[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
LETTER CITY COUNCIL ALKMAAR, THE NE
- Subject: LETTER CITY COUNCIL ALKMAAR, THE NE
- From: Anja-Sloot@xxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 16 Nov 1996 14:30:00
Subject: LETTER CITY COUNCIL ALKMAAR, THE NETHERLANDS, TO GEN. THAN SHWE
Amnesty International group Alkmaar, the Netherlands and the International
Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Netherlands is very pleased with the recent
initiative of City Council member H. Eggermont, in order to express the
concern of the City Council of Alkmaar about the human rights situation in
Burma, to the authorities of Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council.
Herewith we forward the letter of the City Council of Alkmaar, with the names
of it's members subscribing it.
We are very interested in the initiatives of any groups or human rights
organizations working for democracy and human rights in Burma. We would also
like information on the issue of purchasing local selective legislation.
Please contact:
Anja_Sloot@xxxxxxx (Amnesty Int. Group Alkmaar)
or:
ifor@xxxxxxxxxx (International Fellowship of Reconciliation)
LETTER FROM CITY COUNCIL ALKMAAR, THE NETHERLANDS, TO GEN. THAN SHWE.
General Than Shwe, Chairman
State law and Order restoration Council
c/o Ministry of Defense
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon
Union of Myanmar
Friday 13 November 1996
Dear General Than Shwe,
Greetings from the Dutch city of Alkmaar, a city of some 95,000 people in the
northern part of the Netherlands. This letter is written on behalf of the
citizens of Alkmaar, by members of the Alkmaar City Council, which governs the
city.
We are writing to express our concern about the human rights situation inside
the Union of Myanmar. Well documented reports from bodies such as the United
Nations and from internationally respected human rights organizations point to
the existence of serious violations of international law within your country.
The reports of forced labor, forced relocation, government military operations
against ethnic minorities, religious discrimination, and the denial of the
rights to freedom of speech, press and political participation so essential to
democracy, are very disturbing.
As governing officials we are convinced of the benefits of democracy. The
corner stone of democracy is respect for human rights. We welcomed your
government's release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi last year, as did the entire
international community. This release was an important first step in
establishing democracy in the Union of Myanmar.
Yet we are aware that there are hundreds of political prisoners who remain
unjustly imprisoned within Myanmar, and that international norms of human
rights are violated daily within your country. We respectfully request that
your government continue its steps towards democracy and respect for human
rights by releasing such prisoners, whose only "crime" has been the nonviolent
exercise of their basic human rights.
Respectfully yours,
H. Eggermont
member City Council Alkmaar.
Names of subscribing City Council members:
* G.P. van den Berg
* S.H. Binnendijk
* mw. J. Blom
* mw. M.N. Bolte
* J.J.A. Brons
* R. Diktas
* A.J. Dingerdis
* drs. B.S. Dobber
* A.J. Douma
* J. Douma
* D.W. Driessen
* H.A. Eggermont
* G.J. v. Elk-Kalkhuis
* A.J. Epskamp
* A.A.J. Giling
* A.M. Godijn
* D. Graatsma
* W.B. van der Ham
* mr. K.L.R. Ho-ten-Soeng
* V.H. Kloos
* drs. J. Klooster
* A.J. Leek
* mw. A.M.C. Levijn-Rademaker
* A.C. Lind
* drs. M.M.C. Maassen
* T.K.C. Stom
* dr. J. Talsma
* mw. mr. L.B. Vellenga-van Nieuwkerk
* mw. G.C.J. Verwoort
* C.G. van Vliet
* mw. drs. M.M.C. Wingen
* R.J.G. Bandell (chairman and Mayor)
* J.C.M. Cox (Secretary General)