Solidarity message from ABSDO

[maungt@xxxxxxxxxx]

21 May, 1999
We Burmese students residing in Australia  want to express our solidarity
and support to  the struggle for a democratic  cause for Indonesian and East
Timorous people . Indonesian military is not only suppressing its own people

but also Burmese people by supporting the military regime in Burma.
Therefore, a victory for the people of Indonesia and East Timor means a
victory for the people of Burma and vice versa. We will continue to stand
side by side with the people of Indonesia and East Timor until the
democratic  will of the people are accomplished. The democratic aspiration
of the people must be ultimate goal worth fighting for.
We would like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to the plight
of Burmese people living under the ruthless military regime for over thirty
years. It is imperative that we call for immediate halt to human rights
violations. In order to achieve this we must have a convening of parliament
authorized by the people through a democratic election. We demand immediate
action from the international community,  particularly  Australian states
and the Commonwealth Parliament to support the Committee Representing the
People's Parliament (CRPP) which was formed by the 251 members of parliament
elect to accomplish the convention of the People's Parliament according to
the 1990  election result.
We would like to express our disapproval of Australian government policy,
'the benchmark', as being irrelevant since democracy leader Daw Aung Suu
Kyi's call on the international community to take concrete action to deal
with the severe violations of human rights in Burma. In January 1997 she
remarked that "Australia is sitting on the fence" and that statement still
stands today. The government position of 'neither encourage nor discourage
trade with Burma' is disingenuous as trade is actually increasing with the
help of the Austrade office in Rangoon. For example, the A.C.T. government
owned Totalcare Industries recently completed a contract for the
regime. Pacrim Energy Oil Company continues its $8 million project and many
more companies are on their way to prop up the regime with their investment.
Since 251 parliamentarians - elect formed the Committee Representing the
People's Parliament in September 1998, the political crackdown against the
leaders of the NLD has mounted. About 150 people?s
representatives elected in the 1990 elections have been detained without any
explanation or ability to appeal. Besides, The educational institutes are
shut since 1996, millions of people are forced to serve in the slave labour
camps, freedoms of expression , movement , assemble , association are
denied. Ethnic peoples are also denied their right to self determination.

Now is the time to take action to cease all those tragedies once and for
all.

In the state of Massachusetts the legislature has voted to boycott companies
dealing with the regime. Meanwhile in Canada, the province of British
Columbia recently decided to recognize the CRPP. Furthermore The EU
parliament, Belgian, Denmark parliaments support the CRPP whereas none of
the Australian parliaments (Commonwealth or states) support CRPP.

Therefore we urge International Community ,  the Commonwealth and state
parliaments:
-to support the CRPP as the legitimate highest authority of the people of
Burma and its lawful right to convene the people's parliament as per the

1990 elections result;
- to urge the SPDC regime to enter dialogue with the CRPP
- to seek ways to free Members of Parliament-elect and political prisoners
including student leader Min Ko Naing; and
- to encourage the reopening of all universities and colleges (closed since
1996) , and the re-establishment of the student union.
We also urge International community and  the Australian Government to
impose economic sanctions against the Burmese military dictatorship and call
on the state parliaments to adopt selective purchasing laws that ban any
contracts with companies doing
business with the regime in Burma.

Down with military Dictatorship!


Central Committee
All Burma Students Democratic Organization ( Australia)

Further info. Please contact:
9999 center  9643 5015 ,  0411337816
freeburma9999@xxxxxxxxx  , kmoe@xxxxxxxxx , www.absdo.com