Talks between senior officials of the military junta and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi continue to be a closely guarded secret with neither side revealing the substance of the talks nor giving indication when the results would be announced. Even though no one is demanding to make the substance of the talks be public, there has been a build up of pressure to make the process more transparent. The NCGUB issued a press release on 27 April about the situation (details on www.ncgub.net).

Concerns being expressed are that the junta may be using the talks as an excuse to gain international acceptance while diminishing the role of the democracy movement inside. None of the top leaders have acknowledged that the talks were going on. Only a short report on the talks was carried by the English-language Myanmar Times, which is published for the elite with the approval of the junta. The state-run Burmese-language dailies with a much wider and diverse audience have remained silent about the subject.

The generals have also been playing down the process publicly and only seem to be secretly confiding their satisfaction about the talks to visiting foreign dignitaries. However, Burmese people, who have learned about the process through Burmese language broadcasts from foreign radio stations and by word of mouth, have yet to hear the generals admit that talks are indeed going on.

Since the news of the talks became public, Senior General Than Shwe has had ample opportunity to explain in his message to the nation. Even though he had some good words for democracy and harmonizing efforts, he avoided mentioning the talks in his message on Union Day (12 February) and Armed Forces Day (27 March).

The practice is carried through at the international level as well. At the recent 57th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights when Burma's human rights record was criticized, Burma's Representative U Mya Thann defended the junta by citing a number of activities that SPDC was undertaking to improve the human rights situation in the country. But strangely, the talks with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi were not mentioned.

With the excuse that progress is being made in the talks, junta officials have also been postponing the visit to Burma by UN Special Envoy Razali since January this year. This behavior has only fanned the flames of skepticism and raised questions in the international community about the sincerity of the generals. Judging from the reaction of the international community and at home, people are gradually losing patience.

SPDC Reaction

In response to widening criticism over its silence and doubts raised about the "secret talks," the junta's Foreign Minister U Win Aung on 30 April told reporters, "We are not playing games for the sake of the media ... this is not a public relations stunt...This is for the sake of the people of Myanmar. We don't play games."

U Win Aung told AFP that while he could not release details of the dialogue, which has been held under conditions of strict secrecy, it was certainly "not stalled." "But we hope that this process, which is very complex and delicate, should be left at a distance right now because the freedom of the country depends on this."

International Reaction

The European Union last week decided in Luxembourg to extend its sanctions against Burma for another six months. The EU foreign ministers said they wanted "genuine progress" on the junta's seven-month-old talks with the National League for Democracy and to begin paving the way for handover of power to a democratically elected government, as they promised to do 12 years ago. They said, "despite the release of a few token political prisoners and a muzzling of the libelous state-run press, there have been no signs of a substantial improvement in Burma's human rights situation."

Amnesty International while saying the reported talks were "a welcome development," nevertheless declared on 17 April that it was stepping up its "campaign against human rights violations in Burma" despite "reports of ongoing secret meetings between Aung San Suu Kyi ... and members of the ruling State Peace and Development Council."

The International Labor Organization is also continuing to seek a review of Burma policy from governments and for action to halt forced labor practices in Burma.

The UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) recently passed a resolution that, among other things, "deplored" the generals for using "intimidatory methods...violations of human rights of and widespread discriminatory practices," and "strongly" urged the junta "to take urgent and concrete measures to ensure the establishment of democracy in accordance with the will of the people as expressed in the democratic elections held in 1990 and, to this end, to extend the initiated talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, Secretary-General of the National League for Democracy, to a genuine and substantive dialogue.."

Domestic Reaction

Aprolonged silence and lack of announcement about the "secret talks" in Rangoon have evoked reaction from non-Burma ethnic nationalities who are now asking that the results of the talks be made public and that they be included in the process to seek a solution to the nation's problems.

Six ethnic armed groups who signed cease-fire agreements with the ruling junta --the Shan State Peace Council, the New Mon State Party, the Karenni People's Liberation Front, the Shan People's Liberation Front, the Kayan New State Party and Palaung State Liberation Party-first made the demand in March.

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) came next. A KIO official told a NewsDesk source that the KIO supported the ongoing talks between the SPDC and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, "because Burma needs a political settlement. But we, like all other ethnic organizations, also want to be involved in the talks."

SPDC Secretary-1 Lt Gen Khin Nyunt was reported to have requested non-Burman ethnic organizations "not to embarrass the SPDC with public announcements made without prior consultations" and that "it was still too early to join in the ongoing talks."

via the National Convention

Meanwhile, SPDC Deputy Information Minister Aung Thein has said reconvening of the National Convention is high on SPDC agenda and that "tripartite talks" involving members of the junta, National League for Democracy, and various non-Burman ethnic groups will not happen until "a go-signal was received from the National Convention." He made the remarks in Tokyo while visiting Japan earlier this month.

The National Convention, created by the junta to draft a new Constitution, and termed a ''farce'' by the democracy movement because the junta's handpicked delegates outnumbered elected representatives and also because of lack of democratic practices in convention proceedings, remains in recess since its last adjournment in March 1996.

Preparatory meetings for the reopening of the National Convention are however ongoing and the "National Convention Convening Commission" met in Rangoon on 21 February and 18 April.

Commenting on the National Convention, U Aung Thein said "agreements were reached on administrative powers when the convention was recessed in 1996 with the deliberations to focus on legislative and judiciary powers." He said the separation of powers would be central to the discussions once the convention is convened.

The "e"-Everything

"E" (electronic) has become the buzzword for top-ranking SPDC leaders these days. Quite often, they can be heard making public speeches about e-Shopping, e-Banking, e-Reservation, e-Media, e-Journal, e-Book, etc. Minister Brig Gen Win Tin was heard to be proudly claiming at the China-ASEAN ICT Seminar in Shenzhen earlier this month: "There are now over 2,500 internet e-mail users, and web surfing is at present allowed to selective government and educational departments and computer organizations." Somebody needs to remind him neither the figure nor the control imposed is anything to be proud of.

With regard to the "e"-mania among the generals, a Rangoon resident recently told NewsDesk, "We don't even get 'E'-lectricity in Rangoon regularly, what are they talking about."

The Economy

Rising oil and commodity prices and uncertainty of Burma's economy have dragged the value of Burmese currency, the kyat, to a new low. On 25 April, the Burmese currency, pegged at an official exchange rate of 6 kyats to a dollar for more than three decades, fell to 700 per dollar.

The junta, reacted by arresting four currency dealers, and brought the dollar down to about 610-650 kyats, this compared to 530 to a dollar on 1 April. Sources in Rangoon say it is difficult to find sellers as dealers are holding on to the greenback.

Another "rare" commodity these days is MSG--monosodium glucomate--preferred as food flavor by the Burmese. Because of the recent conflicts at the Burmese-Thai border and since most MSG are smuggled in from Thailand, the junta has campaigned against MSG as past of an anti-Thai goods drive in the country. On several occasions tons of contraband MSG have been steamrolled and destroyed in public. Lt Gen Khin Nyunt himself was present on a recent occasion.

Vendors are now selling the "Toe Toe Tharr" ("Hush Hush Goods") under the table only to known customers and a Rangoon resident told NewsDesk the price has shot up because of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoting the Asian Development Bank's report released on 19 April said Burma had gross foreign exchange reserves of only about $240 million at the end of March--less than two months of exports--"reflecting the fragile state of the external balances." The ADB suggested several main structural reforms for Burma to correct the situation, which included

(1) Raising the investment and saving ratios, which are languishing around 12 to 13 percent of GDP,
(2) A reduction in the budget deficit, but by increasing tax revenue rather than cutting already low public expenditure,
(3) Promoting exports and abolishing the public sector monopoly on rice exports,
(4) Ending the policy of "multiple and widely divergent exchange rates", and
(5) Strengthening the banking sector and the supervisory and regulatory capabilities of the Central Bank.

During the last power crisis, Burma set up a few diesel-based power generating stations near major cities to supplement the dwindling electrical power supply from the ailing Lawpita Hydroelectric Power Plant. Power was generated at these stations under a profit sharing scheme between the state and private entrepreneurs who supplied imported diesel oil to drive the turbines. With prices of oil rising and the condition of the Lawpita Plant getting worse, Rangoon areas are once again facing blackouts. Electricity is now being supplied to homes from 1400 to 2300 and 1400 to 0600 on alternate days with occasional total blackouts. Meanwhile, the junta is reported to be planning to cut back supply of subsidized gasoline to car owners. Each car owner receives a daily maximum of three gallons at a rate of 180 kyats per gallon. The ministry is reported to be considering cutting the gasoline ration to one gallon per car at 180 kyats and 600 kyats per gallon above the one-gallon allotment.