Daily News-July 28 - 2001- Saturday

  • Myanmar says talks on track, blasts sanctions
  • UN envoy Razali to return to Burma 27 August
  • Australia upbeat on Burma rights record
  • US, EU pledge help with drug summit
  • Japan Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination (Trial Test) Held
  • EU sees Burma situation as a hurdle
  • City planners trying to preserve Rangoon
  • US legislation to derail Burma talks with opposition

    • Myanmar says talks on track, blasts sanctions

    HANOI, July 27- Myanmar's foreign minister insisted on Friday that landmark talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi were making progress, and said Western sanctions would only push the country towards poverty, not democracy.

    In an interview with Reuters in Hanoi, where he was attending a ministerial summit, Win Aung dismissed fears that delicate negotiations with Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi were stalled.

    ''Now the atmosphere is good,'' he said. ''Now we are moving forward. The process has started. We are patient, we are cautious, and yes, we are optimistic.''

    Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won elections in 1990 by a landslide but has never been allowed to govern. Its members have faced harassment, arrest and imprisonment. Suu Kyi has been kept confined to her house since September, with only a handful of foreign diplomats allowed to see her.

    But news that the military government has been holding confidential talks with Suu Kyi since October was widely welcomed by the international community. Since the talks began the government has released more than 150 NLD detainees. Amnesty International says around 1,800 political prisoners remain in jail, however.

    Win Aung said Razali Ismail, the United Nations special envoy credited with helping broker the peace talks, would pay another visit to Myanmar from August 27.

    FEARS OF DEADLOCK

    Fears have mounted this year that negotiations with Suu Kyi had hit problems, fuelled by her failure to attend a national ceremony this month marking the 1947 assassination of her father.

    ''It should not be construed as some kind of indication of the failure of talks. There is no connection at all,'' Win Aung said. He dismissed suggestions the government had begun the talks as a publicity stunt and had no intention to ease its grip on power. ''It's not cosmetic,'' he said.

    Win Aung said he had enjoyed this week's annual meeting of Asian and global foreign ministers much more than previous summits, as his reception had not been so hostile.

    ''When I attended my previous two meetings...there were concerns and criticisms about the situation in our country, so every time I came to meetings I had to prepare my defence, how to defend my country,'' he said.''This time around I felt a little more relaxed, and maybe it was a little bit more of an enjoyable meeting for me.''

    But although the international community welcomed the start of talks with Suu Kyi, patience is running out and the world wants signs of progress. In Hanoi this week, the European Union, Japan and Australia told Myanmar it had to make further reforms if it wanted to shake off its status as a pariah state.

    Win Aung said the process of reconciliation could not be rushed as that could lead to national disintegration and anarchy.

    ''Like walking through a minefield, people will tell you to run faster, but you must be very cautious -- one step, one step,'' he said. ''Our ultimate goal is to turn the country into a democratic state. That's what we are for.''

    He said that before Myanmar could embrace democracy, it first had to build its economy. But Western nations have told Yangon they will not lift sanctions until they see political reform.

    Win Aung said sanctions would do nothing to speed up the transition to democracy. ''I think the people from outside, especially the West, they are trying to deny us our economic development,'' he said.

    ''One question I would like to ask is -- will poverty, will poor people, be able to turn the country into a real genuine democracy? If they are so poor, and if they are deprived of good living conditions, and if they are starving, can we be coming towards democracy?''
    UN envoy Razali to return to Burma 27 August

    Source: Kyodo News Service

    Hanoi, 27 July: Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung said Friday [27 July] that Razali Ismail, a special envoy of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, will return to Yangon [Rangoon] on 27 August to facilitate the process of reconciliation between the ruling junta and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).

    Wing Aung also said in an interview with Kyodo News that the ruling State Peace and Development Council [SPDC] will "cautiously" proceed with the dialogue begun with Suu Kyi and the NLD last October.

    He called it a "healing" process to build confidence and trust between the junta and NLD, which won the 1990 general elections by a landslide but was prevented by the military from taking power. Win Aung did not disclose how long Ismail will be in Yangon. The special envoy, who hails from Malaysia, was appointed in April 2000 to help break the long-running deadlock between the junta and the NLD.

    Win Aung said the national reconciliation process should not be "cosmetic" or "rushed" as there are wounds to be healed."We need to have a comprehensive resolution to solve many problems," he said. "We cannot afford any more mistakes. We have to move cautiously."

    Win Aung declined to reveal what the next steps will be following the government's release from detention so far this year of more than 100 political prisoners belonging to the NLD.The foreign minister expressed satisfaction with ongoing talks with the NLD, saying, "There have been no more confrontations and there is better understanding emerging from the other side." He said both sides have agreed to keep confidential the contents of the dialogue.

    Win Aung also played down speculation about Suu Kyi's no-show at a Martyr's Day ceremony on 19 July, saying it was a family decision and should not be viewed as a gesture of dissatisfaction with the ongoing dialogue with the government.

    Win Aung was in Hanoi to attend a series of ministerial meetings hosted annually by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member...

    Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, whose country is the current holder of the EU's presidency, told a press conference Friday in Hanoi that the EU awaits "definite and positive" developments to that end before it will consider lifting sanctions imposed against Myanmar's military government."The ball is in their camp," he said.
    Australia upbeat on Burma rights record

    BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 27, 2001

    Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said there are positive signs that Burma's human rights record is improving.

    Radio Australia said he gave a "positive report card on Burma" at the Asia-Pacific talks in Hanoi. The radio said Downer had talks with Burma's foreign minister, Win Aung, and emerged saying "the signs for Burma are the most positive for years".

    Quoted by the radio, Downer said Burma had met some western demands, releasing political prisoners and beginning dialogue with the National League for Democracy, the NLD.

    "I think there are some signs that this dialogue could lead in the right direction, could lead to there being - the NLD having a role in recrafting Burma's constitution and for the country to work its way out of the sort of system it has at the moment," he said, in a brief remark broadcast by the radio.

    Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 1300 gmt 27 Jul 01
    US, EU pledge help with drug summit

    source : The Nation

    The United States and the European Union have pledged to assist in upcoming talks on narcotics involving the four countries bordering the infamous Golden Triangle, Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said yesterday.

    Upon returning from the Asean ministerial meeting in Hanoi, Surakiart said the two sides were interested by the pace of developments leading up to the summit meeting.

    The summit will involve Thailand, Burma, China and Laos, and was called specifically to discuss fighting drug trafficking.

    Surakiart said US Secretary of State Colin Powell had assured him on the sidelines of the Asean meeting that Washington was ready to help. Chris Patten, European commissioner for external relations, also pledged support, he said.

    Surakiart welcomed the support, saying the US and EU could be helpful in implementing comprehensive measures which require a lot of money.

    The senior officials of the four countries bordering the Golden Triangle will meet for the first time in Burma, preceding a ministerial meeting in Beijing at the end of next month. The narcotics summit will be held in Kunming, China. The date has yet to be set.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan told Surakiart in Hanoi that the foreign ministers of the four countries should meet informally in Brunei in early November to review the progress of discussions and set the tone for the summit.

    Surakiart said senior officials told him that China, Japan and South Korea would be more active in helping to fight drug trafficking under an Asean framework.

    Meanwhile, Bangkok and Washington will work to develop a new cooperative relationship that will incorporate pressing issues such as economic and trans-national crimes.The agreement would be signed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and US President George W Bush.Surakiart also said Burma would host a meeting between foreign ministers of Thailand, Burma and India at Mandalay soon on the possibility of jointly developing coastal areas and road links.
    Japan Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination (Trial Test) Held

    Information Sheet N0. B-1902( I ) 27th July, 2001

    Trial test for Japan Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination was held at the Student?s Recreation Centre of Yangon University on 22 July.

    Japan Information Technology Engineer Examination Centre (JITEC), Central Academy of Information Technology (CAIT) and Myanmar Computer Federation (MCF) jointly conducted the test.

    The results of the trial will be used for establishing a regular examination system and the development of IT professional in Myanmar. First Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination will be held in May 2002 in Myanmar.
    EU sees Burma situation as a hurdle

    Source : The Straits Times

    THE European Union (EU) is setting up new offices in Singapore and three other Asean countries to promote political and economic links with South-east Asia, but cooperation between the two groupings remains stalled because of differences over Burma.

    The EU President, Mr Louis Michel, said the EU wanted to help build a better investment climate in Asean, but he warned that the lack of human rights and democracy could be obstacles as these were important factors for the European countries.

    The EU is drawing up a new strategy to raise its profile and expand its activities in Asia. It will focus on trade and investment, security, political developments and poverty alleviation.

    Human rights and democracy will be given priority to underline the emphasis the EU gives to developing civil society and the rule of law.

    Mr Michel, who is Belgium's Foreign Minister, said: 'We have to take into account the strong public opinion on this.'

    He stressed the importance of the EU-Asean relationship, but said there must be more progress in the talks between the military government and the National League for Democracy (NLD) to bring back civilian rule in Burma.

    'We hope that the recent developments in Myanmar will put this important country on the way back to democracy, national reconciliation and the rule of law,' he said in a reference to the junta's release of political prisoners and reconciliation talks with NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

    'It is essential that the current discussions between the authorities and the opposition continue and develop into a real process of rebuilding the nation in harmony.'

    The EU Commissioner for External Relations, Mr Chris Patten, said it was not sensible for the Asean-EU relationship to be held hostage to Burma's political stalemate.

    But the EU would not lift its political restrictions, such as a visa ban on Burmese officials, unless the situation improved, he added.

    This puts the EU at odds with Asean, which maintains that Burma must not be discriminated against in Asean-EU dealings. Because both sides have refused to budge from their positions, Asean-EU ties have suffered in recent years.

    Many Asean-EU cooperation projects had stalled since Burma joined Asean, and a bid to relaunch the relationship at a ministerial meeting in Vientiane last December produced no breakthrough.

    Besides Singapore, Mr Patten said the EU's new offices in Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos would open by the end of next year.

    These would facilitate Asean-EU cooperation programmes and strengthen the EU's political and economic relations with South-east Asian countries, he said.
    City planners trying to preserve Rangoon

    Source : Channel News Asia

    Rangoon in Burma is one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the world, but neglect and a lack of funds are causing the Victorian-era city to collapse.

    Hence, city planners are trying to preserve the Burma's capital, despite the overwhelming problems.

    Known to the world as Rangoon during colonial days, the city sitting next to the Irrawady River has a picturesque skyline filled with Corinthian pillars and Victorian domes.

    But with independence and the ensuing turmoil that led to years of isolation under the country's road to socialism, urban decay sets in.

    When the country opened up in the 1990s, new buildings began to replace the older ones.

    But the economic crisis soon put paid to the dreams of many sky scrapers that remain half completed - a worse eyesore than their colonial friends.

    Today, the city is falling apart as buildings - some more than a century old - which have withstood the driving rains and scorching heat of Burma become completely worn out.

    Despite the decay, the government has implemented upgrading programmes and most areas enjoy almost uninterrupted electricity and water supply.

    A shop owner said: "We have very good electricity, for water there is also no problem, only the wire.

    "Because the wire is getting very old, so it needs change and replacement.

    "For that, we've got the plant. The only thing is the money, we have got some difficulty and we are trying our best to overcome that difficulty."

    Although power is everywhere, there are insufficient telephones.

    To wire up the capital is a challenge as buildings from the 1920s do not have the support structure for new cables and lines.

    There's also a problem with the sewage system, which can flood into the city when the river overflows during the monsoon season.

    Despite these difficulties, the majesty of the buildings and old world charm attract many visitors.

    Duncan MacLean, the marketing chairman of Myanmar Tourist Promotion Board, said: "I hope Yangon is able to maintain its charm because it's one of a few real colonial cities that are left in the region.

    "And to make it into a big skyrise type of city would be a bit of a shame.

    "But we hope as the economy improves and money starts coming back into the economy, some of these buildings will be restored to their original charm and play a major benefit as attractions to the city".

    "So people can come and visit these colonial buildings."

    Many here hope that the capital can be upgraded but with its heritage still intact.

    As more and more service-related facilities are built in the city, it's clear that the demand for better infrastructure has been growing.

    But the concern remains what to do with such an architecturally rich city and whether enough of the old can be preserved as much of the new comes in.
    US legislation to derail Burma talks with opposition

    Source : Channel News Asia

    Delicate negotiations between the Burmese government and the opposition could be derailed by a proposed US legislation.

    The Burma Freedom Act was introduced in the House of Representatives in June and is expected to be debated in October.

    The US does not recognise Burma.

    According to US lawmakers, the measure is to discourage alleged forced labor and other human-rights abuses in Burma.

    Once enacted it calls for a total ban on imports from Burma within 15 days.

    Diplomats in Rangoon say the timing of the congressional action could affect secret discussions between opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the military authorities.

    The talks, which began in October, are back on track after stalling for months.