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REPORT ON ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNICAT
Subject: REPORT ON ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS(8/7/95)
/* Written 8 July 11:00am 1995 by DRUNOO@xxxxxxxxxxxx(DR U NE OO) in igc:reg.burma */
/* -------------" Report on activities and communications "------------ */
ACTIVITIES IN ADELAIDE (A PERSONAL ACCOUNT)
-------------------------------------------
On 27 May 1995, the Burmese students in Adelaide, with few Australian
friend, meet at my home to put out action on Burma. A petition form with
background information on human rights situation in Burma was approved.
On 4 & 11 June, I visited Goodwood Church in Adelaide and collected
petitions from that community. Friends from the Church community have always
been sympathetic supporters to Burmese cause, though they knew little about
Burma. Nontheless, they are always able to support and help me in anycase
from the time I've been a refugee to Australia. On 18 June, a prayer was
made for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for her well being. Friends from Goodwood
are also kind enough in making the best wishes for their Burmese friend who
they have known for a few years.
On 19 June, as reported earlier, we collected petitions from the people of
Adelaide in front of South Australian Parliament house from 10:00am to
2:00pm. Most people are cooperative in signing the sheets. The local news
paper also ran an article about Suu Kyi on that day. I've also written to
some Radio/TV stations, informing about our activity - and as usual - is
ignored. Premier of South Australia was also informed earlier - but must be
assumed unavailable.
I am grateful for EMMA and her sister, DANNY, JON (GreenLeft Weekly), MG MG
NAING (ABSL rep. for Australia), HTIN AUNG, TUN OO, SR PAT and BUDI showed
up on that day and helping in collecting petitions. The Adelaide Diocesian
Justice and Peace Commission is also thanked for their help in making photo
copies of the "FREEDOM FROM FEAR" leaflets.
I have also sent the petition to the "Women's International League for
Peace and Freedom (WILPF)" in Adelaide. WILPF has its headquarters in
Geneva and said that it is happy to distribute the petition through their
network.
We are grateful to have the support to petition by Australian Church Women,
N.S.W. unit in Sydney. Petitions are sent to the Secretary-General
promptly. Local UNHCR office in Canberra has also been informed about the
petition as it appropriate.
The GreenLeft Weekly is also thanked for publicizing the petition through
their action network. Petitions from Adelaide Resistance Centre has
reportedly sent to the Secretary-General. We thank you for your
cooperations. -- U Ne Oo.
***************************
FROM ACTION UPDATE OF THE "GREENLEFT WEEKLY, JUNE 28,1995:"
Campaign for Burma
A national petition campaign has been launched to coincide with
international efforts to place greater presure on the military dictatorship
in Burma. The campaign runs from June 19 until Unly 20, the date by which
Burmese Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is due to be released. June
18 marks her 50th birthday.
Suu Kyi has been kept under house arrest for six years by the military
junta. She is founder and leader of the main opposition party, the National
League for Democracy. The petition calls for the unconditional release of
Aung San Suu Kyi; the implementation of cease-fire and peace settlements
between the ethnic minorities and the Burmese army; and the imposition of
an international arms embargo on Burma. For further information contact
your nearest Burma solidarity group or Dr U Ne Oo, 48/2 Ayliffes Rd, St
Marys SA 5042.
********************************
COMMUNICATIONS
--------------
WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM
GPO BOX 2094
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Tel 232 6334 fax 232 6335
21st June 1995
Burma Action(SA)
C/ ADJPC
GPO Box 2602
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Dear Friends
We have received your petition for human rights in Burma and the background
information. We very much support your actions and will be pleased to
circulate copies of the petition.
For your information we enclosed a copy of a letter we sent to Gareth Evans
on the 14th June regarding the imprisonment of Aung San suu Kyi.
Best Wishes
Sd. Yumi Lee and cathy Picone
Coordinators
WILPF (Australian Section)
/* -------------" WILPF letter to Senator Evans "---------------- */
Senator The Hon. Gareth Evans QC
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
June 14th 1995
Dear Senator Evans
RE: SLORC's imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi
As you are well aware, July 16th 1995 will mark the sixth year of Aung San
Suu Kyi's imprisonment by SLORC. The international community has thus far
been ineffectual in translating our condemnation of the blatant abuse of
human rights by the Burmese junta. It is clear that the strategy adopted by
Australia to implement a 'constructive engagement' with Myanmar/Burma has
not yielded nay results which point to the wisdom of its continued use.
Bill Richardson (Democrat, New Mexico) will soon be urging a unilateral
withdrawal by the United States of America from Myanmar/Burma. We
understand that this entils withdrawing trade links worth US$250 million.
Mr Richardson has recently visited the country to follow up on his previous
trip where he was allowed to meet up with Aung San suu Kyi. He reports that
he was not permitted to see her again and that the junta was "backsliding"
on human rights issues. We agree with Senator Richardson who calls for a
multilateral aggressive engagement in sending a clear message to the
Burmese Junta. The current approach of ostensibly building constructive
ties with the military regime has only profited the elite within the armed
forces and their allies. It is a case of "too many carrots and no sticks".
Australia has a well-deserved reputation internationally as an advocate for
human rights and social justice. The continuing liaison with the Burmese
junta who has not made any convincing progress in improving its human
rights record does not reflect well on the excellent work which you and
your department have been doing recently in the region. We call on the
Australian government to withdraw all diplomatic, military and trade links
with Myanmar/Burma as a matter of priority.
We look forward to hearing from you on the actions you will be taking on
this matter.
Thank you.
YOurs sincerely
Sd. Cathy Picone & Yumi Lee
Coordinators
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
GPO Box 2094, Adelaide South Australia.
/* ---------" Note from UNHCR "---------- */
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
Office of regional representative for Australia,
New Zeland and South Pacifc
9 Terrigal Crescent
O'Malley, A.C.T. 2606
Australia
26 June 1995
Dr. Ne Oo
C/O ADJPC
G.P.O. Box 2602
Adelaide SA 5001
Dear Dr. Oo,
We acknowledge the receipt of your petition to the United Nations Security
Council of 4 June 1995, the contents of which we have taken note. Thank
you.
Yours sincerely,
Sd. Pierre-MIchel Fontaine
Regional Representative
/* ----------" Letter from TRW "------------ */
TRIBAL REFUGEE WELFARE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA(INC.)
PO BOX 215, MIRRABOOKA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA 6061
TELEPHONE:(09) 349 4073 FACSIMILE:(09) 349 5254
Dr U Ne Oo
48/2 Ayliffes Road
St Marys S.A. 5042
Dated 8th June 1995
Dear Dr U Ne Oo,
Greetings from Western Australia and many many thanks for your most welcome
letter of 4th JUne 1995 and your donation of $30.00 which arrived here on
7th June 1995.
Yes, we know U Kyaw Win very well and after making the movie "Beyond
Rangoon" he came to visit Perth and his wife Riri came to meet him here
where they stayed a few weeks to enjoy the W.A. climate.
Your petition forms came at the right time, as you know we will be
celebrating Daw Suu's 50th Birthday on 17th June 1995 at the
Australian-Asian Community Cnetre, so we intend to make more copies of your
petition to get more signatures on that day.
Thank you for the copy of your letter from UNHCR, we will give them a pat
on the back to encourage them to do more for our Burma refugees in
Thailand. We will definitely send you a copy of our letter.
Thank you also for the report on Bill Richardson, I am wondering whether it
would be once again all promises and nothing else ? Lets wait and see and
hope our government will do something constructive. We're sick of promises.
We are so honoured to learn that you would like to be our supporter. We
will gladly accept your support. TRW is a Board of 9 Committee Members and
we do not have membership but we have supporters here. They have pledged to
donate to us $5.00 a month which is Tax Decuctable. All Board Members also
donate $5.00 a month although they do not have to.
This morning we received a very sad letter from the All Burma Student's
League from Delhi requesting us to please write to the Indian Ambassador on
their behalf regarding the recent opening of the border up north suposedly
for trade and the precarious situation they would be facing under the hands
of the Indian Government.
I would like to request you to please consider writing to authorities
regarding the Burmses students in India. Copies of our letters will be sent
to you for information.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for sending us
information from time to time so that we too can take action on it. We also
thank you for the donation which you sent us as this would assist us a
great deal in postage.
During the month of May 1995 we were extremely busy as the Uniting Church
held the Burma Exhibition - Democracy Denied from 5th to 9th May at the
Church Hall in Perth in which we participated and then on the 10th May we
had the two Asiawatch Researchers from Sydney with us till they left for
Bangkok on 13th May 1995. They stayed with us and we provided some meals
and all transport.
This was organised by the Community Aid Abroad here in Perth on behalf of
the International Women's Development Agency based in Victoria. We received
no thanks at all and we have written to them regarding this matter. All the
functions we had were successful regarding the trafficking of Burmese women
and girls into Thai brothels. A lot of people were shocked to learn about
it but few Burmese attended or showed any interest which was observed by
the Australians here and they could not get over it.
As you know Dr U NE Oo, we do not get much support from the Burmese
Community, most of whom could't care less and they all want to visit Burma
for the last time. Some go to visit relatives and to show off. It seems to
us we are fighting a terrific force of evil but I am certain that in the
end, good will come out triumphant in the end.
Mr Hugh Wood is one of our Board Members and since 1986 he has been with us
and has been fighting for justice for all and does most of our political
lobbying for us.
We have several so called pro-democracy groups here in W.A. /*-----*/
How is the weather your end ? Here we are having lots of rain, thunder
storms and gusty winds and hail stones. We need the rain as we had water
restrictions last summer.
Well Dr. I guess I have given you all the news from this end and we would
be most grateful if you could put us in touch with Dr Paul Webb. How did he
come to know of TRW. Could we get a copy of his Newsletter ?
Please continue with the good work you are doing, it's not the quantity
that is important but quality Dr. We appreciate the work you are doing.
Please keep in touch.
Sd. Conny Allmark.
/* -------" Letter from Karen Support Group in WA "----------- */
KAREN SUPPORT GROUP
154 Arakana road, BAlga WA 6061, Australia.
27th May 1995
Dear Doctor,
Thank you for your letter of May 22nd. Yesterday I atttended hearings with
the Human Rights Sub-Committee here in Perth. As soon as Hansard publishes
the submissions I will send you a copy of mine.
We recently held an exhibition on Burma which I helped organise on behalf
of the Uniting Church. We also held some events including a dinner
organised by Tribal Refugee Welfare for the two ladies from Asia Watch who
were here regarding the plight of Burmese women exploited in Thailand in
the sex trade.
I have actively being lobbying members of Parliemant regarding Australia
giving more help to the pro-democracy movement in and outside Burma as well
as disseminating information here and overseas.
We have received much assistance from Senator Christabel Chamarette, Greens
W.A. Senator Chamarette attended our dinner together with two of her aids
and also recently put out a press release on Burma. Tribal Refugee Welfare
will be holding a dinner to commemorate the birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi on
the 17th of JUne. TRW will be taking part in Refugee week during the week
beginning 18th June.
I am much encouraged by a proposed act of the U.S. Congress at present
before it which if past will signal a quite clear toughening of policy
towards Burma. This act calls for among other things a downgrading of U.S.
diplomatic representation in Rangoon and an arms embargo.
I am associated with a number of organisations interested - in seeing a
restoration of deocracy in Burma. These include Tribal Refugee Welfare, The
Australia Burma Council, Amnesty International, The Refugee Council of
Western Australia, O.B.L.F., the American Karen Association, the Greens
Western Australia and a number of individuals and organisations here and
overseas.
Thank you for keeping me informed. I shall be in toudch with you sometime
in June after my return to Perth.
Yours sincerely
Sd. Hugh Wood.
/* Endreport */