NCUB STATEMENT ON CURRENT BUDDHIST

[lurie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: NCUB STATEMENT ON CURRENT BUDDHIST MONKS-MUSLIM UNREST

          NCUB STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT BUDDHIST-MUSLIM UNREST

                                                           March 24, 1997

The National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB), has been
following closely recent events that have occurred in Burma. We
regret that the alleged rape of a Burmese girl by two Muslim men
occurred and demand a proper response from the authorities within
a legal framework.

The NCUB fears that the current political crisis within the
country involving the SLORC and religious communities is being
used to divert the increasing public anger towards the military
regime away from the real issues.

"Religion is severely oppressed by the SLORC which has so far
denied real freedom of religious practice", said Moe Thee Zun,
Joint General Secretary of the NCUB.

According to sources inside the country there are many rumours
that there is a power struggle between Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, chief
of Military Intelligence and General Maung Aye who is currently
the Deputy-Supreme Commander in Chief of the Burma Armed Forces.

" The intelligence faction led by Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt has up till
now taken a major role in policy since the reported end of
General Ne Win's power and we believe there is a struggle between
this groups and those loyal to army commanders," said the NCUB
spokesman.

"This could be a plan from a faction within the SLORC army to
instigate further unrest so that the army will be called in to
stop the situation from deteriorating further. But the
Intelligence community is also making it clear that without them
the army does not  have enough information to respond" said a
student leader in Rangoon.

"In order to control the possibility of a mass movement against
them, the SLORC is diverting the peoples attention away from the
real issues and creating division within our communities" he
said.

The NCUB strongly urges the people of Burma including all
religious communities not to fall into this trap. This situation
has occurred in the past and we urge everyone to keep their eyes
on the struggle for the restoration of democracy and human rights
in Burma.


Information Committee
National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB)