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Burma/Thail: Parliamentary committe
- Subject: Burma/Thail: Parliamentary committe
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 22 Jan 1994 09:33:00
Subject: Burma/Thail: Parliamentary committe
/* Written 3:47 pm Oct 18, 1993 by tun@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.seasia */
/* ---------- "Burma/Thail: Parliamentary committe" ---------- */
Subject: Burma/Thail: Parliamentary committee expressed concern
Bkk Post, Oct 9, 1993
Burmese rights abuses worry parliamentarians
A Parliamentary committee has expressed concern about continuing human
rights abuses on Burma.
"The dignity of the Burmese people continues to be trampled on by the
ruling military junta of Burma, commonly known as SLORC," said Dr Sutin
Nophaket, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Human
Rights, in a statement yesterday.
Dr Sutin met reporters "to share our concerns about the continuing and
appalling violations of human rights in Burma."
He listed his committee's demands which include:
-The immediate and unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and
all other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience;
-That all members of parliaments and the governments of the region
bring pressure on SLORC to return full human rights to all the people of
Burma;
-That ASEAN nations set conditions on Burma's acceptance as a member.
These conditions should include release of all political prisoners, an
immediate ceasefire and end to human-rights abuses, a "guarantee that
all ethnic nationalities would be allowed to live in safety and peace,"
and turning over of power to those elected in 1991, he said.
Dr Sutin made his statement at a press conference held by Dr Edward
Broadbent, president of the International Centre for Human Rights and
Democratic Development.
The Montreal, Canada based centre sponsored the February visit of eight
Nobel Peace Prize laureates in support of fellow laureate and Burmese
democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who the SLORC has kept under house
arrest in Rangoon for four years.
A reporter noted that the committee's position differed greatly from
that of the Government and asked Dr Sutin's opinion of the policy of
"constructive engagement."
The chairman replied that his committee's position "has nothing to do
with the government's policy."
The Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Human Rights was formed in
Nov. 1992. It contains 17 members, drawn from all parties.
The committee's members yesterday became the first to sign a worldwide
"parliamentary petition" the Broadbent-led centre officially launched
yesterday.
The centre is asking elected members of parliaments in more than 100
countries to sign a petition demanding the relase of Aung San Suu Kyi and
other political prisoners in Burma.
The signatures will be presented to UN Secty. Genl. Boutros
Boutros-Ghali by the end of this year.
"I for one hope this petition will result in some action by the UN" on
human rights and democracy in Burma, said Dr Broadbent.
He said the longer the UN delayed dealing with Burma, the greater
chance the SLORC would be seen as legitimate by its nieghbours in SE Asia.
He called the parliamentary petition "a particularly important symbolic
act" because its signatories would be democratically elected members of
parliament.
The members of Dr Sutin's committee were the first of "hundreds,
possibly thousands of elected parliamentarians" who would sign the
petition, said Dr. Broadbent.
Dr. Sutin said "people should be treated better" in Thai "safe camps"
for refugees from Burma. He said he could not cite specific examples of
ill-treatment.
Dr Broadbent noted what he said was effective pressure brought on
military regimes in Haiti and Peru by the Organisation of American States.
He said ASEAN could affect similar change in Burma by applying similarly
concerted, collective pressure on the SLORC.
Dr. Broadbent and Iris Almeida, the centre's Head of Asia and Africa
Programmes, lease Thailand today for visits to South Korea and Japan.