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IRI returns fire over Slorc condemn



Subject: IRI returns fire over Slorc condemnation

July 9th Bangkok Post
IRI returns fire over Slorc condemnation

'Rangoon would win Orwell's recognition'

Ralph Bachoe


The president of the International Republican Institute has described as 
"Orwellian" Slorc's latest condemnation of the institute's work in 
Burma.

"George Orwell would recognise Burma today. He wrote about it in his 
book 1984," Lorne Cramer said last week.

"It's Orwellian that the Slorc regime, guilty of forced labour, torture, 
execution of dissidents and myriad other human rights abuses, could term 
as 'terrorism' the non-violent work aided by IRI."

The IRI had from the beginning conducted its work in the open, said Mr 
Cramer.

"We are proud that we have stood with those at the forefront of peaceful 
efforts to bring change to Burma," he said.

IRI is a US-based nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing 
democracy. It conducts educational activities for political parties, 
activists and governments in over 30 countries.

Mr Cramer said Slorc's opposition was an indication of the institute's 
effectiveness. The institute would therefore be encouraged and so would 
the thousands of Burmese the organisation assists.

The regime's statements resembled many other conspiracy theories, 
typically begun by people who speak to no one but themselves, he said.

"A good start in the direction of constructive change in Burma would be 
to spend less time dreaming up conspiracy theories and more time talking 
to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party was elected but prevented from 
taking power in 1990."

Mr Cramer's reaction came after Lt Gen Khin Nyunt accused the United 
States of sponsoring state terrorism attacks against top figures in 
Burma's ruling military junta.

The intelligence chief told reporters in Rangoon on June 27 that US 
government funds sent to support the pro-democracy movement had been 
used to finance terrorist activities by exiled opposition groups.

Lt Gen Khin Nyunt singled out Dr Sein Win, prime minister of the 
parallel Burmese government, the National Council Government of the 
Union of Burma based in Washington, of masterminding the attempted 
assassination attempt of armed forces chief of staff Gen Tin Oo at his 
home in April.

A parcel bomb, reportedly mailed in Japan and addressed to Gen Tin Oo's 
home, exploded in the face of his 30-year-old daughter, killing her 
instantly. The general was not home at the time.

Sources in Rangoon say the powerful blast ripped beyond recognition the 
upper torso of the general's daughter, who had opened a cupboard to 
examine the parcel after receiving a phone call from an unknown person 
to check if the contents were intact.

Gen Tin Oo's wife, who was in the room when the blast occurred, escaped 
injury. Sources say she was saved by the cupboard door which shielded 
her from the explosion.

During the June 27 speech, Lt Gen Khin Nyunt named another Burmese 
exile, also belonging to the NCGUB, of smuggling a satellite telephone 
into the country to be used by Burmese dissidents to communicate with 
their counterparts outside the country.

Lt Gen Khin Nyunt also said that Suu Kyi's close relatives were involved 
in "all these acts aimed at destabilising the nation and causing unrest 
among the public and students." Prime Minister Sein Win is the first 
cousin of Suu Kyi.

Latest reports from sources in Rangoon say Khin Nyunt's speech is being 
played every second day in all government departments and schools 
explaining the contents of the intelligence chief's two-hour long tirade 
against US and the Burmese dissidents.

Resistance methods taught by IRI include listening to banned broadcasts 
of the Voice of America or Radio Free Asia, disseminating information on 
democracy and human rights, and circulation of material about how 
Burmese and ethnic groups are working to promote a democratic form of 
government.

IRI claims it has never provided funding to the National League for 
Democracy (NLD).



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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