Daily News- December 04- 2002- Wednesday
  • Burlington Coat Factory Wraps Up Burma Buys
  • Rbi hikes Indian Direct Investment ceiling in Burma, Saarc
  • Media watchdog expresses concern over detained journalist's health
  • NLD to accept new membership
  • Wa Army free 16 Thais


    • Burlington Coat Factory Wraps Up Burma Buys

    Bay Area Independent Media Center, CA
    by Free Burma Coalition • Tuesday December 03, 2002

    WASHINGTON and BURLINGTON, NJ - Burlington Coat Factory, the largest U.S. seller of coats with $2.5 billion in sales and over 300 stores, has announced that it will no longer stock merchandise made in the Southeast Asian country of Burma, due to the human rights situation there.

    The statement follows a two-month education campaign by human rights supporters and Burmese refugees. Burlington has been stocking a significant quantity of products from Burma, including by brands like Karl Kani, Rocawear, and Rafaella.

    “By selling products from Burma, companies help prop up Burma’s military dictatorship,” says Ko Ko Lay of the San Francisco Burma Roundtable. “Businesses like Burlington have come to realize this, and they don’t want any part of it. We commend them for their principle.”

    In a November 22 letter to the Free Burma Coalition, Burlington stated, this will confirm that all merchandise buyers at Burlington Coat Factory…are being instructed not to purchase any goods manufactured in Myanmar.”

    Burlington joins 33 other companies in banning products from Burma, including retailers like The Children’s Place, which has recently pledged to cease all production in Burma and Federated Department Stores, the largest upscale retailer in the U.S., which implemented a policy against stocking Burmese-made goods in September. The U.K. oil company, Premier, also announced its withdrawal from Burma in September.

    Members of the Free Burma Coalition, the American Anti-Slavery Group, Sacramentans for International Labor Rights, and other groups first wrote to Burlington in March after finding whole racks of products bearing “Made in Burma” tags.

    The UN, the International Labor Organization, the U.S. State Department, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly condemned human rights abuses under the military regime. Last month Human Rights Watch issued a report showing that Burma leads the world in child soldiers, with over 70,000. Burma’s regime, led by strongman Than Shwe, takes boys of the streets at gunpoint and forces them to join the military, according to the report. Burma has also been repeatedly condemned in recent months over the military’s mass rape of women in ethnic minority areas.

    “Unfortunately, there are still a few companies, like Lord & Taylor, that support Burma’s dictators through trade,” says Heidi Maclean of the Sacramentans for International Labor Rights, “But more and more are saying ‘No’ to forced labor, rape, and child soldiers.

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    Rbi hikes Indian Direct Investment ceiling in Burma, Saarc

    MUMBAI, Dec 4 (Asia Pulse) - Liberalising the norms for Indian overseas investment, the Reserve Bank of India has enhanced the investment ceiling on direct investment through automatic route in Burma and SAARC countries, excluding Pakistan, by US$50 million to US$150 million.

    "In the case of Nepal and Bhutan the ceiling has been doubled to Rs 7 billion from the existing Rs 3.50 billion for Rupee investment," the RBI said in a notification to forex dealers yesterday.

    It said the necessary amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management Regulations, 2000, would be issued separately.

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    Media watchdog expresses concern over detained journalist's health

    BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - An ailing 72-year-old journalist in Burma, who has been in the military government's custody for the last 13 years, has been moved to a hospital after his heart problem worsened, two media watchdogs reported.

    Pro-democracy journalist Win Tin was transferred from Insein prison to the Rangoon General Hospital in the Burmese capital of Rangoon on Nov. 23, said a statement received Wednesday from Reporters Without Borders, an international organization.

    "Conditions at Insein prison have taken a heavy toll on Win Tin's health, and he has had to be hospitalized several times," said the statement, co-signed by the Burma Media Association, a group of Burmese journalists in exile.

    The statement said Win Tin underwent tests at a smaller hospital on Nov. 22 in connection with a heart ailment. Because of his electrocardiogram result and the existence of a localized infection, a doctor requested his transfer to general hospital the next day, the statement said.

    The Burmese government did not immediately comment on the report.

    A recipient of the WEF 2001 Golden Pen of Freedom Award, Win Tin is a founder of the National League for Democracy party headed by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

    He was arrested on July 4, 1989, tried in a military court and sentenced to 14 years in prison for allegedly being a member of the banned Communist Party of Burma. He was sentenced to an additional five years for illegally possessing writing materials in jail.

    Win Tin, former editor of the daily Hanthawati newspaper, has had two heart attacks and a hernia operation during his incarceration and suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes and spinal inflammation, according to media groups. They say his condition reportedly worsened in early July.

    The Reporters Without Borders statement said Win Tin is being kept in one of the rooms for political prisoners in the hospital's ground floor where prominent NLD members Htwe Myint and Than Nyein are also being treated. It said Win Tin is being examined by a doctor every day.

    In a letter to Burma Interior Minister Col. Tin Hlaing, the two media groups demanded that Win Tin should be freed immediately.

    They noted that the junta recently released 100 other political prisoners as part of a reconciliation process with Suu Kyi, and that Win Tin should also be a beneficiary of that policy.

    The junta has been in power since 1988 and refuses to give up power even though the NLD won the 1990 general elections. Its reconciliation talks with Suu Kyi have produced little tangible result besides the release of a few hundred political prisoners. Several hundred more political dissidents remain in jails.

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    NLD to accept new membership

    Source : Democratic Voice of Burma

    The Nationa League for Democracy (NLD) has decided to accept new membership, according to the party spokesman U Lwin. The decision came about after the recent Shan State trip of Daw Aung San Auu Kyi. The NLD spokesman, U Lwin said NLD is preparing to accept new members but no new members having been accepted yet. Many people wanted to join the party but the NLD was not prepared to receive them due to organisational difficulties.

    It was believed that it was more important for each organisation to look after its own members for the time being, before thinking about expanding the party. He also said that the NLD will concentrate on accepting young people as new members. They will be accepted into the party if they are in accordance with the rules and regulations. The party chairman himself gave the instruction to extend the memberships.

    On the matter of the 115 prisoners released last month, U Lwin said that the NLD didn't receive the list of non-NLD prisoners. Among them, only the 14-15 people who frequent the NLD office are known to him. Two young writers; U Thurein Htet Linn and Maung Lwin Mun Bank are among the released.

    When the DVB asked him about the rumours that only half of the declared 115 prisoners were released in reality, U Lwin admitted that he himself heard the news on the media only. He added that the NLD has never received so called "Information sheet", daily press information sheet sends to news agency and international community via internet by SPDC information committee.

    U Lwin also added that the NLD is lodging appeals on behalf of political prisoners such as U Shwe Maung of Mandalay, U Saw Nandi of Kengtung, the recently sentenced law students Ko Khin Maung Win and Thet Naing Soe. But Thet Naing Soe is still refusing to lodge an appeal.

    U Shwe Maung was arrested on 7-Novmber and sentenced 3-years for moulded a golden hat, the symbol of the NLD. U Lwin said the NLD also has a strong legal support team in Mandalay for political prisoners in that area.

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    Wa Army free 16 Thais

    Source : Bangkok Post

    Chiang Rai--The pro-Rangoon United Wa State Army yesterday released 16 Thais detained in Burma since 1999.

    Of the 16 - 11 men and five women - 14 were of Muser origin. When Thailand closed the checkpoint at Ban San Ton Du in 1999, about 300 Thai people were arrested and kept at Mong Yawn and Ban Hong prisons.

    The 16 Thais were brought to the border by Col Min Chen, personal secretary of Wei Hsueh-ying, commander of the 171st UWSA Brigade, and received by a representative of the Third Army at Ban San Makhed in Mae Fa Luang district of Chiang Rai.

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