[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

BOYCOTT PEREGRINE



Mail Delivery Subsystem wrote:
 
 The original message was received at Tue, 8 Apr 1997 11:01:54 +1000
(EST)
> from max1ppp20.apic.aussie.net [203.26.193.182]
> 

 STATEMENT BY THE AUSTRALIA BURMA COUNCIL AND THE BURMA OFFICE IN
 RESPONSE TO PEREGRINE?S POSITION ON ?TRAVEL TO MYANMAR?
 
 7th April 1997
 
 It is pleasing to see that Peregrine has seen fit to comment on travel
 to, what they term ?Myanmar?.  Even the Australian Government, in a bid
 to support the National League for Democracy (NLD) and Nobel Peace
 Laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, refers to the country as Burma.
 Peregrine might well take note of this.
 
 It is noted that the Peregrine statement refers to the Dalai Lama?s
 position on visiting Tibet, however, does not refer to Daw Aung San Suu
 Kyi?s position on visiting Burma.  Mr. Michael Roche, Director,
 Peregrine, would do well to give the same credence to
 the rightful leaders of Burma as he does to the spiritual leader of
 Tibet.
 
 Peregrine also refers to the fact that tourism will enlighten the world
 to the atrocities of the SLORC and, therefore, have a positive effect.
 Peregrine should note that there has been an enormous escalation of
 slavery in Burma since the introduction of SLORC initiated ?Visit
 Myanmar Year?, and in many discussions with returning visitors to the
 country it is clear to those of us who fight for democracy there, that
 people are most certainly not able to see the true brutality of the
 SLORC.
 
 Mr. Roche also refers to the closed door policy of Ne Win.  While this
 was a devastating time for the people of Burma none would say that ever
 in Burma?s history have things not been worse for the people than
today.
 
 The Australia Burma Council and the Burma Office working for the
 democratic movement of Burma would welcome the opportunity to discuss
 these issues with Mr. Roche in a bid to reach agreement.  It must be
 noted, however, that as long as the NLD asks the world to boycott
?Visit
 Myanmar Year? the position of the Burmese community in Australia will
 support their wishes.
 
 Once again we call on Peregrine Adventures to halt the promotion of all
 organised travel to Burma.
 
 
                 For further information:
                         -- Daniel Aung, Burma Office (02) 9264 7694
                         -- Amanda Zappia, Australia Burma Council (06)
297 7734
                         -- Michael Roche, Peregrine Adventures (03)
9663 8611
 
                 Peregrine Adventures Statement included for your
information.
 
 
 
 A Statement on Peregrine?s position on travel to Myanmar
 
 As clearly stated in the Peregrine South East Asia brochure, ?Our aim
in
 introducing tourists to Burma is to expose the country to outside
 scrutiny and to give the Burmese a chance to communicate directly with
 foreign visitors.  It is not an endorsement of Burma?s current
political
 system or human rights record.?
 
In addition, Peregrine contracts a small, family-run, local business to
 operate its holidays in Burma.  It is a totally private business,
 independent of government involvement or profiteering.  In fact, they
 pay considerably less company tax than Peregrine pays to Australian
 government.  Peregrine also encourages clients to book additional
 bicycle and sulky hire from local, private, small business.
 
 As a philosophy, Peregrine agrees with the Dalai Lama?s stance on
 Tibet.  The only way to force change within a corrupt system is to open
 the system up to outside scrutiny, not to hide it from the world.  The
 Dalai Lama encourages as many tourists as possible to visit Tibet and
 spread their opinions around the world so that pressure, through public
 opinion, can be applied to the Chinese government.  Isolation only
 allows a corrupt authoritarianism to prosper, as shown under the years
 of the Ne Win regime, when Burma closed its doors to the outside world
 and waged war on its own people.
 
 Peregrine facilitates travel for those who want to become better
 informed of the true situation in Burma for themselves.  Peregrine
hopes
 that these individuals return more knowledge on the situation and can
 make more effective communicators on the issues.
 
 For more information please contact Michael Roche, Director, at
 Peregrine, 258 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000