Boycott German Lufthansa

[101564.2652@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Stop flying with German Lufthansa immediately

" Business as usual " seems to be a phrase of miracles, which is
extensively 
used by the German business circle nowadays. To make themselves more 
clear conscience and feel justified, they supplement the phrase to " Wandel

durch Handel ", which means to accomplish a change through business. 
Out of all conscience, they hope that political changes in Burma could be 
brought about through doing business with the Burmese military dictators. 
Certainly, doing business in Burma would bring up the military elites from 
dictator to multimillionaire, while over 99% of the country's population
are 
suffering from severe poverty, epidemic and unhappiness. The children are 
compelled to slaved labour, the girls and young women are forced to
prostitution 
and the men are conscripted to forced labour in civil-war zones. The
remaining 
sick and aged persons have to pay fine to the military for being unable to 
"contribute" work for them.
The recent fortnight seemed to be German weeks ( Deutsche Wochen ) in 
Rangoon, in which German-Myanmar Technology Exhibition '97 and German-
Myanmar Technology conference are commencing in full swing. These 
performances are organised and implemented by the Munich International 
Trade Fairs Ltd. of Germany (Messe Muenchen), against which the Burmese 
community and the German colleagues have strongly protested. The managing 
director of the Messe Muenchen Reinhold Unterburger spoke words of 
greetings (greeds!) and boosted that 29 companies are participating in the 
Rangoon exhibition. As the chairsoldier of the Myanmar Industrial
Development 
Committee (MIDC) dictator-general Myint Aung was opening the ceremony in 
Rangoon, the Burmese expatriates together with their German friends such as

Society for Threatened People, amnesty international, etc. were protesting 
against the Messe Muenchen in front of its headquarters in Munich. The
German 
news media took great interest and attention to the protest. The Burma
Bureau 
has provided the news media with comprehensive press releases. 
While German Foreign Minister Dr. Klaus Kinkel in Bonn was strongly
critisizing 
upon rude and undemocratic behaviors of the military rulers SLORC towards 
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD, German Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Wiesner 
in Rangoon might have been quite busy in organising meetings and
appointments 
for the Lufthansa delegation and Fritz Werner armament factory with the top
brasses 
of the SLORC such as Generals Khin Nyunt, Thein Win, Chit Swe, Abel, Min
Thein, 
etc. , etc.  Astonishingly, the signing ceremony of the MoU between
Lufthansa and 
the SLORC was attended and witnessed by the German Ambassador, Managing 
Director of the LSG Dieter Hemmer and General Khin Nyunt among others.Under

the agreement, Lufthansa will set up a 3-million dollar factory within one
year to 
launch aircraft catering services for international airlines.
 We, therefore, call upon our Burmese community and friends worldwide to
stop 
flying with the German Lufthansa immediately and to cancel all your
scheduled 
flights with this airline. 
 We also call on our Free Burma Coalition spiders for aid to push and
implement 
the selective purchasing measures on the German Lufthansa as soon as
possible. 

When spiders unite, they can tie down the German hansa.

With solidarity,

Nwe Aung
Burma Bureau Germany
Nov. 02, 1997