[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Mizzima: Burma roundtable meeting h



Burma roundtable meeting held in India

New Delhi, September 8, 2000
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

Several eminent citizens of India today came out with their statements
extending solidarity with the people of Burma in their struggle for
democracy in one of the most repressive regimes of the world. They
voiced their strong support to Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her
National League for Democracy (NLD) party at a roundtable meeting on
Burma held at India International Center (IIC) this evening.

The meeting, held under the banner of Association of Peoples of Asia
(APA), was organized by well-known Gandhian Ms. Nirmala Deshpande. About
70 Indians and Burmese participated in the meeting. Speaking at the
meeting, Mr. A. B. Bardhan, General Secretary of Communist Party of
India (CPI) extended his party's solidarity with the Burmese people. "We
stand for the struggle for Burmese people and we assure that we are
behind them", said Mr. A. B. Bardhan.

Mr. Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatama Gandhi and former Member of
Parliament, said that unlike other international issues, Burma's
situation is not to be confused and it is absolutely clear to get full
support from the people of India.

The participants of the meeting had a consensus that the struggle of
Burmese people is just and legitimate and the people in India are
broadly in sympathy with the democratic aspirations of the Burmese
people but that sympathy needs to be translated into solidarity actions.

The participants had also agreed to mobilize public opinion in a broader
way, involving all the sections of people throughout India in favour of
democracy in Burma. They also condemned the junta in Burma for placing
Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders under house arrest.

Emphasizing that the lack of democracy is the root cause of the complex
problems in Burma such as exodus of refugees and heroin production, Dr.
Tint Swe, exiled Member of Parliament from Burma said that he is
critical of any country having close relationship with illegal military
junta in Burma.