[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
urgent request NGOs email
- Subject: urgent request NGOs email
- From: cd@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 15:29:00
Euro-Burmanet requests anyone with information or info sources for emails
that may have been at this asem conference to please now send them to us
here at Euro-Burmanet so that we may make them, clearly and
virtually available, and useful now. thank you dawn star, paris
Headline: Asia- Europe NGOs Conclude Historic Conference on Citizens'
Links between Two Continents
Keywords: NLD ban, National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu
Kyi, human rights, political prisoners, torture, murder, execution, rape,
Slorc abuses, forced labor, forced relocation, Joint Asia-Europe NGO
conference,
Date: July 24, 1996
Source: BNN,FBC, Caroline Lurie <caroline@xxxxxxxxxx
Section: ebn
Rubrique: main
Over 350 women and men representing 100 peoples' organization and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participated in the first Joint
Asia-Europe NGO conference with the theme "beyond Geopolitics and
Geoeconomics: Towards a New Relationship Between Asia and Europe" between
Feb 27-29 in Bangkok. This conference was held as a parallel to the
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) scheduled to be held between March 1-2 between
10 Southeast Asian and 15 European heads of State.
The conference called on the Asian governments
1/ to reject the Multilateal Investment Agreement promoted by the
European Union and the World TradeOrganization.
2/ The NGO meeting also unanimously endorsed the parallel
withdrawal of France from French Polynesia and New Caledonia
supervised by the European Union (EU) and of Indonesia from East Timor
under the auspices of ASEAN.
The conference also demanded that Asem governments to end repression and
harassment of NGOs and end the climateof fear in which they currently
operate in.
At the same time, the conference recognized the challenges confronting
Asia and Europe and decided to work towards creating a shared vision and
a common programme of action between the two continents based that goes
beyond a narrow obsession with economic growth.
The participants were of the views that centering relations on mere
geopolitical and geoeconomic consideration, Asem is primarily serving
the
narrow interests of dominant elite in the two regions.
It is in the context that the participants sought to put forwards an
alternative vision that would be people-centered,. socially just,
economically equitable, ecologically sustainable and politically
participatory. Such a vision would embody respect for human rights and
human dignity and nurture the spiritual, moral, intellectual and
cultural lives of all individuals and
communities in both the regions.
Towards this end, the conference urged for transparency and
accountability in the Asem process. The participation of citizens in the
decision-making process of governments in both continents should not be
just limited to parliamentarians an business people.
Participants agreed that organizations of workers, women, indigenous and
tribal communities, popular organizations and NGOs have to be also
included. In this regard, the conference declaration expressed the
desire
to look forward to a continuing dialogue and to the establishment of the
mechanisms that would facilitate this. This demands social commitment
and political will
on the part of governments of Asia And Europe.
As part of this process, the 25 governments should ensure that women's
human rights are respected and promoted and that the benefits of
economic
development are shared more equitably.
The conference endorsed that respect for human rights should be central
to Asia-Europe relations and emphasized that participating countries in
Asem are all signatories to UN summit declarations (Rio 1992, Vienna
1993, Cairo 1994, Copenhagen and Beijing 1995). As of suchconference
participants reminded
Asem governments to remember their obligations and responsibilities
under
these convenants and given utmost respect to the protection of human
rights.
The conference condemned violations of human rights of the people of
Northern Ireland as well as those of East Timor and Burma.
On Northern Ireland, the conference condemned the inaction of the
British
government over the last 18 months in relations to the ongoing conflict.
The conference also urged the British government to immediately
establish
inclusive all party negotiations which should lead to a comprehensive
political
settlement and include burning issues such as policing, release of
political prisoners, demilitarization of all parties in the conflict and
adherence to international human rights standards.
The first Asia-Europe NGO conference strongly condemned what it
characterized as the shameless efforts of the Indonesian government to
prevent any discussion of East Timor at Asem, and strongly criticized
governments such as the Philippines and Thailand for bowing to
Indonesian
pressure. It
vigorously protested against the decision of the Thai government not to
allow the East Timorese resistance leader Jose Ramos-Horta to visit
Thailand in order to attend this NGO conference.
The conference went on record as being deeply concerned about the
ongoing
gross violations of human rights in East Timor and called for the
nconditionally released of Xanana Gusmao and all East Timorese political
leaders. Also the conference firmly endorsed East Timor's demand for
self-determination and welcomed the growing movement of solidarity with
East Timor in the countries of Southeast Asia and Europe.
On Burma, the conference urged the Asia and Europe governments to
suspend
political and economic relations with Slorc until the latter entered
into
dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and released all political prisoners. The
confrence also called on the Slorc to recognized the results of the 1990
election won by the National Lague for Democracy.
Among the other recommendations to the Asem delegates were the
following:
1. The Asian leaders should demand that the EU radically revise the
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) so as to end the heavy subsidization
of
European agriculture that has encouraged the EU to dump agricultural
products in Asian and other developing countries, thus causing
tremendous
hardship for
Asian farmers and threatening food security.
2. The Asem governments should ratify and implement the provisions of
the
UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and cease violating their
political and economic rights.
3. The European Union governments must phase out conventional arms sales
to Asia that have triggered an arms race in the region.
4. Asem governments must be serious about the commitments to conclude
the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and are urged to negotiate a treaty
specifying a rigid timetable for nuclear disarmament that would serve as
a necessary companion to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
5. Asian leaders must resist EU demands via the WTO to open up their
telecommunications, maritime, and other sectors, or risk the bankruptcy
of local industries and greater exploitation of the work force by
multinational companies.
The First Asia-Europe NGO Conference has paved the way for people in the
two continents to create new relationship that transcends geopolitics
and geoeconomics.
Dawn Star (Paris)
cd@xxxxxxx
Burmanet TOTAL Coordinator
Euro-Burmanet
The Free Burma Coalition
http://wicip.org/fbc
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/nld/
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total
Help support our effort. Write now, to
Mrs. Emma BONINO
EC HUMANITARIAN OFFICE
The European Commission
Directorate General 1B
External Relations
(Directorate 1B, D, Division 3)
Rue de la Lois/Westraat 200
B-1049 BrusselsBelgium
Fax:32-2-299-1047
Join the Free Burma Coalition. Call 608-256-6572 or email:
zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total/
Help support the TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT by donating funds to
EURO-BURMANET : Email to
cd@xxxxxxx
Send letters and cut-up charge cards to:
Roger Beach, CEO
Unocal Corporation
2141 Rosecrans Blvd., Suite 4000 / El
Segundo, CA 90245
Tel: 310-726-7600
Gary Jones, CEO
Total North America
Total Tower, 900 19th Street
Denver,
CO 80202
Tel: 303-291-2000
JOIN THE TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT NOW! DOWN WITH SLORC TYRANNY! FREE
BURMA NOW !
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total/
Send your letters now :
TOTAL SA
Thierry Desmarest, CEO, President of Exploration and Production,
HQ: 24 Cours Michelet 92800 Puteaux France
Tel: 33-1-41-35-40-00 Fax: 33-1-41-35-64-65
E-mail :
Paris France, : <hourcard@xxxxxxxxx>
New York City <TOTALNYC@xxxxxxx> , <roberth@xxxxxxxxx>
TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOYCOTT
http://www-uvi.eunet.fr/asia/euro-burma/total/
Dr. Gothom Aya
Asia-Europe Organizing Committee, tel: 218-7364,
Fax; 255-9976