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media statement



ALTSEAN-BURMA
A L T E R N A T I V E     A S E A N    N E T W O R K    O N     B U R M A
tel: 66 2 275 1811,  66 2 693 4515            fax: 66 2 693 4515
<altsean@xxxxxxxxxx>
c/o FORUM-ASIA  109 SUTHISARNWINICHAI RD  SAMSENNOK   HUAYKWANG   BANGKOK
10320   THAILAND


MEDIA STATEMENT

BURMA'S ADMITTANCE A DAY OF SHAME FOR ASEAN

Today's welcoming ceremony for the admission of Burma's State Law and Order
Restoration Council (Slorc) as a full member of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (Asean) is a mark of shame to peoples of the region who value
human rights, justice, democracy and peace.

This act of recognizing the infamous regime as the government of Burma is a
direct, oppressive interference in Burma's affairs.  To deny the people's
vote in 1990 that granted 82% of parliamentary seats to the National League
for Democracy (NLD) and instead recognize the brutal junta, which won only
5% of the seats, amounts to an obscenity. 

Asean's refusal to dialogue with the government-elect of Burma is further
proof of its poor commitment to the peace, justice, rule of law and social
progress espoused in the Bangkok Declaration of 1967, which established Asean. 

Asean's choice to welcome Slorc and therefore squander its leverage to
ensure genuine reform in Burma is a sell-out of our 48 million neighbors in
Burma.  The proposed Asean Vision 2020 which is supposedly aimed at
achieving peace, freedom, prosperity and neutrality is therefore more of a
hallucination.

We hold this silent protest in solidarity with the peoples of Burma and
other parts of Southeast Asia who continue to be killed, jailed, tortured,
harassed and deprived of education, health services and food.  We stand in
solidarity with them because we, too, are subject to oppression.  In the
past few days, several activists in Kuala Lumpur have been summoned by the
authorities and warned not to participate in any protest actions.  We have
been sternly reminded that a gathering of 5 or more people constitute an
"illegal assembly".  This law and other unjust laws prohibiting peaceful and
legitimate activities are similar to those being enforced in Burma and other
parts of Southeast Asia.

Therefore, we call on the member states of Asean to confirm that they do
value peace, democracy, justice and human rights as expressed in a range of
Asean declarations.  We urge them to prove respect for their citizens by
ensuring positive reforms to develop a civil society.  We urge them to prove
that the content and spirit of these declarations go beyond mere lip service.

Further, we strongly urge member states of Asean and its dialogue partners
to prioritize on its agenda, the deteriorating situation in Burma during the
next few days.  We strongly urge the Asean Regional Forum to formulate and
implement with determination and firmness, a coordinated and comprehensive
strategy to ensure a prompt cessation of human rights violations and a
restoration of democracy in Burma.

Signed on July 23, 1997 in Kuala Lumpur:


Debbie Stothard					Fan Yew Teng
ALTSEAN-BURMA				Burma Solidarity Group Malaysia