White House's Press Release on Burm

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Subject: White House's Press Release on Burma

October 3, 1996

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY 



                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                         Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                             October 3, 1996


                    STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

                    Visa Restrictions on Burma



The President today signed a Proclamation suspending the entry 
into the United States of persons formulating, implementing or 
benefiting from policies that are impeding the transition to 
democracy in Burma, and their immediate family members.  

The Proclamation reflects the strong concerns of both the 
Administration and the Congress about ongoing repression by the 
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in Burma.  In 
flagrant defiance of international norms, the SLORC has 
disregarded both the human rights and the will of the people of 
Burma.      

Most recently, the authorities have arrested or detained hundreds 
of members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and 
activists nationwide, who had planned to attend an NLD Conference 
in Rangoon last weekend.  We deplore these actions, and call on 
the SLORC to release, immediately and unconditionally, all of the 
NLD members and other democratic activists.  We also urge the 
SLORC to enter into a dialogue about the political future of the 
country with democratic opposition leaders and leaders of the 
ethnic minorities. We believe this is essential to political 
reconciliation in Burma.

We are keeping the situation under reviewwhile consulting with 
friends and allies.  We will continue our efforts to encourage 
human rights and democratization in Burma.

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