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AUSTRALIAN FANTASY, BURMESE REALITY



Edited Version
6/8/99
By Julien Moe

The Australian Human Rights Commissioner's visit to Rangoon was quite a
controvercial matter that seems to stun many Burmese dissidents and even
Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Of course it is the good will of Sidoti,
the Australian   HR Commissioner  to advise the  Burmese authorities to
improve HR situations in Burma and to give remedies as to how to do so.
Absence of meeting  Aung San Suu Kyi druring the trip pleased the SPDC and
to SPDC's advantage, receiving the HR commissioner was kind of a
breakthrough for the military regime.It was like a public relations stunt
for the military regime. Fact is a regime that is determined to hold on to
power will do anything to trick the international community to convince them
that they are trying to improve the HR situation in Burma.

The military regime in Burma has been violating human rights since they
seized power in 1988. They violate human rights and it is a must for them to
do so because wihtout violating human rights , how can they be in power? To
be in power , the regime has to detain dissidents arbitrarily. The regime
searches houses and premises of private properties without proper search
warrants. The regime attacks  Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her
party in the state newspapers on a daily basis. Freedom of expression of the
NLD is restricted. How can you tell such a regime to be persuaded by an
independent HR commision? The regime would rhetorically agree to anything
said by the HR Commissioner. Finally that commission will be put to shame as
time goes by. A human rights council in Burma and its goals will be like
crying for the moon. Just consider why Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi
rejected that plan. Why did Vice Chair of the NLD  express downcast attitude
about  Sidoti's mission? It is so obvious the mission is an Australian
fantasy that will benefit only the ruling class, not the democratic
opposition or the people of Burma. The United States government has no say
in this matter.Maybe there is a reason why. Let's see facts and fantasies
here......