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Bkk Post-Rights groups blast Chuan



Subject: Bkk Post-Rights groups blast Chuan government

March 9, 1999
Protests over Than Shwe's visit swamp newspapers
Rights groups blast Chuan government

Human rights groups and exiled Burmese students have been flooding the
newspapers with statements protesting against the Rangoon leader's visit.

Forum-Asia, an umbrella organisation for 14 regional human rights and
development groups, blasted the Chuan government for keeping the programme
of Gen Than Shwe's visit under wraps.

The Chuan government should give the Thai public a chance to debate the
visit and be "open and transparent" in its policy towards Burma, it added in
a letter to the prime minister, copies of which were faxed to news
organisations. The letter was handed in at Government House.

The group called on the Chuan government to push for tripartite negotiations
between the ruling State Peace and Development Council, the National League
for Democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi and minority groups, and a transfer of
power from the SPDC to the NLD.

It urged the Chuan government to take a tougher stand in support of
democracy, human rights and peace in Burma.

The group called on the Thai government and its counterparts in Asean to
lead the Burmese leadership towards international practices in human rights
and democracy rather than let it use them as instruments for enhancing its
image and legitimacy.

The group denounced the Rangoon military junta on three counts:

involvement in the production and trafficking of drugs, and protection of
drug kingpin Khun Sa.

failure to respect Thai sovereignty through the use of Buddhist Karens to
attack refugee camps and Thai military outposts along the border, causing
loss of life.

inhumane treatment of Burmese people and minority groups causing a million
political and economic refugees to flee to Thailand.

Altsean-Burma, an alternative Asean network on Burma, said Gen Than Shwe's
visit was "pointless" because of the junta leader's failure to enter into a
dialogue with his fellow students.

Without a dialogue between the junta, the NLD and ethnic leaders, which
would be the first significant step to stability in Burma, "Thailand will
continue to have massive problems over territorial disputes, refugees and
drug production in Burma," the network said.


"The junta appears to have embarked on an exercise of changing its image
without changing the situation in Burma," said the network's co-ordinator
Debbie Stohard. "It would be like a serial murderer buying a new suit and
expecting the world to believe that he has stopped killing."

The Overseas National Students Organisation of Burma, and the All-Burma
Basic Education Students Union (Thailand), called on Prime Minister Chuan to
avoid cooperation with the military in the drug issue.

They urged him to reconsider boycotting the ministerial meeting of the
European Union and Asean set to take place in Berlin later this month
because of the EU's refusal to admit Burma to the gathering.

The EU strongly opposed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations'
admission of Burma in July 1997 because of the military leadership's poor
democracy and human rights record.

The Karen National Union called on Mr Chuan to press Gen Than Shwe for
progress in peace talks between Rangoon and the KNU.

KNU first general secretary Pado Mahn Sha called on the military junta to
stop human rights violations and Rangoon's attempt at "ethnic destruction"
against the Karens and other minority groups.