ADELAIDE PETITION (19/6/95)

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Received: by pilot.physics.adelaide.edu.au (5.61+IDA+MU/UA-5.23) id AA01089; Fri, 29 Dec 1995 09:28:20 +1030

> Subject: ADELAIDE PETITION (19/6/95 REPOSTED)
> 
> /* Written 29 Dec 1995 9:00am by DRUNOO@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
> /* -------------" ADELAIDE PETITION (19/6/95) "--------------- */
> 
> BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN BURMA
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Burma(sometime  called  Myanmar)  has  a  population  of  43 million with a
> complex mix of a Burman majority and ethnic minorities. The  whole  country
> has  been  under a military dictatorship of one form or another since 1962.
> After the brutal crackdown on a nationwide prodemocracy movement  in  1988,
> Burma's military authorities promised a free election and transfer of power
> to civilian government.
>    The  promised election was held in 27 May 1990 and the Opposition party,
> National League for Democracy (NLD), won  80per  cent  of  the  seats.  The
> military  then  refused to transfer power and said that the representatives
> were elected not to govern,  but  to  draw  up  a  new  constitution.  This
> announcement by military authorities was followed by series of crackdown on
> political  dissent  on  population,  including the elected representatives.
> Many ordinary people who voiced their dissent to government were  dismissed
> or  demoted from their jobs or jailed. Up until now, there has been no sign
> of transfer or power to the elected civilian  government  by  the  military
> authorities.
> 
> DETENTION OF NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Daw  Aung  San  Suu  Kyi,  the  founder  and  leader of National League for
> Democracy, been under house arrest since July 20, 1989. The National League
> for Democracy decisively won the May 1990 election despite the detention of
> its leader. Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991  for
> her  non-violent opposition to the ruling military junta, the State Law and
> Order Restoration Council (SLORC).
> 
> CEASE-FIRE AND PEACE SETTLEMENTS
> --------------------------------
> Burma has a complex mix of indigenous nationalities, though the majority is
> Burman. The ethnic minorities have been  waging  war  against  the  central
> government  since  1948  for  greater  autonomy  from majority Burmans. The
> representatives elected at the May 1990 election, fled to  ethnic  minority
> areas and with the support of ethnic minority rebels have promoted a future
> Federal Union for Burma as a solution.
>    The  military  government  rejected  the solution of a federal union for
> Burma and the ethnic rebels were coerced to sign peace  deals  without  any
> compromise  made  on  the  political issues. The ethnic rebels who insisted
> political settlement with central government had been suppressed: the Karen
> National Union, for example, have been driven out from  their  headquarters
> in  January  1995. This resulted in further outflow of 10,000 refugees into
> Thailand. In April, incursions by Burmese government troops onto Thai  soil
> to attack Karen refugees have been reported. There is a major concern about
> potential  destabilization between the two governments and the region. This
> warrants an international action  to  initiate  a  peaceful  settlement  of
> conflicts within Burma.
> 
> THE INTERNATIONAL ARMS EMBARGO
> ------------------------------
> The  present  military  junta  spend  35  per  cent  of  national budget on
> maintaining the army and build-up of arms. In 1991, the military government
> purchased US$  1.2  billion  worth  of  arms  from  China.  The  government
> reportedly  paid  its  debt to China with primary products like rice, peas,
> beans and logs. This has caused further stress  on  the  rural  population,
> which  is  currently  reported to be in a state of extreme poverty. Burma's
> GDP per capita is $650 and its Human DEvelopment Index (HDI) is 0.406. This
> extent  of  poverty  can  be  compared  with   Vietnam   (GDP/capita=$1250,
> HDI=0.514)  and  Thailand  (GDP/capita=$5270,  HDI=0.789).  The  continuing
> decline on  human  security  warrants  an  international  action,  such  as
> international arms embargo.
>    For  further  informations, please contact Dr U Ne Oo, 48/2 Ayliffes RD,
>    ST MARYS 5042 (AUSTRALIA).
> 
> /* Endreport */
>