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Axworthy pressed to get Burma on Se



Subject: Axworthy pressed to get Burma on Security Council agenda

AXWORTHY PRESSED TO GET BURMA ON SECURITY COUNCIL AGENDA

QUEBEC, Sept 8 (BNBC)  -- Thirty three legislators from across Canada have
co-signed a letter to Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy urging him to put
Burma on the agenda of the UN's Security Council.

The legislators come from nine of Canada's eleven provinces as well as its
three northern territories.  Their concern over the urgency of the
situation in Burma resulted from a presentation by Deputy Speaker Bill
Hartley of the BC provincial legislature at the Canadian section of the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) which met in Quebec City in August.

In his address, Hartley told CPU members of his experience in drafting and
piloting through the BC legislature a bi-partisan motion of support for
Burma's Committee Representing the People's Parliament and tried to
describe something of the horror inside Burma today, focusing particularly
on the increased level of repression by the military over the past year and
the failure of ASEAN's policy of constructive engagement.  He also brought
forward the matter of drugs and the effect that Burmese heroin was having
on the youth in his own community.  Hartley urged the delegates to help the
international community to break the stalemate with Burma's generals. 

In the prolonged discussion which followed his presentation, it was agreed
to carry this matter to the international session of the CPU which will
take place in Trinidad and Tobago on September 20.  

But many delegates promised to pursue the matter of a Burma resolution in
their own provincial legislatures, as well.   Especially noteworthy was the
strong support shown by Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the legislatures of
Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Alberta and the new northern territory of Nunavut.  Representatives from
the Yukon and the Northwest Territories also supported the Burma
initiative.    

Free Burma groups across Canada will have their work cut out for them in
the coming months to develop community awareness around Burma issues and
cultivate contacts with provincial lawmakers that will help to build
momentum for Burma resolutions in other provinces and territories.  Burma
Watch International in Edmonton has already made important headway and the
Toronto Roundtable has taken advantage of the visit of U Bo Hla Tint of the
NCGUB for 9-9-99 events to meet with key leaders of parties in the Ontario
legislature.

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