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IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Burma UN Servic



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 			 
August 4, 1998 				 
						For further Information Contact:
						Dr. Thaung Htun, Tel. (212) 3380048


JUNTA 'NOT IN TOUCH WITH REALITY'

-Grievances of Burma's ethnic peoples must be resolved by tripartite dialogue-

Dr. Thaung Htun, United Nations Representative for the N.C.G.U.B. today
challenged the truthfulness of a statement issued by Burma's military junta
at a U.N Session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations July 31,
1998.  At the session, the junta's representative said "the issue of
problems in the sense of indigenous populations do not exist in Myanmar".

Dr. Thaung Htun blasted the statement, saying "as with so many issues, the
junta is not in touch with reality on indigenous population problems in
Burma.  It is no surprise that they cannot even begin to solve problems
when they refuse even acknowledge the obvious.  The legitimate grievances
of Burma's ethnic peoples are among Burma's most pressing problems and they
must be resolved by tri-partite talks among all of Burma's ethnic peoples,
the National League for Democracy and the military."

The UN Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur and other credible
international human rights organizations have issued numerous reports on
abuses directed at ethnic minorities in Burma and the UN General Assembly
and UN Commission on Human Rights have adopted seven consecutive
resolutions by consensus expressing deep concern about oppressive measures
directed at ethnic and religious minorities.  These abuses include
systematic forced relocation and wide-spread use of forced labor.

					###

The N.C.G.U.B. is constituted by Members of Parliament democratically
elected in 1990.

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Statement by Dr. Thaung Htun in rebuttal to the Statement by U Lin Myaing

August 4, 1998

At the 16th Session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, U Linn
Myaing, the representative of the SPDC said "the issue of problems in the
sense of indigenous populations do not exist in Myanmar". U Lin Myaing is
denying reality and demonstrating the regime's unwillingness to seek
national reconciliation through dialogue. 

The regime's record is full of accounts of arbitrary arrests, torture,
summary execution, abuses of women, forced labor including porterage for
military, forced relocations, confiscation of lands, looting of properties
and burning of villages in non-Burman ethnic areas.  These abuses have been
well documented in the reports of UN Commission on Human Rights Special
Rapporteur and other reports made by credible international human rights
organizations. Seven consecutive resolutions adopted by consensus at the UN
General Assembly and UN Commission on Human Rights have already expressed
its deep concern about the imposition of oppressive measures directed in
particular at ethnic and religious minorities, including systematic
programs of forced relocation and wide spread use of forced labor. These
resolutions call upon the regime to ensure the protection of the rights of
the person belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. So far, regime has
failed to accept the visit of the Special Rapporteur, Rajsoomer Lallah,
since his appointment in 1996. 

Diversity of ethnic nationalities is a reality in Burma, but it is neither
a threat to national unity nor the development of Burma. The historic
Panglong Agreement made by Gen. Aung San and non-Burman ethnic leaders on
the eve of Independence proved that national unity could be achieved by
means of negotiation based on equality and mutual respect.

Based on the concept of the "Unity of Diversity", our forefathers laid down
principals that enshrined constitutional guarantees of equality, justice
and the self-determination of all ethnic nationalities. Unfortunately,
successive Burman dominated governments deviated from the spirit of the
Panglong agreement.

After fifty years of civil war in Burma, the prospect for the national
reconciliation is finally returning. The democratic forces and non-Burman
ethnic organizations started a process of and a proposed draft federal
constitution has come out as a unified vision for peaceful co-existence.
The Mae Tha Raw Hta reaffirmed the willingness of non-Burman ethnic
nationalities to seek national reconciliation through tripartite dialogue
and strong determination to participate in the national rebuilding process
within the framework of federalism and multiparty parliamentary democratic
system. 

There is a strong tie between the democratic forces and ethnic forces.  Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi has stated the NLD's strong support for the principals of
the Mae Tha Raw Hta agreement.  The NLD, clearly states that it will hold a
national consultative seminar, that can be termed as Panglong II, in order
to seek common principles on which to rebuild national unity. It is only
the military which has so far has rejected the offer to enter into a
tripartite dialogue.  It is the regime that is the only obstacle to
rebuilding national unity.