BurmaNet News, March 24, 2005

[Editor]

March 24, 2005 Issue # 2682


ON THE BORDER
SHAN: Not a few for engagement at dissident forum

HEALTH / AIDS
Mizzima: Indo-Burma to check AIDS along porous border

BUSINESS / MONEY
Thai Press Reports: Thai Board of Investment identifies target industries
for foreign investors

REGIONAL
AFP: Myanmar under pressure to reform or risk losing ASEAN chair
AFP: Thailand won't join Malaysia bid to suspend Myanmar from ASEAN chair

INTERNATIONAL
AP: New Zealand lawmakers urge regional bloc to press Rangoon
Independent: Revealed: sale of garden furniture in Britain is propping up
a brutal regime

OPINION / OTHER
Nation: Burma’s chance of chairing Asean at risk
US Campaign for Burma: What if Aung San Suu Kyi baked scones?

ANNOUNCEMENT
Job vacancies with Bangkok NGO

______________________________________
ON THE BORDER

March 24, Shan Herald Agency for News
Not a few for engagement at dissident forum

Almost half of the 75 activists, the majority of whom were younger people,
had vouched for taking part in the junta-engineered roadmap rather than
throwing a blanket opposition against it, reported one of the organizers
of a two-day workshop in Chiangmai that ended yesterday.

45% of the participants of US-based Burma Fund's Workshop on Social and
Political Movements: Lessons for Burma thought a lot could be done by
casting votes against the military-written charter at the referendum (the
4th stage of the roadmap) and joining in the general elections (the 5th
stage) rather than cold shouldering them, noted Win Min. "The referendum
and the elections are the only phases (in the 7-point roadmap) where there
are direct popular participation and the military will not be able to
orchestrate to perfection," Thein Oo of Burma Lawyers Council also pointed
out.

"Our (federal) proposals have been jilted," a Kachin participant quoted a
National Convention delegate. "The referendum is the only field where we
can beat the junta at its own game."

Others are not so quite as cocksure. "The regime will cheat, because it
knows fully well it cannot win without resort to cheating," said Bo Bo
Kyaw Nyein, son of one of Burma's most well-known late politicians and
himself a 1974 - U Thant funeral riots veteran.

Others also argued that the sole aim of Burma's military rulers in holding
a referendum and elections are to legalize its hold on power, not to lose
it. "Former Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw, just before he was sacked, was
reported to have said the USDA (Union Solidarity and Development
Association, mass organization set up by Rangoon in 1993) was its passport
to remaining in power," recounted another participant.

The workshop also discussed mass uprisings and other issues that included
whether the National League for Democracy, that had won landslide victory
in the 1990 elections, should enter the next polls where the country is
expected to remain under the rule of the minority (the military has
already earmarked 25% of the parliamentary seats without putting itself to
the ballot) even when another runaway election victory awaits the party.

Rangoon authorities are currently going through the roadmap's first stage:
Holding a national convention to lay down constitutional principles. But
some dissidents say it has already gone on to the second stage" Taking
necessary steps to establish a discipline-flourishing democracy by
arresting Shan politicians last month. The formal drafting of the charter
has been designated as the next stage, but many critics believe the
generals already have a blueprint for it.

______________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

March 20, Mizzima News
Indo-Burma to check AIDS along porous border - Surajit Khaund

Under the aegis of the World Health Organization, India and Burma would
jointly fight against the dreaded AIDS/HIV which has posed a serious
threat to the people of both the countries over the years.

The one day meeting of the two countries represented by Dr G Binodkumar
Sharma, Director of Manipur AIDS Control Organization (MACS) running under
the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) and Chairman of the District
peace and Development Council, Tamu (Myanmar), Lt Colonel Win Soe  which
concluded in Tamu bordering area of Burma on Saturday , had decided to
organize a series of AIDS awareness programs in north western Burma
including Tamu town and Namphalong markets bordering Moreh, India's
gateway to the South East Asian countries from the next week.

Dr G Binodkumar Sharma who led the Indian delegation told the newsmen
today that members of both the countries had agreed to initiate a
conceptive effort to fight against the AIDS. The Indian delegates included
World Health Organization Consultant A Ibochou Singh, District
Immunization Officer, Moreh, Dr N Shyamsai, All Manipur NGOs Forum general
Secretary Y Surchandra Singh and Indian Immigrant Officer, Moreh K Tomba
Singh.

The campaigns are being taken up in the backdrop of taking cognizance of
the perpetual threat posed by the porous Indo-Burma border regarding
transmission of HIV/AIDS infection. The Government of India has
acknowledged the fact that the various HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns have
not yielded the desired results because of the porous border which has
made drug trafficking all that easier.

Taking this fact into account, the Centre has started the initiative to
consult the Burma's authorities for launching joint control programs with
especial emphasis at the border areas on either side. Even though HIV/AIDS
awareness campaigns are being launched on a war footing in Manipur, such
programs are non-existent on the other side of the border and this has
negated the effort and activities of the Government and NGOs alike.

AIDS/HIV posed grave threats to  Manipur . By the end of October, 2004, a
total of 18,853 HIV cases including 3,358 females and 1701 AIDS cases
including 462 resultant deaths were reported out of 94,639 blood samples
screened.

The safe sex campaigns are urgently needed on both sides of the border to
check rapid spread of HIV/AIDS. In fact, National AIDS Control
Organization (NACO) had pointed out to the Centre the necessity to begin
the joint control program at the earliest and as a result an official team
of Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS) recently visited Moreh to chalk out
future program with Burmese officials to prepare itineraries for an
official level consultation at the top level between the two countries.

The latest effort is due to reports placing Ukhrul at the top of the
HIV/AIDS chart. One of the reasons cited for the situation in Ukhrul is
its close proximity to Myanmar making this district the ideal transit
point for heroin smuggling.

______________________________________
BUSINESS / MONEY

March 24, Thai Press Reports
Thai Board of Investment identifies target industries for foreign investors

The Board of Investment (BoI) will focus on attracting investors wishing
to invest in automobiles and parts, moulds and metal parts, electrical and
electronic parts and food industries in several activities scheduled up to
July, according to secretary-general Sathit Sirirangkamanont, the Bangkok
Post reports.

As well, BoI and company executives will take part in missions to explore
opportunities in China, India, Japan, Germany, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia
and Laos.

The BoI this week is leading a mission to two provinces in China where
food and electronic industries are flourishing, while another mission will
visit Laos and Vietnam in April to observe utilities, agro-industries,
textiles, hotels and tourism.

Also in April, BoI will visit Germany for talks with German businessmen at
the Hannover Fair 2005. In June, a mission will go to Japan, with a focus
on automobiles and parts, moulds and metal parts and electrical and
electronic parts.

In June and July, the BoI will lead a mission to Burma and Cambodia to
explore business opportunities in utilities, agriculture, textiles,
chemicals, hotels and tourism, said Mr. Sathit.

_____________________________________
REGIONAL

March 24, Agence France Presse
Myanmar under pressure to reform or risk losing ASEAN chair - Martin Abbugao

Singapore: Myanmar's military regime is coming under pressure to implement
long-promised democratic reforms or risk losing its chance to assume
leadership of ASEAN, analysts and diplomats said.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) rotates its
chair alphabetically and Myanmar is due to take over from Malaysia in
2006.

This means Yangon would host the ASEAN summit in late 2006 and the foreign
ministers' meeting in mid-2007, which will include a regional security
forum involving the United States, China, Russia and the European Union.

ASEAN's other members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

While neighbours may publicly invoke the principle of non-interference in
internal affairs, diplomats said a campaign is being waged behind closed
doors for Myanmar to honour its promises and prevent further embarrassment
to ASEAN.

Government MPs in Malaysia are planning to table a motion calling on
Myanmar to release democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and speed up political
reforms. Otherwise, they would press for Myanmar to be passed over as
ASEAN chair.

Debbie Stothard, coordinator of Altsean, a Bangkok-based human rights
group campaigning for democracy in Myanmar, welcomed the move.

"The military regime in Burma has not engaged in any genuine moves towards
democracy. Giving the country chairmanship will only foster complacency
amongst the Burmese generals," she said, using Myanmar's former name.

But analysts said it was still too early to tell if the move could
snowball sufficiently to force Myanmar to appease its critics.

Myanmar, admitted into ASEAN in 1997 despite misgivings among some
members, has repeatedly ignored international calls for the release of
Aung San Suu Kyi. It has unveiled a "roadmap" to democratic reforms, but
progress has been slow.

The thought of the Myanmar junta setting ASEAN's direction is worrying
some members and major partners.

The United States has threatened to boycott ASEAN meetings and the
European Union may do likewise if Myanmar assumes leadership without
tangible changes.

"I do think the move by the Malaysian legislators reflects a strong
undercurrent of frustration in the region over Myanmar's failure to honour
its promises," a Southeast Asian diplomat, who asked not to be named, told
AFP.

"You can be sure that pressure is being exerted and will be exerted in
diplomatic corridors."

One arena will be an ASEAN foreign ministers' "retreat" or informal
meeting in the central Philippine island of Cebu from April 9-12, the
diplomat added.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said in parliament on March 4 that
while ASEAN would be non-confrontational, "in the end... some hard
messages may have to be put across".

He said "many" of his fellow foreign ministers worry about Yangon taking
over the chair and warned that "unless the Myanmar authorities handle the
situation carefully, ASEAN's credibility and cohesion would be
jeopardised."

Marty Natalegawa, the foreign ministry spokesman of ASEAN's largest member
Indonesia, said the chair is decided based on ASEAN's principle of
consensus, taking into consideration "all aspects" relevant to the matter.

He stressed that while some developments may be considered internal to a
member country, Indonesia has "also emphasised the need to see things from
the perspective of ASEAN as a collective family of nations."

Thai foreign ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow declined comment on
the moves in Malaysia but said Thailand believes Myanmar understands the
concerns of the global community.

Douglas Webber, a political science professor at the Asian campus of the
French business school INSEAD in Singapore, said he believed "there is
wide support amongst many of the ASEAN governments and the political class
for the position these legislators in Malaysia have taken."

Former ASEAN secretary general Rodolfo Severino said that while Myanmar
has been a thorn on ASEAN's side, disrupting the selection process could
set a dangerous precedent.

"Does this mean that when you don't like what another member is doing, you
skip the rotation process?" he told AFP.

"This is a rather dangerous move... I think this should be thought out
very clearly and all the consequences must be looked at. In other words,
this kind of decision should not be taken lightly," Severino warned.

"We all know that there are member states that are not happy with what's
going on in Myanmar. But I also think that they should look at the
problems that the Myanmar government is facing and also look at the
consequences."

The English-language Thai newspaper The Nation said in an editorial
Thursday that the move by Malaysian MPs was a "dramatic" development.

"ASEAN realises that having Burma as a member has been a liability, making
the grouping a target for international ridicule and criticism. Perhaps
ASEAN has come to the realisation that it would be better off without
Burma."

______________________________________

March 24, Agence France Presse
Thailand won't join Malaysia bid to suspend Myanmar from ASEAN chair: FM

Thailand will not be a part of a Malaysia-led campaign to suspend Myanmar
from chairing ASEAN next year but would instead continue engaging its
military-ruled neighbour, the Thai foreign minister said Thursday.

Newly installed top diplomat Kantathi Supamongkhon expressed optimism that
Yangon would clean up its human rights act before it takes over the
rotating presidency of the 10-nation bloc.

Malaysian MPs are planning to table a motion calling on Myanmar to release
democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and speed up political reforms. Otherwise
they would press for Myanmar to be passed over as chair of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations.

"Thailand will not get involved in Malaysia's campaign," Kantathi told
reporters. "We have to be very careful, we cannot jump to conclusions."

Analysts have said it was still too early to tell if Malaysia's move could
snowball sufficiently to force Myanmar to appease its critics.

Kantathi said he expected Yangon to be aware of the region's wishes for
democratisation in the country and that taking steps to convince fellow
members of progress was important.

"Myanmar must heed other countries' signals," he said. "Thailand wants to
see positive change in Myanmar, and because Myanmar will play a key role
in ASEAN next year thus it will encourage Myanmar for positive change."

Malaysia takes over the chair at a summit in Kuala Lumpur in November and
Myanmar's turn is due in 2006.

Myanmar's membership of the grouping since 1997 has been a growing
irritant in relations between ASEAN and western countries, including the
United States.

Former US ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke warned in
Bangkok on Monday that the US and other countries might boycott the 2006
summit and two major meetings immediately afterwards if they are held in
Yangon as scheduled.

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

______________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

March 24, Associated Press
New Zealand lawmakers urge regional bloc to press Rangoon - Ray Lilley

Wellington: Southeast Asia's leading trade and economic bloc should demand
Burma's military junta release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi or
forfeit taking over the group's revolving leadership next year, New
Zealand lawmakers said Thursday.

New Zealand is not a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
or Asean, but is a so-called dialogue partner that is in talks with the
grouping about a possible free trade zone with its 10 members and
Australia.

The poor human rights record of Burma's junta and the home detention of
Suu Kyi have been a sticking point in Asean's relations with Europe and
the United States, which hold regular talks with the organization in
various forums.

Burma is due to become the Asean chair in 2006.

Malaysian legislators recently announced they plan a motion in parliament
urging Asean to block Burma from becoming the organization's chair unless
Suu Kyi is released.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff said the prospect of Burma taking
the Asean chair was a chance for extra pressure to be put on the junta to
go ahead with promised democratic reforms.

"There is an opportunity for both members and dialogue partners to push
for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi" with Burma scheduled to host the
Asean conference next year," Goff told The Associated Press.

He noted, however that deciding who would hold the chair "is a matter for
the members of Asean, and not for dialogue partners."

Peter Dunne, chairman of the parliament's Foreign Affairs Select
Committee, said Burma taking the chair had "huge implications for Asean's
credibility.”

"I think this is very, very problematic for" Asean, said Dunne, whose
United Future Party is a junior member of the coalition government.
Asean's "credibility is going to be seriously affected if Burma does
succeed to the chair."

Asean has a policy of noninterference in members' domestic affairs, and
criticism of one member by another is rare. But some Asean members have
quietly expressed frustration at the pace of democratic reform in Burma.

Asean's members are Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Burma has been ruled by the military since 1962. The current junta refused
to hand power when Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won elections
in 1990. Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi has been under arrest since May
2003.

______________________________________

March 24, The Independent
Revealed: sale of garden furniture in Britain is propping up a brutal
regime - Maxine Frith

One of Britain's biggest garden centre companies is selling furniture made
from teak sold by the oppressive Burmese military regime. Tables, chairs
and other goods made from the wood are on sale at dozens of branches of
Wyevale Garden Centres around the country.

The company and its supplier, a British company called Neptune, both claim
to sell furniture only from ethical sources, and do not mention in
publicity that their products have come from Burma. But campaigners say
that profits from the garden furniture sets are propping up the south-
east Asian country's brutal dictatorship.

The revelations come ahead of the biggest weekend for garden centres, with
millions of pounds expected to be spent over the Easter holiday. Many of
Wyevale's 114 stores sell furniture sets made by Neptune.

Some of the teak used to make Neptune's garden furniture is bought
directly from the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), which rules
Burma.

Nathan Argent, forests campaigner for Greenpeace, which carried out the
investigation, said: "Wyevale have acted disgracefully by buying timber
from Burma. There is absolutely no excuse for this abhorrent behaviour.

"Wyevale are failing their customers by selling timber that is directly
linked to environmental destruction and human rights abuses."

Burma is the world's largest exporter of teak and the vast majority of
exports are directly controlled by the SPDC. Forestry is supposed to be
controlled in an attempt to prevent environmental damage and there are
legal quotas on the amount of timber exported.

But illegal logging and the over-forestation of supposedly sustainable
forests are destroying huge swaths of Burma's timber supplies.

The Forest Stewardship Council, the international body that certifies
forests as sustainable for buyers and customers, is so concerned about
logging in Burma that it has refused to give any timber from the country
its backing.

Human rights groups have established that entire villages have been
terrorised out of their homes to make way for logging operations, while
thousands more are coerced into forced labour to help the SPDC to profit
from the country's natural resources.

The SPDC sells teak from plantations it controls to foreign suppliers such
as Neptune, as well as taking "tithes" from logging companies operating
within the country. Thousands more tons of timber are logged illegally and
smuggled out of the country each year by rebel groups.

The secrecy of the Burmese regime makes it impossible to know whether
timber from the country is legal or illegal, campaigners say. But known
exports amount to more than $ 300m (pounds 160m) a year and account for 11
per cent of foreign exchange earnings. Half of all the Burmese regime's
spending goes on arms and the military, which is used to oppress its own
people.

Giles Redman, the managing director of Swindon-based Neptune, defended his
company's business in Burma yesterday, and claimed that the SPDC was
supported by the country's people.

He said: "There are two ways of the dealing with the solution; one, you
apply sanctions. The alternative is to do business with them and the
country gets interested in the idea that they are generating dollars and
they have to take more responsibility."

Wyevale, which uses the former pop star turned gardening expert Kim Wilde
to promote its goods, made more than pounds 15m in pre-tax profit last
year. It claims to only use ethical suppliers, and says that it "fully
supports" the FSC guidelines. But it does not tell customers that some of
the products in the Neptune range are made of timber from Burma.

In a league table of ethical garden furniture suppliers compiled by
Greenpeace, Wyevale was given an "E" grade for selling goods linked to
Burma. The company also scores badly for failing to provide sufficient
evidence that timber which is sourced from Indonesia, where corruption and
illegal logging is rife, has come from sustainable supplies.

A spokeswoman for Wyevale said: "Wyevale cannot provide a full statement
until it has investigated the matter fully.

"However, it would like to reiterate its policy, which is to ensure that
all our wooden furniture is manufactured from timber which is certificated
to have been sourced from managed forests."

But she could not confirm that all of its products were FSC certified, and
did not deny that Neptune products were sold in stores.

Only House of Fraser and Harrods were given the worse score of "F", for
failing to respond to Greenpeace's requests for information about the
sources of their furniture.

Greenpeace, along with other lobby groups, is calling on consumers to
boycott all products from Burma.

Asda, Woolworth's, Tesco and B&Q all scored a top A grade from only using
products with an FSC certificate.

______________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

March 24, Nation
Burma’s chance of chairing Asean at risk

The pariah state’s turn to lead the regional grouping is conditional on
political reform

Malaysia clearly knows what to do when it is on a sinking ship – jump off
as soon as possible. So, when Nazri Abdul Aziz, a minister in Malaysia’s
prime minister’s department, said his country would ask Burma to stand
down as the chair of next year’s Asean ministerial meeting, he was making
it clear that there is no point in Asean continuing to flog a dead horse.
His words also marked a turnaround in Malaysia’s long-held position on
Burma.

This was dramatic coming from Kuala Lumpur, which had once diligently
pushed for Burma’s inclusion in Asean. The import of Malaysia’s
willingness to change its stance will not be lost on the region.

Still, it took a lot of courage for Malaysia to speak out against Burma.
After all, the members of Asean have long held to the grouping’s rule of
non-intervention in other members’ internal affairs, regardless of the
direction of those affairs. But the junta’s intransigence in the face
Asean’s gentle attempts at coaxing Burma into reforming its political
system has proved too much. More Asean members are showing their wariness
towards the situation there.

For the past eight years, Asean has accepted numerous transgressions by
Burma’s junta, keeping its collective silence in the interest of
preserving the grouping’s strong sense of solidarity. Now it seems all the
goodwill and patience have been exhausted. The junta leaders simply refuse
to budge from their hard-line policies, which have engendered political
oppression and flagrant violations of human rights.

Though the National Convention in Rangoon to draft a new constitution has
been thoroughly discredited, the military regime will continue to push for
its conclusion, leaving the country with a sorry excuse for a constitution
which the junta will use to perpetuate its grip on power.

Holding the sham constitution up as proof, the junta will be able to
announce that Burma is on the road to another “guided” democracy. With the
promulgation of a constitution, an election can be scheduled to precede or
coincide with the annual Asean meeting.

Malaysia’s change of heart came after Singapore’s Foreign Minister George
Yeo expressed similar misgivings about Burma. Like Malaysia, Singapore –
along with Indonesia – was a strong supporter of Burma’s membership in
Asean. With key members expressing dissatisfaction with the junta, can we
expect the generals to respond?

So far, the generals have done whatever they pleased with impunity.
However, the growing pressure from Asean’s individual members could result
in a common action, provided that such pressure is well coordinated and
the sentiments shared by all other members. Certainly, new Asean members
such as Vietnam and Laos, whose governments share some of the Rangoon
junta’s characteristics and behaviour, will be against any move to punish
Rangoon.

Asean realises that having Burma as a member has been a liability, making
the grouping a target for international ridicule and criticism. Perhaps
Asean has come to the realisation that it would be better off without
Burma. After all, it is likely that if Burma assumes hosting duties for
the upcoming Asean meeting, delegations from dialogue partners like Japan,
the US and Europe could boycott the meeting.

Asean wants to send the strong and unambiguous signal that unless the
junta leaders change the depressing status quo inside their country, the
chances of the grouping’s support for Burma to play host for this
important meeting are nil.

With Asean’s position on Burma changing fast, Thailand is caught in a
dilemma. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has backed the regime in
Rangoon so unreservedly that his government is now reluctant to weigh in
as an active player in the matter.

Thailand’s inaction is inconsistent with the Thaksin II government’s
promise to uphold human rights and democracy. Thailand has a chance to
change its position on Burma, like Malaysia and Singapore, at the foreign
ministerial retreat to be held in Cebu, the Philippines, early next month.

If we insist on blindly following through with our unscrupulous policies
toward Burma, Thailand could lose a crucial opportunity to support what is
shaping up to be one of the most important political endeavours ever taken
by Asean. The last time Asean took such history-making steps was with the
political crisis in Cambodia in 1996.

Newly appointed Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon will have to
decide how Thailand will proceed on the Burma question. His actions will
set the tone for his tenure as Thailand’s top diplomat and his status as a
player within Asean.

______________________________________

March 18, US Campaign for Burma
What ff Aung San Suu Kyi baked scones?

A few facts and quotes about modern media coverage and Burma compiled by
US Campaign for Burma

www.uscampaignforburma.org

=============================
Martha Stewart
Country:   United States
Age: 63
Gender: Female
Profession: Founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
Claim to Fame: Domestic Goddess, Makes Great
Scones, Cookies, Pastries
Laws Broken: Obstruction of Justice, Making False Statements
Admirers: Cooks, interior designers, business leaders (formerly?)
Prison Sentence: Four Months
Close Calls: Julia Child reportedly dipped finger into Martha's recipe on
television
Trial: Fair and open trial in US legal system
Current Restrictions: Under house arrest on huge estate, can still go to
work, see friends, etc.
Quote About Her: "Lying to governmemt agents during the course of a
investigation is a very serious matter..."
--US District Judge Mariam Goldman Cederbaum
Quote By Her: "These are my first lemons.  I really missed them..."
Total Hours Of Television News Coverage in 2004-2005: Thousands?
Covers of Magazines in 2004-2005: At Least One Dozen

Aung San Suu Kyi
Country: Burma
Age: 59
Gender: Female
Profession: Leader of Burma's Democracy Movement
Claim to Fame: World's only imprisoned Nobel Peace
Prize recipient, leads nationwide nonviolent resistance to 40 years of
military dictatorship
Laws Broken: Calling for human rights, democracy in Burma
Admired by: Desmond Tutu, Bono, Bonnie Raitt, Paul McCartney, Colin Powell,
Kofi Annan, John McCain, Madeleine Albright, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton,
Nancy Pelosi
Close calls: Survived two assassination attempts after hundreds of
supporters beaten to death by thugs of ruling dictator
Trial: None--she is under arbitrary arrest ordered by one of world's most
brutal dictators, Than Shwe
Current Restrictions: House Arrest--house surrounded by barbed wire, armed
guards
Famous Quote About Her: "In physical stature she is petite, but in moral
stature she is a giant."
--South African Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Desmond Tutu
Quote By Her: "Please, use your liberty to promote ours."
Total Hours Of Network News in 2004-2005: 0
Covers of Magazines in 2004-2005: 0

______________________________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS

Job vacancies with Bangkok NGO

Are you:

1. Committed to human rights and democracy in Burma,
2. Equally committed to coherence and the basic rules of English grammar
in your writing,
3. Serious about the accuracy of your research work,
4. Willing to work long hours at your computer,
5. Comfortable when juggling with competing priorities,
6. Happy to be based in Bangkok for at least a year, and
7. Prepared to work for a (very) modest salary?

A semi-underground organisation in Bangkok, run by a close-knit and
slightly eccentric team of women, has vacancies for:

2 x Researcher/Writers (to start work in May or June). Deadline for
applications: April 10, 2005.

1 x Training Officer (to start work in August or September). Deadline for
applications: June 10, 2005.

For a detailed job description and/or to lodge an expression of interest,
please email <applybangkok at yahoo.com>.