14/10/99:LETTER TO HON. ALEXANDER D

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

POSTED 2ND OCTOBER 1999, 6:00AM
http://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~uneoo

Following are letters to Mr Downer on 14/10/99, requesting Australian
Government's help on the resolution on Burma (letter on 29/8/99 reposted
for info.). Our friends in Australia please help write to Mr Downer one
or two line of note supporting strong and workable UNGA resolution on
Burma. Note to Ambassador Penny Wensley would also be helpful (address
included).

Regarding Australian support to Burma democracy at UN, there were
reports from our colleagues in New York that Australian involvement in
last year's drafting of resolution had been disappointingly minimal. As
we all know, the resolution was also terrible last year, especially with
matters regarding recognition of CRPP. Some of our colleagues were
making upbeat assessment about the clause in which UN said to recognise
CRPP indirectly, I am quite dissistify about it. Hope this year things
become different.

Our friends, internationally, also please ask your government to sponsor
tough and workable resolution at the UN General Assembly. We have notes 
that last year some EU countries and Canada refused to co-sponsor
because the resolution was not 'strong enough': and it proved to be
right.  

We should also write for help on this matter to our favourite
politicians: President of United States, Prime Minister of UK and
Chancellor of Germany.--U Ne Oo.

ADDRESS OF AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO UN

HON. PENNY WENSLEY
AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO UN
150 EAST 42ND STREET
33RD FLOOR, NEW YORK N.Y. 10017-5612
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FACSIMILE: +1-212-351-6610
*************************************

LETTER TO HON. ALEXANDER DOWNER
-------------------------------
14 October 1999.

Hon. Alexander Downer
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600.
(FACSIMILE:+61 6273 4112)

Dear  Mr Downer:

Please find enclosed report to the 54th UN General Assembly, "BURMA: 
Time for UN Engagement", together with letters to UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan and the President of UN Security Council. I am appealing the
Secretary-General and UN General Assembly to adopt the resolution
recognising CRPP and various other measures.

I believe that Government of Australia and its representative at the
United Nations in New York have been in the best position to help us in
this matter. I  therefore appeal you and Government of Australia  to
support the Secretary-General and ask the 54th Session of UN General
Assembly to recognise CRPP, and also to impose international investment
ban and international arms embargo on Burma. Please also ask him to help
solve the Burmese refugees and displaced people problems.  Particularly,
please help us  with any diplomatic support your government could muster
to get through a strong and workable  UN resolution on Burma.

In closing, I thank  you  and Government of Australia  for your
continuing efforts made to improve the situation in Burma. 

Yours sincerely
(U Ne Oo) 
-------------------------------
LETTER TO MR. DOWNER ON 29/8/99
*******************************
Dr U Ne Oo
18 Shannon Place
Adelaide SA 5000

29 August 1999

Hon Alexander Downer
Minister For Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2601

Dear Mr Downer

re: Burma situation and Human Rights Commission

Since last July ASEAN meeting in Singapore, I have been watching with
interest about your proposal to give assistance to Burmese military
government to set up their own independent commission of human rights.
Firstly, I sincerely appreciate your effort that is made in the spirit
of breaking this human rights and political stalemate in Burma. However,
I believe that current political climate is not conducive for Australian
officials to meaningfully assist the Burmese people to set up their own
human rights body.
	
I have also read your article in International Herald Tribune, in which
it sounding the legally elected National League for Democracy would be
to watch from a sideline for setting up of such human rights body in
Burma. I ask your government and Australia firstly give some measure of
recognition to the Committee Representing People Parliament (CRPP) and,
then, go forward with plan to assist in such matter. 
	
One unfortunate thing in dealing with SPDC/SLORC is that Burmese
military consider any initiative for improvement of human rights in
Burma simply as either (1) a politically motivated attack on them or (2)
a propaganda opportunity to promote themselves to the world's community.
There are numerous examples about SPDC/SLORC's genuine lack of
commitment to the improvement of human rights situation in Burma. The
Burmese government over the years consistently fails to comply
recommendations made especially by the United Nations Human Rights
Special Rapporteur and International Labour Organisations. I just have
enclosed with this letter a summary of exchange of communication between
the Burmese military government and ILO Governing Body on the issue of
Burma complying ILO Forced Labour Convention. In that document you may
find that how Burmese military disregard the concerns of ILO Governing
body and how the junta has dragged its feet to move forward on human
rights. If Australia were to engaged in this proposal, your official are
sure to face with this kind of treatment by the Burmese military
government. 
	
Most important factor in this proposal is Australia's eventual lack of
leverage on Burmese military. Australia doesn't simply have enough
influence on the junta to see through a possible plan for properly
setting up of a human rights body. A better approach for Australia is to
try to go through United Nations and UNSC to get unhindered access for
human rights and humanitarian organisations into Burma.
	
Burmese military has shown apparent interest to set up a human rights
committee simply because of National League for Democracy, in last few
months, had been able to regularly put out information concerning human
rights violations within Burma. Burmese junta is thus looking for ways
to legitimately counterbalance what they considered to be the
"opposition propaganda". You are therefore not to simply believe that
SPDC/SLORC has some respect for the concerns of the Foreign Minister of
Australia.
	
At a time when the unhindered access to Burma for all human rights and
humanitarian organisation become possible, there will be many Australian
NGOs and Burmese Expatriates (including one Burmese Refugee) ready to
contribute to the advancement of human rights and humanitarian situation
in Burma. I earnestly ask you and Australian Government push hard at the
United Nations to achieve such objective.
	
In closing, I thank you for your attention to this matter. We, the
Burmese people, continue to appreciate the support from Australia for
our democracy and human rights movement.

Yours respectfully and sincerely
(U NE OO)   
-- 
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POSTMAIL: Dr U Ne Oo, 18 Shannon Place, Adelaide SA 5000, AUSTRALIA
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