won widespread
applause last year when it withdrew all holiday offers to Burma. It did
not appear in any of its 2003-04 brochures, but Kuoni is now looking again
at Burma as a destination, although there has been little change in the
country's political environment.

"Along with many other destinations not yet included in their various
programmes, Burma is currently being evaluated by the Kuoni Group with
regard to their 2004-05 programmes, but no decision has yet been taken," a
spokeswoman for the company said. Kuoni's UK operation, however, has
already decided not to offer holidays to Burma.

The move is sure to disappoint the Government, which is against any
investment or support for the military dictatorship in Burma by UK
companies. It has specifically asked all travel companies offering tours
to Burma to cease. Mike O'Brien, the Foreign Office minister, said in
February: "Many hotels and other tourism-related activities in Burma are
linked to the military regime. Because there are investments by generals
in the tourism industry, people who go on tourist trips to Burma are
actively supporting the regime and enabling those generals to receive
financial advantage from it." The EU has also asked travel companies to
withdraw from Burma.

Burma Campaign UK, which shames companies that operate in Burma on a
"dirty" list, yesterday condemned Kuoni's move. "We are very angry that
Kuoni have broken their word," said Yvette Mahon, director of the Burma
Campaign UK. "Than Shwe, the dictator of Burma, will be delighted by this
news. Money from the tourists Kuoni takes to Burma will go straight into
his pockets." Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma's democracy movement who
is under house arrest by the regime, has asked for tourists to stay away.

The cruise company Carnival, owner of P&O, said yesterday that it was
suspending all tours to the region indefinitely.

Burma Campaign UK will target Total Oil. Premier Oil has already pulled
out, as has British American Tobacco.
___________________________________

April 14, Agence France Presse
Eyes turn to Suu Kyi after Myanmar releases two democracy leaders

All eyes have turned to Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and
her prospects for freedom after the military junta released two opposition
leaders ahead of May's national convention, analysts and diplomats said
Wednesday.

National League for Democracy chairman Aung Shwe and secretary U Lwin were
freed Tuesday after nearly a year under house arrest, leaving the party's
general secretary Aung San Suu Kyi and her vice president Tin Oo as the
last senior NLD officials in confinement.

The Nobel peace laureate and Tin Oo were taken into detention during
political unrest last May 30 which triggered a crackdown on the party.

Observers say the ruling generals are likely to lift the restrictions on
them before the convention May 17, which is the first step in Yangon's
seven-point "road map to democracy" that it claims will culminate in free
and fair elections.

"Everybody expects her to be released pretty soon," a Yangon-based analyst
told AFP.

Aung Shwe and U Lwin, both in their eighties, were considered more likely
to be freed first because of their participation in the original
convention, which collapsed in 1995 after the NLD withdrew.

The two have been issued official invitations to attend the May forum.

But members of the NLD's central executive committee (CEC) have stressed
that its nine members including Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo must meet in
person to decide whether the party will attend the forum.

Party sources said a meeting was expected "in the next couple of days"
between her and the CEC.

"We have made requests but up to now we haven't been able to see her," a
party source said.

The NLD, which won a landslide election victory in 1990 that was never
recognised by the junta, was due to convene a party gathering April 17,
Myanmar's traditional New Years day, to which the seven free CEC members
have been invited.

The United States welcomed the release of Aung Shwe and Tin Oo but urged
Yangon to also free Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political detainees.

"We welcome these releases," US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher
told reporters. "We hope that they lead to further progress towards
national reconciliation in Burma," he said using Myanmar's former name.

Washington's welcome however was overshadowed by a critical report
slamming the military-run nation's "severe" human rights abuses and the
"dismal economic policies" that have led to widespread poverty and a poor
investment climate.

"We remain concerned that the junta's neglect and economic mismanagement
are leading to a humanitarian crisis in Burma," warned the State
Department report, a six-monthly review of conditions in Myanmar.

"Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and association remain
greatly restricted," it added.

A Western diplomat also said the junta needed to take further steps to
show it is serious about reforms and engaging the opposition.

"It's good but it's not enough," he said of the Tuesday releases.

"There are two more to be freed. This did not cost them much. The next
step will cost them more," he said, adding that there was broad
expectation that Aung San Suu Kyi would be released between the "Tingyan"
new year holiday and the May 17 convention.

Myanmar's new year coincides with the April 17 opening of a two-day
gathering of foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations and the
European Union who are engaged in a spat over whether Myanmar should
participate in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Hanoi in October.

"They (the junta) have probably been told that if things were improving
before the meeting in Ireland then this would make the talks smoother,"
the diplomat said. "But they have also shown that pressure never works on
them."

Security around Aung San Suu Kyi's residence has visibly increased in
recent days, with new barbed wire put in place around existing barriers
some 100 metres (yards) from her villa.

___________________________________

April 14, Agence France Presse
Myanmar heading towards humanitarian crisis, US warns - P. Parameswaran

 Washington: Myanmar is heading towards a humanitarian crisis due to
neglect and economic mismanagement, the United States warned in a new
report condemning the military-ruled nation for "severe" human rights
abuses.

In a damning report, the US State Department said the junta's "dismal
economic policies" and "chronic economic mismanagement" led to widespread
poverty, shrinking trade, poor business and investment climate, and flight
of most foreign investors.

"We remain concerned that the juntas neglect and economic mismanagement
are leading to a humanitarian crisis in Burma," warned the report, a
six-monthly review of conditions in Myanmar and US policy toward the
Southeast Asian nation.

It attacked Myanmar for allegedly allowing forced labour and "egregious
abuses," including rape, of ethnic minority women by the military.

The gloomy report overshadowed the government's guarded welcome Tuesday
over the release from house arrest of two senior members of the opposition
National League for Democracy (NLD) on Tuesday.

NLD chairman Aung Shwe and secretary U Lwin were freed by the junta after
nearly a year in detention.

"We welcome these releases," US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher
said but added that it should lead to greater national reconciliation.

He called for the release of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and another
key NLD leader Tin Oo, both of whom are under house arrest following
political unrest last May 30 which triggered a crackdown on the party.

Boucher said Washington remained "concerned" that that the military rulers
had refused its request to see Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo.

"We also remain concerned about the continued detention of the hundreds of
others imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their political beliefs
and we reiterate our call for their immediate and unconditional release,"
he said.

The State Department report charged that the State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC), the official name of the junta, "continued to abuse
severely the human rights of its citizens.

"Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and association remain
greatly restricted."

It said Washington would maintain sanctions against Myanmar "until there
is significant progress toward political transition and genuine respect
for human rights or until a democratically elected government in Burma
requests that they be lifted.

Burma is the former name of Myanmar.

The US Congress will formally consider renewing the sanctions against
Yangon in the next few weeks. Many legislators have called for a sanctions
renewal.

The sanctions include an arms embargo, bans on new investment and imports,
an asset freeze, and a prohibition on the exportation of financial
services to Myanmar or the provision of financial assistance to the
government.

No other country has joined the US in adopting an investment ban, an
import ban, or a financial services ban.

The report said US sanctions had an impact on at least one sector of the
economy -- dozens of garment factories that had relied on exports to the
United States have now closed with an estimated loss of up to 50,000 jobs.

Accusing the junta of reneging on its promise for democratic reforms, the
US State Department also said US visa restrictions on Myanmar's military
rulers and managers of state-owned enterprises, along with their family
members, would be maintained.

The report said it has been 16 years since the junta promised a "quick"
transition to democracy but it kept on arresting people for their
"peaceful" political activities and "over a thousand persons remain jailed
for their political beliefs."


OPINION/ OTHER
___________________________________

April 14, BBC
Burma maintains bygone buildings - Steven Martin
Rangoon, Burma

With the temperature in the mid-30s on a muggy day in Rangoon, U Myo Thein
is still able to relax in the cool interior of his "shophouse", despite
the fact that the electric fan is not working.
The building dates back some 70 years to when U Myo Thein was just a boy.

"My daughter lives in a new apartment on 30th Street," U Myo Thein said:
"When the electricity is off, her family suffers".

It is a case of the old surpassing the new, as Rangoon's Anglo-Indian
architecture still provides the ideal living environment for the climate.

Built in an age when air conditioning was unknown and architectural knacks
kept the elements at bay, these structures are still performing the
functions for which they were designed.

Colonial Rangoon, laid out on a grid around the ancient Buddhist stupa
known as Sule Pagoda, dates to 1852, when British troops seized a village
near the mouth of the Irrawaddy River during the Second Anglo-Burmese war.

Known colloquially as Yangon, the name of the settlement was corrupted to
Rangoon by the colonisers, and the capital of British Burma was moved
there from Moulmein after the war.

However it wasn't until the early 20th century that most of Rangoon's
grand public buildings were erected.

These include the High Court, a red brick extravaganza by the architect
John Ransome built in 1911. The impressive building sports a clock tower
whose four faces are lighted at night, and can be seen floating above the
city centre.

The adjacent Government Telegraph Office was erected the same year as the
High Court - though a fresh coat of paint ensures that it looks as
striking as architect John Begg intended.

Trends

In 1996 the Burmese government put some 70 buildings on a heritage list,
the idea being that they would get some kind of official protection. The
list has grown over the years to include nearly 200 structures, including
colonial-era buildings of a religious or official nature.

However, privately owned buildings - such as U Myo Thein's Anglo-Indian
shophouse - are not included on the list. Yet among these rows of
shophouses are some rare glimpses of little-remembered architectural
trends that swept Rangoon - and the world - in the early 20th century.

On Shwebontha Street sits what is possibly South-East Asia's only example
of Egyptian Revival architecture, which was inspired by a mania for all
things Egyptian after the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb by Howard Carter
in 1922.

Sadly, this building was given a ruthless facelift two years ago - most of
the faux Egyptian stucco ornamentation was chipped off the facade and
replaced with glazed tiles. The only bit to survive the renovation was a
winged scarab high up the building.

Opponents of Burma's military regime accuse the government of destroying
these vestiges of British colonial rule in an effort to modernise the
capital before the Asean Summit, which Burma will host in 2006.

Ironically, if it were not for decades of ruinous economic policies, the
buildings would probably never have survived in the first place. For many
years residents of Rangoon were simply too poor to build anything new.

Modernisation

Rangoon now has the largest collection of colonial architecture of any
South-East Asian city. For first time visitors to the capital, the sheer
number of colonial buildings is likely to dazzle.

"We were in Havana on vacation last year and that's what Rangoon reminds
us of - the pastel colours and the people lounging in the windows",
remarked a visitor from Canada.

Less likely to attract attention are the vacant lots surrounded by high
sheet-metal fences that tell of yet another structure to fall victim to
modernisation.

While visitors may be charmed by facades, residents of these old buildings
find they are difficult to maintain - sometimes for surprising reasons.

"Birds drop the seeds of trees and these sprout on the building", said a
barrister whose offices occupy a decrepit colonial building.

"The problem is that some of those plants you see growing from the
buildings cannot be removed. That is to say, people do not want to remove
them. They are a type of banyan, Ficus religiosa, and this tree is sacred
to the Buddha and so too sacred to Buddhist people," he said.

If nothing else, the present state of much of Rangoon's British colonial
architecture is a lesson in the Buddhist concept of universal
impermanence.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3578993.stm

Published: 2004/03/30 02:00:30 GMT

___________________________________

April 10, Asia Times
A critical moment for Myanmar - Bradley O Babson

Keep an eye on Myanmar. Since the audacious attack on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and her National League for Democracy (NLD) supporters shocked the world
at the end of May 2003, the internal dynamics of change in this reclusive
country have taken on new dimensions, and there are signs of potentially
promising developments in the coming weeks and months. There is also a
growing sense of urgency that the political fundamentals of ethnic
stability and movement toward democracy need to be addressed sooner rather
than later, although the prospect of a regime change that would
drastically reduce the controlling authority of the military in Myanmar
seems now a wilted dream.

Last year's attack on Suu Kyi appears to have been premeditated but
shortsighted. Not only did it ignite revulsion and indignation among her
supporters inside and outside the country, but it also seems to have
crossed a red line within the military establishment itself. The status
quo could no longer be tolerated. In the aftermath of this watershed
event, there has been realignment of upper-level leadership in which
Senior General Than Shwe has consolidated his authority at the helm of the
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), while at the same time
appointing Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt prime minister with the authority
to launch new initiatives both in developing a roadmap for democracy and
in negotiating reconciliation agreements with recalcitrant ethnic
insurgency groups.

The determination to move forward on this agenda is palpable. The military
has long maintained that the path to democracy would require attainment of
stability in the country as a first priority. The efforts to entice
ethnic-minority groups to participate in a national convention to draw up
a new constitution are guided by this belief. A fundamental objective of
the convention will be to work out agreements that are broadly acceptable
to the major ethnic-minority populations and that strike a balance between
reasonable local autonomy and necessary national authority. This balance
was never attempted under colonial rule and was never effectively
established after independence. The national convention is thus a crucial
step toward shaping a genuinely national consensus for governance that has
been a missing ingredient in this highly pluralistic and divided society.

Building democracy requires more than holding elections. By concentrating
on the process of building support for participating in a constitutional
convention, the military authorities are laying the foundation for
addressing other major issues related to building a functioning democracy
in Myanmar. Primary among these are shaping future institutions of
governance that will be legitimized and animated by a broadly accepted
constitution, and delineating the meaning of citizenship through
articulation of shared values and aspirations, including basic rights and
obligations.

There are many important questions to be resolved in the convention
deliberations. These include basic principles of national identity; the
future role for the military in the governance structure and extent of
civil authority; balance of power among ethnic groups and between central
and local authorities; protections given to political institutions,
freedom of religion and civil liberties; and commitment to strengthening
the rule of law in enforcement of the constitution. So far, we have not
heard much said on any of these critical issues.

Whatever the motivation that led to last May's attack on Suu Kyi and her
NLD followers, the decision to keep her under house arrest and away from
the microphone was a deliberate and tactical one. It has allowed the
military government to move ahead with the ethnic-minority agenda without
the distractions of the NLD raising issues that might confuse the process
of reaching agreements with the ethnic groups to participate in the
constitutional process. An important test of the commitment of the
leadership to broadening the process and addressing the issues of
institutional building and citizenship in a democratic Myanmar is their
willingness to give the microphone back to Suu Kyi and to allow the NLD
full voice in the national debate. The big question is: What will she say?

Setting a date for the convention and inviting the NLD to participate
would be significant developments in which the stakes would be high for
both the military leadership and for the proponents of democracy. To be
successful, the convention and the constitution it adopts must be
perceived as legitimate, domestically and abroad. Domestic legitimacy will
be largely determined by popular perception of how representative the
participants will be of the diverse interests in the country, how openly
the deliberations are held and how constructively sensitive issues are
resolved. International legitimacy is largely going to be determined by
Suu Kyi and the NLD in deciding whether to join the process and whether to
support the eventual conclusions. A strong vote of support for a new
constitution would transform the politics of engagement with Myanmar and
the politics of overseas dissident groups and their supporters.

Expectations are rising that in the coming weeks - before the anniversary
of the May 2003 attack on Suu Kyi and the NLD - significant developments
will take place to set the stage for the convening of the national
convention. Let us hope so. But let us not be sanguine about how easy the
road to democracy will be for Myanmar. Even if Than Shwe is willing to
give the green light, and even if Suu Kyi is willing to work with the
military authorities toward the convening of a genuinely representative
convention, the challenges of resolving the legacy of divisiveness,
building capacity for modern governance, and alleviating poverty in this
complex society are enormous.

Under the best of circumstances, it will take many years of hard efforts
for Myanmar to develop into the democratic and prosperous country that it
has always had the potential to become.

Bradley O Babson is a consultant who can be reached at bradbabson at aol.com.
___________________________________

PRESS RELEASE

April 14, International PEN
Vaclav Havel and Nobel Laureates Call For Release of Imprisoned Burmese
Writers

Fourteen Nobel Literature Laureates are joining Vaclav Havel, former
President of the Czech Republic and renowned playwright, and Jiri Grusa,
acclaimed Czech writer and President of International PEN, to urge Senior
General Than Shwe of the Burmese Military Junta to immediately release
Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other imprisoned Burmese
writers. Burmese writers serving long sentences include 74 year-old editor
U Win Tin, serving 20 years hard labour, and poet and journalist U Aung
Myint, condemned to 21 years imprisonment.

In a letter delivered to Burmese embassies in Bangkok, Berlin, London, New
Delhi, Tokyo, Washington DC and other cities worldwide on April 13th,
Havel and the Laureates wrote “We are profoundly disturbed by the open,
unchecked, and accelerating suppression of the internationally-acclaimed
peaceful movement for democracy in the Union of Myanmar, and by the denial
of the freedom of expression - and in many cases, physical freedom - to
our fellow writers. We are urgently concerned for the welfare of all who
are currently prosecuted simply for exercising their essential right of
freedom of speech and expression.”

The following Nobel Laureates for Literature joined in the appeal: J. M.
Coetzee, Naguib Mahfouz, Seamus Heaney, Nadine Gordimer, Kenzaburo Oe,
Wole Soyinka, Toni Morrison, Wislawa Szymborska, Czeslaw Milosz, V. S.
Naipaul, Günter Grass, Claude Simon, Jose Saramago and Imre Kertesz.

The appeal also states that the detention of these writers is a roadblock
to any significant progress or transition to democracy in Burma: “If a
single political prisoner, if writers, journalists and other citizens
cannot discuss the future of their country without fear, all announcements
of political reform lack credibility. All historical experience teaches us
that freedom of speech and free and open public debate cannot stand at the
end of a road to democracy, but must be at the very beginning of any
meaningful reform.”

The appeal will be launched jointly by International PEN President Jiri
Grusa and former Czech President Havel at the opening ceremony of the One
World International Human Rights Film Festival at the Archa Theatre in
Prague at 8 pm on April 14th.  A short documentary on the attack last May
on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD) will
be premiered at the Festival.

For further information please contact:

International PEN, London: Jane Spender +44-207-253-4308; Cathy McCann,
+44-207-253-3226

PEN American Center, New York:  Larry Siems +1-212-334-1660, ext. 105

People In Need, Prague, Tomas Pojar, cell phone + 420 777 787 911

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) Thailand:  +
66-1-324-8935
www.aappb.net