Malaysia NGOs call fro Burma Boycot

[caroline@xxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Malaysia NGOs call fro Burma Boycott

Malaysians call for Burma Boycott 12 February 96 Kuala Lumpur: A group of
demonstrators representing 17 local NGOs (Non Governmental organizations)
today condemned Burmas Slorc regime for its continuing human rights
violations and called on their fellow Malaysians and other citizens of
ASEAN nations to boycott the Slorcs Visit Myanmar Year campaign. they also
called on people in other part of the world to join the boycott. 

The group of concerned Malaysians condemned the Slorc for its refusal to
hand over power to a democratically elected civilian government at a rally
which was held outside the Burmese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, at 11.30am
this morning. Activists who displayed posters and placards highlighting
the crisis in Burma attempted to deliver an open letter to Slorc Chairman
General Than Shwe, but found the Embassy closed.
	
The 17 participating local NGOs represent a range of human rights, youth,
environment, religious, student and development interests. they include
ABIM (Islamic Youth Movement of Malaysia), ALIRAN, CENPEACE, SUARAM,
Malaysia Sociological Research Institute, Third World Network, South East
Asia Forum for Development Alternatives, Tamil Support Group for Human
Rights, Malaysian Gurdwara Council, World Tamil Relief, Jammu-Kashmir
Forum for Human Rights, Society for Christian Reflection, Jaffnese
Cooperative Society, national Union of Malaysian Muslim Students,
Malaysian Youth Council, International Islamic Federation of Student
Organizations (east Asia), and Parti Rakyat Malaysia. 

	The open letter described the July 1995 release of Burmese
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as a tactical move to placate growing
international and domestic opposition against (the) brutal and corrupt
regime, in a last desperate attempt to perpetuate illegal and illegitimate
and unrepresentative power in Burma. 

The rally was organized as part of a series of actions in the region to
mark Burmas Union Day. Last Saturday (10 February), a public meeting was
held in Penang to raise awareness of the Burma crisis and discuss the
Slorcs tourism and foreign investment campaign. 

For more information, please contact: Mr. Fan Yew Teng, CENPEACE, tel: ++
603 758 3272/755 fax:++ 603 758 3273 or Ms. Debbie Stothard, SUARAM, tel:
++ 603 794 3525, fax ++ 603 794 3526