PM CALLS ON ASEAN TO SAFEGUARD DEMO

[ncgub@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Press Release


National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma

815 Fuftheenth Street, NW, Suite 910

Washington, DC 2005


Contact: Bo Hla-Tint

Tel: 202 393 7342

Tel: 301 230 1569 (H)

Fax: 202 393 7343


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<bold>PM CALLS ON ASEAN TO SAFEGUARD DEMOCRACY LEADER, MPS.

</bold>

July 2, 1998


Amidst an escalating crisis in Rangoon, The National Coalition Government
of the Union of  Burma (N.C.G.U.B.) today called on members of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (A.S.E.A.N.) to press the military
junta in Burma for a halt to arrests of opposition members and to refrain
from carrying out a threat to kill Aung San Suu Kyi. "The regime's
actions are an insult to its fellow A.S.E.A.N. members and are escalating
Burma's economic, social and political crises," said Dr. Thaung Htun, the
N.C.G.U.B.'s United Nations representative.  


Burma, which was admitted to A.S.E.A.N. in 1997 is increasingly seen as
an embarrassment to the organization because of its record of repression
and collaboration in the heroin trade.  Today's call comes amidst a
deepening economic crisis in Rangoon, signs that A.S.E.A.N. is already
taking a tougher stance with the regime and an impending August 21
deadline set by the National League for Democracy to convene the
parliament.


Thailand's Foreign Minister last week called on the group to apply "a
dose of peer pressure" on governments like Burma's  and Indonesia's
reformist President B.J. Habibie recently broke with A.S.E.A.N.'s
longstanding policy of not criticizing member governments when he
compared policies of Australia's xenophobic One Nation party with those
of Rangoon and Nazi Germany.   Dr. Sein Win, Prime Minister of the
N.C.G.U.B. added "We have long known that Burma's generals are bad
rulers.  A.S.E.A.N. is now coming to terms with the fact that the
generals are also bad neighbors."

 

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<italic>"The regime's actions are an insult to its fellow A.S.E.A.N.
members and are escalating Burma's economic, social and political
crises," 

</italic>	Dr. Thaung Htun, N.C.G.U.B.'s United Nations representative.


<italic>"We have long known that Burma's generals are bad rulers. 
A.S.E.A.N. is now coming to terms with the fact that the generals are
also bad neighbors."

</italic>	Dr. Sein Win, N.C.G.U.B. Prime Minister


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<bold>Background to the crisis in Rangoon:

</bold>

 

<bold>June 29, 1998:</bold> The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper
carries threat to take legal action against Aung San Suu Kyi and the
National League for Democracy, implying that they would be jailed for up
to twenty years for causing people to "misunderstand" the regime.  The
article also warned that Aung San Suu Kyi could become another Ngo Dinh
Diem, a former President of South Vietnam who was murdered at the
direction of army generals in 1963.


<bold>June 28, 1998: </bold> An Australian wire service quotes Indonesian
President comparing xenophobic policies of Burma and Nazi Germany:  "The
version of isolationism proposed by One Party chief and Queensland
federal MP Pauline Hanson was not the way to go as evidenced by the fall
of Nazi Germany and the lack of development in Burma, Dr. Habibie said." 
[Karen Polglaze, AAP Newsfeed, June 20, 1998.]


<bold>June 27-28, 1998:</bold>  Military intelligence agents begin
arresting N.L.D. Members of Parliament across Burma.  MPs who do not sign
pledges restricting their movements are jailed.


<bold>June 26, 1998: </bold> Thai Foreign Minister announces break with
ASEAN policy of not criticizing the policies of fellow members and calls
for "a dose of peer pressure" to help prevent domestic problems from one
country spreading throughout the region.  AFP, "Thai FM reiterates break
with ASEAN "non-interference" policy," June 26, 1998.


<bold>June 25-26, 1998: </bold> Aung San Suu Kyi is slightly hurt by
military police as she tries to escort a group of students past police
lines into her home.  The students had been regularly coming for study
sessions for some months and had planned to read a book on how democracy
functions in the United States.  To protest the students' treatment, Aung
San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo, another senior N.L.D. leader joins them as they
staged a sit-in demonstration during monsoon rains in the street outside
her home.


<bold>June 9, 1998:</bold> Leaders of four ethnic groups in Burma endorse
the N.L.D.'s May 27 ultimatum, demanding that the regime convene the
elected parliament by August 21, 1998.


<bold>May 27, 1998: </bold>National League for Democracy issues an
ultimatum demanding that the military convene the elected parliament by
August 21, 1998.


<bold>November 1997: </bold>U.N. General Assembly resolution on Burma
"requests the Government of Myanmar to permit unrestricted communication
with and physical access to Aung San Suu Kyi and other political leaders
and to protect their well being." [A/C.3/52/L.63].


<bold>November 1996:</bold> A mob acting at the direction of military
intelligence agents attacks Aung San Suu Kyi's car with rocks and
crowbars.


<bold>May 1990: </bold>In free elections, Aung San Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy sweeps 82% of seats in the new parliament, with
ethnically based parties picking up most of the remainder.  The military
backed party wins just 10 of 392 seats.