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FAX-IN-DEMO:SAMPLE LETTER TO THE UN



Subject: FAX-IN-DEMO:SAMPLE LETTER TO THE UNSC

/* Written 22 Mar 6:00am 1997 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* -------------" Fax-in-Demo: Sample letter to the UNSC"-------------- */

ADDED NOTE TO OUR FRIENDS:
--------------------------
In late February, Mr France Vanderell, Director of the U.N. Department of
Political affairs, have visited to Burma and met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and SNLD leaders. The U.N. official, however, was unable to see General
Khin Nyunt (obviously SLORC is trying to avoid such meetings as much as
possible). Continued pressure on SLORC are needed from the U.N. and
international community, especially from the United Nations Security
Council, in order to solve Burma's human rights and political problems
- particularly the refugee problem. In this regards, we in Adelaide have
made efforts to mobilize the UNSC: on last Wednesday night (19/3/97), we
held an information sharing session on Burma and have also organized
fax-in-demonstration to the permanent members of Security Council. About
15-fax-letters were sent on that night to the members of Security Council.
Few more faxes and letter to the UNSC from our friends would certainly help
in this regards. If anybody in Australia would like to have sample letters,
please e-mail to me (please do not use the return-path; send separate
e-mail to uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) and I shall send you some of the
copies.

Our friends in United States are in a more advantageous position with
regards to lobbying the United Nations: any faxes or mails can be made at
a much smaller cost. The support groups based in American Continent can
certainly help us in such matters and therefore please continue to help us.

BEWARE OF SLORC'S TRICKS
------------------------
Recent incident in Mandalay may have been just another of the SLORC's
favourite trick to deflect the public's attention from its own crisis. We
may well remember that in early 1988, just before the nation-wide
pro-democracy uprising, there were reports of anti-muslim riots in Prome.
Another one of this kind was the operation against Rohingya muslim in
late-1991/early-1992, which SLORC clearly intended to make a political
diversion after the army chief, General Saw Maung, slided into a mentally
deranged status in 1991.

The SLORC's tendency to manipulate ethnic and religious division (& hatred)
and then exploit the situation to serve junta's own end may now be quite
familiar to most Burma observers.

LOOKING AT THINGS WITH OBJECTIVITY AND FOCUS
--------------------------------------------
When we talk about the political situations, such as this recent Mandalay
incident, it is even more helpful to examine questions such as "Why did it
happen ?" than that of "What happened ?" or "How did it happen ?". Few of
the questions - such as whether a muslim man has molested a Burmese girl or
whether the monks in Mandalay have attacked muslim establishments - have
not much points, to my way of thinking, to be concerned in this case. Those
facts can be partly true or they may be a complete fabrication by the
SLORC. The points to be focused in this case are that the SLORC had issued
the curfew in Mandalay and there has been government crackdown on the
monks. Further investigation and analysis are needed on whether there has
been tensions building-up in Mandalay and whether the government has
underlying motives in issuing the curfew. We can then consider to make
appropriate response upon those analysis and investigations.

At this current state, the SLORC does have a good reason to deflect the
international community's attention from the ongoing political and military
battles with Karens and ethnic minorities. Domestically, SLORC continue to
suffer humiliations by its economic failures and continuing to lose its
self-confidence. The emerging unity between the indigenous nationalities
and the political opposition is also threatening the military regime's
legitimacy. While the rising tensions between the monks and SLORC cannot be
ruled out, the SLORC's desperation to avoid the ceasefire and dialogue
with the oppositions may also be the SLORC's motive to issue the curfew.

With best regards, U Ne Oo.

/* ---------------" Sample letter to the UNSC "------------------ */

March 19, 1997.

H.E. Mr Qin Huasun
Permanent representative of the People's
Republic of China to the United Nations
155 West 66th Street
New York N.Y. 10023, U.S.A.
FAX:(+1-212) 870-0333

Your Excellency,

I call Your Excellency's attention to the continuing political and military
conflicts in Myanmar/Burma. The ruling military junta of Burma, the State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), has continued refusing to
transfer state power to the elected representatives of Burma. I am very
concerned about the ruling military council's unlawful arrest and detention
of the representatives who were elected in May-1990 general election.

I particularly wish to draw your attention to the recent Burmese army's
offensive against the Karen National Union, one of the rebel groups in
Myanmar. This offensive have resulted 20,000 Karen refugees fleeing to
Thailand and the total Burma's refugee population in Thailand to become
100,000. The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a renegade Karen
faction supported by SLORC, have threatened to continue terrorizing the
Karen refugees into returning to Burma. There were instances in late
January 1997 of the DKBA have burnt-down two refugee camps at the
Thai-Burmese border.

I believe the situation in Burma has been at a critical stage and in need
of urgent attention from the United Nations. I request Your Excellency to
urgently convene a Security Council meeting on Burma/Myanmar in order to
resolve the Burma's political and refugee problems. I particularly call
upon the United Nations Security Council (1) to impose an international
arms embargo on Myanmar (2) to create the Safety Zones for refugees from
Myanmar and (3) authorize to send the human rights monitors and
peace-keeping mission to Myanmar.

In closing, I thank Your Excellency for your kind attention to this matter.

Yours respectfully,


cc: 1. H.E. Kofi Annan, The Secretary-General of United Nations, United
Nations, New YOrk, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
2. Ms Sadako Ogata, U.N.High Commissioner for Refugees, Case Postale 2500,
CH - 1211 Geneva 2 Depot, Switzerland.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE U.N.SECURITY COUNCIL
*********************************************
1.      H.E. Bill Richardson
        United States Ambassador to the U.N.
        U.S. Mission to the U.N.
        799, United Nations Plaza
        New York N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
        FAX:(+1-212) 415-4443

2.      H.E. Mr Sergey V Lavrov
        Ambassador, Russian Federation
        Mission to the United Nations
        136 East 67th Street
        New York N.Y. 10021, U.S.A.
        FAX:(+1-212) 628-0252

3.      H.E. Mr Alian Dejammet
        Permanent representative of France
        to the United Nations
        One, DagHammerskjold Plaza
        44th Floor, 245 East 47th Street
        New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
        FAX:(+1-212) 421-6789 (** this number doesn't
                                appears to be working)

4.      H.E. Sir John Weston, KCMG
        United Kingdoms Ambassador to the UN
        United Kingdoms Mission to the UNited Nations
        P.O.Box 5235
        New York, NY 10150-5238, U.S.A.
        FAX: (+1-212) 745-9316

/* Endreport */