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Canada Asia Work.Group:5/6, Burma R



Subject: Canada Asia Work.Group:5/6, Burma Report

Subject: Canada Asia Working Group:Burma Report, 5

CAWG Brief on Burma (Part 5 of 6 parts)

Conclusion and Recommendations

There has been no significant improvement in human rights in the Union
of Myanmar in 1993 despite claims to the contrary by the Myanmar
government. Indeed, the Myanmar government has arrogantly dismissed
all General Assembly and UNCHR resolutions on human rights in Myanmar
as interfering in the internal affairs of the country. Yet, by all
accounts, the amount of human suffering in Myanmar is enormous and
continues to increase.

Any temptation to see significant improvement in the Myanmar situation
should be resisted. Myanmar government public relations efforts
(including the National Convention and drug-burning ceremonies) should
be recognized for what they are, namely, diversionary tactics. Rather,
considering the Myanmar government's defiance of almost universal
world opinion, the Government of Canada and the UNCHR need to consider
seriously further significant steps to place increased and effective
pressure on the Union of Myanmar to change.

Many nations, especially in the Asia region, have advocated a policy
of "constructive engagement" with Myanmar to bring about an
improvement in Myanmar's human rights practices. As noted above, the
effectiveness of such a policy is highly doubtful. Joint ventures with
the Myanmar Holding Company and other corporations in Myanmar (all of
which have a SLORC relationship) profit only SLORC and their foreign
partners but do not in any way improve SLORC's human rights policies
or bring prosperity to the general population. Strong advocacy of a
policy of "constructive engagement" sometimes seems to derive from the
desire to make money in Myanmar even if the partner is SLORC rather
than to improve Myanmar's human rights situation. Since "constructive
engagement" is not an effective policy, some form of economic
sanctions is one appropriate next step in response to Myanmar's
arrogant disregard of the various United Nations resolutions.

In light of all the issues raised in this brief, we recommend that the
Canadian government:

1. continue to call upon the Union of Myanmar government to restore
fully the civil and political rights of its citizens, release all
political prisoners (including Aung San Suu Kyi), halt the forced
resettlement of its people and guarantee the safe return of those in
exile;

2. call upon the Union of Myanmar government to halt its war against
the ethnic minorities of the country including its policy of "four
cuts" against tribal minority groups;

3. call upon the Union of Myanmar government to enter into negotiation
with the Democratic Alliance of Burma, the joint representative of the
National Democratic Front (representing tribal ethnic groups) and the
National League for Democracy (the victorious political party in the
1990 national election);

4. call upon the Union of Myanmar government to curtail the fraudulent
National Convention and turn full political power over to the
legitimately-elected National League for Democracy;

5. call upon the Myanmar government to give to the UNCHR Special
Rapporteur and representative of international humanitarian agencies
(such as the International Committee of the Red Cross/Crescent) full,
unlimited and confidential access to all persons held in prisons,
detention centres and in private detention; and

6. call upon the Myanmar government to become a party to the United
Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishments and all other United Nations human
rights conventions and covenants to which it is not a party; and to
implement those conventions and covenants to which it is already a
party.

At the 50th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights,
the Canadian government should:

7. continue to express its strongest concern about the continued gross
and systematic violation of human rights in Burma/Myanmar and ensure
that the language of the 1994 resolution is as strong as possible;

8. ensure that the 1994 UNCHR resolution on the Union of Myanmar
include a time-line for Myanmar's implementation of the resolution and
clear measures to be taken if the Union of Myanmar refuses to do so.
Such measures might include (1) renewal and expansion of the mandate
of the Special Rapporteur; (2) a recommendation to the General
Assembly of a full arms embargo and/or voluntary general sanctions
against Myanmar or (3) temporary suspension of the credentials of the
representative of the Union of Myanmar; (4) scrutiny (and the possible
recommended withdrawal) of all United Nations agencies presently
working in Myanmar to ensure that they are not supporting the present
Union of Myanmar government; and

9. ensure that in the implementation of the Memorandum of
Understanding between the Myanmar government and the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees on the return of Rohingya Muslim
refugees to Myanmar that (1) provisions are made to guarantee that all
refugees return voluntarily without coercion and (2) that any UNHCR
presence in Arakan State be given full access to all returning
refugees.

At the United Nations General Assembly, we call on Canada to:

10. request the imposition of a complete arms embargo and full
economic sanctions on the Union of Myanmar, which are to continue
until fundamental human rights are respected.

With respect to overseas development assistance and international
trade, we:

11. commend the Canadian government for the continued suspension of
aid to the Union of Myanmar and request that this continue;

12. urge the Canadian government to develop a program to train
leadership for a future democratic Burma;

13. urge Canadian corporations not to become involved in economic
relationships with Myanmar.