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PD Burma statement
- Subject: PD Burma statement
- From: nin@xxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 22:28:00
Statement from the Japanese members of PD Burma
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[PD Burma is an International Network of Political Leaders
Promoting Democracy in Burma.]
signed by
(1)Takashi Kosugi, member of the House of Representatives
(2)Yukio Hatoyama, member of the House of Representatives
(3)Yasuko Takemura, member of the House of Councillors
March 31st 1999
Tokyo
Re: The death of Dr. Michael Aris.
We wish to express our sincere condolences on the death
of Dr. Michael Aris who passed away on March 27th without
the granting of the visa to see his wife Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
After Burma entered ASEAN in 1997, the international community
expected its human right situation to be improved. But on the
country, it has continued to deteriorate as described in the
latest reports of UN Human Right Commission and the
International Labour Organization.
In spite of many requests from international community to allow
a last visit of Dr. Aris to Burma, the military junta rejected
his visa application until the very end. We think this callous
decision itself is an abuse of their human rights as well.
We are concerned not only that the junta rejected the visa
grant but also they lowered themselves to claim, "The West
is conspiring to use the cancer patient to discredit our
nation." The discredit is entirely attributed to the
cold-hearted attitude of the junta itself, not to the
foreign powers.
We clearly recognize that this event shows that the junta
has no respect for human rights nor any shred of human pity.
We call upon the military junta to repent its harsh attitude
which goes against the eternal morality of human beings and
we hope they will declare their repentance to international
society.
If the military regime has no ability to repent, we should
take ever stronger measures to force them to transfer its
power as soon as possible.
PD Burma-Japan
Schu Sugawara
schus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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