[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

DAB's letter to President Bill Clin



Subject: DAB's letter to President Bill Clinton

                      DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE OF BURMA
                          GENERAL HEADQUARTERS


President Bill Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington D.C.
U.S.A.

                                                       Date: June 1, 1995

Dear Mr. President,

Burma Democracy aspirations are wholly dependent upon world-wide
network of information, as proven today. SLORC is still holding
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, our national leader, under house arrest and
exercising arbitrary detention and forced labour, in addition to
ignoring international and domestic appeals to reform and empower
the democratically elected peoples' representatives of the 1990
polls.

In light of these prevailing problems, foreign radio broadcasts
daily are held in paramount importance as the SLORC is
maintaining monopoly of state media as known world-wide. 

Present day truth about Burma's agony, as called by U.S.
Congressman Bill Richardson, recently as one of retrenchment,
regression and repression is being beamed to the international
community by three main sources of information- BBC, VOA and the
Democratic Voice of Burma.

Bills concerning legislation in both the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives that could be damaging to the effectiveness of
one of the main sources of truth for the people of Burma, the
Voice of America, are on their way to you and, we, and the
democracy forces are extremely concerned over the matter.

We are aghast at the endeavours by members of both houses of
Congress pushing the bills that would definitely undermine VOA
broadcast in English and Burmese that are playing pivotal roles
in democracy efforts in Burma in this hour of dire need to
support for democracy in oppressed countries like Burma. It is
our understanding that even the most positive scenarios could
bring budget cuts that would result in elimination of numerous
VOA language services.

In this view and sight, we in the name of Burmese Democratic
Alliances, representing the people of Burma earnestly urge to
exercise your veto power, as you have pledged to do so, against
the proposed American Overseas Interest Act of 1995. Furthermore,
we urged the Senate to take serious consideration in this matter,
the impact of sharp cuts that could culminate in damaging the
ability of the VOA to serve its Burmese Audience, we have much
faith and dependence on it for their information and inspiration.

Representative Sam Brownback of Kansas, amongst others, stating
that Voice of America mission has come to an end and that it is
non-essential in this post-Cold War era, is talking through his
nose and senseless, given above facts and evidences.

Hence, it is extremely essential and of paramount importance that
you exercise your veto powers in order to preserve VOA for
democracy in the world and in general and Burma in particular for
it is indispensable for Burma's freedom and Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi's, our national leader, who is still held in hostage together
with 43 million Burmese by the present military dictatorship in
Rangoon.


Yours Sincerely,



(signed here)
Tin Maung Win
Vice-Chairman (2)
Democratic Alliance of Burma(DAB).