Bill Richardson on SFSU campus

[KYOUSA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Ambassador Richardson urged American students to stand behind Burma?s
courageous opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
April 7, 1997

Mr. Bill Richardson, the United States ambassador to the United Nations,
was on San Francisco State University campus this morning at the event
sponsored by the United Nations Association and International Relations
Student Association of SFSU.  The forum was also attended by Representative
Tom Lantos and some foreign diplomats.  Speaking to the students and a
group of invited guests, the ambassador opened his speech by saying ?I want
you to stand behind this courageous woman by the name Aung San Suu Kyi,?
who is fighting for democracy and human rights in Burma and won the Nobel
Peace price in 1991.  He also said that he got a call from the BBC this
morning saying that there was a serious bombing in Rangoon this morning.

He stated that Burmese military regime really is one of the most notorious
ones in the world.  He also openly expressed his support for the idea of
economic sanction over Burma.

In his answer to the question asked by Saw Kapi, the ambassador said
current refugees crisis in Thai-Burma border is really ?serious? at this
moment, and it is very important for the US to deal with that problem.  A
question was also posted by  Saw Kapi about recent forced repatriation of
civilian refugees by the Thai military.  The ambassador expressed his
concern over the issue but did not go into detail about the US position.