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Activists Proceed with Thai Conf



Subject: Activists Proceed with Thai Conf

/* Written  7:07 am  Jul 19, 1994 by apakabar@xxxxxxxxx in gn:reg.indonesia */
/* ---------- "Activists Proceed with Thai Conf" ---------- */

Forwarded message:
>From julia_read@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mon Jul 18 20:03 EDT 1994
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 1994 08:58:09 +1000
Subject: Thailand/human rights
To: John MacDougall <apakabar@xxxxxxxxx>
Message-id: <01HEVV4JYMG200DINA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 3601

Mail*Link(r) SMTP               Thailand/human rights

DATE=7/18/94
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-162130
TITLE=THAILAND/HUMAN RIGHTS (L-O)
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN THAILAND HAVE VOWED TO GO AHEAD
WITH A CONFERENCE THIS WEEK DESPITE EFFORTS BY THAI AUTHORITIES 
TO PREVENT IT.  V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON REPORTS FROM OUR 
SOUTHEAST-ASIA BUREAU, HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS ARE TRYING TO DRAW 
ATTENTION TO PROBLEMS IN EAST TIMOR AND BURMA AS MINISTERS OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN) GATHER IN BANGKOK 
FOR THEIR ANNUAL MEETINGS.

TEXT:  A NUMBER OF SEMINARS AND DEMONSTRATIONS ARE SCHEDULED TO 
TAKE PLACE IN BANGKOK JUST AS SENIOR OFFICIALS AND MINISTERS OF 
SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES BEGIN TO ARRIVE FOR THEIR ANNUAL 
MEETING.

A CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY THE SOUTHEAST-ASIA HUMAN-RIGHTS NETWORK
COINCIDES WITH THE ASEAN MEETINGS.  ACTIVISTS SAY THIS IS MERE 
COINCIDENCE, BUT THE THAI GOVERNMENT DOES NOT AGREE.

AUTHORITIES ARE TAKING STEPS TO PREVENT DEMONSTRATIONS BY, AMONG 
OTHERS, DISSIDENTS FROM BURMA AND REPRESENTATIVES OF EAST TIMOR 
INDEPENDENCE GROUPS.

THAI NEWSPAPER REPORTS MONDAY SAID 500 EXTRA POLICE WILL BE ON 
HAND AT THE BANGKOK HOTEL WHERE THE ASEAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
BEGINS FRIDAY.  POLICE OFFICIALS WARNED OF TOUGH ACTION IF A 
PLANNED DEMONSTRATION BY BURMESE DISSIDENTS OUTSIDE BURMA'S 
EMBASSY WAS NOT PEACEFUL.

AS FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE, THE GOVERNMENT WAS ATTEMPTING
TO ENFORCE A REGULATION ON THAI AND FOREIGN NON-GOVERNMENT 
ORGANIZATIONS REQUIRING 30-DAY ADVANCE NOTICE.

BOONTHAN VERAWONG IS A KEY ORGANIZER OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS 
CONFERENCE.  HE SAYS THE PURPOSE OF THE GATHERING IS TO ASSESS 
DEVELOPMENTS SINCE LAST YEAR'S WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE IN 
VIENNA.

IN A V-O-A INTERVIEW, MR. BOONTHAN SAYS THAI GOVERNMENT EFFORTS 
TO PREVENT THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE ARE DUE TO PRESSURE FROM 
INDONESIA:

                      /// BOONTHAN ACT ///

         I THINK WE HAVE TO PUSH THROUGH.  THERE IS NO REASON FOR
         THE GOVERNMENT TO BAN THIS CONFERENCE, BECAUSE WHAT WE 
         ARE DOING IS UPHOLDING OUR BASIC PRINCIPLES UNDER HUMAN 
         RIGHTS.  IN THIS SO-CALLED  DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY, PEOPLE 
         SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLY, THE RIGHT TO 
         EXPRESSION.

                         /// END ACT ///

IN AN EDITORIAL PUBLISHED MONDAY IN A BANGKOK NEWSPAPER, ONE OF 
THE TIMORESE ACTIVISTS PLANNING TO ATTEND THE BANGKOK HUMAN 
RIGHTS CONFERENCE -- JOSE RAMOS-HORTA-- CRITICIZED ASEAN FOR 
FAILING TO PRESSURE INDONESIA TO BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT EAST 
TIMOR.

MR. RAMOS-HORTA ACCUSED JAKARTA OF BULLYING IN ITS EFFORT TO 
PREVENT A CONFERENCE ABOUT EAST TIMOR LAST MAY IN MANILA.  
CONDEMNING -- WHAT HE CALLED -- ASEAN COMPLICITY IN GENOCIDE IN 
EAST TIMOR, HE APPEALED TO ASEAN MINISTERS TO DISCUSS EAST TIMOR 
DURING THEIR TALKS IN BANGKOK.

A REPORT (REUTER) MONDAY FROM EAST TIMOR SAID INDONESIAN 
AUTHORITIES OFFERED TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE ISLAND'S INDEPENDENCE 
MOVEMENT.

                        /// REST OPT ///

THE REPORT SAID THE OFFER WAS MADE BY INDONESIA'S GOVERNOR IN 
EAST TIMOR, DURING A SPEECH MARKING THE 18TH ANNIVERSARY OF 
INDONESIA'S TAKEOVER OF THE FORMER PORTUGUESE COLONY.

BUT, THE INDONESIAN MILITARY CHIEF FOR EAST TIMOR WARNED 
AUTHORITIES WILL CONTINUE TO ACT AGAINST ANYONE BREAKING THE LAW.
HE REPEATED A DENIAL THERE WERE ANY DEATHS FROM LAST WEEK'S CLASH
BETWEEN MAINLY CATHOLIC PROTESTERS AND POLICE.  (SIGNED)

NEB/DR/FA/RAE

18-Jul-94 4:08 AM EDT (0808 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America