TRW: Reports on Communications

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

/* Written May 22 1:00pm 1995 by uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  on
igc:reg.burma */
/* ----------------" TRW: Reports on Communications "---------------- */

TRIBAL REFUGEE WELFARE (TRW) IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
P.O.BOX 215 MIRRABOOKA, WESTERN AUASTRALIA 6061
PHONE:(09) 349 4093, FACSIMILE:(09) 349 5254

TRW: Letter to Senator Gareth Evans
-----------------------------------
The Hon. Gareth Evans Q.C.
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Dated 30th January 1995

Dear Sir,

On 24th March 1994 members of the Burmese military's Western Military
Command patrolling the Naf river found some Rohingya Muslims fishing from a
small boat. The soldires tried to extort money from the fishermen, but when
they were unable to do so, tied them up with rope and borught them to Balu
Khali village in Maungdaw Township.

Eight of the Rohingya fishermen were interrogated and tortured. The
soldiers charged them with carrying out clandestine operations rather than
simply fishing. The torture lasted for five consecutive days, after which
the officer in charge orgered that all be executed. On 31st March, all of
them were borught out of the camp with their hands tied behind their backs
and were aordered to stand in a row. Subsequently, they were all shot by
firing squad.

The people of north Arakan have long been targets of whimscal killing by
military officers. If villagerws report the crime to higher officers, no
charges or arrests are ever made. This particualr incident, carried out
despite the presence of UNHCR officials in Maungdaw, indicates that SLORC
will not easily stop their inhuman persecution against the Muslims of
Arakan, or at present moment, Karen civilians.

This clearly indicates that the Military Commanders are a law unto
themselves.

With such reports of atrocities perpetrated on its ethnic monorities, it is
with great alarm and trepidation that we write to you our concerns in the
recent renewed offensives against the Karen National Union and the Student
Army (ABSDF) which has allied itself with the KNU in the struggle against
the military regime SLORC.

The Burmese military regime is noted for its brutality and it has now
proved to the would that it is not sincere or wish to resolve its
difficulties with its ethnic minorities or hand over power to the people.

Since the SLORC military offensive against the KNU, over 10,000 Karen
refugees have crossed the border into Thainald. As the situation worsens,
more will follow and there will be refugees spilling out into India,
Bangladesh and China as well. This will further destabilize the region.

We write to you with deep concern, to please try to bring all the opposing
forces to the negotiation table to bring peace and stability to the region.
If this is not possible we should stop all aid to Burma (Including AIDAB).

Threats and benchmark diplomacy on SLORC whose response to the 13th Deceber
1994 UNGA 4th resolution was that the national reconciliation is an
internal Burmese matter and that the UN should not interfere, will not
work.

We are dealing with a regime made up of power crazy genarals with little or
no education which only understand brute force.

We request you to take all possible action and to condemn the offensives
taken by SLORC on the KNU and ABSDF while it was supposed to be negotiating
ceasefires.

Thanking you in anticipation and hoping for favourable reply.

Yours sincerely

Signed, K.W. ALLMARK
CHAIRMAN
*****

Letter from TRW.
----------------

Dated 6th February 1995

Dear Dr U Ne Oo,

Greetings from Western Australia and many many thanks for your letters
dated 5/10/94, 31/12/94 and 1/2/95. I am so sorrry I was not able to reply
sooner as I have been away in Thailand for some time.

On the 30th September four of left for Bangkok to access the siutation for
ourselves plus we were to open a Motor Mechanical Training School in
Manerplaw. Three of us ladies returned home on the 25th October whilst
Keith, my husband, remained behind to open the school (see full report on
our trip sent to you).

When I returned I had to catch up on the home front and then on the office
work, whilst attending to our correspondence, my old typewriter which had
given me over fifteen years of service packed up, so on 12th January 1995
Keith and I had to invest in a Brother WP-3400 which has set us back
another $650! It has taken me some time to learn this new machine and I am
still learning. So please forgive me for my long silence. Not that I wasn't
doing anything, what with the recent developments in Manerplaw and all
that, we have been quite busy.

I still have lots of work to catch on, I would take up your suggestion to
write to the UN regarding the situation in Burma.

Before I forget, I would like to thank you for sending us copies of your
letters/submissions to the UN which I found very interesting. I realise you
have taken a lot of trouble in writing your submissions.

Please be free to publish our material into your Internet. If this will
help our cause, we have no objections.

You know Dr we out in the West can only write and thank God the pen is
mightier than the sword. You in the East are able to lobby our govt.
personally and demonstrate at the Burmese Embassy etc. Although we do not
have all this opportuinty, we can at least put our thoughts to paper.

On the 17th February they will be having a public hearing into the Human
Rights situation and lack of progress towards democracy in Burma and its
unfortunate we cannot afford to attend the hearing.

On the 21st February there will be a meeting to discuss about a campaign to
end trafficking of Burmes women and girls into Thai brothels at Community
Aid Abroad as two ladies/researchers from Human Rights Watch (formerly Asia
Watchs) would be arriving in Perth on May 11-12 1995. Debbie Peters (my
daughter) and muself will be on that committee and will report on what we
know is happening over there in Thainald. TRW has been giving small sums of
money to Daisy (a Karen Lady) to help rescue these girls from time to time.

The fall of Manerplaw was a great shock to us and more so to learn that the
KNU had to burn most of the buildings down. The problem of Buddhist versus
Christian was not the only issue, the worst isssue was that the Karen
people themselves were split. The less educated and rural Karens wanted the
ceasefire, the educated ones wanted the cease fire on some legitimate
terms. The stupidity of the rural Karens is that to SLORC a Karen was a
Kayin, which is a most derogatory term for a Karen. The SLORC really does
not care whether a Karen is aChristian or not, all Karens are rebels and
should be put down like mad dogs. Thats the way they have been brain washed
in the Burma Army. We're waiting to see how long the Buddhist Karens will
last. They are calling themselves the Karen Buddhist Democratic Association
now based at Manerplaw.

Regarding the present situation, we have written a letter to Gareth Evans
and also to Nick Bolkus to grant more placings for Burmese in Thailand.
Copies attached for your information.

For all misery and porblems in Burma, we put the whole blame on the Thai
Generals, were it not for Thailand propting up that military regime in
Burma, the Burmese people would be free today.

We have a great deal of hope in the ABSDF if they can truly run alond the
democratic lines. The two factions between Mo the Zone and Dr Naing Aung
showed they did not really understand what democracy is. We are now happy
to learn that the two groups have merged and Mo the Zone was in Chiang Mai
when we were in Manerplaw. We simply told them we could not support two
groups. We have a good raport with the Burmese students since 1989 when
they were based at Three Pagoda Pass, Minthamee and up in Mae Hong Son.
Some of those who could not carrry arms have joined ONSOB and they are
fighting on the political front. Their counterparts i.e. the Karen
student/youths have formed their own group OKRSO but they are not so
politically minded as the Burmese students.

We don't know whether our little shool was burnt down but we are sure the
KNU would have moved our tools to a safe place. The KNU have another place
to act as their Headquarters as they were quite prepared for Manerplaw to
fall some day.

We are now raising funds to help with Travel Loans for those who have been
lucky to get away to Australia. Most of them are going to the Eastern
States. We told all those we helped with sponsors that we expect them to
help those who cannot come here.

Well Dr U Ne Oo I think I have given you all the news from this end and do
keep in touch with us and at this time, those people there need you more
than ever.

Yours sincerely,
C.V.ALLMARK, SECRETARY

******

TRW: Letter to Senator Evans
----------------------------
Senator Gareth Evans Q.C.
Minister for Foreign AFfairs & Trade
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Dated 20th FEbruary 1995

Dear Sir,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your concern and
assistance at all times for all those oppressed by the so-called State Law
& Order Restoration Council and your endeavour to bring peace and democracy
to the proples of Burma.

Today is the Chin National Day in Burma but reports flowing into our office
regarding the Chin people are most distressing.

When the British granted Independance to Burma and India, the Chins who are
mostly Christians were divided up between Burma and India despite the fact
that they were one people, culturally, ethnically and linguistucally.

There are less than 2 million Chins in the whole of Burma and unless action
is taken, these hill people of the North West of Burma would be wiped off
the face of the earth by those whom they are governed by, in their case,
the Burman mahjority now known as SLORC.

We have recently received information that all those who had escaped to
Mizoram from successive Burman military governments have been rounded up by
the Indian authorities and handed over to the Burmese military authorities
and were promptly jailed. The scene on Indian television showed many
children  and women screaming and crying in thousands when they were seized
and were not permitted to take anything with them.

We write to you in the hope that you would use your good office to
alleviate the sufferings of the Chin people so that they may be granted
asylum until such time a legitimate government sits in Burma.

Yours sincerely,

signed, K.W.ALLMARK
CHAIRMAN

******

TRW: Letter to U.N. Secretary General
-------------------------------------
Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali
General Secratary
United Nations, New York, N.Y. 10017
United States of America

Dated 22nd March 1995

Dear Sir,

We solely believe that the presence of the representative of the State Law
and Order Restoration Council of Burma dishonours and discredits the United
Nations. We urge strongly that the SLORC regime be no longer accepted by
the United Nations as a legitimate Government of Burma and that this regime
be no longer accepted as a Member of the United Nations.

The United Naitons has itself recorede sufficient justification for such
action. The 94/95 Report of the Human Rights Commission of the U.N. charges
that regime with violations ofHuman Rights in Burma "which remains
extremely serious, in particular the practice of torture, summary and
arbitrary executions, forced labour, including portering for the military
(Tatmadaw), abuse of women, politically motivated arrests and detention,
forced displacement of the population, the existence of important
restrictions on the exercise of fundamental freedoms, including the freedom
of expressions and asociation, and the imposition of oppressive measures,
directed, in particular, at minority gorups".

Your Fegruary 1994 report of the Economic and Social Council points out
that the will of the people is not the basis of the authority of government
in Burma.

It is generally recognised throught the world that the SLORC regime is one
of the most oppressive and cruel regimes in the would to-day. It is also a
regime which seized control of the country by force and was rejected in an
election. The imprisonment of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, now for
almost six years, has aroused the anger of millions of people thorught the
world. Aung San suu Kyi, who acted with dignity and without violence,
gained the trust and love of the Burmese people and the ethnic minorities
is thier hope for freedom from oppression.

It's time the U.N. stepped in to bring Peace and Democracy back to Burma.

Yours sincerely,
signed. C.V.ALLMARK
SECRETARY

************

Letter from TRW
---------------
Dr U Ne Oo
48/2 Ayliffes Road
St Marys SA 5042

Dated 20th April 1995

Thank you for copies of your letters and letter of 9th April 1995 faxed to
us.

First, we would like to thank you on behalf of all refugees regarding the
situation in Thailand and requesting the UN Secretary General to urgently
rectify the situation.

We have also received reports of some of Burma's refugees in Bangladesh
(not the Roheingas) and in India that needs resettlement in Australia. We
think we should work together our government to consider our refugee there
also.

We are particularly concerned that SLORC has used chemical weapons on
Kawmoora and we are pleased to note that /* ---- */. Some time ago,
we did write to Gareth Evans about it and as soon as we can find some time,
we will be definitely writing to our government regarding this matter.

I will write and find out aobut the KNU being on Internet, as far as I
know, no one from there has mentioned it. We are aware that SLORC and some
of thier sympathesers are on Internet and we're wondering who Mr Lion is.

Please be free to use our material on Internet, this will help many people
to open their eyes  on what is happening in Burma.

We commend you on writing to Chaun Leekpai and others. We never seem to get
replies from the Thais. We think you should write to the Nation and Bangilk
post as well.

We would like to see peace and democracy return to Burma but at the same
time, not at any price. If SLORC is willing to consider minority rights and
hand over the governemnt to a real civilian government and return to
barracks, we are sure all the minorities would accept that kind of peace.

If on the other hand the Military Regime thinks that only they can govern
the country and continue their dictatorship, no ceasefires or peace
settelments for so-called development projects would be worth while.
Looking at SLORC'S record with those who have signed the ceasefires against
their will, projects have been done, schools and hospitals have been built
but that's about all. Nine of those who have signed the cease fires have
formed a gorup and we're watching their movements. They are getting
impatient with SLORC'S promises of "development".

We realise the majority of the Karen people are tired of the long drawn out
civil War and want peace. We've asked them to think hard before they fall
into SLORC's trap. Once they sign the cease fire, its only worth is to
rest, recoup and pile up more arms for another onslaught, in this instance
on the minorities. What will the Karen minority get ? We are sorry to say
that we do not have any faith on SLORC until and unless, the ceasefires or
peace deals are settled by UN.

Looking at SLORC's attitude, so far all we've learnt is that SLORC is
"cocky" and carrot and stick method won't do with SLORC. SLORC must be
wholly whipped and defeated. How??? The only hope we have is the Burmese
"People Power" and a split in the military ranks.

The economy in Burma is going down hill, the poor are getting poorer and
the generals and thier cohorts richer. Human rights violationa our in the
districts is getting worse. SLORC has no control of its military commanders
who are in actual fact, just war lords doing as they please. We really
don't know what's going to happen in Burma and we can't see a bright
future, not just yet.

May be, just may be in July, we should know what will happen , at the
moment, SLORC seems to be winning the war.

We would like to request help from you regarding one Burmese student Maung
Maung who was ordained about a year ago in Maneeloi village, close to the
so-called Student SAfe Area of RAtcahburi Province, Thainand. Now the
Ministry of Interior has forced him to disrobe to enter the Student Camp.
This happened about 45 days ago in front of UNHCR field commander KHUN
SANIT.

CAn you please help Monk Maung Maung, Burmese Student SAFE Area, Ban
Maneeloi, RAtchaburi 70140, Thailand ?

We're happy to learn that our information packets are useful to you Dr and
please continue the good work you have been doing.

Yours sincerely,
C.V.ALLMARK.

/* Endreport */