LETTER TO THE U.N.SECURITY COUNCIL

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: LETTER TO THE U.N.SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT(18/2/97)

/* Written 21 Feb 6:00am 1997 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* -------------" Letter to UNSC president (18/2/97) "-------------- */

ADDED NOTE TO OUR FRIENDS:
--------------------------
The SLORC's latest attack on Karen National Union appeared to have been
prompted by the ethnic nationalities' call for a tri-partite dialogue last
month. The SLORC's marathon onslought on KNU was clearly intended to
intimidate the Karens to conclude a ceasefire; but it is less clear how
SLORC may avoid the call for a tri-partite dialogue if SLORC managed to
conclude ceasefire with KNU (or) even if SLORC managed to suppress KNU. 
The onslought and its timing being such an affront to the EU and ASEAN,
since it occurred at the same time the EU-ASEAN meeting that was held in
Singapore. 

The use of force against KNU can be attributed to the SLORC's increasing
tendency to create a visibly violent situation in Burma (we may recall the
incident of Kabaraye Pagoda bombing of December-96). The military junta
clearly need the violence as a justification for its continuing rule. The
continuing conflicts, such as violent military confrontations, will
provide the legitimacy for junta to stay in power. In other words, such
violence may, in effect, politically generate an obligation for general
population and, particularly, military rank-and-files to obey the junta's
rulings. It is much clearer now that Peace, Reconciliation and Dialogue
constitute the greatest threat to the survival of SLORC dictatorship. 

Burma's problems of ethnic nationalities, such as the KNU, can not be
solved by military means. The Karen National Union has been in the struggle
for nearly 50 years and the Karen freedom fighters are well-seasoned
guerrillas. In a short note, the SLORC should not in anyway expect Karen
National Union to accept its ceasefire demand by such intimidation.

TIME TO MOBILIZE SECURITY COUNCIL
---------------------------------
The urgent attention by U.N. Security Council to the situation in Burma is
needed. Following are the letters to MR HISASHI OWADA(Japan), the president
of UNSC, and Secretary-General KOFI ANNAN. I have also written to U.S.
Secretary of State. We in Adelaide will continue to organize letters
and petitions, perhaps, in coming weeks. To our friends who always advocate
tougher measures on SLORC from US/UN, this certainly is the right moment in
calling for one. -- Regards, U Ne Oo.
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SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
-------------------------
H.E. Bill Richardson                  ! H.E. Sir John Weston
United States Ambassador to the U.N.  ! United Kingdoms Ambassador to UN
U.S. Mission to the U.N.              ! United Kingdoms Mission to the UN
799, United Nations Plaza             ! One, DagHammerskjold Plaza
New York N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.           ! 885 Second Ave., New York N.Y.10017
FAX: (+1 212) 415 4443                ! FAX: (+1 212) 745 9316
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H.E. Mr Qin Huasun                    ! H.E. M Jean-Bernard Merimee
Ambassador, People Republic of China  ! France Ambassador to the U.N.
Mission to the United Nations         ! France Mission to the U.N.
155 West 66th Street                  ! 1 DagHammerskjold Plaze
New York N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.           ! 44th Floor, 245 East 47th Street
FAX: (+1 212) 870 0333                ! New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A
                                      ! FAX: (+1 212) 421 6889
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H.E. Mr Sergey V Lavrov               ! H.E. Ambassador
Ambassador, Russian Federation        ! Sweden Mission to the U.N.
Mission to the United Nations         ! 885 Second Avenue
136 East 67th Street                  ! New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
New York N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.           ! FAX: (+1 212) 832 0389
FAX: (+1 212) 628 0252                !
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LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF U.N.SECURITY COUNCIL (18/2/97)
*********************************************************

February 18, 1997.

MR HISASHI OWADA
President of U.N. Security Council
Permanent Mision of Japan to the United Nations
885 Second Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
FAX: (+1 212) 751 1966

Your Excellency,

I am a Burmese national currently residing in Adelaide, Australia and I
call the President and Members of security Council's attention to the
continuing political and military conflicts in Myanmar. I particularly wish
to draw your attention to the Burmese military's recent attacks on the
Karen National Union, one of the ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar, and also
of the attacks on refugee camps by the Democratic Karen Buddhist
Organization - a rebel faction supported by the Burmese military. The
attackers have burned-down the Karen refugee camps in Thailand in an
attempt to intimidate these refugees into returning to Burma. Such case of
intimidation and attacks on refugees at the Thai-Burmese border has been a
repeated occurrence since early 1995. Therefore I appeal the President and
Members of Security Council to convene a U.N. Security Council meeting on
Myanmar urgently.

I also enclosed my communication to the Secretary-General, KOFI ANNAN, with
this letter. As noted in that communication, I believe a peace process in
Burma that can be carried out under the auspices of United Nations and
International Community has been the best way to solve Burma's political
and refugee problems. I therefore call upon the U.N. Security Council to
(1) impose an international arms embargo on Myanmar (2) create the safety
Zones for refugees in Myanmar and (3) authorize to send the human rights
monitors and a peace-keeping mission to Myanmar.

In closing, I thank Mr President and the Members of Security Council for
your kind attention to this matter. I along with many other refugees from
Burma are in the hope that the UNited Nations Security Council will help
solve Burma's political problems and restore peace in Myanmar.

Yours respectfully and sincerely,
Sd. U Ne Oo
cc. 1. The Members of United Nations Security Council
    2. United States Department of State
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LETTER TO U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL (10/2/97)
******************************************
Dr U Ne Oo
48/2 Ayliffes Road
St Marys SA 5042
Australia

February 10, 1997.

H.E. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations Secretariat
New York, N.Y. 10017, USA

Dear Secretary-General:

Re: Nationwide ceasefire, International arms embargo
    and Safety Zone in Burma
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am a Burmese national currently residing in Adelaide Australia and I
firstly like to congratulate the Secretary-General and United Nations
Organization for your efforts that has been made to reach recent peace
agreement in Guatemala. Such peace accord in Guatemala that implemented
under the auspices of United Nations and International Community has been a
great inspiration to the people of Burma.

With this note, I firstly call the Secretary-General's attention to the
continuing political and military conflicts in Burma. There have been
repeated occurrences of attacks on Karen refugee camps by the SLORC-backed
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) on 28-29 January 1997. This attack
has left 10,000 Karen refugee homeless. There are also reports of border
conflicts between the DKBA/SLORC and Thai military. I therefore call upon
you and UNHCR to make a greater effort to protect these refugees in
Thailand.

I also call your attention to the communication made to the former
Secretary-General, Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, on 26 February 1996. I should
like to repeat the request you to make measures through the U.N. Security
Council regarding with (1) implementing a nationwide ceasefire (2)
creating Safety Zones and (3) imposing international arms embargo in Burma.
the Burma's refugee problem has been a long-standing and the largest of its
kind in Southeast Asia. I therefore appeal you to make an immediate measure
to solve this problem.

I call the Secretary-General's attention, particularly, to the incidents of
the large-scale arbitrary arrest and detention of elected members of
parliament in Burma. During the week of May 19, 1996, approximately 260 of
elected members of National League for Democracy were detained by military
authorities in order to prevent those M.P.s attending the convention to be
held on May 26-29. Again in September 1996, a total of 560 NLD activists
and supporters were arrested prior to the All-Burma Congress to be held on
that month. I believe such a large-scale arrests and detentions can be
prevented by deploying the human rights monitors in Burma. I therefore call
upon you and the U.N. Special Rapporteur to recommend, at this
February-1997 Secession of commission on Human Rights meeting, the United
Nations Security Council to send human rights monitors to Burma.

I also call your attention to the Statement from the recently held Ethnic
Nationalities Seminar, of which I enclosed with this letter. The 15-ethnic
nationality groups -- including hose groups that have already signed the
military-ceasefire agreement with the Burmese army over the years -- are
now calling for a tri-partite dialogue in Burma (One group, the Karen
National Union, still has not enter military-ceasefire with Burmese Army
primarily because of the SLORC is refusing to initiate the tri-partite
dialogue.) I believe the United Nations is in a good position to supervise
and monitor the ceasefires in Burma -- as the U.N. has recently made
initiatives in Guatemala. I therefore ask the Secretary-General and U.N.
Security Council authorize the deployment of U.N. civilian peace-keepers --
of which at some stage may include the U.N. military personnel -- in order
to supervise the ceasefires in Burma.

In closing, I thank you for your kind attention to Burma matters. The
continuing efforts made by United Nations to peace in Burma are most
appreciated by the Burmese people.

Yours respectfully and sincerely
Sd. U Ne Oo.

copy to:
1. H.E. Madeleine K. Albright, U.S. Secretary of State, United States
Department of State, Washington D.C. 20520, U.S.A.
2. Ms Sadako Ogata, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Case
Postale 2500, CH - 1211 Geneva 2 Depot, Swizerland.
3. Mr Alvaro de Soto, U.N. Assistant-Secretary-General for Political
Affairs, U.N. Department of Political Affairs, UNited Nations New York NY
10017, U.S.A.
4. Mr Jan Eliasson, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, U.N.
Department of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations New York NY 10017,
U.S.A.

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