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

No Subject Given



To: reg.burma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 17:58:03 +0000
Subject: "Action Call" by NLD, ABSL, CSU, CNC
Reply-to: shar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
X-Confirm-Reading-To: shar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
X-pmrqc: 1
Return-receipt-to: shar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Priority: urgent
X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.10) & WPEGWAF v0.7
Organization: The Other Media, N. Delhi

                       ************************
                        A C T I O N    C A L L
                       ************************

Dear Colleagues,

We have been informed by our friends in Mizoram that the
authorities in Mizoram State government have announced that
Burmese refugees must leave Mizoram before August 13 1996.
The arrest of Dr. Zahleithang, CNLD(MP) on the night of
August 13 made this information confirmed.

According to our knowledge, most of the Burmese who have
taken refuge in Mizoram  are either political refugees or
economically displaced persons who were forced to flee the
neighboring countries because of repressive and dictatorial
regime of Burma(SLORC). If these Burmese refugees are sent
back, they would definitely be subjected to arrest and
torture in the hands of the military authorities.

We, therefore, urge you to send appeal letter to the
Government of India through the Embassy of India in your
country and human rights Organisations so as to save the
lives of our fellow country men from being sent back to
Burma.

Sincerly yours,

Sd/-

NLD(National League for Democracy, Liberated Area)
ABSL(All Burma Students League)
CNC(Chin National Council)
CSU(Chin Students Union)

For more information, please contact :

     ABSL
     3, Krishna Menon Marg
     New Delhi - 110011
     India.
     Ph : 3017172  ,  3016035
     Fx : 3793379
     Email : shar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-------------------------------------------------------------

                       ***********************
                         A BRIEF BACKGROUND
                       ***********************

Introduction :
==============

The flow of Burmese refugees into Mizoram began after the
brutal military crack down against the pro-democracy
activists in 1988. Most of the Burmese refugees belong to
the Chin ethnic group, who are closely related to the Mizos,
since Mizoram State of India is bordering Chin Hills in
Myanmar.

Soon after the military took control of the State power, The
military regime, known as SLORC (State Law and Order
Restoration Council) started taking repressive measures
against the entire population. According to the latest
reports made by some International human rights
organizations, the ruling military regime of Burma is listed
as the worst human rights violator in the world.

Chin hill is one of the worst effected place where SLORC
authorities have been committing human rights violations on
the local people.  Under the pretext of border development
programmes and border trade, local people were forced to
contribute their labour slaved in the construction projects.

Another wide spread violation is that local people who are
Christians being forced to convert to Buddhism and they were
also forced to work in the Pagoda construction. Many Chin
ethnic people have fled to the bordering state, Mizoram and
have taken refuge in this state.

Two refugee camps  Champai and Saiha were set up for Burmese
refugees in 1988 and all of them were protected and provided
by the Mizoram state government. However, three camps were
closed down in 1994\95 when the Indo-Burma border trade
talks began. One of the main reasons for closing down the
camps was the request of Burmese military government which
believed that the Chin National Front(CNF), which is
fighting for the Restoration of Democracy in Burma and Self
Determination of Chin State, was operating in this area.

However, the government of India officially announced that
the Burmese refugees would never be pushed back to Burma
involuntarily.


Current situation in Mizoram
============================

Unfortunately, On 12 July 1996, the president of the Kwang
Leng village unit of Young Mizo Association(YMA),
Mr.C.Lalhmangaiha was allegedly shot dead by three members
of the Chin National Army(CNA), the military wing of the
Chin National Front(CNF).

The CNA or its parent body CNF have not made any statement
about this killing till later. However, Mizo newspapers
reported that the killing was done by CNA. This created 
tension between the
Chins and the local Mizos. The state police and the CID
started large scale arrests.  For some strange reason, most
of the arrests were made in Aizawl which is quite far from
Khaung Leng village located on the border of Myanmar where
C. Lalhmangaiha was shot. The police and the CID claimed
that they were rounding up known supporters and sympathizers
of CNF in Aizawl for questioning.

According to the local newspapers Mr. Lalsangzuala the Home
Minister of the government of Mizoram attended the rally in
Aizwal and told all the Chins and Burmese to leave Mizoram
by August 13, 1996.

According to the recent report, Burmese families in Aizawl
were told to pack up their belongings and leave Mizoram by
August 13. Between July 12 and August 13, the Mizoram police
have detained nearly 50 Chin\ Burmese nationals. Some of the
arrested persons have been recognized by the UNHCR as person
of concern. Most of the detainees were severely tortured in
the custody. In the latest arrests over the Chin MP, Dr.
Zahleithang has not been spared. He was arrested last
night(13.8.96) at 7:30 p.m from his house in Aizawl

If these refugee are pushed back into Burma, they will be
suffer torture and arrests by the military regime. Most of
them do not have new identity card issued by the SLORC since
1994.

------------------------------------------------------------

To, 

     Sh.H.D.Deve Gowda
     Prime Minister of India
     7, Race Course Road
     New Delhi.                    

                                           August 14,1996


Sub :  Appeal for the Burmese Refugees in Mizoram State
-------------------------------------------------------

Dear sir,

We have been informed by our fellow refugees in Mizoram that
the authorities in Mizoram State government have announced
that the Burmese refugees must leave Mizoram before August
13, 1996.

We are deeply concerned over this issue as most of the
Burmese who have taken refuge in Mizoram are either
political refugees or economically displaced persons who
were forced to flee to the neighboring countries because of
repressive and dictatorial regime of Burma(SLORC). If these
Burmese refugees are sent back, they would definitely be
subjected to arrest and torture in the hands of the military
authorities.

We, therefore, appeal to the government of India to
intervene in this matter and urge the Mizoram government to
review their decision on humanitarian ground.


Sincerely yours,

Sd/-

NLD(L\A)(National League for Democracy-Liberated Area)
ABSL(All Burma Students League)
CNC(Chin National Council)
CSU(Chin Students Union)

-------------------------------------------------------------


To/


     Mr.I.K.Gujral
     Minister of External Affairs
     G-13, Maharani Bagh
     New Delhi.

                                              August 14, 1996

Sub :  Appeal for the Burmese Refugees in Mizoram State
-------------------------------------------------------

Dear sir,

We have been informed by our fellow refugees in Mizoram that
the authorities in Mizoram State government have announced
that the Burmese refugees must leave Mizoram before August
13, 1996.

We are deeply concerned over this issue as most of the
Burmese who have taken refuge in Mizoram are either
political refugees or economically displaced persons who
were forced to flee to the neighboring countries because of
repressive and dictatorial regime of Burma(SLORC). If these
Burmese refugees are sent back, they would definitely be
subjected to arrest and torture in the hands of the military
authorities.

We, therefore, appeal to the government of India to
intervene in this matter and urge the Mizoram government to
review their decision on humanitarian ground.

Sincerely yours,

Sd/-

NLD(L\A)(National League for Democracy-Liberated Area)
ABSL(All Burma Students League)
CNC(Chin National Council)
CSU(Chin Students Union)

-------------------------------------------------------------


To/

     Mr.Indrajit Gupta
     Home Minister
     North Block 
     New Delhi.

                                            August 14, 1996

Sub :  Appeal for the Burmese Refugees in Mizoram State
--------------------------------------------------------

Sir,

We have been informed by our fellow refugees in Mizoram that
the authorities in Mizoram State government have announced
that the Burmese refugees must leave Mizoram before August
13, 1996.

We are deeply concerned over this issue as most of the
Burmese who have taken refuge in Mizoram are either
political refugees or economically displaced persons who
were forced to flee to the neighboring countries because of
repressive and dictatorial regime of Burma(SLORC). If these
Burmese refugees are sent back, they would definitely be
subjected to arrest and torture in the hands of the military
authorities.

We, therefore, appeal to the government of India to
intervene in this matter and urge the Mizoram government to
review their decision on humanitarian ground.



Sincerely yours,

Sd/-
NLD(L\A)(National League for Democracy-Liberated Area)
ABSL(All Burma Students League)
CNC(Chin National Council)
CSU(Chin Students Union)
-------------------------------------------------------------

To/ 
     Mr. Lalthanhawla              
     Chief Minister of Mizoram
     Aizawl -796 001
     Mizoram   

                                             August 14, 1996

Sub :  Appeal for the Burmese Refugees in Mizoram State
-------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir, 

We have been informed by our fellow refugees in Mizoram that
the authorities in Mizoram State government have announced
that the Burmese refugees must leave Mizoram before August
13, 1996.

We are deeply concerned over this issue as most of the
Burmese who have taken refuge in Mizoram are either
political refugees or economically displaced persons who
were forced to flee to the neighboring countries because of
repressive and dictatorial regime of Burma(SLORC). If these
Burmese refugees are sent back, they would definitely be
subjected to arrest and torture in the hands of the military
authorities.

We, therefore, appeal to the state government of Mizoram to
intervene in this matter and to review the decision on
humanitarian ground.



Sincerely yours,

Sd/-

NLD(L\A)(National League for Democracy-Liberated Area)
ABSL(All Burma Students League)
CNC(Chin National Council)
CSU(Chin Students Union)

-------------------------------------------------------------


To/

     Mr.Dennis Mcnamara
     Director,
     Protection Division
     UNHCR, Geneva,
     Switzerland.

                                              August 14, 1996

Sub :  Appeal for the Burmese Refugees in Mizoram State
-------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir,

We have been informed by our fellow refugees in Mizoram that
the authorities in Mizoram State government have announced
that the Burmese refugees must leave Mizoram before August
13, 1996.

We are deeply concerned over this issue as most of the
Burmese who have taken refuge in Mizoram are either
political refugees or economically displaced persons who
were forced to flee to the neighboring countries because of
repressive and dictatorial regime of Burma(SLORC). If these
Burmese refugees are sent back, they would definitely be
subjected to arrest and torture in the hands of the military
authorities.

We, therefore, appeal to the UNHC of Geneva to intervene in
this matter and urge the Mizoram government to review their
decision on humanitarian ground.

Sincerely yours,

Sd/-

NLD(L\A)(National League for Democracy-Liberated Area)
ABSL(All Burma Students League)
CNC(Chin National Council)
CSU(Chin Students Union)

-----------------------------------------------------------

To

Ms. Irene Khan
Chief of Mission
U.N.H.C.R
14, Jor Bagh 
New Delhi -110003
                                              August 14, 1996

Dear Ms. Khan,

After the 1988 military crackdown on the pro-democracy
activists in Burma, hundreds of Burmese political activists,
mostly students and youths, left the country to take shelter
in India. Among them, about 300 Burmese nationals who have
been recognized as refugees and are being provided a monthly
financial assistance of Rs.1,200.00 p.m. per person by the
UNHCR Office in New Delhi.

However, getting the Subsistence Allowance and UNHCR
Certificate, recognizing us as refugees has not been easy!
The attitude of the UNHCR towards the Burmese refugees
changed since 1993.  Some of the UNHCR officials in New
Delhi have been utterly inhuman in their attitude and
treatment of the Burmese refugees towards individuals and
Organisations.  Ms. Sivadas needs special mention whose
attitude has been despicable. We have had to swallow our
pride and dignity for the sake of fellow refugees and for
our survival in alien land.  Some Burmese nationals who
applied for refugee status were rejected and the monthly
financial assistance was not accorded to some of those
recognized refugees.

In April-May 1996, these neglected Burmese refugees staged a
series of hunger strike in front of UNHCR Office in New
Delhi, appealing for refugee status and a monthly financial
assistance.  However, UNHCR Office didn't offer a
satisfactory solution to these refugees and instead, urged
them to go back to Mizoram State from where they came.  They
assured that the External Affairs Ministry of India would
not push back Burmese refugees in to Burma.

However, contrary to this assurance the authorities in
Mizoram State have announced that all the Burmese will be
pushed back to Burma by August 13, 1996.  Therefore, it is
clear that there is no protection for the Burmese refugees
in Mizoram State and UNHCR's pressure on the Burmese
refugees to go back to Mizoram seems to be ill motivated and
contrary to the objectives and principles of setting up of
UNHCR.

Moreover, since July of this year, UNHCR Officials have been
informing verbally to the Burmese refugees that UNHCR will
cut the monthly financial assistance of Rs.1,200/- from
October, 1996 onwards.  The Burmese refugees cannot sustain
their day-to-day life in New Delhi without this monthly
assistance.  UNHCR cannot shirk its responsibilities towards
the refugees unless alternate protective measure are taken
for the refugees.

Therefore, we would like to express our concern on these
developments in Delhi UNHCR in handling the cases of Burmese
refugees.  

Thanking you ,

Sincerely yours,


Sd/
National League for Democracy (Liberated Area)
All Burma Students League
Chin National Council
Chin Students Union

-------------------------------------------------------------


To/

     Mr.Dennis Mcnamara
     Director,
     Protection Division
     UNHCR, Geneva,
     Switzerland.
                                          August 14, 1996
Dear Dennis Mcnamara,

After the 1988 military crackdown on the pro-democracy
activists in Burma, hundreds of Burmese political activists,
mostly students and youths, left the country to take shelter
in India. Among them, about 300 Burmese nationals who have
been recognized as refugees and are being provided a monthly
financial assistance of Rs.1,200.00 p.m. per person by the
UNHCR Office in New Delhi.

However, getting the Subsistence Allowance and UNHCR
Certificate, recognizing us as refugees has not been easy!
The attitude of the UNHCR towards the Burmese refugees
changed since 1993.  Some of the UNHCR officials in New
Delhi have been utterly inhuman in their attitude and
treatment of the Burmese refugees towards individuals and
Organisations.  Ms. Sivadas needs special mention whose
attitude has been despicable. We have had to swallow our
pride and dignity for the sake of fellow refugees and for
our survival in alien land.  Some Burmese nationals who
applied for refugee status were rejected and the monthly
financial assistance was not accorded to some of those
recognized refugees.

In April-May 1996, these neglected Burmese refugees staged a
series of hunger strike in front of UNHCR Office in New
Delhi, appealing for refugee status and a monthly financial
assistance.  However, UNHCR Office didn't offer a
satisfactory solution to these refugees and instead, urged
them to go back to Mizoram State from where they came.  They
assured that the External Affairs Ministry of India would
not push back Burmese refugees in to Burma.

However, contrary to this assurance the authorities in
Mizoram State have announced that all the Burmese will be
pushed back to Burma by August 13, 1996.  Therefore, it is
clear that there is no protection for the Burmese refugees
in Mizoram State and UNHCR's pressure on the Burmese
refugees to go back to Mizoram seems to be ill motivated and
contrary to the objectives and principles of setting up of
UNHCR.

Moreover, since July of this year, UNHCR Officials have been
informing verbally to the Burmese refugees that UNHCR will
cut the monthly financial assistance of Rs.1,200/- from
October, 1996 onwards.  The Burmese refugees cannot sustain
their day-to-day life in New Delhi without this monthly
assistance.  UNHCR cannot shirk its responsibilities towards
the refugees unless alternate protective measure are taken
for the refugees.

Therefore, we would like to express our concern on these
developments in Delhi UNHCR in handling the cases of Burmese
refugees.  

Thanking you ,

Sincerely yours,


Sd/

National League for Democracy (Liberated Area)
All Burma Students League
Chin National Council
Chin Students Union