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rebuttal to Ohn Gyaw's speech










INFORMATION OFFICE
815 Fifteenth Street, NW, Suite 910, Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 393-7342 (202) 393-4312, (202) 393-7343


SPEECH BY THE SLORC DELEGATE AND WHAT IT MEANS

50th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
October 3, 1995


As the United Nations celebrates its 50th anniversary, 
many delegates to the UN General Assembly came forth to 
offer suggestions on how to expand the  role of the 
United Nations in achieving peace, security and 
development.   Yet, when the time came for the SLORC 
delegate, Ohn Gyaw,  it was obvious that he was there 
mainly to defend the injustices being committed by the 
military regime in Burma.

Nothing in his speech indicates that SLORC intends to 
improve the human rights situation or to advance the 
process of democratization and national reconciliation 
in Burma.  He even refused to use the words "human 
rights," "reconciliation" and "democracy" in connection 
with Burma.

Ohn Gyaw says SLORC was aiming for national 
"reconsolidation" which meant that SLORC was forcing 
the whole country,  including the ethnic people, to 
conform to its political agenda.   He also indicated 
that SLORC was pushing ahead with the process to 
legitimize military rule in Burma via the national 
convention.

Some observations regarding Ohn Gyaw's speech are:

NATIONAL CONVENTION

More important, U Ohn Gyaw said "a national convention 
has been convened to draft a new constitution which 
would be in harmony with present-day realities and 
reflect the aspirations of the entire nation."  Since 
the very intention of that convention is to ensure that 
the military plays a leading role in the future 
political life of Burma, it can never reflect the 
aspirations of the nation. The people of Burma have 
made it quite clear, once in 1988 and again in 1990, 
that they want nothing to do with military rule.
 
The constitutional principles laid down by the 
convention are all geared to serve the military.  They 
require that the future president be someone with 
military experience, that 25 percent of the seats in 
parliament be reserved for military candidates, and 
that the Commander in Chief of the Defense Services be 
given the right to take over the reins of the country 
whenever he deems the country is in a state of 
emergency.

These principles can never be in harmony with the 
realities of  Burma or the world today.  Delegates 
attending the convention have expressed their 
opposition to these rulings. Discussions by delegates 
were, however, restricted by Rules and Regulations of 
the National Convention.  Those who dared to express 
disagreement to the National Convention procedures were 
arrested and imprisoned.   Some delegates fled to 
neighboring countries after disagreeing to the way the 
convention was being conducted.

Finally, the crux of the matter regarding the National 
Convention  is mandate. SLORC does not have any 
legitimacy and thus no mandate to convene a National 
Convention or to draw up a new constitution.


POLITICAL PRISONERS

SLORC is still refusing to acknowledge the presence of 
political prisoners in Burma.   Even though Ohn Gyaw 
has tried to avoid using that term, credible 
international human rights organizations, such as the 
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have well 
documented cases of thousands of political prisoners 
living under harsh conditions in Burmese prisons.

Death resulting from systematic torture in prisons and 
because of harsh working conditions in labor camps is 
also very common.

These are the reasons why SLORC has repeatedly refused 
the International Committee of Red Cross from visiting 
political prisoners.  The ICRC finally has to close 
down its offices and withdraw from Burma because of 
SLORC's attitude.


CEASEFIRE AGREEMENTS

SLORC promises to carry out development programs in 
areas where ceasefire agreements have been reached.   
In reality, massive deployment of troops in these areas 
only increased the military control over the local 
populace who are subjected to grave human rights 
violations.

A good example is the case of the Karenni Nationalities 
Progressive Party (KNPP) which protested these 
violations following the ceasefire agreement.  SLORC 
responded by breaching the agreement and attacking 
Karenni areas.

Many of the ethnic resistance groups that have entered 
into ceasefire agreements are unhappy with the SLORC 
because the promised development assistance did not 
come about, the agreements did not transpire into any 
political dialogue that addresses the rights of ethnic 
groups, and tough restrictions continued to be imposed 
on the ethnic organizations.

One of the conditions imposed on ethnic organizations 
by the SLORC is to refrain from communicating with any 
foreign organization.   This restriction has prevented 
the ethnic groups from contacting the UN Secretariat 
and thereby hindering the effort of the UN Secretary 
General to assist in the process of national 
reconciliation and democratization.


BORDER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

U Ohn Gyaw is taking credit for undertaking development 
programs at the border areas.  It is a known fact that 
many of these border development programs never fulfill 
the needs of the people and are only propaganda 
exercises.  For instance, the Bangkok Post running an 
article entitled: "Broken Promises," cited Wa leaders 
as saying schools and clinics are constructed and 
opened with much fanfare and propaganda.   The local 
people however were never provided with teachers for 
the schools or medical staff workers for the clinics.

There obviously is something wrong with SLORC's border 
area development programs.   The number of refugees 
fleeing the border areas for neighboring countries is 
growing with time.  This is because forced porterage 
for the military, forced labor for development of 
construction projects, extortion, forced relocation, 
abuses of women and other human rights violations are 
going on at the border.


ECONOMY

Ohn Gyaw claims a "dramatic increase" in production and 
in the fulfillment of basic needs of the people.   He 
cites, among other things, an increase in rice 
production. 

The problem that faces the people today is high 
commodity prices, including that of rice which has 
jumped almost 500% as compared to 1988.  SLORC's drive 
to earn foreign exchange through rice exports by 
ignoring the growing demand at home due to population 
growth is one of the reasons for the spiralling prices.

The Burmese economy until today is a form of extracted 
economy where natural resources are exploited on an 
unlimited scale.  This has led to deforestation and 
depletion of natural resources.   Most investments that 
Ohn Gyaw claim to be increasing are in the form of 
joint ventures between the military and foreign 
entrepreneurs in the field of oil and gas, mining, 
timber extraction and tourisim. The present form of 
military command  economy only benefits the military 
elite and their relatives.

The majority of the people are getting poor and what 
Ohn Gyaw meant by narrowing the gap in living standards 
is that the urban poor are getting as impoverished as 
those in the rural areas. 

Economic benefits never trickle down to the people. Per 
capita income of people is not more than US$250 while 
the inflation rate, even according to official data, is 
about 30 percent.

SOCIAL SECTOR

Contrary to what Ohn Gyaw has said no discernible 
effort has ever been made to improve the social sector.  
The SLORC has only concentrated on building up the 
military and modernizing its weaponry.  Military 
expenditures take up about 40 percent of the budget 
while health and education sectors receive about 10 
percent.

The situation has caused many social problems.  
Malnutrition rate is soaring in the country with many 
cases detected even in the capital, Rangoon.  Yet, no 
effort has been made until today to correct the 
problem.  

Hospitals only have medical staff and nothing else 
much.  Due to shortage of medical supplies,  
hospitalized patients are asked to bring in bandages, 
medicines and whatever they might need during their 
stay in hospitals. 

Children with preventable diseases are dying because of 
the lack of effective primary health care programs.  
Child and maternal mortality rates are increasing.

In the education sector, drop out rate at schools from 
primary level up is on the rise.   Young children and 
students cannot finish their education because they are 
needed to go out and work to supplement the family 
income.

Educational standard continues to decline as 
experienced teachers leave the academic world because 
their salaries cannot cover the increasing expenses.

Other alarming problems that remain neglected by the 
SLORC are drug addiction, AIDS, refugees,  war victims 
and environmental destruction.

DRUGS

U Ohn Gyaw claims that the "Armed Forces have been 
mounting major offensives against drug traffickers."   
He however forgot to mention that opium production in 
Burma tripled after SLORC came to power.   This comes 
as no surprise because the only "major offensives" that 
SLORC has been launching are against traffickers who do 
not toe SLORC line. In areas controlled by SLORC allies 
where the bulk of the opium is produced, opium 
cultivation goes on undisturbed and with blessing by 
the SLORC.

Meanwhile, western Burma areas bordering India have 
become a new opium cultivation and refining area.  Even 
though there is no significant ethnic resistance 
movement or known major drug traffickers, opium 
production and cross-border drug trafficking have 
become a major concern.

For the SLORC, offensives against drug traffickers in 
the northeast are merely well calculated moves to gain 
international recognition and sympathy.


CONCLUSION

In sum, Ohn Gyaw speech shows that SLORC is hardening 
its stance and intends to ignore successive UN General 
Assembly resolutions that call for improvement of human 
rights situation and political settlement through 
substansive dialogue.

His speech is a signal to the international community 
that it needs to continue being critical of SLORC with 
regard to the ongoing human rights violations and to 
strengthen the mandate of the UN Secretary General so 
that he may facilitate a political dialogue between 
SLORC,  the democratic forces led by Daw Aung San Suu 
Kyi, and the leaders of ethnic groups.   Any resolution 
passed on Burma at the 50th UN General Assembly should 
also be accompanied by a time frame for the 
implementation of that resolution.  Member countries 
should use all their resources and firmly cooperate 
with the secretary general for the full implementation 
of the resolution on Burma.