Felicitation Message to the Symposi

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Subject: Felicitation Message to the Symposium on Supporting the CRPP in Japan

Felicitation Message to the Symposium on Supporting the CRPP in Japan

The All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) warmly welcomes and fully
supports the "Symposium on Supporting the Establishment of the Committee
Representing People Parliament (CRPP) and on "How Can People in Japan Help
Restore Democracy in Burma", which is being held today.

The people of Burma openly rejected continued military rule through the
1988 popular uprising and the 1990 general election in which the National
League for Democracy (NLD) led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide
victory. Since the election the people have struggled for more than 8 years
for the junta to recognize the election results and to ensure a peaceful
transition to democracy. However, the junta remains intransigent on these
issues and even refuses to enter dialogue with the NLD, in spite of
repeated calls from the people of Burma, and the international community to
do so. 

Moreover, the junta has made several attempts to nullify the election
results by forcibly dismantling the NLD and pressuring its members,
including elected Member of Parliaments, to resign. Last year, the junta
refused to consider the NLD's call for the convening of Parliament by the
deadline of August 21th, 1998. 

As a result, hundreds of NLD members and officials have been detained, and
several NLD offices have had to close down. Finally, the NLD set up the
CRPP in order to step up the people's struggle for democracy. The NLD has
been asking for domestic and international support for the formation of
CRPP. The people of Burma as well as the international community have
overwhelmingly responded to NLD's call despite the fact that the junta has
been forcing the people to attend anti-CRPP mass rallies since late
September 1998.  

Several developments have however weakened the military junta's financial
and economic power and encourage the people to continue their struggle.
These include the US economic sanctions, the EU's economic restrictions,
the investment and shareholder boycott and the continued suspension of
international aid including Japanese ODA. In Burma, people see these
measures as an international punishment against the junta and a signal of
international support for their struggle. 

Under the successive military regimes that have ruled Burma, the living
conditions in the country have sharply deteriorated. People do not believe
that the junta is capable of solving the country's many problems, such as
the high prices of commodities, the shortage of water and electricity, the
frequent closure of the universities, desertions and conflicts in the
military, and in particular finding a solution to the country's political
impasse. 

As the 21st century is quickly approaching, the Burmese people dearly long
to enter the next century with a democratic system in place, and there are
many signs that the people is ready to rise up.

At present, and the ABSDF hopes that the symposium that is being held today
in Japan will stand as one of several significant events in the democracy
struggle of Burma, by finding ways for the people in Japan to contribute to
the development of democracy. The sincerest hopes of the people of Burma is

with all of you attending this seminar, and the ABSDF hopes that the
meeting will result in concrete measures to step up the struggle. 

We wish you all the success.

Central Committee
All Burma Students' Democratic Front  

Date: January 23, 1999