Message-ID: <199612210602.PAA00462@inetnif.niftyserve.or.jp> Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 14:59:00 +0900 From: Martin Sieg <mailto:QWA01214@NIFTYSERVE.OR.JP> Subject: BURMA WATCH - Japan To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
The following should be of interest to anyone who want to know more about t he efforts people are making to support the movement towards democracy in Burm a.If any of the information below is incorrect, please notify me at mailto:QWA01214@ niftyserve.or.jp as soon as possible. Also, please provide me with any and all relevant information you have, as it will be useful for our continuing effort s. I appologize that this is being published so late. At the moment I do not h ave a web page, so if anyone would like to include all or part of this newslet ter in their web page, please do so, with the appropriate acknowledgments. Eve ntually I would like to produce a web site in English and Japanese, but I would need help. Any offers or suggestions are appreciated.
In Hope,
Martin Sieg, PD-Burma & WUSC Alumnus ___________________________________________________________________________ BURMA WATCH Volume 4 December 16, 1996
The newsletter from PD-Burma Japan (issued irregularly)
published by: Schu Sugawara 5-33-7 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155, Japan Tel. 81-3-3485-5279 Fax. 81-3-3485-4819
edited and electronically published by: Martin Sieg Green House, 3-9-7 NishiOizumi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo 178, Japan Tel. 81-3-3921-7916 Fax. 81-3-5387-5733 E-mail: mailto:QWA01214@niftyerve.or.jp
for a 10 volume hard-copy subscription, send the equivalent of 3000 yen through International Postal Giro Japan 00140-1-725653 SCHU SUGAWARA or by Money Order to the above address
What is PD Burma?
The International Network of Political Leaders Promoting Democracy in Burma (PD Burma) was formed, in May 1996, by the members of the "International Parliamentarians Delegation," which was held in January, in Bangkok. PD Burma is a group acting diplomatically to restore democracy in Burma. Former Foreign Minister of Norway, Mr. Kjell M. Bondevik is the founder and chairman. Politicians and Parliamentarians from all over the world are working for the establishment of peace in Burma. PD Burma has 15 members from 12 nations. PD Burma has no intention to recruit additional members, but prefers to act as a small group to expand its network with other democratic organizations, such as the Forum of Democracy Leaders in Asia Pacific, lead by Mr. Kim Dae Jong in Korea, and the Jimmy Carter Foundation in the U.S. The Burmese ruling junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), has ignored the results of the general elections of 1990 and still holds power, with the support of the military. The United Nations has made several resolutions for Burma, to transfer power to civilians, but the SLORC insists that, without their rule, the stability of the nation and the development of the economy are not guaranteed. PD Burma is making its strongest efforts to break the deadlock. Two secretaries are working enthusiastically, in the office in Oslo, and coordinators are stationed in Japan, Malaysia and the United States.
DIARY
Sept 2 The street near Suu Kyi's house was blocked off. Sept 30 Khin Maung Win, director of the Political Bureau, vowed to the ambassador of Japan, Yoichi Yamaguchi, that the road-blocks would be removed within one day. Oct 1 500 people were taken in mass arrests since September 26th. Oct 3 President Clinton signed a decree prohibiting the granting of visas to Burmese high officials. Oct 4 Deputy Commander Aung Gyaw stated in India that his battalion is supporting the democracy movement. Oct 16 Chairman Than Shwe, First Secretary Khin Nyun and Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw visited Phnom Phenh. 300 members of the Kmer National Party protested against their visit. Oct 18 Philippine Foreign Minister Siazon stated his view, to Mainichi Shimbun, that it is too early for Myanmar's entry into ASEAN. Oct 22 Hundreds of students from Yangon Institute of Technology participated in a sit-in protest at an intersection on University Avenue until dawn. Oct 23 The SLORC arrested Kyi Maung, Deputy Chairman of the NLD. Oct 24 Maung Aye, Vice-Chairman of the SLORC, visited China. He was promised support for military exchange by Zhang Wan Nien, Vice Chairman of China's central military committee. Oct 28 The SLORC released Kyi Maung, Deputy Chairman of the NLD, and removed the road-blocks from Suu Kyi's street. EU Foreign Ministers unanimously agreed to refuse the granting of visas for SLORC high officials and their families. Nov 9 Suu Kyi's motorcade was attacked by a mob of several hundred USDA members, and her car window was broken. Nov 11 Chief Cabinet Secretary Kajimaya claimed the Myanmar government had no involvement in the attack on Suu Kyi. Nov 15 The US State Department stated "We have clear evidence that the attack was made by members of the USDA." Nov 18 Visit Myanmar Year 1996 officially started. Dec 1 A top leaders' conference of ASEAN approved the simultaneous entry of Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar as new member countries. Dec 2 1500 students from the Yangon Institute of Technology marched three miles to Rangoon University. Citizens joined them on their way. Later, demonstrators had a sit-in protest. Suu Kyi was confined to her house by police, reportedly for her own safety.
Japanese Elections: JP League Lost 30 Members
Mr. Takashi Kosugi, of the Liberal Democratic Party, and Mr. Yukio Hatoyama , of the Democratic Party, were re-elected to the House of Representatives in the latest Japanese election. Mr. Kosugi is the chairman, and Mr. Hatoyama is the secretary, of the "Diet Members League for the Support of the Union of Mya nmar's Democratization" (JP League). The JP League was formed in November 1995, to support efforts promoting dem ocracy in Burma. In the same month members of the JP League sent an invitation to Rev. Rewata Dhanma. Also, the league strongly protested to the Myanmar Emb assy in Japan when the SLORC arrested many pro-democracy activists in March. I n this election, however, 30 out of 89 members of the JP League failed to be r e-elected. Now the league has 59 members. The league newly appointed Mrs. Yasuko Takemura as secretary a nd started its activities to attract new members. Mr. Kosugi, Mr. Hatoyama and Mrs. Takemura are also members of PD Burma. PD Burma welcomes the news that it has not lost any of its members in Japan and is satisfied with the continuing participation of Japanese Diet members in the efforts to restore Democracy in Burma. Mr. Kusugi is extremely busy, due to h is nomination for the office of Education Minister in the Cabinet, but he says he will remain a member of PD Burma.
Thomas Olsen Visited Japan
Mr. Thomas Olsen, the coordinator of PD Burma in Norway, visited Japan from the 6th to the 8th of November. He had planned to visit in the company of Mr. Bondevik, the chairman of PD Burma, but due to circumstances in the Norwegian Parliament Mr. Olsen had to visit Japan alone. In his visit to the Foreign Mi nistry, Mr. Olsen met Mr. Shigeo Matsutomi of the First Southeast Asia Divisio n. The JP league also held a special meeting to welcome Mr. Olsen. The JP Lea gue invited Mr. Matsutomi to this meeting. Mr. Olsen reported on the recent conference of the Forum of the Democratic Leaders of the Asia Pacific Region (FDL AP) in the Philippines. In the forum, the Burmese issue was on the agenda. Mr. Olsen reported an interesting strateg y, that one of the participants from Sweden proposed, which was to have a vete ran soldiers' conference to seek dialogue with the SLORC. Mr. Matsutomi reported on his recent visit with Aung San Suu Kyi. According to Mr. Matsutomi, the SLORC has been sending a colonel level soldier to Suu K yi, to communicate with the NLD. Suu Kyi welcomes his visits as a sign that th e SLORC has a will to begin dialogue.
First Ever Pro-Democracy Group in Japan
The "People's Forum on Burma" will be launched on December 21st, founded by Mr. Shogo Watanabe. Up to now there has been no citizens group in Japan which supports the democratization of Burma. Mr. Watanabe is an important member of the "Network for Burmese Political Asylum Seekers" which is pleading to the g overnment on behalf of Burmese asylum seekers. The Japanese government has not granted visa status to 50 applicants whose cases are being supported by this lawyers group. In 1996, thr ee Burmese activists were arrested, charged with violating immigration law, an d were detained for 4 months. Mr. Watanabe decided to form a citizens group to urge Japanese people to be aware of the lack of democracy in Burma. Not only lawyers, journalists, religionists and NGO members are planning to join this g roup, but also several hundreds of Burmese activists living in Japan, includin g minorities, will participate in the forum. The "People's Forum on Burma" is seeking cooperation with overseas NGOs. It will exchange information globally. It will urge the military junta of Myanma r to implement the UN resolutions, initiate dialogue with pro-democracy groups , improve freedom of expression, stop the human rights abuses and, especially, urge the junta to stop the double tax levy, by the Myanmar Embassy in Japan, because it is an invasion of Japanese sovereignty. It will urge the Japanese government and enterprises to reconsider the Burma policy and ODA grants, to stop investments which help the military junta, and to grant visa status to Burmese asylum seekers.
People's Forum on Burma c/o Hayabusa Law Office Shimizu bld. 6F Hayabusa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102 tel. +81 3-3263-3881 fax. +81 3-3263-3882
PD Burma Decided to hold Tokyo Meeting
Pd Burma (Oslo) decided to hold its first general meeting in Tokyo, on Marc h 10th and 11th, 1997. It will invite various ambassadors in Japan, and Burma specialists, for analyzing the present situation in relation to the future res toration of democracy in Burma. In the Tokyo meeting, PD Burma will set its policy based on the analysis of the current situation, and assign separate roles to each member, to make its activities most effective. In the meeting, top leaders of pro-democracy organi zations in Burma will be invited to report on the situation of the NLD and min ority groups. Also, the representatives of the military junta, in Japan, will be invited to listen to the meeting so they can see the path to democracy and the way to productive di alogue.
Former Justice Minister Deals with Outlaw Junta
[Mainichi Shimbun, Bangkok, Dec.7th, Kinshiro Hirose, Shinishiro Hori] Former Justice Minister Kazuo Tanigawa established a consultation company f or investors to Myanmar, which is focused on international criticism of the su ppression of the pro-democracy movement by the military junta. According to so me sources, Mr. Tanigawa established an investment consultation company, "Japa n Trans-Techno Co." in Minato-ku, Tokyo, in June 1996. The company asked its members for 5 mi llion yen, for each enterprise, and has accumulated 200 million yen from 40 en terprises. Techno Co. will provide investment consultation and give its member s advice before they go to Myanmar. The activities of the former Justice Minister are of a controversial nature . The Japanese government has frozen its financial grants to Myanmar since 19 88 because of the suppression of the democracy movement. The former Minister v isited Myanmar to arrange support for Japanese enterprises with high-level off icials of the military junta, in November. The most important activity Techno Co. has been involved in so far is helpi ng in the establishment of a business partnership between a car repair company in Sapporo and Myangomen Co., which has connections to the Myanmar government . They signed a contract to build a car repair factory in the suburbs of Yango n. Four Cabinet members of the military junta will assume positions as board m embers of the new company. Mr. Tanigawa entered Rangoon on November 30th, in anticipation of the formal signi ng of the contract, on December 14th. In the evening of the same day, he invit ed Mr. Tin Yu, Second Secretary of the SLORC, and other members for dinner. The Japanese government plans to resume its ODA grants, step by step, while monitoring the situation, for democracy, in Myanmar. However, there is no exa ct plan for full resumption of the grants. Aung San Suu Kyi, the general secre tary of the NLD, objects that "foreign investments do not benefit the people, they only benefit the military junta." Mr. Tanigawa explains, "the transfer of Japanese technology into Myanmar will benefit the people's lives, and also he lp restore democracy." About his visit to overseas countries during the Diet session, he said, "I was allow ed the absence by the Chairperson of the House of Representatives. There is no problem."
PRO-DEMOCRACY ORGANIZATIONS IN JAPAN
In Japan there are four Burmese pro-democracy organizations, which are acti ng together.
1) National League for Democracy (Liberated Area) NLD-LA, Japan. The NLD-LA was formed in 1991, in Maneplaw, which is located inside the controlled area of the Karen National Union (KNU). Mr. Win Khet, a former member of the Central Committee of the NLD, is the Chairman. This group has the same strategies as the NLD. Other branches are in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Britain, Germany, India and Thailand. The Japanese branch was formed in May 1995 and now has 80 members. The head of the branch is Mr. Ye Htut.
2) Burma Youth Volunteer Association (BYVA) Formed as a youth group branch of the Burmese Association In Japan (BAIJ), it later separated from BAIJ. It is most active among Japanese-Burmese youths, in organizing events such as the Water Festival in Tokyo, and releasing the news letter, 'Voice of Burma.' It also supports student organizations on the border. BYVA has about 100 members. The Chairman is Khin Maung Zaw.
3) Democratic Burmese Students' Organization (DBSO) DBSO is organized by students who are essentially exiled from Mandaley. It is cooperating with an organization, with the same name, in the U.S. Formed in August 1994, in Tokyo, it is supporting student movements inside Burma, and cooperates with the student organizations of the minority groups of Burma. In June 1996, three committee members were arrested in Sendai, on charges of staying in Japan illegally. After submitting refugee status applications, they were released. DBSO has about 20 members. Its representative is Mr. Thin Khet.
4) 8888 Group This group was named in memory of August 8, 1988, and was formed in December 1992 by eight members. It supports student organizations on the border, and now has 20 members. Its representative is Mr. Thin Khet .
There are also other organizations:
5) Burmese Relief Center Japan Since American English teachers Ken and Visakha Kawasaki encountered the bloody suppression of demonstrations in 1988, they started their activities in Nara City, next to Osaka. They are running the Global Network Center for Japanese pro-democracy organizations. Their activities are very conspicuous, such as sending materials to student organizations on the border, and boycotting Japanese companies that invest in Burma.
6) Burmese Association in Japan (BAIJ) The BAIJ was formed in Nagoya, but later moved to Hiratsuka City near Yokohama. After they moved the head office, the leaders of BAIJ lost their good reputation, and most of the members withdrew from the organization. Recently, they seem to be trying to earn money, to promote democracy, through trading activities with Burma. This strategy is not accepted by most Japanese Burmese.
HELP WANTED 1) To provide news not in the media, or SLORC-related, reliable news. 2) To introduce reliable workers connected to politics and/or NGOs. 3) To offer effective strategies and analysis for networking, to promote the restoration of democracy in Burma.
Schu Sugawara PD Burma, Japan coordinator