CRDB's letter to the World Bank

[FreeBurma@xxxxxxx]

The Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Burma


Mr. James Wolfensohn
President, The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433


Dear Mr. Wolfensohn,

I noted with interest a recent press report that Burmese General 
Win Tin of the military government of Burma provided you a briefing at 
the annual Board of Governors Meeting.  There are several significant 
omissions in his presentation which should be considered prior to making 
recommendations to loan money to the dictatorship in Rangoon.

When General Win Tin mentioned ?the 1988 disturbances,? he 
was referring to the Burma Army slaughter of thousands of innocent 
civilians who had been peacefully protesting against three decades of 
incompetent, corrupt, and cruel military rule.  General Win Tin did not 
mention the gang rapes of students by Burma Army soldiers, the beating to 
death of students, the throwing of wounded students into the crematorium 
behind the Burma Broadcasting Station, nor did he mention that the 
soldiers had been ordered to shoot and kill doctors and nurses attending 
wounded demonstrators.

General Win Tin failed to mention that the economic growth and 
foreign investments have only served to enrich the military junta leaders 
and their families and to pay off the debts for its acquisition of billions
of 
dollars in military equipment.  This national income has not been used for 
infrastructure.  Slave labor is used for its in-kind contributions for 
infrastructure projects.  Along with economic growth, there has been 
significant increases in infant mortality, malnutrition, AIDS and heroin 
exports.

Before you accept General Win Tin?s assertion that the military 
dictatorship in Rangoon gives priority to environmental concerns, you 
may wish to seek the views of someone with some expertise in forestry 
and environmental protection.  What the General says and what others say 
(and have documented) are contradictory.

You should understand the Orwellian vocabulary used by the 
Generals in Rangoon.  General Win Tin?s use of the term ?national 
reconciliation? should not be understood to mean ?national 
reconciliation?.  What it really means is government sponsored genocide
against ethnic minorities, torture and imprisonment of political 
oppositions leaders, and policy which seek to divide the nation along 
religious and ethnic lines to prevent a democratic coalition from 
developing.

Another omission by General Win Tin was that his government, 
the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) is not the 
legitimate government of Burma.  Elections were held in May 1990.   The 
National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 
won an overwhelming victory.  Instead of transferring political power, the 
generals imprisoned party leaders (having placed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
under house arrest months earlier) and increased its military campaign 
against pro-democracy groups throughout the country.  SLORC is an 
outlaw regime.  According to its own statements to the people, it obeys no 
laws since it is a military regime.

Most importantly, General Win Tin did not mention that Daw 
Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the pro-democracy movement of Burma 
and General Secretary of the NLD, has stated that it is premature for major 
foreign investment in Burma.  Until there is a dialogue between the 
people, represented by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the generals, no 
investment can be secure.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has made every effort to engage the 
military dictatorship in a dialogue to bring nonviolent democratic political 
reforms to our country.  For the prestigious World Bank to endorse 
oppression and tyranny by supporting the regime in Rangoon would be 
most inappropriate.  Democracies throughout the world would be 
embarrassed that their contributions were promoting the enslavement of a 
nation.


Sincerely,

(Signed)
Tin Maung Thaw
Chairman, CRDB