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PRESS RELEASE (r)
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Free Burma Campaign (South Africa)
PRESS RELEASE
On the occasion of the Burmese New year, the Free Burma Campaign (FBC - =
South Africa) joins the international solidarity on five continents on =
April 17th, 2001, in its call to "Free Min Ko Naing (Burmese student =
leader/activist) and all political prisoners in Burma". The FBC-SA will =
be holding a lunchtime demonstration - Friday, 20th April 12h30 - at the =
Burmese Embassy in Pretoria (319 Murray Street, Brooklyn).
Burma has been under military dictatorship since 1962. Its people suffer =
the effects of dictatorship in some of its most violent forms. Gross =
human rights violations including rape, murder, torture, arbitrary =
detention, forced labour, forced relocation and political harassment are =
daily features of Burmese life. Political parties are prohibited from =
functioning freely. The illicit trade in drugs remains a significant =
source of income for the military junta.
The National League For Democracy (NLD), the party led by Nobel Peace =
Prize winner, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory in the 1990 =
elections. The military annulled the results of the elections and has =
been consistent in its persecution of the elected representatives of the =
Burmese people. =20
Fellow Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has likened the Burmese =
struggle to the worldwide struggle against apartheid. As recently =
liberated South Africans, who benefited in some measure from =
international solidarity we believe that we have the moral and political =
obligation to support the struggles for justice, equality and rights of =
oppressed people elsewhere in the world.=20
It is on this belief that the Free Burma Campaign was founded at the =
University of Durban-Westville in 1995. It has since grown into a vocal =
national campaign with links to the trade union, women's and student's =
movements amongst others as well as the international movement in =
support of the Burmese people.=20
While the Free Burma Campaign welcomes recent developments in Burma in =
which the military junta has engaged in tentative talks with Daw Aung =
San Suu Kyi, we call for these talks to be broadened into a genuine =
dialogue that includes both the NLD and the legitimate representatives =
of the ethnic nationalities. We call on all those who believe in justice =
and freedom to support the mandate of the popular forces in Burma for =
the restoration of democracy and to demand that the military junta must =
immediately:
1. Release all political prisoners
2. Allow the NLD and all political parties to function freely
3. Cease all military hostilities
4. Cease all forms of forced labor
The international campaign on April 17th will take the form of a 24 hour =
fast during which several thousand yellow balloons bearing the message, =
"Free Min Ko Naing and all political prisoners", will be tied to =
prominent landmarks around the world. =20
The South African campaign will also take the form of mailing this =
appeal and the message on a balloon to every South African =
parliamentarian. It is a matter of great embarrassment that our country =
hosts an embassy of the Burmese military junta. The FBC appeals to the =
South African government and all parliamentarians to show political will =
and moral courage in taking concrete measures to cut all diplomatic and =
trade ties with the Burmese military junta. It was not long ago that our =
own struggle for democracy appealed for the freedom loving peoples of =
the world for the same to be done to the apartheid regime. =20
In an acceptance speech read on her behalf when she was conferred an =
honorary doctorate by the University of Natal, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi =
appealed to South Africans to, "Please use your liberty to promote =
ours!" Let us not fail the Burmese people in their hour of need.=20
Statement issued by the Free Burma Campaign (South Africa)
Date 18th April 2001
=20
=20
Contact persons:
=20
1.. Kiru Naidoo
Ph 031-2045027; Cell 0825655286; < kirunaidoo@xxxxxxxxx >
1.. Graham Bailey=20
Ph 011-7177118/9633; < GRAHAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
1.. Dr.Thein Win
Ph 011-8822400; Cell 0823673188; E-mail < burmamtk@xxxxxxxxxxx >
=20
=20
=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Free Burma Campaign (South Africa)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>PRESS RELEASE</DIV>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>On the occasion of the Burmese New year, the Free =
Burma=20
Campaign (FBC - South Africa) joins the international solidarity on five =
continents on April 17th, 2001, in its call to “Free Min Ko Naing =
(Burmese=20
student leader/activist) and all political prisoners in Burma”. =
The FBC-SA will=20
be holding a lunchtime demonstration – Friday, 20<FONT =
size=3D3><SUP>th</SUP>=20
April 12h30 - at the Burmese Embassy in Pretoria (319 Murray Street,=20
Brooklyn).</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>Burma has been under military dictatorship since =
1962. Its=20
people suffer the effects of dictatorship in some of its most violent =
forms.=20
Gross human rights violations including rape, murder, torture, arbitrary =
detention, forced labour, forced relocation and political harassment are =
daily=20
features of Burmese life. Political parties are prohibited from =
functioning=20
freely. The illicit trade in drugs remains a significant source of =
income for=20
the military junta.<BR style=3D"mso-special-character: =
line-break"><?xml:namespace=20
prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" =
/><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>The National League For Democracy (NLD), the party =
led by=20
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory =
in the=20
1990 elections. The military annulled the results of the elections and =
has been=20
consistent in its persecution of the elected representatives of the =
Burmese=20
people. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>Fellow Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has =
likened=20
the Burmese struggle to the worldwide struggle against apartheid. As =
recently=20
liberated South Africans, who benefited in some measure from =
international=20
solidarity we believe that we have the moral and political obligation to =
support=20
the struggles for justice, equality and rights of oppressed people=20
elsewhere in the world. </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>It is on this belief that the Free Burma Campaign =
was founded=20
at the University of Durban-Westville in 1995. It has since grown into a =
vocal=20
national campaign with links to the trade union, women’s and =
student’s movements=20
amongst others as well as the international movement in support of the =
Burmese=20
people. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>While the Free Burma Campaign welcomes recent =
developments in=20
Burma in which the military junta has engaged in tentative talks with =
Daw Aung=20
San Suu Kyi, we call for these talks to be broadened into a =
genuine=20
dialogue that includes both the NLD and the legitimate representatives =
of the=20
ethnic nationalities. We call on all those who believe in justice =
and=20
freedom to support the mandate of the popular forces in Burma for =
the=20
restoration of democracy and to demand that the military junta must=20
immediately:</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal> 1. Release all political prisoners<BR>2. =
Allow the NLD=20
and all political parties to function freely<BR>3. Cease all military=20
hostilities<BR>4. Cease all forms of forced labor<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>The international campaign on April 17th will take =
the form=20
of a 24 hour fast during which several thousand yellow balloons =
bearing the=20
message, “Free Min Ko Naing and all political prisoners”, =
will be tied to=20
prominent landmarks around the world. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>The South African campaign will also take the form =
of mailing=20
this appeal and the message on a balloon to every South African=20
parliamentarian. It is a matter of great embarrassment that our =
country=20
hosts an embassy of the Burmese military junta. The FBC appeals to the =
South=20
African government and all parliamentarians to show political will and =
moral=20
courage in taking concrete measures to cut all diplomatic and trade ties =
with=20
the Burmese military junta. It was not long ago that our own =
struggle for=20
democracy appealed for the freedom loving peoples of the world for =
the same=20
to be done to the apartheid regime. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>In an acceptance speech read on her behalf when she =
was=20
conferred an honorary doctorate by the University of Natal, Daw Aung San =
Suu Kyi=20
appealed to South Africans to, “Please use your liberty to promote =
ours!” Let us=20
not fail the Burmese people in their hour of need. </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>Statement issued by the Free Burma Campaign (South =
Africa)<BR=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: line-break"><BR=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>Date 18<FONT size=3D3><SUP>th</SUP> April=20
2001<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal><I>Contact persons:<o:p></o:p></I></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal><I> <o:p></o:p></I></P>
<OL style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=3D1>
<LI class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><I>Kiru=20
Naidoo<o:p></o:p></I></LI></OL>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN-LEFT: 18pt; TEXT-INDENT: =
18pt"><I>Ph=20
031-2045027; Cell 0825655286; < <A=20
href=3D"mailto:kirunaidoo@xxxxxxxxx";>kirunaidoo@xxxxxxxxx</A>=20
><o:p></o:p></I></P>
<OL start=3D2 style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=3D1>
<LI class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><I>Graham =
Bailey=20
<o:p></o:p></I></LI></OL>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN-LEFT: 18pt; TEXT-INDENT: =
18pt"><I>Ph=20
011-7177118/9633; < <A=20
href=3D"mailto:GRAHAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";>GRAHAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx=
za</A>=20
><o:p></o:p></I></P>
<OL start=3D3 style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type=3D1>
<LI class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><I>Dr.Thein =
Win<o:p></o:p></I></LI></OL>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"><I>Ph 011-8822400; Cell =
0823673188;=20
E-mail < <A =
href=3D"mailto:burmamtk@xxxxxxxxxxx";>burmamtk@xxxxxxxxxxx</A>=20
></I><BR> <BR> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></P></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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