LETTER TO U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL IN

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: LETTER TO U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL IN FEB'95 REPOSTED.

/* written 2 February 1995 by uneoo@physics in igc:reg.burma */
/* ----------------" Letter to Sec-General(repost) "--------------- */

Date: February 2, 1995.
To  : reg.burma-list, HRNet subscribers

Note: Congratulation to the BRC-Japan on their work  regarding  the
      protest  against  recent  offensive  on  Manerplaw. We are in
      agreement with you in particular that the  U.N.  Secretary  -
      General should make initiatives for reconciliations in Burma.
      Following  is  a  letter in solidarity with this issue to the
      Secretary-General. I also distributed this, together with the
      appeal from The Carter Center for the release   of  Daw  Aung
      San  Suu  Kyi  to  the Burmese community in Australia and few
      people overseas to whom I know. Hope that this would build up
      campaign for bigger groups to take on these issues.

*********************************************************************

\begin{document}
      48/2 Ayliffes Road
      St Marys SA 5042
      Adelaide Australia.

To  :

Dr  Boutros  Boutros-Ghali
The Secretary-General of United  Nations
38th  Floor,  U.N. Secretariat
United Nations New York  10017
United States of America.

\date{January 31, 1995.}


Dear Secretary-General:

RE: Continuing detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi\\
    and the Burmese military's recent attacks on oppositions}

I wish to call the Secretary-General's  attention  to  the  Burmese
military's recent attack on the opposition forces at the Manerplaw,
Karen  State  in  eastern   part  of  Myanmar.  As a result of this
fighting,  there  has  been  a  further  outflows  of refugees into
Thailand,    which    creating    another   added-burden   to   the
international   aid  agencies  supporting   refugees in   Thailand.
Within Karen State,  reports indicate that the intensifying  military
operation by Burmese army is resulting in the forced  porterage  of
civilians.

I also wish to note the Military Government of Myanmar's failure to
fulfill the   international    community's   request to engage in  a
substantive  dialogue with, and also the release of, the opposition
leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. These requests had already been  made
at the 1994 U.N.  General  Assembly  by  the  international community
(clause  4  and  5).  This  failure  to  comply  the  international
community's request, together with the  recent  offensive   on  the
ethnic   opposition  indicate   that  the  Military  Government  of
Myanmar  is not sincere in its  effort  in  promoting   peace   and
reconciliations. Clearly, the current trend is not leading  towards
a  peaceful  transition to democracy. Therefore, a stronger  action
from  U.N. and   international   community  are  needed  to  ensure
that  the Military Government of  Myanmar  comply  with  the   U.N.
resolutions.

I   therefore   call  upon   Secretary-General  of   U.N.  and  the
international   community  to   take  measures   regarding   recent
attack   on  the  opposition  camps  and continued detention of the
opposition leaders:

1.  The  attack  on the ethnic opposition, the Karen National Union
which seeks  the  peaceful  political   settlement   with   Burmese
army,  has   been   the   proof   of insincerity of SLORC on ethnic
minorities issues and also a revelation of the  true  intention  in
making  cease-fire  with  the rebels. The  Military  Government  of
Myanmar   evidently  fails  to  take  the  opportunity   to    make
political settlement with the ethnic minorities. Therefore, current
cease-fire  agreement  with the ethnic minority forces are intended
only for temporary  halt in military  assault  on  the  oppositions
forces, which will not give a lasting peace in Burma. Such an attack
indicates  that Burmese military will seek to  destroy  these ethnic
opposition whenever there is an opportunity.

The military operation against the opposition forces also induce an
attack  on the refugees and internally displaced  people.  In  July
1994, there has been an attack on  the  civilian  refugee  camp  at
Halockhani  at Thai-Burmese border. The international community had
already expressed its concerns in such incidences  in the 1994 U.N.
General  Assembly  resolution  (clause  17).  Therefore    it    is
necessary  to prevent such attacks  repeating in Burma.

Therefore, I  call upon the Secretary-General and the U.N. Security
Council to implement the  nation-wide cease-fire in Myanmar/Burma.

2.    Continuing    military    conflicts    and   the  delays   in
implementing  political  settlements   with   oppositions  indicate
that   the   human   rights violations   will   continue to  occur,
especially, in  the  minority  areas. Burma's neighboring countries
-  especially  Thailand   -   have   been inundated by refugees and
displaced  people   because   of   the   continuing   human  rights
abuses  in  Burma. Therefore, it is necessary to create a condition
in which human rights situation can speedily be rectified.

Therefore,  I  called  upon the Secretary-General and U.N. Security
Council  to create the special zones, which are similar to security
zones  created in Northern Iraq in 1991,  particularly in Karen and
Mon States, Kachin State, Tenasserim divisions, and  Arakan   State
where  refugees  are repatriating. In such special zones,  no armed
-forces  should  be  allowed  to  build  their  military capacities,
to provoke confrontations  and to  make  aggression   againsts  one
another.  In  order to make  a speedy improvement to human rights
situation in those special  zones,  the  human  rights  bodies  and
humanitarian  agencies  should  be  permitted of  unhindered access
to those areas.

I also wish to call upon the U.N.  Security  Council  to  implement
international arms embargo in order to discourage the Burmese Army
in the building-up of its military  capacities  and  attacking  the
ethnic oppositions.

3.  I  also  wish  to draw the Secretary-General's attention to the
lack of progress in drafting of the constitution.  The  impositions
of      guidelines     and   lack   of   participation   by    true
representatives of the people of Burma has  made   this process  of
writing  constitution  an  illegal.  Furthermore, such constitution
at its completion will unlikely be having the approval by the people
of   Burma when  the  national ref(e)r(e)ndum is made. Therefore present
process of drafting constitution need to be modified.

The  new  constitution  will  also need systematic inclusion of the
minority rights in order to  encourage  reconciliation  between
Burman  majority  and ethnic minorities. The presence of respective
U.N. agencies in drafting such constitution is required to provide
impartial judgements in incorporating these minority rights.
Therefore,  I  wish to call upon  the  Secretary-General  the  U.N.
agencies in assisting the writing of the constitution.

The  present  Military  Government  of  Myanmar  insists  that  the
constitution  must  provide the military to have the prominent role
in future national politics. The people of Burma do not  allow  any
organization   to have special role in their  future  constitution.
However,  as  a requirement  for the   national    reconciliations,
the elected parliamentarians, in consultations with present military
leaders, may define the role  of  army only for an immediate future
in accordance with the benchmarks policy.

4.  Within  Thailand,  there  have  been repeated incidences of the
conflicts  between Thai authorities and Student refugees in Bangkok
as  well   as  the  ethnic  refugees at the border. The protections
given  to  the  displaced  Burmese by the Royal Thai Government are
inadequate at present. Therefore,   the   U.N.   and  international
community  should  encourage  the  Royal   Thai Government to grant
temporary asylum to \underline{all} Burmese  nationals on the  Thai
soil.  To  assist   the  ethnic refugees, the UNHCR should urgently
set-up their offices at the refugee camps at the Thai-Burmese border.

Finally, I  should  like  to  thank  the  United  Nations  and  the
Secretary-General  for the  efforts  that has been made to  promote
human  rights  and democracy in Burma. My sincere thanks are also
to  you  for  your helps in promoting reconciliation in Myanmar and
, in particular, your kindness to the people of Myanmar/Burma.

\closing{Your faithfully and sincerely,}
copy to:\\

1. Ms  Sadako Ogata, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Case Postale
2500, CH - 1211 Geneva 2 Depot, Switzerland.\\

2. Senator the Hon. Gareth Evans, Minister for For Foreign Affairs,
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600.\\

3. John Shattuck, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and
Humanitarian Affairs, Room 7802, US Department of State, 2201 C  Street
NW, Washington DC 20520, United States of America.
\end{letter}
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