BurmaNet News, Oct 6, 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

Oct 6, 2003 Issue # 2341


INSIDE BURMA
BBC Monitor: UN Burma "Well Prepared" For Asean Summit Says Deputy Foreign
Minister
Xinhua: Myanmar drafts new communications law
Xinhua: Myanmar to launch e-procurement pilot project

ON THE BORDER
Nation: Minefield Delays Goods On Way To Burma
BBC Monitor: Burmese Opposition Radio Reports Seized Weapons Destined For
India
Irrawaddy: Small Blast in Myawaddy

DRUGS
Shan: Shan rebels deny dealing in drugs

BUSINESS/MONEY
The Guardian: Sportswear boycott over Burma links

REGIONAL
Financial Times: Suu Kyi arrest threatens Asean credibility
Bangkok Post: Khin Nyunt Expected To Face Wrath Of Fellow Leaders
Bangkok Post: Ministers Welcome Release Of Suu Kyi
Nation: Suu Kyi not on agenda at Asean meet

INTERNATIONAL
Sydney Morning Herald: The Black Sheep Of ASEAN

OPINION / OTHER
Mizzima:Its Time For Razali to Go


__________________ INSIDE BURMA ___________________

Oct 6, BBC Monitoring International Reports
Burma "Well Prepared" For Asean Summit Says Deputy Foreign Minister
Myanmar (Burma) stands ready to explain its domestic political situation
if the issue is raised at the annual summit of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Indonesia this week, says the deputy
foreign minister, U Khin Maung Win. In an exclusive interview with Myanmar
Times last Thursday, U Khin Maung Win said the Myanmar (Burmese)
delegation was "well prepared" for the summit, being held on the resort
island of Bali on 7 and 8 October.
"It is our understanding that Indonesia does not want domestic issues of
any member to be highlighted (during the summit), U Khin Maung Win said.
He said the atmosphere for the summit had improved since the
secretary-general of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi, returned home late last month after undergoing major surgery. The
NLD leader was admitted to hospital while under a protective custody order
imposed in late May. The protective custody order would be lifted at an
"appropriate time", U Khin Maung Win said.
Indonesia, in its capacity as current chair of ASEAN, had sent a former
foreign minister, Mr Ali Alatas, as a special envoy to Myanmar last month.
U Khin Maung Win said there was a lot of understanding about Myanmar among
its ASEAN partners "despite what has been reported in the regional and
western media". He said regional perceptions about Myanmar had changed
dramatically for the better since the seven-point road map for a
transition to democracy was unveiled by the prime minister, Gen Khin
Nyunt, on 30 August.
"There has not been any country which has come out openly against this
road map," U Khin Maung Win said, adding that even Western countries
critical of Myanmar had not opposed the plan. He said the Bali summit
would be of "special significance" for Myanmar as it will be the first
international meeting to be attended by Gen Khin Nyunt since he was
appointed prime minister on 25 August. Gen Khin Nyunt will be accompanied
by the foreign minister, U Win Aung, as well as U Khin Maung Win, and the
country's other deputy foreign minister, U Kyaw Thu. Gen Khin Nyunt will
hold bilateral talks with other ASEAN leaders and those of the grouping's
dialogue partners, China, Japan and South Korea, on the sidelines of the
summit, U Khin Maung Win said.
U Khin Maung Win said Myanmar backed proposals topping the summit agenda
that call for the establishment of ASEAN economic and security
communities. Myanmar believed they will "serve to ensure enduring peace
and stability in the region as well as ensuring that there is progress and
prosperity in the region", he said. The ASEAN economic community, proposed
by Singapore in 2002, could eventually lead to an ASEAN common market. The
ASEAN security community was proposed by Indonesia last June. As well as
the 10 ASEAN members, and its dialogue partners China, Japan and South
Korea, the summit will also be attended by India. Myanmar became an ASEAN
member in 1997 and is due to take over as chair of the grouping in 2006.
___________________________________
Oct 6, Xinhua
Myanmar drafts new communications law
YANGON, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) --Myanmar has been drafting a new communications
law since last May to regulate the use of telecommunications equipment of
high technology and services in the wake of growing application of them,
the Myanmar Times reported Monday.
Quoting the Department of Posts and Telecommunications (DPT), the report
said that the use of such high-tech equipment and services is not covered
under existing legislation and many of the communications-related laws,
which have been outdated, were introduced by British authorities when
Myanmar was under its colonial rule.
While studying communications legislation in other developing nations and
taking into consideration of issues including liberalization, deregulation
and transparency, the Myanmar authorities are carefully drafting the law
to ensure it best suits the country's needs, it said.
The law is expected to be finalized by the end of this year for enactment.
Meanwhile, the government is planning to establish an internet security
team to protect computer systems from virus and other overseas threats,
such as hackers.
The report said that the DPT would set up the Computer Emergency Response
Team within a few months.
These moves are to be made under an agreement reached at a meeting of
ASEAN telecommunications and information technology ministers held in
Singapore last month which pledged commitment to enhance regional
cooperation in cyber security.
It is anticipated that by 2004, ASEAN member countries will have a common
framework for sharing information on cyber security threats and
vulnerability assessments.
___________________________________
Oct 6, Xinhua
Myanmar to launch e-procurement pilot project
YANGON, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) --Myanmar is making preparations to launch an
e(electronic)-procurement pilot project beginning next fiscal year
2004-05, the Myanmar Times reported Monday.
The e-procurement project, one of the seven e-government pilot projects
and the sixth to be introduced, will enable ministries to access suppliers
on line, thus helping to ensure a faster and more accurate purchasing
process.
Quoting the Myanmar Computer Company, the project coordinator, the report
said the scheme will involve eight ministries and 19 information and
communications technology (ICT) companies.
Other e-government projects include e-passport, e-visa, e-certification
authority, smart card, smart school and trade e-data interchange.
Myanmar has stressed the importance to developing human resources to
computerize government activities. Besides having some trained IT experts
to work in e-government projects, the country is also receiving assistance
under e-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) programs.
As one of the signatories to the e-ASEAN Framework Agreement initiated at
the ASEAN Summit held in Singapore in 2000, Myanmar has formed the
e-National Task Force to support the IT development.
With the aim to boost the country's software industry, the first ever
Myanmar ICT Park in Yangon was established in January 2002 with the second
ICT park being planned in the second largest city of Mandalay.
Meanwhile, Myanmar signed a series of memorandums of understanding in
January this year with companies from Malaysia and Thailand and an ASEAN
organization on ICT development.
The government is also giving encouragement and incentives to investment
in the field, especially in education and human resources development for
the IT.

_____________ ON THE BORDER ______________

Oct 6, The Nation

The transport of construction materials to the site of a planned dam on
the Salween river inside Burma is likely to be delayed pending the
clearing of a large minefield.

Third Army commander Lt-Gen Picharnmeth Muengmanee said the government
gave approval for a temporary opening of the checkpoint a long time ago so
MDX Plc could take materials to the site at Tasang.

But Burma still had to clear mines from a large area near the checkpoint.
Burma planted anti-personnel and anti-tank mines in the area after a
border dispute with Thailand in May last year.

MDX Plc, a Thai construction group of former commerce minister Subin
Pinkayan, has been contracted to build a 3,600-megawatt hydro-power dam on
the Salween river.

Lt-Gen Picharnmeth, on an inspection trip to Kiew Pha Wok border
checkpoint in Chiang Dao district, said Burma sent soldiers to clear mines
in the area and they knew where the explosives were planted. The Third
Army was ready to provide assistance if asked, he said.

MDX wanted to deliver the first load of materials including cement, iron
rods and fuel through Kiew Pha Wok checkpoint on Oct 10. Delivery would
probably be delayed.

The Salween, or Tasang, dam is being built at a cost of US $ 3 billion. It
will be the tallest dam in the region with a 188-metre-high crest. The dam
will create a 640 sq km reservoir. People in 1,500 villages have been
evacuated.

A source said Burmese troops began clearing mines on Oct 3, removing 160
on the first day.
_________________________________

Oct 6, BBC Monitor
Burmese Opposition Radio Reports Seized Weapons Destined For India

It has been learned that weapons were seized from an express passenger
boat berthed at Kalewa jetty in Upper Sagaing Division. The police
discovered the weapons from the boat on 24 September but were unable to
expose the responsible culprit. It has also been learned that Military
Intelligence Unit-17 is still interrogating the boat's agent and other
suspected personnel. DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) correspondent Khin
Maung Soe Minn filed this report.

(Khin Maung Soe Minn) When police searched an express passenger boat,
moored at Kalewa jetty in Upper Sagaing Division, they discovered weapons
and ammunition including rocket launchers and confiscated them. A Kale
resident told the following to DVB.

(Kale resident) In the meantime, officials seized a rocket launcher in Tar
Han a fortnight ago. It was not a complete set but could be fired.

(Khin Maung Soe Minn) Northwest Military Command Commander Maj-Gen Tha Aye
was in Kale on 24 September, the day the weapons were seized. The same
Kale resident said a launcher was seized in Tar Han ward prior to 24
September.

(Kale resident) They discovered the weapons from a boat at Kalewa jetty on
24 September. The weapons included two sten guns, two launchers, and other
parts. I do not know how many were there but I am definite about the four
pieces of weaponry. Of course, some ammunition was also among them.

(Khin Maung Soe Minn) It has been learned that strict security measures
imposed by local authorities were still in place in Kale, which is a
bustling city, as a large amount of weapons were seized in Kalewa in the
first week of August. Gunrunners at the (Burma-India) border said, SPDC
(State Peace and Development Council) military officers illicitly sold the
weapons to arms smugglers, who in turn sold the weapons for a huge profit
in India's Manipur State where there is an ongoing armed conflict.

Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese
_________________________________

Oct 6, Irrawaddy
Small Blast in Myawaddy

A bomb exploded close to the immigration checkpoint in the Burmese border
town of Myawaddy at noon today, according to Thai security officials.

There were no injuries and no destruction of property. Burmese authorities
are reportedly questioning one women and three men over the incident, Thai
government sources said this afternoon.

"Officials on the Burma side of the border confirmed that the friendship
bridge will not close because of the explosion," said a Thai official, who
asked not to be named. After news of the blast, traders and tourists
continued to cross the bridge as normal.

_____________ DRUGS ______________

Oct 6, Shan
Shan rebels deny dealing in drugs

The Shan State Army had not been involved in drug trafficking as suggested
by some reports in the Thai media, said Lt-Col Khurh-ngern, deputy to Col
Yawdserk.

Conceding that the Thai Army's move last week against one of its bases
along the border was triggered off by some 'confusing drug reports',
Khurh-ngern, who is the SSA's official commander-in-chief (Yawdserk is
Chairman of the SSA's political wing, Restoration Council of Shan State)
told S.H.A.N. the Shans had been able to convince that Loikham (Doikham in
Thai), formerly known as Loifai, opposite Chiangmai's Chiangdao district,
was "clean" after Thai troops were escorted "uphill and downhill" to
search the area in question. Thai TV Channel 11 reported yesterday that
the location was thoroughly X-rayed.

A Shan officer said, "The Thai army heard we had recently brought into
Loikham a speed pump (machine for pumping out pills). Actually what we had
taken here was a water pump."

A social worker in the nearby district of Wianghaeng argued that it was
not fair to suspect the SSA when it is surrounded by Wa, Burmese and Thai
troops "everywhere". "For instance", she said, "west of Doikham is Kwang
Herbin and east of it is Loihtwe (Doi Thuay in Thai) and both are Wa
bases."

Concerning other SSA bases along the border, a high-level Thai army source
told S.H.A.N. yesterday he had yet to receive further instructions.
Meanwhile, SSA sources also confirmed that the overall situation of their
strongholds elsewhere had been "routine".

The SSA "South" of Col Yawdserk has been named by Rangoon as Burma's major
drug producer and trafficker.

_____________ BUSINESS/MONEY ______________

Oct 6, The Guardian
Sportswear boycott over Burma links

Football fans are being urged by campaigners to boycott the sportswear
firm Kappa, which supplies some of the game's leading teams, following
claims that many of its products sold in Britain are manufactured in
Burma.

Teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, Wales and Italy wear kits supplied by
Kappa but campaigners for democracy in Burma claim that it is
inadvertently helping the country's brutal military regime by buying
products made there.

The Burmese military regime has been heavily criticised for its human
rights record and for the way it has suppressed pro-democracy movements.

Textile exports are one of the biggest sources of revenue for the Burmese
military regime, which is believed to have killed thousands of people in
its suppression of democracy. Campaigners claim that last year alone,
pounds 50m worth of textiles were imported to Britain from Burma.

Last month, the Burma Campaign, the British-based pressure group
campaigning for democracy in Burma scored a notable victory after JJB
Sports, the country's largest sports retailer agreed to withdraw stock
manufactured in Burma.

Campaigners say they have also sent hundreds of letters and emails to
Kappa's headquarters in Italy asking for it to withdraw from Burma.

Mark Farmaner, campaigns officer for the Burma Campaign, said: "We have
con tacted the company several times and have not received any response.

"If they are willing to show us that they have pulled out of Burma then we
will call off our boycott."

But Kappa says it stopped manufacturing products in Burma earlier this
year and that it no longer has any business links in the country.

A spokesman for Kappa GB said: "We no longer source any products from
Burma. Our headquarters in Turin are responsible for sourcing products
around the world. We stopped doing business in Burma at the start of this
year. It became clear that we had to move to another country."

Mr Farmaner, however, claims to have found Burma-made Kappa products in a
London West End store last month.

"If Kappa are no longer manufacturing in Burma then we want to see the
evidence," he said. "We are still finding their products in British stores
that have been made in Burma.

"In the meantime, our message to football fans and all sports fans is
contact Kappa and tell them that you are boycotting their goods.

"The money that is being made by Burma is being used to pay for rape,
torture and the suppression of human rights."

The campaign to boycott Kappa is being supported by pro-democracy
campaigners within Burma who have also called for sanctions against other
specific products that generate high revenue for the military regime.

Last Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's leading pro-democracy
campaigner, who has been detained for a total of 14 years, was once again
put under house arrest.

A spokesman for JJB Sports, which was founded by former Blackburn Rovers
footballer David Whelan said: "The company accepts there was an oversight
(on stocking Burmese-made products) which will be remedied.

"We have been in contact with the Burma Campaign and have reiterated our
commitment not to purchase goods that have been manufactured there."

__________________ REGIONAL ____________________

Oct 6, Financial Times
South-east Asian countries in June made a rare departure from their usual
protocol by jointly calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's
Nobel Prize-winning democracy leader, then being held at an unknown
location by the ruling military junta.

As they gather for a summit in Bali this week, the leaders of the
Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) will once again confront
the challenge of dealing with fellow-member Burma's recalcitrant junta,
and its four-month old detention of Ms Suu Kyi.

Despite a flurry of what Asean officials describe as "tactful diplomacy"
and behind-the-scenes "persuasion" in recent months, the call for Ms Suu
Kyi's freedom has yet to be answered. This lack of progress threatens to
erode Asean credibility.

At a time when 10-country Asean is eager to highlight its deepening
economic integration and sell the region as a single, appealing investment
destination, its leaders will have to calibrate an appropriate response to
Burma.

"There is a negative image and rather adverse kind of remarks passed about
Asean" because of the situation in Burma, Ong Keng Yong, Asean's
secretary-general, said yesterday. "We want to minimise the adverse impact
on our organisation as a whole."

Burma's generals have not been idle since they were chastised by some of
their staunchest friends, for whom "non-interference" in another's affairs
has long been a cherished mantra.

While Ms Suu Kyi was recently moved to her bungalow under house arrest -
an improvement in the conditions of her detention - the junta has
reshuffled its cabinet and announced plans to reconvene the long-
suspended National Convention to complete the task of drafting a new
constitution, leading to fresh elections.

During the summit, General Khin Nyunt, appointed prime minister in the
cabinet reshuffle, is slated to present the regime's plans for a
transition to a "disciplined democracy". Asean leaders are likely to seize
on the plan as evidence that the situation is not stagnating.

Khin Maung Win, Burma's deputy foreign minister, told the semi-official
Myanmar Times that regional perceptions about Burma have changed
"dramatically for the better" since the country unveiled plans for change.

Yet the junta has still to make clear whether Ms Suu Kyi or her National
League for Democracy will be allowed to participate in elections, which
will be critical in determining their international credibility.

Critics see the announcements by the normally sluggish junta as primarily
calculated to deflect criticism and save face for Asean. But they doubt
the moves will convince the international community. "It's old wine in a
new bottle," said one rights activist after Burma's plans were announced.

Japan, which suspended all new aid for Burma after Ms Suu Kyi's arrest,
had already indicated that Junichiro Koizumi, its prime minister, intended
to raise the issue of Burma when he met Asean leaders after the formal
summit, an Asean official said. Although south-east Asian leaders are
loath to admit it publicly, Burma's current semi-pariah status has become
a real drag on the block's integration projects and outside relations,
particularly with the west.

The European Union has refused to engage with Burma as part of the Asean
group, or support regional technical or economic co-operation projects
that would involve Rangoon.

While the US has indicated interested in negotiating a free-trade area
with Asean, Ernest Bower, president of the US-Asean Business Council, said
yesterday that "human rights concerns related to the situation" in Burma
could make it politically difficult for the Bush administration to pursue
such a policy. The US has a ban on all Burmese im-ports.

Some Asean officials believe Washington has deliberately moved slowly in
free-trade talks with the group because of its disapproval of the military
regime.

"We have to have the problem resolved so we can get on with the more
pressing issues of social and economic development in the region," one
official said.

Until June, south-east Asian countries were willing to stand shoulder to
shoulder with Burma's military regime, airing any qualms they might have
had about the junta's poor governance only behind closed doors.

The release in May 2002 of Ms Suu Kyi from an earlier stint of house
arrest, and the sporadic visits of Razali Ismail, UN mediator, also
created an impression that Burma was inching towards an end to the
political stalemate between the junta and the democracy movement.

But an attack on Ms Suu Kyi's convoy on May 30 - and her subsequent
detention - shattered the illusion of progress, an embarrassment both to
Mr Razali and Burma's fellow Asean members.

With the junta now announcing new initiatives, Asean may be tempted to
simply declare the problem solved and move on, especially since some
members are uncomfortable with the precedent set by their intrusion into
Burma's problems.

"Asean countries do share political values," said Mr Tej Bunnag, permanent
secretary of Thailand's foreign affairs ministry.

"These political values are things like freedom, freedom from interference
in the internal affairs of one's own country, freedom to set the norms of
political behaviour."

But Asean can ill-afford to leave Burma's generals to themselves to deal
with an issue that threatens to undermine the entire region's long-run
dreams.
___________________________________

Oct 6, Bangkok Post
Khin Nyunt Expected To Face Wrath Of Fellow Leaders

International pressure on Burma's leaders to free Aung San Suu Kyi is
bound to increase now it appears that UN envoy Razali Ismail's latest
mission to Rangoon failed to produce any movement in the country's stalled
dialogue process. The focus will now shift to the Asean leaders' summit in
Bali this week, when new Prime Minister Khin Nyunt will outline further
details of his plans to introduce democracy.

Asean's credibility, Asean's image, Asean's international standing could
be affected if we are not seen to be looking at the situation in Myanmar
(Burma),'' the organisation's secretary-general Ong Keng Yong said last
week.

Although the issue of Burma is not on the formal agenda, there is no doubt
it will figure prominently throughout the summit. It will certainly be at
the centre of all General Khin Nyunt's bilateral discussions.

His very first meeting will be with outgoing Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad. He is likely to be given a very hard time by the
Malaysian leader, who is irate, according to sources in Kuala Lumpur, at
the Burmese leaders' failure to introduce even a small measure of
political and economic reform.

Malaysia has backed Myanmar for many years, defended them on the
international stage; but instead of listening to the prime minister's
advice, they have snubbed him,'' said a senior government official. Our
leader is unlikely to mince his words when he meets Prime Minister Khin
Nyunt.''

International concern about Burma has been heightened by the UN envoy's
apparent failure to revive the dialogue process between Burma's military
rulers and pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi during his visit to Rangoon last
week.

Mr Razali though says he is not despondent. Prime Minister Khin Nyunt is
trying to move the dialogue process on,'' he said. But you can't expect
dramatic results. All my visits cannot be measured on the basis of
democratic results. It must be seen as a step-by-step approach.''

The key priority both for the UN envoy and the Asean countries is to find
ways to help Gen Khin Nyunt break Burma's prolonged political deadlock.
The opposition leader told Mr Razali she was prepared to work with the new
prime minister and his road map to democracy'', though there would be
conditions to that participation.

All leaders of Mrs Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy would have to
be freed _ they have been under house arrest for more than four months,
ever since the violent attack on Mrs Suu Kyi's car and supporters by armed
pro-government protestors in the north of the country on May 30, which
left several people dead _ the NLD's office would have to be reopened and
party workers should be allowed to resume normal political activities
without fear of harassment or arrest by the authorities.

Mrs Suu Kyi is demanding justice for the victims of the May 30 attack and
a thorough investigation into what happened and who was involved. But
diplomats believe that while the opposition leader is adamant that the
incident cannot be brushed aside or forgotten, she is prepared not to
allow it to stand in the way of serious political talks.

The main problem is Burma's top generals are either not prepared, or not
willing, to negotiate with the opposition leader. They are just not ready
to move,'' a western diplomat said. It seems the top still hasn't agreed
on what to do.''

Gen Khin Nyunt told Mr Razali that he needed more time to be able to
prepare for political change. We need some time,'' said Burma's Foreign
Minister Khin Maung Win. The government has announced its seven-stage road
map and is working on it already. It is the blueprint for the country's
future.''

Reconvening the National Convention is a central part of the prime
minister's plans. The National Convention was established more than 10
years ago to draw up a new constitution, but has not met since 1996 after
the National League for Democracy walked out, accusing the military
authorities of not allowing a free debate or discussion and simply using
it to rubber stamp decisions that had already been taken by the generals

The UN envoy discussed the issue of the structure and composition of the
National Convention with the prime minister during his visit. I stressed
the need to get all political parties, including the NLD, involved in the
National Convention and other related steps to the road map,'' he said.

The crucial issue for the region and the international community is
whether Burma's generals, especially Khin Nyunt and Than Shwe, are
prepared to give Mrs Suu Kyi and her NLD a central role in the national
reconciliation process.

Khin Nyunt is pressing on with his plans and has decided he cannot deal
with the Lady,'' said a source in Rangoon close to the prime minister.

It is now up to the Asian leaders in Bali to convince the Burmese regime
that it must include the opposition leader and her party in the national
reconciliation process, including the preparation for the National
Convention. If they are excluded from the process, the road map will lack
any credibility. That is the message the Asian leaders must stress Gen
Khin Nyunt outlines the details of his road map.
___________________________________

Oct 6, The Nation
Suu Kyi not on agenda at Asean meet

Foreign ministers say other matters are more pressing

Asean’s foreign ministers yesterday expressed satisfaction with “positive
developments” in Burma on the detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi and hinted that her future would not be on the Asean summit’s agenda.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said that Asean ministers had
been briefed by his Burmese counterpart Win Aung at an informal working
dinner before the meeting of their leaders, which starts tomorrow.

“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 development on the issue,” Wirayuda said after the dinner.

He quoted Win Aung as telling his Asean counterparts that Suu Kyi was no
longer in detention, having been allowed home from hospital.

“In other words the Burmese government is not categorically detaining Aung
San Suu Kyi,” Wirayuda quoted Win Aung as saying.

The Rangoon government detained her in an undisclosed place after a clash
between her supporters and pro-government groups until she was taken to a
hospital for an operation. She was then put under house arrest.

Wirayuda said the Asean foreign ministers also welcomed the junta’s
permission for Ali Alatas to have talks with Prime Minister General Khin
Nyunt to secure the freedom of Suu Kyi. The Indonesian minister said that
Khin Nyunt had offered to let Alatas visit Suu Kyi but that had not been
possible because she had still been in hospital.

A further positive development in Burma, in the eyes of Asean’s foreign
ministers, came from the junta’s allowing UN special envoy Razali Ismail
to visit Suu Kyi.

Wirayuda added that Suu Kyi had been discussed at the foreign ministers
annual meeting in Phnom Penh in June.

“There are so many issues for the leaders to focus on. The foreign
ministers have submitted to them the Concord II document, which will be
released after the summit, on the setting up of an Asean Economic
Community and Asean Security Community,” he said.

He implied that Suu Kyi would not be discussed when Asean leaders meet
tomorrow and Wednesday.
___________________________________

Oct 6, Bangkok Post
Ministers Welcome Release Of Suu Kyi

Southeast Asian foreign ministers have welcomed what they see as positive
steps'' on Burma's road towards democracy, including the release of Aung
San Suu Kyi from detention.

Foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, meeting in Bali yesterday, also support the Burmese government
for its attempt to put the road map to democracy'' into practice.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said no Asean foreign
ministers had expressed displeasure that Mrs Suu Kyi had still not been
released from house arrest, but saw it as a positive step that she had
been allowed to go home.

He said Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung told the meeting the Burmese
government did not consider Mrs Suu Kyi as being under detention, because
she had now gone home.

Mr Wirajuda said Asean foreign ministers now wanted to see further
positive steps along the Burmese road map towards peace and democracy.

Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said Mr Win Aung told the meeting
Burma was ready to consider the idea of a national convention, the first
step on the road map to democracy, with the setting up of various
committees responsible for its planning. Mr Win Aung had said Burma had
put a timeframe on everything, but had declined to give the exact date for
the national convention.

Asked about the participation of Mrs Suu Kyi and her National League for
Democracy, Mr Surakiart said all political parties would be invited.

Details could be expected in the chairman's statement at the end of the
Asean meeting.

Mr Surakiart said Asean foreign ministers had perceived these developments
as a move in the right direction for Burma. He also said he thought Asean
should play a more active role in the UN, and that UN secretary-general
Kofi Annan might be invited to attend the Asean summit next year in
Vientiane.

__________________ INTERNATIONAL ____________________

Oct 6, Sydney Morning Herald
The Black Sheep Of ASEAN

As diplomatic clubs go, the Association of South-East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) is about as cosy as its gets. Since its founding in 1967, ASEAN's
code of conduct has prevented member states from criticising or
interfering in each other's affairs, no matter how well deserved such
censure might be. For the shameless generals of Burma, admission to ASEAN
six years ago came with all the potential benefits of regional
co-operation, but imposed no restraints on their crushing of political
dissent at home.

This was not surprising, given Indonesia's dominant role in the regional
forum at the time. In 1997, the then Indonesian president, Soeharto, was
himself counting on ASEAN to turn its customary "blind eye" to his own
political armoury of summary executions, torture and disappearances. Other
authoritarian tools such as martial law in the Philippines, and harsh
internal security laws in Malaysia and Singapore had not previously upset
ASEAN's "say nothing" motto.

How much longer the club rules can hold is another matter. Soeharto is
gone. The political map of South-East Asia is shifting. Emboldened by the
fledgling democracy in Indonesia, the Philippines which threw off its own
military dictatorship in 1986 and is unafraid of plain speaking has found
a new ally in Jakarta. Malaysia and Singapore, rattled by the threat of
terrorism and Islamic extremism, are determined to present a co-operative,
moderate face to the West.

In this context, the prospect of ASEAN's chairmanship rotating to seat
Burma at its head in 2006 is deeply troubling. The re-arrest of opposition
leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi makes a mockery of the junta's
claims of political reforms under the dubious banner of "disciplined
democracy".

When the 10 ASEAN leaders meet for their annual summit in Bali this week,
they will be keen to avoid a public rift. Indonesia, however, is furious
over Rangoon's recent snub of its special envoy, the former foreign
minister, Ali Alitas, who sought to visit Ms Suu Kyi. Malaysia has
suggested that Burma should be expelled if it continues to defy
international opinion. Thailand, which has lucrative business deals with
Burma, is backing Rangoon. Burma's generals have, to date, ignored Western
economic sanctions and international diplomatic pressure. This means a
more effective lever against the excesses of military rule must be found.
It would be a reflection of ASEAN's political maturity not a failure of
discipline within the ranks if such a challenge were to come from within.

__________________ OPINION / OTHER ____________________

Oct 6, Mizzima
Its Time For Razali to Go

After failing to persuade the Burmese generals to free opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi, UN envoy Razali Ismail has also not obtained a promise
from the junta that the NLD would be part of their "road map" to
democracy, diplomats and journalists in Rangoon said on 3 October 2003.
Before he left Rangoon after a three-day visit on 2 October, Mr. Razali,
said neither the junta's commander-in-chief Than Shwe nor the new Prime
Minister Khin Nyunt appeared to have shown any sign of good will towards
the national reconciliation process.

"Khin Nyunt told Razali it was too early to discuss NLD participation in
the national convention," suspended in 1996 after the NLD walked out, one
diplomat told Reuters in Rangoon. According to Mr. Razali's briefing, the
diplomats said Suu Kyi, who was put under house arrest after surgery,
which followed more than three months in detention at an undisclosed
location, was willing to work with Khin Nyunt on the "road map". She also
told the UN envoy of her wish to have an investigation undertaken into the
30 May violence between her supporters and pro-junta attackers during a
provincial tour which led to her detention, the diplomats said.

But, according to a reliable source in Rangoon, controversy rages over
whether Suu would easily accept the junta's "road map" before having had
talks with the junta. Daw San San, a Member of Parliament from the Rangoon
Division who appeared on the Thai-Burma border a few months ago, said
recently she disbelieved Razali's message that Suu was willing to work
with Khin Nyunt on the "road map". Suu had firmly decided that the 1990
election results must be respected by all means, Daw San San pointed out.
UN resolutions have also recognized the 1990 election results as the
Burmese people's will. It may be that what is at stake now are
negotiations on the reintroducing  the SPDC's national convention which
was suspended in 1996, she said. One NLD MP in Rangoon reported
disapprovingly that when Mr. Razali met with ethnic leaders, instead of
being an envoy he urged them to join in the generals' "road map".

An NLD Rangoon official rebuked Razali for wanting to be praised as a
successful envoy after each trip to Burma. Razali forgets that he is
dealing with the most notorious generals who never keep their word.
According to a political analyst in Rangoon, what Razali should do is to
secure Suu Kyi's release so that she can speak out for herself and the
people.

Journalists in Rangoon were also disappointed with Mr. Razali for his
un-diplomatic manners in dealing with the local press. "He did not
disclose anything to us but only made his spin with the diplomats," says a
journalist in Rangoon.

In addition, while Mr. Razali was in Rangoon on his eleventh visit, a
petition signed by 111 NLD MPs was submitted to the fifteen member states
of the United Nations Security Council and the UN Secretary-General on 29
September. The petition was not put forward through Razali but conveyed
through a different channel. The petition strongly urges the UNSC to take
responsibility for implementing the national reconciliation process in
Burma. Before the process commences, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the senior
NLD leaders must be released and all NLD offices also must be allowed to
reopen, the petition demands.

Meanwhile, on 2 October exiled representatives of Members of Parliament
testified on the human rights violations of the Burmese junta before the
Inter-Parliamentary Union's Assembly, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

However, the Burmese military regime-which shamelessly said it was keeping
Aung San Suu Kyi in detention for her own protection and would release her
when the political crisis cooled down-was unlikely to accept a political
dialogue or a national reconciliation process. According to some political
analysts, the generals were not confident enough yet to free the Lady.

The junta's Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win told the BBC's World
Today programme that the authorities were in touch with detained
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Mr. Win said that it was because of
the authorities contact with Aung San Suu Kyi that they were able to help
when she needed medical treatment last month. Asked when the opposition
leader would be released from house arrest, he merely answered:
"Unfortunately we have had some problems in the past, so when the
situation returns to normal, then we can think of releasing her."

The SPDC regime is plotting to play more tricks by denying the release of
the Nobel Laureate and of more than 1600 political prisoners and by
drawing its own "road map". If the junta sincerely wishes to work for a
genuine "road map", it should publicly declare an acceptable time-frame
and
agreeable representatives involved in the process. It is obvious that the
"road map" proposed by Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt is nothing but
deception to soften international pressure and to hold on to power
incessantly.

That is why the Burmese people believe that the UN Envoy is a diplomat
unsympathetic to their cause but supportive to the brutal regime.  In the
same way, the Burmese people are expecting ASEAN to pursue an agenda of
seeking the release of Aung San Suu Kyi during the Southeast Asian
leaders' summit in Bali this week. The chairman of the Asean Senior
Officials Meeting (SOM), Makarim Wibisuno, who is also the Indonesian
Foreign Affairs Ministry's director-general of Asian Pacific and South
African Affairs, announced: "We (Indonesia) are the chairman of the ASEAN
meeting. We will proceed with discussions (on the detention of the Nobel
Laureate).'' Makarim said after the SOM, which met ahead of the Asean
Summit, ASEAN officials found that the situation in military-ruled Burma
was becoming an increasing embarrassment for the group.