BurmaNet News, October 4, 2006

[Editor]

October 4, 2006 Issue # 3059


INSIDE BURMA
Deutsche Presse-Agentur: Myanmar dissidents launch "signature campaign" to
free Suu Kyi
Irrawaddy: KIO resists regime pressure to condemn
Mizzima: NLD brass petition for release of student leaders
Mizzima: Burma's insurgent flush out a 'showbiz'
Xinhua: Roundup: Myanmar strives to improve public internet services to
push ICT development
Narinjara: Burmese junta to export human resources for money, despite
abundant resources

ON THE BORDER
IANS: India begins supplying Myanmar military hardware
UPI: Indian gov't to spend USD 185m to enhance border trade

DRUGS
Xinhua: Myanmar seizes 45 kg of heroin in eastern state

BUSINESS / TRADE
Thai Press Reports: Thailand EXIM Thailand pledges full cooperation on
Myanmar (Burma) loan investigation

REGIONAL
Mizzima: Bangladesh FM postpones visit to Burma
AAP Newsfeed: Fed: Controversial terror training for Burma

INTERNATIONAL
Irrawaddy: Karen rights activist applauded by British Conservatives

INTERVIEW
DVB: An interview with Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

October 4, Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Myanmar dissidents launch "signature campaign" to free Suu Kyi

Yangon: Myanmar dissidents launch "signature campaign" to free Suu Kyi
Yangon Dissidents linked to the pro-democracy movement that rocked Myanmar
(Burma) in 1988 have launched a nationwide "signature campaign" calling
for the release of opposition leader

Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, sources said Wednesday.

Launched by the "88 Generation Students" group, the informal plebiscite
will be distributed nationwide over the next two weeks seeking signatures
of those who oppose the ongoing imprisonment of Suu Kyi, leader of the
National League for Democracy (NLD), and other political prisoners such as
NLD Shan leader Khun Htun Oo, said dissident sources.

Also on the "signature campaign" list were three prominent student leaders
who were arrested on September 27 - Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Htay Kywe
- and two more, Min Zeya and Pyone Cho, arrested Saturday.

Myanmar's military rulers have linked the five arrested student leaders to
the "88 Generation Students" group.

Authorities have announced in state-owned newspapers that the arrests were
necessary to "prevent internal unrest and instability and terrorism," that
was planned by the group with outside assistance.

The "signature campaign" comes at an awkward time for the ruling junta,
which plans to resume its National Convention process on October 10.

The convention process, designed to draft a new constitution and pave the
way towards an eventual general election, is the junta's answer to
international demands that it implement democratic reforms, and free Suu
Kyi, who has been under house arrest since May, 2003.

The "88 Generation Students" group has pledged to publish the results of
its signature campaign on the Internet as well as sending the results to
the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The UNSC has for the first time agreed to put Myanmar on its agenda this
year, as posing a potential threat to regional security.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1988, when it brutally
suppressed student-led pro-democracy demonstrations in the streets of
Yangon, killing thousands.

The junta, which has styled itself the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC), held a general election in 1990 that was won by the NLD in a
landslide victory. It has refused to pass over power to the elected MPs
for the past 16 years, citing the need for a new constitution first.

The constitution drafting process, boycotted by the NLD as a "sham," has
been underway for more than a decade.

____________________________________

October 4, Irrawaddy
KIO resists regime pressure to condemn UNSC - Khun Sam

Burma’s Kachin Independence Organization, a major ethnic ceasefire group,
is resisting a regime demand to condemn the inclusion of Burma on the UN
Security Council agenda. A number of other ethnic ceasefire groups have
bowed to the junta’s demand, issuing critical statements, but the KIO has
written to the regime stating it cannot oppose the UNSC action.

“We replied that we wanted to be neutral,” said a KIO member on Wednesday.
The KIO letter, made available The Irrawaddy, said it was inappropriate to
denounce UNSC action. The KIO aimed to focus its attention on domestic
issues and the avoidance of misunderstandings within the Kachin community,
the letter said.

The head of Northern Command, Maj-Gen Ohn Myint, is reported to have
pressed the KIO to reconsider its stance and to denounce the UNSC action.
But KIO sources say the regime pressure will be resisted.

The KIO is one of the largest ethnic ceasefire groups participating in the
junta-led National Convention, charged with drafting a constitution, which
was scheduled to resume on Tuesday. Its letter warned the regime that
denouncing the UNSC could damage the National Convention work of the
government and the KIO.

Two other ceasefire groups, the Kachin Defense Army and the New Democratic
Army-Kachin, appear to have bowed to regime pressure to denounce the UNSC.
Another ceasefire group, the New Mon State Party, is resisting, however.
.
Meanwhile, local sources say official pressure on the KIO includes
blocking the ceasefire group’s trade route, a major source of revenue.
Vehicles belonging to KIO members have also been confiscated, the sources
said.

According to local residents, government officials, together with the
police, immigration staff and the army, recently blocked all routes to
KIO-controlled areas, particularly Laiza, where KIO headquarters are
based. Imported Chinese goods, unlicensed vehicles and motorcycles are
being confiscated, they say.

A businessman living on the China-Burma border said government officials
were setting up checkpoints wherever army battalions were based,
intercepting goods from China. “My business is dead because nothing can be
carried from here to the towns. Even a packet of apples can’t pass
through,” he said.

____________________________________

October 4, Mizzima News
NLD brass petition for release of student leaders

In a development which is both politically significant and fraught with
some anxiety for the Burmese military junta, the National League for
Democracy's top leadership joined the bandwagon and signed the petition
demanding the release of the recently arrested student leaders and all
other political prisoners.

The 88 generation students have been collecting mass signatures for the
release of five student leaders and other political prisoners including
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and Khun Htun Oo from the Shan National League for
Democracy. The campaigners have got all members of the NLD central
executive committee to sign the petition.

"The NLD signed the petition because it is important that we show moral
support," NLD's spokesperson Han Thar Myint said.

"I believe the number of signatures will increase by the day. The campaign
is on not only in one place but several places. I think it will be very
successful. Regarding its effectiveness, well it depends on them (military
junta)," said Han Thar Myint.

The 88 generation students released a statement yesterday which reiterated
the need to start the process of national reconciliation and to start a
dialogue in Burma with the opposition.

"More and more signatures keep coming in. We can't handle it. People from
other cities have been asking for the petition but we have been going
about it in a limited manner. We still cannot manage to send out the
sheets to some places. An incident occurred yesterday where villagers,
mostly farmers, listened to our appeal on radios and they copied the
statement and over 200 people signed on papers written by themselves, and
sent it," said Mya Aye, a campaign leader.

The campaigners said 87 people can sign on a petition and more than 10,000
papers have been distributed country wide.

"It shows the will of the people. That's why I see it is a major success.
Everyone is welcoming us. You see, one of my sisters (a campaign activist)
took a taxi and chatted with the driver about this campaign. The driver
did not charge the taxi fare. Tea shops do not charge money from our guys
(activists)," Mya Aye said.

"If we can do this freely, I believe more than 50 million Burmese people
will support us. Let me repeat that we are doing this in very restrained
manner," he added.

Many Burma watchers see the support of the NLD's CEC to the student's
campaign as a positive sign. The main opposition party which registered a
landslide victory in the 1990 general elections has restrained itself from
getting involved in the grass roots movement fearing a crackdown on the
NLD by the military junta.

"Good. Very good," commented Aung Naing Oo, a Burmese analyst based in
Thailand regarding the signing by leaders of the NLD on the 88
generation's appeal.

"The military is worried at the combined movement of the NLD and
students," he said.

Interestingly, the authorities have scaled down the security mechanism to
monitor the campaigners.

Marki, an activist said "There are no distinct signs of security
personnel. I think it has decreased from before. Previously, if we went
out to buy Kwan (betel nut), someone used to follow us. I don't know
whether they are waiting for sometime. Perhaps they don't want too stand
out and are watching from somewhere discreetly.

____________________________________

October 4, Mizzima News
Burma's insurgent flush out a 'showbiz' - Mungpi

Burma is resorting to double standards by preparing to launch fresh
offensives against the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Khaplang),
said the Naga National League for Democracy.

U Saw Sah, President of the NNLD, a Naga political party in exile, which
is based along the Indo-Burma border said while there are numerous other
Indian insurgent groups camping on Burmese soil, Burma has choosen to
launch offensives against the National
Socialist Council of Nagalim (Khaplang).

"This is because Burma is threatened by the policy of the NSCN (K) which
is demanding an independent Nagaland from Burma," said Sah.

India and Burma renewed their bilateral agreement to flush out insurgent
groups from both soils during the home-secretary level talks held in New
Delhi last month.

Following the talks Burma has been reportedly gearing up to launch fresh
offensives against the NSCN (K), which has its headquarters in Burma's
Sagaing Division.

Sah said, Burma, by launching an operation against the NSCN (K) is trying
to prove to India that it is maintaining the agreement of flushing out
Indian insurgent groups from their soil.

"But there are other groups (insurgents) that are actually fighting
against the Indian government," Sah added.

A number of Indian insurgent groups including the United Nationalist
Liberation Front, United Liberation Front of Assam and the Peoples
Liberation Front are reported to have their bases in Burma's Sagaing
division bordering India.

Reportedly, at least four battalions of Burmese troops have been ordered
to launch operations against the NSCN (K).

News reports quoted the general-secretary of NSCN (K), Kugalu Mulatanu, as
saying, "Currently, the 52, 86, 229 and 378 battalions that are based in
Tana have been directed to carry out the operation against the Nagas."

Sah, however, said "We will have to wait and see what happens. The NSCN
(K) is also ready for the attacks. It's too early to comment."

The NSCN (K), led by S.S. Khaplang, is believed to have about 5,000
cadres, had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Indian Government in
2001.

____________________________________

October 4, Xinhua General News Service
Roundup: Myanmar strives to improve public internet services to push ICT
development

Yangon: Myanmar is striving to improve public internet services and
planning to introduce 400 public internet service centers in 324 townships
in the country within three years to facilitate communication links,
according to local media.

As the first phase of the project, 100 such centers, also known as the
Public Access Centers (PAC), will be opened in the current fiscal year of
2006-07, the first year of the three-year project which began in April,
the Myanmar Info-Tech disclosed.
So far, 50 PAC have been set up in such areas as Yangon, Mandalay,
Pyinmana, Pyay, Magway, Muse, Myitky-ina, Monywa, Pathein and Taunggyi, it
said.

The internet services, which include E-mail and network game, were made
available by the state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and
the Myanmar Info-Tech.

To improve the country's internet access, the authorities are also
extending connections of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) to
every township, setting the target to be met by the end of this year.

According to the MPT, ADSL has already been installed in some areas of
Yangon and the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw, and 7,000 more ADSL connections
will be added to link the whole country under a national plan which also
involves vast replacement of its existing telephone wires to make the
internet connections 500 times faster than now.

The present telephone wire capacity of 4 kilobytes per second would be
upgraded to 2 megabytes per second, the MPT said.

At present, internet subscribers are said to be frequently meeting with
difficulties of downloading from the internet promptly.

Some businessmen and companies relying on internet to run their businesses
welcomed of the target to extend the ADSL installation to across the
country, and hoped more would be done to improve the existing connections.

According to official statistics, the number of internet users in Myanmar
reached over 70,000 as of the end of 2005, up from merely a few thousands
in 2000, registering the highest rate of increase in five years in
Southeast Asia region.

Despite the sharp increase, the number of internet users in the country
still stands the least compared with other SEA countries with one internet
user per 1,000 population.

Meanwhile, a Myanmar and a Canadian information and communication
technology (ICT) companies have reached a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) to run an internet service provider (ISP) in Myanmar as part of the
country's bid to expand such services, earlier reports said.

The ISP will be established by the Ahaed Co. of Myanmar and the Teleglobe
of Canada and the internet-based telephone system will be extensively used
after the establishment.
Besides, a Hong Kong company, the SS8 Networks Inc., has also agreed with
an ICT company of Myanmar to run security services for ISPs in Myanmar,
according to reports.

So far, Myanmar has launched some e-government systems including e-visa,
e-passport, and e-procurement to effect management of government bodies.

The country introduced e-education system in early 2001, with one ICT park
(now known as Info-Tech) in Yangon and another ICT park (now known as
Yadanabon Cyber Corporation) in Mandalay having been set up in the two
following years to provide ICT services in the country.

Meanwhile, Myanmar has also launched an ICT development master plan under
the Initiative for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Integration, aimed at narrowing the development gap among the regional
members. Detailed programs to link international networks are also being
carried out in accordance with the master plan drafted by the Myanmar
Computer Federation (MCF).

Accordingly, Myanmar is developing an ICT-related new satellite town in
Pyin Oo Lwin, northern Mandalay division, and construction of a teleport
and incubation in the satellite town as the first phase is underway,
earlier reports said.

The new satellite town named Yadanabon Myothit, which covers a land area
of 10,000 acres (4,050 hectares) and located near the second largest city
of Mandalay, is striving to become a silicon mountain town attracting
private investment in the ICT business.

Being a signatory to the e-AFA initiated at 2000 Singapore summit, Myanmar
has formed the e-National task Force to support the IT development.

The country has also signed a series of memorandums of understanding since
2003 with companies from Malaysia, Thailand and an ASEAN organization on
ICT development.

With the improvement of public internet services, the country sees a step
closer towards ICT development, experts said.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

October 4, IANS
India begins supplying Myanmar military hardware - Rahul Bedi

New Delhi: Ignoring protests from Western countries, India has begun
transferring military equipment to Myanmar's military junta in order to
neutralise China's burgeoning defence, diplomatic and economic ties with
Yangon.

In August, unmindful of British protests, the Indian Navy transferred two
BN-2 'Defender' Islander maritime surveillance aircraft and deck-based
air-defence guns and varied surveillance equipment to Myanmar.

Soon after the navy announced its intention of supplying the British-built
Islanders to Myanmar following Indian Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash's
visit to Yangon in January, Britain had declared that it would be unable
to provide spares and maintenance support for them as it opposed the
country's military administration.

Alongside, India had quietly transferred other hardware to the Myanmarese
military.

"We have recommended and started giving them (Myanmar) 105-mm Indian field
guns," Indian Army Vice-Chief Lt Gen S Pattabhiraman told Force magazine
recently.

In the past we had given them 75/24 Howitzers, Pattabhiraman declared
adding that though the numbers were not "much" they were neither
"symbolic".

Last month Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt finalised negotiations in Yangon
(formerly Rangoon) to supply it varied military hardware in return for the
military junta's cooperation in flushing out separatist groups like United
Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) that have long used Myanmar's dense
jungles as a sanctuary.

In exchange for an unspecified number of T-55 tanks - which the Indian
army is retiring - armoured personal carriers, 105-mm light artillery
guns, mortars and the locally designed advanced light helicopters, Delhi
also wants to conduct joint military operations against north-eastern
militant groups along the 1,643-km-long Myanmar frontier.

In anticipation of the army's anti-insurgency offensive in the region
expected later this month, the security forces have stepped up vigil along
its borders with Bangladesh and Bhutan to "tie-in" the insurgents.

Dutt's visit, however, was kept under wraps because of Western sensitivity
to engaging with Myanmar's military regime.

The defence ministry refused to comment on the moves.

On September 15 the UN Security Council led by the US and Britain added
Myanmar to its list of countries considered a threat to international
peace and security.

The US is also pushing for a strong resolution on the ongoing human rights
abuses in Myanmar and the continued incarceration by the military junta of
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

India dumped Suu Kyi's cause and launched an aggressive diplomatic and
military thrust into Myanmar in the late 1990s, backed by a developmental
and commercial drive to try and neutralise ongoing Chinese programmes like
the modernisation of Myanmarese naval bases at Hainggyi, Munaung, Akyab,
Zadaikyi and Mergui by building radar, refit and refuel facilities.

The Indian Navy fears this could support Chinese submarine operations in
the region as part of Beijing's "string of pearls" strategy of clinching
regional defence and security agreements to secure its mounting fuel
requirements and enhance its military profile in the Indian Ocean region.

The Chinese are also believed to have established a Signals Intelligence
facility on Myanmar's Coco islands, 30-km from the Andaman Islands
territory on India's east coast to monitor Indian missile tests, an
activity that has proliferated in recent years and is poised to grow.

India is also concerned about China's nuclear-armed close ally Pakistan's
long standing military ties with Myanmar to whom it had supplied several
shiploads of ordnance and other military hardware like 106 mm M-40
recoilless rifles and various small arms over the past decade.

Pakistan also regularly trains Burmese soldiers to operate a range of
Chinese equipment like T-63 and T-53 tanks, Soviet fighter aircraft and
155-mm Howitzers and to instruct its air force and naval officers at many
of its institutions.

Consequently, Indian Army chief Gen JJ Singh made a three-day trip to
Yangon last November following an earlier visit by the country's since
retired air chief to finalise a comprehensive upgrade programme for
Myanmar's vintage Soviet-era fighter fleet.

Several Myanmarese military leaders too frequently visit Delhi to further
defence cooperation.

Political leaders and diplomats also make reciprocal trips to each other's
country to cement bilateral ties.

____________________________________

October 4, UPI
Indian gov't to spend USD 185m to enhance border trade

New Delhi: The Indian government will spend USD 185 million (Rs 8.5b) over
the next three years to develop land customs stations along the border
with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar, it was announced Friday.

"Of this, Rs 700 million will be (spent) at Moreh in Manipur," said
Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, who is on a three-day visit
to Manipur, quoting sources.

Moreh is currently the only functional land customs station through which
trade along 1,600 kilometers of the India-Myanmar border takes place.

Ramesh visited Moreh Friday along with senior officials of the Ministry of
Home Affairs, Finance and External Affairs.

"Moreh is part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's `Look East' policy,
which envisages closer integration of the economies of the northeastern
states of India with South-East Asia," he said.

"The integrated checkpost is being implemented to manage both trade cargo
and passenger movement across the border and provide modern infrastructure
facilities and better connectivity.

"It will greatly facilitate regional trade and also help local communities
living in the vicinity of border towns through which trade takes place."

The minister said the value of formal and informal border trade transacted
between India and Myanmar exceeds Rs 20 billion.

At present, only 22 items are exchangeable under the bilateral border
trade agreement.

"The Ministry of Commerce has just proposed that these restrictions be
removed and that trade take place without any commodity restrictions,"
Ramesh said.

____________________________________
DRUGS

October 4, Xinhua General News Service
Myanmar seizes 45 kg of heroin in eastern state

The Myanmar authorities have seized 67 blocks of heroin weighing 45
kilograms (kg) near the border town of Tachilek in eastern Shan state of
the country, official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Wednesday.

Along with the 45-kg heroin, some 500 stimulant tablets were also
confiscated on Monday, abandoned in bushes by two motorcyclists managing
to escape after they were found suspicious and intercepted by a local army
unit, the report said.

During August, the authorities seized a total of 5.15 kg of heroin along
with 97.88 kg of opium and 8.9 kg of marijuana as well as over 200,000
stimulant tablets in the country in connection with 253 drug-related
cases, punishing 378 people including 75 women, according to earlier
official reports.

Meanwhile, in August's drug destruction ceremony held in Kyaingtong of
Shan state, the authorities burned up 2.65 tons of narcotic drugs
estimated at a street value of 436 million US dollars. The drugs destroyed
included 44.55 kg heroin, 936.69 kg  opium, 4 kg brown opium powder, 545
keg caffeine and 467 kg  ephedrine as well as 140 kg crushed
methamphetamine tablets.

Statistics show that 4,151.18 hectares of poppy cultivation were destroyed
during 2005-06 poppy growing season, 165.86 hectares more than 2004-05.

An opium survey report of the United Nations Office on Drugs  and Crime
(UNODC) also indicate that the opium cultivation areas  in Myanmar dropped
sharply by 26 percent to 32,800 hectares in  2005 from 44,200 hectares in
2004 and 80 percent from the peak  year of 1996.

The report also estimated Myanmar's total potential opium production in
2005 at 312 tons, down 16 percent from 370 tons in 2004 and 82 percent
from 1,760 tons in 1996.

Myanmar is implementing a 15-year plan (1999-2000 to 2013-14) to totally
eradicate poppy in three phases each running for five years and it is now
in the second phase which began in 2004-05.

_____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

October 4, Thai Press Reports
Thailand EXIM Thailand pledges full cooperation on Myanmar (Burma) loan
investigation

EXIM Thailand will extend full cooperation with the AEC in their
investigation into the Bank's 4-billion-baht term loan to Myanmar for
infrastructure development in Myanmar and investment promotion for Thai
business operators.

According to Dr. Apichai Boontherawara, President of Export-Import Bank of
Thailand (EXIM Thailand), the Bank is ready to provide information and
cooperation with the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) in their
investigation proposed by the Office of Auditor-General into the Bank's
4-billion-baht loans to Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB). As a
state-owned financial institution under the Ministry of Finance's
supervision, the Bank has given top priority to the adherence of good
corporate governance principles.

In addition to supporting Thai export and investment overseas, the Bank
has also expanded its development objectives beyond national boundaries to
include the promotion of intraregional economic development in the Greater
Mekong Subregion as well as the ASEAN region.

EXIM Thailand's 4-billion-baht loan with a repayment term of 12 years was
officially granted to MFTB for Myanmar's road construction and
infrastructure development in June 2004. MFTB is a state bank designated
to allocate the loan funds to various Myanmar governmental agencies for
use in the procurement of capital goods and services originating from
Thailand. Up to the present, EXIM Thailand has provided financial support
to Thai exporters and investors under the procurement contracts granted by
the Myanmar Government worth 3,934 million baht. A total draw-down amount
of 2.9 billion baht has been made with all four installments of interest
payment satisfactorily fulfilled.

This lending has created more jobs and income for 16 export companies in
Thailand. Under the approved credit line, 1,756 million baht has been
extended to nine exporters of machinery and equipment in Thailand, 980
million baht to three overseas construction contractors, 598 million baht
to two petrochemical enterprises and 600 million baht to two
telecommunications companies. The Bank's lending objective is to support
economic development in neighboring countries while promoting Thai export
and overseas investment which, ultimately, will help increase Thailand's
national income.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

October 4, Mizzima News
Bangladesh FM postpones visit to Burma - Siddique Islam

Bangladesh Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan, who was scheduled to go to
Burma on a three-day official visit on October 5, has postponed his trip.

Mr Khan has postponed his visit to Burma, a highly placed source confirmed
in Dhaka on Tuesday. During the visit, Dhaka and Rangoon were supposed to
sign agreements on a direct road link and avoidance of double taxation
between the two countries.

According to sources, the reasons behind the postponement are that the
concerned ministries could not prepare the necessary documents need.

Bangladesh was missing out on the chance of striking an
avoidance-of-double-taxation deal for augmenting trade with its neighbour
during the Foreign Minister's visit to Burma due to lack of approval by
the cabinet, a source close to the National Board of Revenue (NBR),
Bangladesh said.

The signing of the treaty on avoidance of double taxation was supposed to
take place during the visit of the Foreign Minister this time, the source
added.

____________________________________

October 5, AAP Newsfeed
Fed: Controversial terror training for Burma

Australia is giving counter-terrorist instruction to officials in Burma as
part of a regional training scheme.

Officials from the controversial nation are attending courses at the
Australian-run Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation in
Indonesia, The Australian newspaper today reports.

The centre is substantially funded by Australian aid and jointly run by
Australian Federal Police and Indonesian national police.

Officials from Burma's ruling military junta receive training in major
investigation management, post-blast incident management, and the
international management of serious crime.

The immigration department has also provided immigration intelligence
training, while the Australian Nuclear Science Technology Organisation has
provided assistance on detection of illegal nuclear materials use and
radioactivity monitoring.

AUSTRAC - the cash transactions reporting agency - has helped train
Burmese officials on how to track terrorist financing.

A Foreign Affairs spokesman said the training was consistent with
Australia's policy of limited engagement with the ruling junta, and was
part of programs offered to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), of which Burma was a member.

But the stance contradicts the policy of isolation and sanctions adopted
by the US and Europe, prompted by the continued house arrest of dissident
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's more recent bid for nuclear
weapons technology.

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

October 4, Irrawaddy
Karen rights activist applauded by British Conservatives - Shah Paung

A young Burmese democracy activist received a standing ovation at the
annual conference of Britain’s opposition Conservative Party on Tuesday
when she gave a speech urging support for the struggle to achieve human
rights in her home country.

In the first appearance by an ethnic Burmese at a conference of Britain’s
major opposition party, Zoya Phan, an ethnic Karen, described how the
Burmese regime is oppressing her people, and asked the Conservative Party
to press the British government to focus more attention on Burma.

“We need the Conservative Party to help us for democracy, freedom and
human rights activities in Burma,” Zoya Phan told The Irrawaddy by
telephone. She also called on governments to impose economic sanctions on
Burma.

The Conservative Party invited Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
to attend the conference, but without any hope she could attend—the Nobel
Peace Prize laureate is under house arrest in Rangoon.

The Conservative Party conference, which ends on Wednesday, was attended
by Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, who hailed “a wonderful speech
by a brave young lady from Burma.”

Zoya Phan told The Irrawaddy: “I want to give the message to Burmese
people not to feel sad. We still have a lot of people around the world who
will help us achieve democracy in Burma. One day there will be peace in
our country.”

Her final words to the conference were: “We just want to go home. I just
want to go home, but I can’t. Please help us go home.”

The focus on Burma at the Conservative Party conference coincided with the
start of a campaign by the Burma Campaign UK to press the British
government and the European Union to act more decisively against the
Burmese regime.

“If the European Union can’t get its act together to impose effective
sanctions against the regime in Burma, then the UK should go it alone and
unilaterally ban new investment,” said Burma Campaign UK director Yvette
Mahon.

Meanwhile, a Washington round table on Burma begins on Thursday, featuring
speakers from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The round table is
organized by Human Rights Watch, the US Committee for Refugees, the Jesuit
Refugee Service, the Burma Fund, the US Campaign for Burma and Refugees
International. The Asian participants include Senator Jon Ungphakorn of
Thailand, Loretta Etta Rosales of the Philippines and Djoko Susilo of
Indonesia.

_____________________________________
INTERVIEW

October 3, Democratic Voice of Burma
An interview with Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu

“And it is quite important that it must not be people from outside who
prescribe what Burmese should do. We all should listen to what the leaders
of the Burmese say, and Aung San Suu Kyi
”

Q: Your Grace, now that Burma issue has gone all the way to the United
Nations Security Council, we know you are the one who initiated to put
Burma agenda to be discussed in the United Nations Security Council. What
should be the binding resolution in this regard, Your Grace?

A: Thank you very much. I want to greet the very courageous people of
Burma and I especially want to greet my sister laureate; Aung San Suu Kyi,
who has inspired so many of us. She said, "Please use your freedom, to
help us get our freedom." And we hope that the Security Council will pass
a binding resolution that does not have a punitive sanction attached to
it, the resolution that calls on the so called Myanmar regime, to
cooperate very clearly with the Secretary General in order to move Burma
quite clearly significantly to democracy. It is unconscionable, It is
totally unacceptable that the National League for Democracy should have
won resounding victory at the poll in 1990, and be denied the democratic
right to be the government of that land. And we want to be able to see
that happens. We want to see an end to ethnic cleansing. And we want to
see the people of Burma become what God want them to be, free and
democratic.

Q: Regarding the national reconciliation issue in Burma, sir, a lot of
people are talking about it. Why it's not working, like compared to South
Africa, sir?

A: Well, one of the most important things is obviously that you cannot
compel people to be reconciled. You can only really persuade them. And at
the present time, those in power are the ones who really are an obstacle
in the way of true reconciliation. True reconciliation is going to mean
that the voice of the people is taken seriously. And the voice of the
people was loud and clear in 1990. That it would be clear that the
military dictators are dictators and they’ve got to accept that they do
not have a mandate from the people. They have to stop the harassment of
the ethnic minorities; they have to stop frittering away of resources of
Burma; they have to stop exporting drugs, and HIV/AIDS, that they must
show they are quite serious about helping Burma evolve into a truly
democratic country, because the people of Burma have been known for their
generosity, for their gentleness and I think, I mean that, it would be a
wonderful tribute to a former Secretary General who was Burmese. (U Thant,
Sir?) Yap!

Q: Sir, in terms of the international community, what sort of role they
(it) can play to bring changes and reconciliation in Burma, Your Grace?

A: We know just how powerful the international community can be, because
we were supported by international community our struggle against the
apartheid. Without the help of the international community, we will not
have defeated apartheid as we did. So the international community is able
to assist, facilitate the transition from a repression to democracy as it
takes here. And it is quite important that it must not be people from
outside who prescribe what Burmese should do. We all should listen to what
the leaders of the Burmese say, and Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD, which is
celebrating the – what the 8th – what is it, the 20th anniversary? (18th
anniversary) of its founding, have been quite clear. They said, for
instance, things like, tourism should be stopped until significant change
in Burma. So I think, the international community, if it really wants to
make a difference, will have to listen to the leaders of the people, who
have spoken at a great costs to themselves, it just show very considerable
courage for them to speak out as they have done.

Q: What would you like to say to the majority of Burmese people, sir?
Sometimes, people are talking about reconciliation but nothing is really
moving. Burmese are at the same time under the repression


A: I am very sad that the military junta have been so obdurate, so
stubborn. But one is to keep reminding them that this is a moral universe,
as I said a few years ago, they have already lost, in the struggle. Our
sister, Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters must know that despite all
their appearances (issued?) in the contrary, they are on the wining side.
And we look forward the day when we will be able to visit Burma when Aung
San Suu Kyi is installed as the first democratically elected president of
Burma that is free and democratic.

Q: Any message to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Sir? Do you want to send any
message to her?

A: Oh Yeah, Dear sister, you have been very clear inspiration to many of
us. Your gentleness; your courage; your bee-yooty (beauty); have been a
great inspiration to us. And we want to assure you, as we did a few years
ago from Oslo, we want to assure you that we know, you have already
defeated those frightened military men who are armed with the teeth, and
you have only been speaking a message of non-violence, of reconciliation,
of peace. We are going to be there, when you are inaugurated as the
president of a free and democratic Burma.

Q: You have been meeting with other Nobel laureates in the United States.
We presume that the issue of Burma has come up. Are you able to say if
there is anything that has been decided that can help what’s regards to
the issue of Burma?

A: There were ten Laureates in Denver, including the Dalai Lama, and
president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, and the Prime Minister of East
Timor, Jose Ramos Horta and others, ourselves. And at every opportunity we
got, we sought to highlight the plight of Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent
ten of the last 17 years in under house arrested. She is the only Noble
peace laureate serving a detention or restriction order of this kind, and
we were quite clear that we wanted the world to be aware of her plight and
the plight of her people. We had a number of young people who came from
Burma as part of this thing called ‘Peace Gem’. I think they will go away,
having been encouraged by clear support that we gave and the world has
given to see right prevail
 God Bless you!