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More info on European Comm. investi



Subject: More info on European Comm. investigation forced labour

Subject: deadline, adress and description of EC-investigation, related to=20
the GSP of the EC.

Deadline: March 20, 1996
The definitive deadline for the deliverance of information, evidence and=20
other relevant documents for the investigation of the European Commission=20
into the use of forced labour in Burma, is 20th of March 1996.

The information should be sent to:

The European Commission
Directorate General 1B
External Relations
(Directorate 1B, D, Division 3)
Rue de la Lois 200
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium

Fax:
you can fax this division:
 .. 32-2-299-1047

(Represeantatives of) Organisations and/or individuals that wish to be heard=
=20
by the commission:
- should speciffically request to appear before a hearing; provided the=20
person or organisation can demonstrate a legitimate concern and possesses=20
relevant information;

In practice this means that =EDf there will be a hearing (this is not sure)=
=20
then representatives of the Burmese opposition, representatives of ethnic=20
groups and/or representatives of NGO's will be invited or asked by the EC to=
=20
appear.
The representatives should make themselves known to the EC, at the above=20
adress, and state who they are, what they do, how long they do this and why=
=20
they beleive the EEC should hear them.
It is not clear whether expenses of travel etcetera can be covered, however.

Other question, and their answers:
What sort of information can be submitted to the EC?
And can information be submitted without wanting to be heared by the EC?

Please note that:
- The EC allready has the extensive report on Forced labour, part of a=20
trilogy from the Burma Peace foundation
- The EC has assured itself of the co-operation of Yozo Yokota, special=20
rapporteur of thge commission of Human Rights of the United nations.
- The EC allready has a large number of documents eg from the KHRG, CPPSM,=
=20
HRW/A, IRRC and others that I do not include here. Please do not submitt=20
reporst from other organisations, but ask these organisation to do so=20
themselves.

All other information that is considered needed and not allready delivered=
=20
can be submitted. This can be done in the following forms
1) as straight interviews
- on 'video' tape
- on 'sound' tape
- as written text
2) as (printed, written or other) reports that are not known to the EC yet
3) Photographs can ONLY be submitted IF:
- they clearly show forced labour
In any other case the photographs MUST be accompanied by an explanation=20
about the form, context, history and other details of the forced labour. The=
=20
same is the case even when submitting photographs of chained forced=
 labourers.
Full description is in all cases needed because forced labour might=20
otherwise be judged different, depending on various international laws.

It depends on whether the EC is able to add up 1 and 1 (all the reports=20
together state a clear picture), or that all items submitted need to be=20
definitively conclusive by themselves.

A letter to the EC could start with:
Dear sir,
I specifically request to be know to the EC in regards to the investigation=
=20
of forced labourt practices in Burma. ......


Well, hope this gets you on the road to Brussels!

regards, Gijs
note: in case of correspondence with the BCN on this matter please state the=
=20
following indexnumber: 1L1
------------------------------------------------------------------
BCN is onafhankelijke stichting. Doel: Nederlandse samenleving informeren=20
over Burma. Het initieert en co-ordineert aktiviteiten die democratisering=
=20
en duurzame ontwikkeling bevorderen. Het geeft een positieve bijdrage aan=20
een constructieve dialoog tussen de diverse groeperingen.

BCN
Paulus Potterstraat 20
1071 DA AMSTERDAM
THE NETHERLANDS
(31)20-6716952 (tel)
(31)20-6713513 (fax)

visit these sights:
http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/freeburma.html
http://www.uio.no/tormodl
http://danet.wicip.org/fbc/freeburma.html