Dr. Sein Win Speech At House Press

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Subject: Dr. Sein Win Speech At House Press Conf

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NATIONAL  COALITION  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  UNION OF BURMA 
815 15th Street,  NW, Suite 910, Washington, D.C.  20005 
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Address  by  Prime Minister  Dr.  Sein Win  
at the 'Hill Triangle' Press Conference 
 
September 24, 1996 
 
Honorable Senators and Members of the House of Representatives,  
Ladies and Gentlemen: 
 
I am honored to speak on behalf of my country and people here today.   
Even as I speak, the military junta that has ruled Burma after  
massacring thousands of people in 1988, is stepping up its repression  
of democracy activists.  Many members of the democracy movement,  
particularly those close to Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu  
Kyi and the National League for Democracy, the party that won a  
landslide victory in the 1990 elections, are being arrested, 
interrogated  
under torture and sentenced to harsh prison terms. 
 
The military junta plans to install a military dictatorship and 
legitimize it through a constitution being drafted by a convention of 
its hand-picked delegates.  Since Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, 
the National League for Democracy, have the legality by virtue of the 
1990 election victory, they are seen as a threat by the generals. 
 
Judging from the pattern of arrests today,  it is evident that the 
military junta aims to isolate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from her 
supporters and to debilitate the National League for Democracy.  The 
arrests and imprisonment of democracy activists without any 
justifiable grounds are therefore worsening with time.    
 
Hundreds of political prisoners, including elected representatives, 
are languishing in prison today.   A number of them have died because 
of harsh conditions in prisons.   Since the military junta is wary of 
international reaction to its repressive practices, the international 
community should not accept the situation in Burma as fait accompli.   
These calculated arrests and imprisonment by the military junta must  
be condemned without fail. 
 
We have seen the failure of an appeasement policy toward the Burmese  
generals.  'Constructive Engagement' by the ASEAN have only brought  
about harsher repression in Burma.  There has been no positive  
political changes in my country even though ASEAN has stepped up its  
trading and business relations with the generals under its 
'Constructive Engagement' policy.  In fact, since ASEAN's acceptance 
of Burma as an observer,  arrests have increased and the military 
regime has become more arrogant with its new found legitimacy. 
 
With this backdrop in mind, I am very pleased that the U.S. Congress 
has recently passed the Cohen-Feinstein Amendment - Section 569 of  
the Foreign Operations and Appropriations Act which sets conditions  
for sanctions on the military junta if the repression worsens.    It
is a clear message to the Burmese generals that they cannot continue 
to pursue a policy of intimidation. 
 
I was in Europe when the Amendment was passed and was able to tell 
governments there about the action the United States has taken. I am 
pleased to say that a number of European Union nations have already  
expressed their interest in pursuing a stronger line of action 
against the Burmese military regime. 
 
We will also be seeking stronger action at various international 
fora, including the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, and 
with all democratic governments.  I am totally convinced that growing 
concerted international action and intensifying movement for  
democracy in Burma will speed up the process of democratization as  
well as the restoration of human rights in our country. Burma will be  
free and democratic without fail. 

					oo0oo