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28/8/99:LETTER TO HON.ALEXANDER DOW



Subject: 28/8/99:LETTER TO HON.ALEXANDER DOWNER (REPOSTED)

REPOSTED TUE 11 JAN 2000: 6:00AM

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)   
-- 
HTTP://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~uneoo
EMAILS: drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx, uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
POSTMAIL: Dr U Ne Oo, 18 Shannon Place, Adelaide SA 5000, AUSTRALIA
[http://freeburma.org/[http://www.angelfire.com/al/homepageas/index.htm]
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