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UN deplores killings, forced labour



Subject: UN deplores killings, forced labour in Myanmar 

UN deplores killings, forced labour in Myanmar
Apr 23, 1999 Eastern

GENEVA, April 23 - The United Nations main human rights body on Friday
approved a Western resolution deploring alleged violations in Myanmar
including executions, political repression and forced labour.

The text, tabled by the European Union and co-sponsored by countries
including the United States, was adopted by consensus at the 53-member state
U.N. Commission on Human Rights, holding its annual talks in Geneva.

The seven-page resolution deplores an ``escalation in the persecution of the
democratic opposition, particularly members and supporters of the National
League for Democracy (NLD).''

It regrets ``threats of deportation, arrest and physical violence against
Aung San Suu Kyi and the continued harassment, arrest and detention of NLD
and other democratic group activists including elected representatives to
the Parliament.''

The military has increased pressure on Suu Kyi and her NLD since she
demanded the government convene a people's parliament elected in 1990 polls
which the military has refused to recognise.

The EU text deplores violations including ``extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions,'' ``arbitrary seizures of land and property,''
``systematic programmes of forced relocation'' and the ``widespread use of
forced labour, including for work on infrastructure projects and as porters
for the army.''

Myanmar's delegation, which has observer status, denounced the EU text as
``a litany of unproven false allegations.''

Myanmar's delegate said the text paid ``undue attention to one political
party and individual.'' ``Perhaps the intention is to encourage members of
the political party to break laws and destabilise the country,'' he told the
Commission.