Myanmar tells U.N. keep out (r)

[arakan1@xxxxxxxx]

Myanmar tells U.N. keep out, opposition wants help


By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 30 (Reuters) -Myanmar's foreign minister told the
United Nations on Wednesday that the world had no right to interfere in
his
country's internal affairs when the military government had chosen the
path
of democracy.

But as U Ohn Gyaw addressed the 53rd General Assembly, Denmark sponsored
a
news conference of the country's democratic opposition which warned that
``time was running out'' for the junta and called on the United Nations
to
combine global sanctions with diplomatic mediation.

``We will not be sitting down and taking it easy just because we are
calling
for a dialogue,'' said Dr. Sein Win, prime minister of the provisional
government in prime minister in exile of Myanmar, formerly Burma.

``We will not wait. We will do what has to be done to convene the
Parliament
in Burma,'' he said. ``The situation is very explosive and it may happen
that we cannot control it.

There may be an uprising.

Ohn Gyaw, in his address, spent little time defending Myanmar's polices,
which have been the subject of annual
General Assembly resolutions on human rights abuses. Instead he spoke
mainly
about regional and  international issues.

He said, however, that ``we are much distressed that there are those who
would like to use the United Nations to intervene in matters that are
essentially within our domestic jurisdiction.''

``We, in Myanmar, have chosen the path of democracy,'' he said, adding
that
the government would not submit to political pressure to transplant a
foreign form of democracy.

The minister said the United Nations had too many responsibilities to
intervene in Myanmar, when its  government had restored stability from a
``state of chaos and anarchy.''

The United States and European nations have been in the forefront of
international condemnation of Myanmar, whose military refused to give up
power after the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a May 1990
general
election.

Its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was put under
six
years of house arrest, until mid-1995, and is still forbidden to play a
political role.

Sein Win charged that the country's economy was in a state of collapse
except for the heroin trade protected by the junta.

Universities remain closed because the generals feared intellectuals,
AIDS
continued to spread because the regimedid not even acknowledge the threat
and forced labour was exacted ``on a massive scale'' from the elderly,
women
and children

In recent days, he said, the military has arrested more than 900
students,
some as young as 14, to keep them from assembling in an NLD congress.

Dr. Thaung Htun, his colleague in charge of U.N. affairs, said
Secretary-General Kofi Annan should formulate a road map for a transition
to
democracy, offering U.N. mediation services and setting a time frame.

If the government refused to cooperate, the U.N. Security Council should
impose global diplomatic and economic sanctions.

He said the General Assembly should impose a voluntary arms embargo and
U.N.
relief agencies should make any assistance conditional on human rights
and
military spending.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Myanmar, the European Union
has
suspended aid and Japan has sharply curtailed its assistance although it
paid for some projects amounting to more than $1 million.

*************************************************************************

Ohn Gyaw says his government is on the road to democracy. There is only
one "democracy" that is recognized and acceptable to all people of the
world. His government is the same government that led the Burmese people
on the road to "the Burmese Way to Socialism" which was doomed to failure
the day it was announced. Now he, Ohn Gyaw comes up with "the Burmese Way
to Democracy" which if run by a military dictatorship, will end with the
same results.

The UN with the support of the International Community must not only
continue with the actions against this illegal military dictatorship, but
must increase its support for Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic
movement and strengthen "sanctions" against this illegal regime.

>From what we know and have seen so far, the military government has not
chosen the path to democracy. In fact, we believe they are the only
obstacle that is blocking the path.

I am sure that Ohn Gyaw knows that his government (the government that he
continues to work for and we assume he also supports) is illegal and does
not have the support of the people. 
   
The "state of chaos and anarchy" in Burma which existed for a brief
period in 1988 was because of military rule and here we have Ohn Gyaw
taking credit for suppressing the democracy demonstrations which were the
direct results of the harsh military rule (which he continues to
support).

The conditions in Burma are not an internal problem anymore. Because of
inept management, the Burmese economy will soon become a concern to the
world, if not already. Then, Inernational funds will have to be used to
help them. Plus, there are many Burmese all over the world, who are
focussed on the problem. We will decide if the country and the people are
in a position that can use International assistance. Burma, if still
under military rule, is not qualified for any form of international
assistance. Hopefully, the people and government of Japan will consider
this assessment seriously.


Richard Aung Myint


 

  


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