[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

21/9/98:LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF



/* Written Tue 22 Sep 6:00am 1998 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in
igc:reg.burma & maykha-l */
/* ----------"Letter to the President of UNGA'98"------------- */

LETTER TO HON.DIDIER OPERTTI(URUGUAY)
THE PRESIDENT OF 53RD SESSION OF UNGA
*************************************

Dr U Ne Oo
18 Shannon Place
Adelaide SA 5000
Australia.

21st September 1998.

Hon. Didier Opertti(Uruguay)
President, 53rd Session
United Nations General Assembly
UN Headquarters, New York NY 10017
United States of America.

Dear Hon. President:

I am a Burmese national currently residing in Australia. I call
your attention to recent arrest and detention of elected members
of parliament by Burma's ruling military council, State Peace
and Development Council(SPDC: formerly known as State Law and
Order Restoration Council), and, also, the lack of progress
towards transfer of power to the democratically elected government.
The ruling military council, SPDC, also fails-- especially in
this year --to cooperate with United Nations to improve its
human rights records. The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA)
since 1992 has been urging, through its resolutions, the military
council in Burma to improve its human rights record and also to
transfer power to democratically elected government. I therefore
urge the 53rd Session of UN General Assembly to take appropriate
measures to ensure Burma's military authorities comply with UN
General Assembly Resolutions, A/52/137.

 Beginning from early this month, the military council
unlawfully detain nearly 800 opposition party members and supporters,
including 195 members of parliament elected in May 1990 General
Election. These arrests on opposition members are made in order
to prevent the elected members from convening the parliament.
It should be noted that the military council unlawfully arresting
the elected members of parliament to prevent participating in
such political process constitute Burmese military violation of
the Operative paragraphs(5), (8)and(11) of UNGA Resolution A/52/137.

 Particularly in this year, the military junta has been
refusing to cooperate with UN Secretary-General. For example, the
Special Envoy of Secretary-General, Mr Alvaro de Soto, had been
told off last January by military authorities not to interfere
the "internal affairs" of Burma. Recently in August, the military
junta refuses to accept the visit of Secretary-General's personal
emissary, Ambassador Razali Ismil of Malaysia and the President
of 51st UN General Assembly. The Burmese military authorities
since 1996 do not allow the Human Rights Special Rapporteur,
Mr Rajsoomer Lallah, to visit Burma. It should be noted that
these non-cooperations of ruling Burmese military council to
United Nations System constitute that council, SPDC, not complying
in particular of the Operative paragraphs (1),(7)and(13) of UNGA
Resolution A/52/137.

Most disturbing point of all is that the Burmese military council
has not been taking any step towards reconciliation and substantive
dialogue with the opposition party, National League for Democracy
(NLD). Despite the arrest of and intimidation on its members and
supporters by Burmese military authorities, the NLD has always
been making effort to secure dialogue with the military junta.
During July, Burmese military authorities preventing the General
Secretary of NLD, Daw Aung Suu Kyi, from visiting to her party
members. This restriction along with recent detention of 195
elected members of parliament constitute Burmese military junta
denying to provide the leaders of NLD party unrestricted c
ommunication with and physical access to the party supporters.
These violation, again, are the Burmese military council's
failure to comply with the Operative Paragraphs(4)and(6) of the
UNGA Resolution A/52/137.

 Notwithstanding such restriction and intimidation by
ruling military council, I like to inform Hon. President and the
members of United Nations General Assembly that, a committee to
represent elected members of parliament has been formed on
17 September 1998 in accordance with a proper democratic
procedure. The committee has the mandate of democratically
elected parliament as it is having the endorsement of the
majority of representatives and also enjoy the support by
ethnic minority rebel groups.

 I believe this is an appropriate time for UN General
Assembly and UN System to ensure the military government of
Burma comply with the UNGA Resolutions. Furthermore, UNGA
should make efforts to encourage parties to the conflict in
Burma moving towards dialogue and reconciliation. As a first
practical step, this 53rd Session of UN General Assembly must
demand the Burmese military council appointed representative,
U Ohn Gyaw, to have endorsement of democratically elected
parliament. In the event of State Peace and Development Council
fails to secure U Ohn Gyaw's appointment as a Burma's Foreign
Minister by democratically elected parliament, the United Nations
General Assembly should refuse to give the floor to that
Foreign Minister.

 In closing, I thank you for your kind attention
to this matter.

Yours respectfully and sincerely,
(Sd.U NE OO)
Copy to:

1. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations Headquarters,
New York NY 10017, U.S.A.

2. Hon.Madeleine K Albright, US Secretary of State, US
Department of State, Washington DC 20520, USA.

3. Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
c/-UN Centre for Human Rights, Palias des Nations,
CH 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland.

/* Endreport */