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Reuters-Myanmar opposition wants Ca



Subject: Reuters-Myanmar opposition wants Canada to pressure junta 

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Myanmar opposition wants Canada to pressure junta=20
06:38 p.m Dec 10, 1999 Eastern=20
By Mary Durran=20

MONTREAL, Dec 10 (Reuters) - The head of Myanmar's government in exile =
called on Friday for Canada to step up pressure on the Southeast Asian =
nation's military rulers to relinquish control of the country.=20

``We think Canada could take a stronger position,'' said Sein Win, =
cousin to Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.=20

Sein Win was forced to flee Myanmar, formerly called Burma, after Suu =
Kyi's National League for Democracy won Myanmar's 1990 election, its =
last, by a landslide. The military never allowed the party to govern and =
has tried to silence it through arrests, intimidation and forced =
resignations, all of which have been widely condemned internationally.=20

``Ottawa could push the generals to release political prisoners and hold =
a political dialogue with the opposition,'' Sein Win told Reuters while =
attending the United Nations University-sponsored World Civil Societies =
Conference in Montreal.=20

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi's house remains under surveillance by =
armed military guards and the military junta has refused to allow her to =
leave the country or travel freely within it.=20

International human rights organisations have said 800 to 1,000 people =
are being held as political prisoners in Myanmar. More than 40 elected =
members of parliament are still in Rangoon jails.=20

Sein Win said there is overwhelming evidence the Burmese junta also has =
close ties to the country's drug lords, who produce an estimated 60 =
percent of the heroin smuggled into North America.=20

Earlier this week, the legislature of the Canadian province of Quebec =
passed a motion recognising Suu Kyi and the other imprisoned Myanmar =
leaders as the country's legitimate authority. But Quebec does not speak =
for Canada on foreign affairs, and Sein Win, who is based in Thailand, =
said he hopes Canada will follow the lead of the province.=20

``The case is very clear cut,'' he said. ``A government elected by the =
people is in prison and the human rights, economic and political =
situation deteriorates every day. Why is Canada so reluctant to take =
further action?''=20

Ottawa already prohibits Canadians from making investments in Myanmar =
that would support the military government, which is led by General Than =
Shwe. Ottawa has also restricted visits to Canada by high-ranking =
Myanmar military officials.=20

The military has maintained an authoritarian grip on Myanmar since 1988, =
when it put down a public uprising in support of democracy.=20

Suu Kyi, who was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, has been under =
house arrest for many years and cannot leave the country. She remains =
the biggest thorn in the government's side.=20

Officials with Myanmar's government in exile were in Montreal on Friday =
to attend a ceremony in which human rights activists Cynthia Maung and =
Min Ko Naing were to be awarded the John Humphrey Freedom prize. The =
Canada-funded International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic =
Development named the award for the Canadian who prepared the first =
draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the United =
Nations adopted 51 years ago.=20

Maung, a 39-year-old physician who has lived and worked in refugee camps =
along Thailand's border with Myanmar, will receive the prize on behalf =
of student leader Min Ko Naing, imprisoned for the last 10 years. Ko =
Naing's speeches, statements and poems were an inspirational force for =
the 1988 democracy uprising. In 1989, the regime sentenced him to a =
20-year jail term for inciting disturbances.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D+1><STRONG>Myanmar =
opposition wants=20
Canada to pressure junta</STRONG></FONT> <BR>06:38 p.m Dec 10, 1999 =
Eastern=20
<P><STRONG>By Mary Durran</STRONG>=20
<P>MONTREAL, Dec 10 (Reuters) - The head of Myanmar's government in =
exile called=20
on Friday for Canada to step up pressure on the Southeast Asian nation's =

military rulers to relinquish control of the country.=20
<P>``We think Canada could take a stronger position,'' said Sein Win, =
cousin to=20
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.=20
<P>Sein Win was forced to flee Myanmar, formerly called Burma, after Suu =
Kyi's=20
National League for Democracy won Myanmar's 1990 election, its last, by =
a=20
landslide. The military never allowed the party to govern and has tried =
to=20
silence it through arrests, intimidation and forced resignations, all of =
which=20
have been widely condemned internationally.=20
<P>``Ottawa could push the generals to release political prisoners and =
hold a=20
political dialogue with the opposition,'' Sein Win told Reuters while =
attending=20
the United Nations University-sponsored World Civil Societies Conference =
in=20
Montreal.=20
<P>Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi's house remains under surveillance =
by=20
armed military guards and the military junta has refused to allow her to =
leave=20
the country or travel freely within it.=20
<P>International human rights organisations have said 800 to 1,000 =
people are=20
being held as political prisoners in Myanmar. More than 40 elected =
members of=20
parliament are still in Rangoon jails.=20
<P>Sein Win said there is overwhelming evidence the Burmese junta also =
has close=20
ties to the country's drug lords, who produce an estimated 60 percent of =
the=20
heroin smuggled into North America.=20
<P>Earlier this week, the legislature of the Canadian province of Quebec =
passed=20
a motion recognising Suu Kyi and the other imprisoned Myanmar leaders as =
the=20
country's legitimate authority. But Quebec does not speak for Canada on =
foreign=20
affairs, and Sein Win, who is based in Thailand, said he hopes Canada =
will=20
follow the lead of the province.=20
<P>``The case is very clear cut,'' he said. ``A government elected by =
the people=20
is in prison and the human rights, economic and political situation =
deteriorates=20
every day. Why is Canada so reluctant to take further action?''=20
<P>Ottawa already prohibits Canadians from making investments in Myanmar =
that=20
would support the military government, which is led by General Than =
Shwe. Ottawa=20
has also restricted visits to Canada by high-ranking Myanmar military =
officials.=20

<P>The military has maintained an authoritarian grip on Myanmar since =
1988, when=20
it put down a public uprising in support of democracy.=20
<P>Suu Kyi, who was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, has been under =
house=20
arrest for many years and cannot leave the country. She remains the =
biggest=20
thorn in the government's side.=20
<P>Officials with Myanmar's government in exile were in Montreal on =
Friday to=20
attend a ceremony in which human rights activists Cynthia Maung and Min =
Ko Naing=20
were to be awarded the John Humphrey Freedom prize. The Canada-funded=20
International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development named =
the award=20
for the Canadian who prepared the first draft of the Universal =
Declaration of=20
Human Rights, which the United Nations adopted 51 years ago.=20
<P>Maung, a 39-year-old physician who has lived and worked in refugee =
camps=20
along Thailand's border with Myanmar, will receive the prize on behalf =
of=20
student leader Min Ko Naing, imprisoned for the last 10 years. Ko =
Naing's=20
speeches, statements and poems were an inspirational force for the 1988=20
democracy uprising. In 1989, the regime sentenced him to a 20-year jail =
term for=20
inciting disturbances. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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