NCGUB Statement on Sep 18

[ncgub@xxxxxxxxxxx]

INFORMATION OFFICE
815, 15th Street N.W., Suite 910, Washington D.C., 20005
Tel: 202-3937342, Fax: 202-3937343


STATEMENT ON THE 7TH ANNIVERSARY OF MILITARY COUP IN BURMA

( September 18, 1995 ) 


Seven years have passed since the Burmese military brutally cracked down on the nationwide popular democracy movement and seized the state power against the will of the people.  Despite the massacre and sustained persecution of democracy activists, aspir
ations for democracy and human rights remain as strong as ever among the people. With seven years of  struggle behind it, the Burmese democracy movement has matured and is getting stronger with time. 

The morale of the democratic movement has also been greatly boosted by the recent release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who despite spending six years of house arrest, is as determined as ever to bring democracy to the motherland.  Every individual and organi
zation in the democratic movement have expressed their warm welcome to her return to politics and to her leadership in the second struggle for independence of Burma.  

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's release only marks the beginning of another round of struggle and hence the democracy movement cannot afford to let its guard down. This is because apart from her release, nothing else has changed.  

SLORC, until now, has not responded to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's offer of a dialogue, and people, under laws and orders designed to serve the SLORC, are still being intimidated and restricted from freely participating in the political process.  Gross human 
rights violations, such as porterage and forced labor, are continuing throughout the country. Thousands of political prisoners continue to languish in prisons under horrible conditions, and  SLORC's national convention to legitimize the leading role of t
he military in the future political life of Burma is still in progress.  The policy of armed confrontation is still being pursued against the ethnic people and the Karenni National Progressive Party became a victim to this  policy recently when SLORC bre
ached its own cease-fire agreement and attacked the Karenni people. 

The NCGUB therefore takes the opportunity of this sad September day to call on all the patriotic forces in and out of Burma to draw strength from the memory of those who had given up their lives for the cause of democracy and to redouble their efforts to
 end militarism in Burma.  The democratic movement needs to prepare itself with courage, perseverance and wisdom to overcome the final obstacles to democracy.  It is the historic duty of all the citizens of Burma  to join in this noble cause, because, as
 Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said, the struggle for democracy and human rights is also a struggle for human life and dignity. 

The NCGUB also wishes to call on the international community to realize the critical role it plays at this phase.  Opportunities are open to the international community, and given the right action, the long-sought for comprehensive political settlement i
n Burma will be achieved without fail. Any hesitation in its action will only give  SLORC a tactical advantage and diminish the chances for a dialogue for national reconciliation.

These are the concrete steps the international community can take to help Burma :

(1)	Strengthen the personal safety and freedom of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi:  

a)	ambassadors accredited to Burma visit her regularly, 
b)	official delegations visit her routinely, and 
c)	eminent persons visit her at regular intervals.

(2)	Increase the support for the organizing work of the Burmese democracy movement at grassroots level; 

(3)	Step up the mediation efforts by the UN Secretary-General  

a)	support strong resolutions at the UNGA and Human Rights Commission, 
b)	urge governments to fully back the efforts of the UN Secretary-General 
c)	ensure all private mediation efforts complement those of the United Nations 
d)	lobby on behalf of the Burmese people at the United Nations 
 
(4)	Impose arms embargo and trade sanctions against Burma.

With the growing movement for democracy at home and an increasingly coordinated pressure by the international community overseas, we expect to see democracy and human rights come to Burma without fail.