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Lobbyists campaign for women in Bur
- Subject: Lobbyists campaign for women in Bur
- From: ausgeo@xxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 20:27:00
Subject: Lobbyists campaign for women in Burma
Lobbyists campaign for women in Burma
The Nation
20.6.97
BY YINDEE LERTCHAROENCHOK
A GROUP of human rights activists launched Burma Women's Day yesterday in
front of the Burmese Embassy and called on the world community to support
Burmese women who are suffering under the repressive rule of the Burmese
junta.
They also sent a message to millions of Burmese women and children in Burma
that people across the globe will never forget them and will stand beside them
in their struggle for democracy and human rights.
Exiled Burmese dissidents and political campaigners in several countries also
launched Burma Women's Day yesterday, which was timed to coincide with the
birthday of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, to remind the
international community of the ongoing serious human rights abuses in Burma,
particularly those against women.
A morning rally and an evening reception at a hotel was held in Bangkok, and
similar activities were held in New Delhi, Manila, Washington, Osaka and The
Netherlands.
''Women across the globe are one family. Women in Burma have suffered all
sorts of human rights abuses torture, arrest, loss of their husbands and
children. Their sufferings are also our sufferings," Chalida Tajaroensuk,
programme officer of Forum Asia said.
Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate, is a leader not only of Burmese women
but also of women's movements across the globe, she said.
She added that a message had been sent to Suu Kyi to inform her of the
decision to launch Burma Women's Day on her birthday and of the activities
across the globe to mark the event.
Chalida hoped that from now on people around the world, including those in
Burma, will officially recognise June 19 as Burma Women's Day and hold regular
events in coming years.
About 10 protesters, none of them Burmese, participated in the rally in front
of the embassy because organisers of the event, the Alternative Asean Network
on Burma, urged Burmese activists not to attend for fear of being arrested.
According to Chalida, the organisers plan to send Suu Kyi a book of birthday
greetings signed by people who attended the evening reception. Several
protesters expressed concern yesterday about the health of Suu Kyi, who has
been experiencing pains in her back, neck and shoulders after falling down the
stairs of her home on May 21. She is still resting and has reduced her
workload.
Suu Kyi's reluctance to talk about her health and family life is widely known
among her political colleagues of the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Suu Kyi, who turned 52 yesterday, has become the hope and aspiration of the
Burmese pro-democracy movement. Her weekend speeches, which she has delivered
to the public since her release from house arrest in July 1995 until late last
year when the junta imposed a ban, have been transcribed, copied and
distributed across the country. Deputy NLD chairman U Kyi Maung, who is highly
respected by Suu Kyi, gave perhaps the best description of the Nobel
laureate's personality in his conversation with author Alan Clements.
In Clements' recently released book, ''Aung San Suu Kyi: The Voice of Hope",
Kyi Maung said, ''One of the great things about Suu is that what you see is
what you get. She's genuine, she never play-acts. She's not a pretender. She
speaks her mind straight and frank. Another wonderful quality in Suu is that
she genuinely loves people. She flourishes from her contact with people. She
listens to them, learns from them and she's patient," he said.
''You see her on weekends, look at the rapport she has with her audience. They
are her family," he added.
Kyi Maung goes on to describe another quality of the 52-year-old mother of two
sons. ''Also, Suu is very funny. She has an abundant sense of humour. When
we're together as a group, say in meetings, she is always telling jokes.
Always. We all do. There's always a genuine feeling of love among us, we are
all a family. This is the atmosphere we work in."
Agence France-Presse adds: A high-ranking Thai military delegation arrived in
Rangoon on Wednesday for an official visit to hold talks with Burmese military
leaders, state-run Radio Rangoon reported. Shortly after arrival, the
delegation headed by Royal Thai Navy chief Adm Vijit Chamuankarm called on the
deputy commander-in-chief of the Burmese armed forces, Gen Maung Aye, the
report said.
Also present were other senior Burmese military officials, including the
chiefs of Burma's navy and air force, the radio said in a broadcast monitored
in Bangkok.
Maung Aye also holds the posts of army chief and vice chairman of the State
Law and Order Restoration Council the official name of the ruling military
junta.
The radio did not indicate the subject of the discussion or the schedule of
Adm Chamuankarm's meetings during the trip.