BURMA OUT! The Foreign Secretary S

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Subject: BURMA OUT!  The Foreign Secretary Speaks!!

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                      THE LP Conference


            "" I find it offensive that the same people should insist on
             democracy and freedom for Europeans, but insist that
             we should do nothing to defend the same rights of the
             peoples of Asia, or Africa. ""

             ROBIN COOK   The Foreign Secretary Speaks!!

             After ten long years the Lockerbie bombing will be
             brought to court. At last, the relatives of those who died
             that night can hear the evidence in open court. 

(Not sure if the Labour Party can actually lay a claim to that. 
Prefer to give credit to those who made the film about the 
little Hez B boy on an American "drug sting" with a bomb, 
wouldn't you?)

             For the first time in seventeen years since we went to
             war with Argentina we have brokered an agreement with
             them on contacts with the Falkland Islands. 

             For the first time in a decade we have secured an
             undertaking from the Government of Iran that it will do
             nothing to carry out the fatwah against Salman Rushdie.

(Article 19 will be pleased)  (Maybe they will now spare Burma 
and Burma Out! a little more of their time?)

             And for the first time in forty years since the Castro
             revolution, Britain has held talks with the Foreign
             Minister of Cuba. I made it clear we want to see better
             human rights in Cuba. But we have a better chance of
             getting them, not by blockading Cuba but by making the
             world open to Cuba. 

             Isolation in the modern world carries a big penalty in the
             global economy. We do not wish to visit isolation on any
             country that is willing to engage with us. 

             But there are some regimes so remote from our values
             that they must be made to pay the price of isolation. 

             One of these is Burma, ruled by a regime that has put
             hundreds of elected MPs in prison and hundreds of
             thousands of its people into refugee camps. 

             As I speak, there is a service of commemoration for
             Michael Aris, the husband of Aung San Suu Kyi. When
             Michael knew he was dying of cancer, we asked the
             Government of Burma to give him a visa so that he could
             say goodbye to his wife. They refused. 

             They could not make even a simple act of human
             compassion to a dying man. 

             It is because of their behaviour that this Government has
             stopped all support for trade with Burma and
             discouraged any tourism to Burma. 

             Some people say that human rights in other countries is
             none of our business. We can have democracy and civil
             liberty for ourselves, but can turn a blind eye to how
             other governments behave and a deaf ear to the cries for
             help of their people. 


Jazzus Christus Robin, is that all you can do Robin?
We expect more, lots more, like the Commonwealth
getting off its "nice sports butt and placing it upon Rangoon.


Rr



Follow the plea by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the appreciations 
of HH the Dalai Lama, the Shan Democratic Union,  film maker John 
Pilger, the Free Burma Coalition,  Dennis Skinner MP, Tony Benn 
MP, Ann Clwyd MP, Congress-woman  Maxine Waters, 
parliamentarians, Socialist Workers' Party,  Dr and Welsh rugby 
star JPR Williams, sportspersons, Hendrix  bassist Noel Redding, 
S African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim,  All Burma Students 
Democratic Organisation, All Burma Students Democratic Front, Tasmanian
Trades & Labour Council, Tim Gopsill, editor. The.Journalist@xxxxxxxxxx, and
numerous others.   

Supporting a Genuine war upon drugs and human rights abuse.
Sydney 2000 : Burma Out! 
http://www.mihra.org/2k/burma.htm

Music Industry Human Rights Association
http://www.mihra.org / policy.office@xxxxxxxxx 

Rachel and James http:www.mihra.org/2k/rachel.htm

Founded during UN50. Mihra's roots are in music and anti-racism and 
was first in line in calling for a sports boycott of Burma for the Sydney
2000 Olympic Games. Mihra also advances protection of creators rights 
in an anti-cultural market, currently 93.8% monopolised by the recording  
/ publishing Grand Cartel. 

Major solo work "Piece of Mind". With orchestra, Holland 69. same  
time as Beatles "Abbey Road".   http://onlinetv.com/rogerbunn.html
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