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Transcript, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to



Subject: Transcript, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to the Australian Parliament

Message to the Australian Parliament by
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Leader of the National League for Democracy and
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Produced by
Australia Burma Council
Altsean and Images-Asia

Strictly Embargoed, 4.00 PM, 22nd September 1999

Australia has a unique position in the world.  It is a Western democracy 
that is situated geographically in Asia.   For this reason we think that it 
has a special role to play.

I would first like to thank all Australian Parliamentarians who have 
supported the movement for democracy in Burma.  Many of them have sent me 
personal messages of support and I was truly touched by their concern for 
me and for the rest of my co-workers for democracy in Burma.

We are confident that the people of Australia and Members of the Australian 
Parliament understand the importance of democracy and we understand very 
well that they want to do everything to support us.  Sometimes we are a 
little concerned that the policies of the Australian Government may not be 
such that would hasten the process of democratisation in Burma.  We 
understand that it is important for the Government of Australia to remain 
on good terms with neighboring Asian countries.  However, we would not like 
such considerations to, in any way, dilute the commitment to democracy that 
we know is very much part of the Australian Psyche.

The National League for Democracy and other democratic forces in Burma have 
been concerned by the recent visit of the Australian Commissioner for Human 
Rights, Mr Chris Sidoti, to Burma.  We are worried that this visit might 
give off the wrong signals. The National League for Democracy has issued a 
statement spelling out in detail our observations on Mr Chris Sidoti's 
visit.  We know that the Government of Australia, Mr Chris Sidoti himself 
and the Australian people only mean well towards us and we do not doubt 
that it was thought that this visit would, in some way, help the situation 
of human rights in Burma.  But as our Deputy Chairman, U Tin Oo, explained 
to Mr Sidoti himself, we think that the timing of this visit is wrong and 
that it was ill advised.  At this time when the military authorities are at 
their most oppressive, the visit could be misconstrued.  It could be seen 
as an endorsement of their policies, it could in fact, be seen as a tacit 
approval of what they are doing to the democratic forces in Burma.  Such a 
misinterpretation could hurt us very badly.  I am sure that the Members of 
the Australian Parliament and the people of Australia do not wish that 
anything should be done to hurt the movement for democracy in Burma.

For this reason we would like to appeal to you to consider carefully all 
contacts made with the military authorities in this country.  Contacts 
which could be construed as approval or support of the present policies of 
the military regime could be very harmful to the movement for democracy. 
 Contacts which are clearly made and made in such a way that there can be 
no ambiguities with the intention of promoting the cause for democracy, 
these we do not object to.

As the world is proceeding toward the 21st century we would like to think 
that the democratisation process of Burma also, is speeding up.  To that 
end we have been working very hard over the last 18 months.  We called for 
the parliament elected in 1990 to be convened because it was high time that 
the people's voice was heard in Burma and in the world.  Instead of 
responding to our call for convening a parliament in a civilised, humane 
way the authorities chose to increase their oppression, to arrest and 
detain members of parliament elected in 1990 and also to try to destroy the 
National League for Democracy.  They will not succeed in destroying the 
National League for Democracy because ours is not just a political party. 
 Ours is a representative of the desire of the people of Burma for 
democracy.  As long as the people of Burma want democracy the National L  
eague for Democracy will remain alive and we have no doubt what so ever 
that the desire of the people of Burma for democracy will not wane what so 
ever.

We would like to call upon the Members of the Australian Parliament to 
support strongly, the Committee Representing Parliament, which was set up 
last year when the authorities refused to convene parliament.  This 
Committee is acting on behalf of the democratically elected parliament of 
Burma until such a time as it can convene officially.  We are simply 
carrying out our duties in accordance with the mandate given to us by more 
than 54% of the elected members of parliament.  We will carry on with our 
duties until such time as the official parliament can convene and then it 
will be time for the Committee Representing Parliament to be dissolved.

We are confident that the time is not long before democracy comes to Burma. 
 We are confident that we shall achieve democracy primarily because of the 
strong desire of the people of Burma for democracy.  However, we do not in 
any way, underestimate the importance of the help of our allies all over 
the world.  For this reason we call upon the Parliament of Australia, the 
people of Australia and the Government of Australia to support us in our 
movement for democracy.

We have always believed that peace in the world is only possible if there 
is peace in the individual countries of the world.  By bringing democracy 
to Burma we shall be bringing peace to our country, and thus, we shall be 
contributing to the peace in our region and to the world.

In the name of peace, in the name of human rights and in the name of common 
decency we would like to call upon all our allies to give us the strongest 
support at this time when we are in need of support to speed up the process 
of democratisation.

Once again let me thank all of you for the consistent support that you have 
shown toward us and to voice the hope that the time will not be long when 
we can join hands together as democratic countries to promote the cause of 
human rights all over the world.

Thank you.

Working on behalf of the:
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB)
Federation of Trade Unions, Burma (FTUB)
Australia Burma Council (ABC)

PO Box 2024, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620
Tel: (612) 6297 7734	Fax: (612) 6297 7773