Fw: Letter sent to Hon. Lloyd Axwor (r)

[czubryj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Receieved for Reception-wOn
At 19:56 5/11/97, you wrote:
>
>
>n
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 13:02:07 -0800 (PST)
>From: Cham Toik <ctoik@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: burma1un@xxxxxxxxxxx
>Cc: nyap01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Fw: Letter sent to Hon. Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Canada (fwd)
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 10:10:28 -0800
>From: Eric Snider <celsus@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: Cham Toik <ctoik@xxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Fw: Letter sent to Hon. Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Canada
>
>HI Cham:-
>Let me know if this gets through.  You can send me an email to confirm
>reception.
>Eric
>----------
>> From: Eric Snider <celsus@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>> To: burmanet-l@xxxxxxx
>> Subject: Letter sent to Hon. Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
>Canada
>> Date: Monday, November 03, 1997 7:24 PM
>> 
>> Dear Minister:-
>> 
>> We are members of the Mon National Organization of Canada and the Karen
>> National Organization (B.C).  We belong to the Mon and Karen ethnic
>> nationalities of Burma (Myanmar) and have been exercising our right to a
>> peaceful life since we arrived in Canada after fleeing oppression by the
>> Burmese military regime know as the State Law and Order Restoration
>Council
>> (SLORC).
>> 
>> Recently we received reports we believe to be reliable and accurate from
>> the Mon Information Service, as well as a documentation centre, Burma
>> Issues, both located in Bangkok, Thailand, that military officials of the
>> SLORC had ordered Karen and Mon villagers living in Kya-In Seik Kyi and
>Kaw
>> Ka Reik Townships of the Karen State to relocate to other areas, having
>> accused these people of being supporters of insurgent guerillas that
>> operate in these areas.  Immediately, many of these same villagers left
>> their belongings behind and fled to the Thai-Burma border seeking a safe
>> haven.
>> 
>> Nevertheless, after crossing into the Umphang district of Tak Province in
>> Thailand they were informed by officers of the Thai Army that they would
>> have to return to Burma.  If these people are sent back to Burma against
>> their will, it will consitute an act of refoulement that is contrary to
>> international law, because they have taken shelter in Thailand because of
>a
>> well-founded fear of persecution by the Burmese Army and the SLORC
>regime.
>> 
>> We are fearful for the fate of our people should they have to return to
>the
>> oppression exercised by the military regime of Burma.  There can be no
>> doubt that, if they are repatriated, they will be subjected to forced
>> labour and portering, and to extortion, lootings, beatings, rape and
>murder
>> that are practised without letup by one of the most repressive military
>> regimes the world has ever seen.  Members of our two organizations can
>> speak from personal experience of what it is to suffer this kind of
>> repression.  We cannot see our brothers and sisters returned to Burma
>> without doing what we can to save them from this fate.
>> 
>> On behalf of our people, we urge you as Minister of Foreign Affairs for
>> Canada, a country known throughout the world as a defender of the rights
>of
>> all people to a free and peaceful existence, to exercise your good
>offices
>> on behalf of these Karen and Mon villagers, and to do all that is within
>> your power to ensure that the international conventions protecting the
>> rights of refugees are observed in this case.
>> 
>> Respectfully yours,
>> 
>> Saw Bee Duu
>> Secretary, Karen National Organization (B.C.)
>> 
>> Cham Toik
>> Chairperson, Mon National Organization of Canada
>> 
>> Vancouver, BC, Canada
>> 
>> 
>
>
>