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Letter to A. Ouellet on Burma



9 February 1995

The Honourable Andre Ouellet
Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Trade
Lester B. Pearson Bldg.
125 Sussex Drive, 10th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2

Dear Andre,

With the assistance of your officials and other reliable sources
we have been able to determine that the SLORC Tatmadaw has launched
an all-out military assault against Manerplau, the final stronghold
of the Karen, an indigenous people in Burma. The Karen have been
resisting the oppression of the Burmese military dictatorship for
decades. In addition to the loss of life and the thousands of
refugees who will flee this latest onslaught, the fall of Manerplau
will have serious repercussions for the democratic opposition: the
political parties, which contested and won the 1990 elections,
their leaders, students and other organizations.  In recent years
they have been given safe harbour by the Karen. 

The loss of Manerplau will initiate a reign of terror against the
Karen people as they seek to escape the oppression and vengeance
of the attacking army and those living under their protection. 
This is a most serious development. The strongest and most
competent opposition to the brutality of the SLORC regime has
traditionally come from the Karen people. Now, SLORC has opted for
a military solution instead accepting the Karen's desire for a
democratic federal state.

The military assault against Manerplau undermines any shard of
credibility gained by the regime in Rangoon through their recent
attempts to suggest that Aung San Suu Kyi would be released as a
preliminary step to finding a peaceful solution to the political
crisis. It is clear to me that their meetings with the leader of
the National League for Democracy were nothing more then a cynical
charade to manipulate international opinion during the
deliberations of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

I am now convinced that UN resolutions alone will not reduce the
intransigence of this regime. Nor will "critical dialogue" assist
unless and until it is girded by the promise of international
action when dialogue does not produce compliance to basic
international human rights standards.

In addition to urging you to release a strongly worded statement,
I would request the Government of Canada to take a leadership role
on this issue: to act multilaterally through its dialogue partners
in ASEAN and at the United Nations to explore what sanctions would
be appropriate when it becomes evident that so-called dialogue is
being used simply to consolidate a military regime's ruthless grip
on power.

Yours sincerely,
/ml


Edward Broadbent
President
International Centre for Human Rights



PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                         BURMA (MYANMAR)
      ICHRDD CONDEMNS MILITARY ASSAULT AGAINST KAREN PEOPLE

Montreal, January 27, 1995 --    The State Law and Order
Restoration Council of Burma (SLORC), under pretence of an apparent
desire for conciliation, has launched an all-out military assault
against Manerplaw, the final stronghold of the Karen, an indigenous
people in Burma who have been resisting the oppression of the
military dictators for decades.  Mr. Ed Broadbent, President of the
International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development
(ICHRDD), has asked the Canadian government to take a strong stand
on these developments.

As we go to press,  it is probable that Manerplaw has fallen into
the hands of the Burmese army.  Apart from the reign of terror
brought about by this assault, thousands more Burmese people will
flee to Thailand,  significantly increasing the large number of
refugees already present in that country.

This assault shows that the Burmese government's dialogue with Aung
San Suu Kyi and the international community is nothing more than
a charade.  It is evident that their only desire is to eliminate
all opposition to their regime.  The strategy being pursued here
is similar to that used by the putchists in Haiti.

The ICHRDD is urging the Canadian government and the international
community to take the necessary steps to assist in restoring
democracy and peace in Burma.  Ed Broadbent says Canada should play
a leadership role:  "I am now convinced that UN resolutions alone
will not reduce the intransigence of this regime, nor will
"critical dialogue" assist unless and until it is girded by the
promise of international action when dialogue does not produce
compliance to basic international human rights standards".  If
SLORC continues this reign of terror, Canada must act
multilaterally through its dialogue partners in ASEAN and with
like-minded nations to explore what sanctions would be appropriate
to pursue against the regime and to put these sanctions into effect
immediately.

In 1990, the National League for Democracy won the general election
by an overwhelming 80% of the popular vote.  The results of this
election were never acknowledged by SLORC, and led to the violent
repression of the Burmese people.  Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel
Peace Laureate and democratically elected leader of her country,
remains under house arrest.  Over the past four years, ICHRDD has
intervened on numerous occasions to assist in the restoration of
democracy to its rightful owners, the people of Burma.

                              -30-
Sources:  Claudine Levesque                  Peter-Andre Globensky
          Communications Officer             Director of Programmes
          (514) 277-1639                     (514) 465-9109
          International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic
          Development-(514)-283-6073