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>Subject: IPS Inter Press Service



>From: anja sloot <ajsloot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: "'BurmaNet Editor'" <owner-burmanet-l@xxxxxxx>,
>Subject: IPS Inter Press Service
>Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 19:23:28 +0200
>
>hr.bulletin@xxxxxxx (hr.bulletin on 06-09-99 15:32:51
>Please respond to hr.bulletin@xxxxxxx
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>_______________________________________________________
>HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY WEEKLY BULLETIN
>A project of IPS-Inter Press Service
>with financial support from the European Commission
>31, August - 7, September, 1999
>_______________________________________________________
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>1.   Column: Human Rights Deteriorate in Burma
>By Aung San Suu Kyi (*)
>RANGOON (IPS) - Over the last year Burma has seen a serious deterioration
>in the area of human rights, in particular those rights that are relevant
>to the development of a free democratic process within the country.
>Repression by the military regime intensified greatly from mid-1998, when
>the National League for Democracy (NLD) declared its intention to call for
>the convening of the parliament elected in May 1990. (The NLD won the
>elections by an overwhelming majority, but the military government did not
>recognise the results and persecuted the political parties.)
>During the last twelve months many members of the NLD have been
>"detained"-the euphemism used by the authorities for what is in fact
>unlawful arrest. About sixty members of parliament and an indefinite number
>of ordinary members of the NLD remain in detention.  Some of the detainees
>were forced to resign by the military regime.  Others were released because
>their health had sharply deteriorated during detention. A number of NLD
>working committees throughout the country were demolished by the
>authorities and offices forcibly shut down.
>Because of the criminal activities conducted by the government against
>members of our party, the NLD was driven to take action under the law,
>filing suits against the home ministry and the military intelligence service.
>As might be expected, the authorities have taken no action whatsoever in
>response. Our cases remain in the hands of the legal authorities, and the
>military regime appears to have no intention of righting the wrongs that
>have been committed in the name of the law.
>Of course, it's a little unrealistic to talk about law in this country,
>where there is no rule of law. Some of the laws may look impressive on
>paper but they do not apply to the ordinary people of Burma and apply even
>less to those involved in politics and working for democracy.
>We have suffered far more over the last year than over the last seven
>years. We would therefore like the international community to be aware of
>the fact that the human rights situation in Burma has worsened severely.
>The detentions have slowed down the party's work somewhat but not too much.
>We are used to working under very difficult circumstances. One priority for
>the NLD is to educate the people of Burma about human rights, which many
>here do not even know exist. We have tried to distribute as many copies as
>we can of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and to explain
>why human rights are important for national and international peace and
>stability.
>The military authorities claim that the provisions contained in the UDHR
>are not consistent with Asian standards. This is the view, however, of
>those who simply don't believe in human rights.
>In Asia, governments are claiming that human rights are contrary to eastern
>standards only because an empowered people constitutes a threat to
>authoritarian rule.
>For example, to claim that the article of the UDHR which forbids slavery is
>applicable only to the West is tantamount to saying that Asians can be
>enslaved. This is a gross insult to all of us.
>To hold that the article that condemns unjust arrest and incarceration is
>applicable only to the West is to open the people of Asia and other
>non-western countries to constant abuse by the powers that be.
>There is no reason to say that the values of the UDHR are not acceptable to
>us in the East. There is nothing that contradicts our religion. Not one
>article runs counter to our Buddhist beliefs.
>Awareness of political participation as a human right is important.  People
>everywhere know instinctively that they should have the right to act on
>their beliefs. The Burmese people harbour very strong feelings against the
>military regime because of the gross injustices that are committed in our
>country. Even those who have never heard of the UDHR know instinctively
>that they have a right to a certain amount of human dignity.
>Those of us working for human rights and democracy in Burma are aware that
>the international community sympathises with our situation and are very
>grateful for all the help that has been given us. However, if the human
>rights situation in Burma is not to deteriorate further, there must be
>constant vigilance and continued action on the part of the international
>community.
>What we need now is more than just talk. We need concrete action, because
>our people are suffering not just from an onslaught of words but from the
>deprivation of basic justice. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS Columnist Service)
>(*)  Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is the general
>secretary of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) in Burma.
>
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