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Bangkok post & The Nation (26-9-99)

Subject: Bangkok post & The Nation (26-9-99), 

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<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=5>Junta 'open to all human
rights ideas'<br>
</font><font size=4><b>Win Aung tells UN aim is for democracy<br>
</font></b><font size=2><i>United Nations, Reuters<br>
<br>
</font></i><font size=6><b> </font></b><font size=3>Burma?s foreign
minister defended his country?s human rights record to the United Nations
General Assembly, several hours after pro-democracy exiles described
persistent abuses by the military government.<br>
?We fully subscribe to the human rights norms enshrined tn the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,? Foreign Minister Win Aung said on Friday.
?Here, I wish to underscore that the government does not condone any
violations of human rights.?<br>
But the foreign minister said that if ?there is an imperative need for
improvement in areas of human rights, we are willing and ready to receive
sensible suggestions and take whatever action we possibly could?.<br>
?The type of democracy we envision will guaraniee the protection and
promotion of human rights, particularly the rights to basic needs such as
cloth</font><font size=1> </font><font size=3>ing, food and shelter, ?he
said.<br>
But activists from the National Coalition Government of the Union of
Burma denounced repeated abuses by the government and said humanitarian
aid could be used for political ends.<br>
?The list of abuses almost defines the possible range of ways a human
being?s rights canbe abused,? said Bo Hla Tint, the group?s director for
North and South American affairs, who said such abuses included forced
labour, arbitrary arrests, torture, rape and a clampdown on any political
oppositIon.<br>
Thaung Htun, the coalition?s representative for UN affairs, told a news
conference that several countries, the UN and the World Bank had offered
Burma aid ?to entice the military regime into a political 
dialogue?.<br>
But he said that any humanitarian assistance had to be monitored
carefully ?or there is a risk of manipulation by the government?.<br>
Thaung Htun said the government created relief groups to work with UN
agencies and pretended they were independent bodies.<br>
?There is no space in the society where community-based organisations can
work freely without interferenc&nbsp; from the military,? he said.
</font><font size=1>-<br>
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</font><font size=5><b><div align="center">
Burma defend rights record<br>
</font></b><font size=2><i>Reuters<br>
<br>
</font></i><font size=3></div>
UNiTED NATIONS -</font><font size=1> </font><font size=3>Burma?s foreign
minister defended his country?s human rights record to the UN General
Assembly several hours after pro-democracy exiles described persistent
abuses by the military government.<br>
?We fully subscribe to the human rights norms enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,? Foreign Minister Win Aung said on Friday.
?Here, I wish to underscore that the government does not condone any
violations of human rights.?<br>
But activists from the National Coalition Government of the Union of
Burma denounced repeated abuses by the government and said humanitarian
aid could be used for political ends.<br>
?The list of abuses almost defines the possible range of ways a human
being?s tights can be abused,? said Ba Hla Tint, the group?s director for
North and South American affairs, who said such abuses included forced
labour, arbitrary arrests, torture, rape and a clampdown on any political
opposition.<br>
Thaung Hum, the coalition?s representative for UN affairs, told a news
conference that several countries, the United Nations and the World Bank
had offered Burma aid ?to entice the military regime into a political
dialogue?. But he said that any humanitarian assistance had to be
monitored carefully ?or there is a risk of manipulation by the
government?.<br>
Thaung Htum said the government created relief groups to work with UN
agencies and pretended they were independent bodies.<br>
<br>
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