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Suu Kyi pleads for exclusion.
Suu kyi pleads for exclusion
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Burmese pro-democracy leaders Ms Aung San Suu Kyi has issued an
impassioned plea to ASEAN and its Regional Forum to deny Rangoon's
inclusion as an observer State.
In an interview with The Australian on the eve of ASEAN meeting
in Jakarta, Ms Suu Kyi called on South-East Asian leaders to guide
Burma's military Government towards a dialogue with her National League
for Democracy, and to condemn continued human rights abuses in the
strongest possible terms.
She also expressed the belief that ASEAN countries were losing
faith in their softly-softly policy of "constructive engagement" with the
Burmese junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council.
"We must not overlook the fact that the NLD won an overwhelming
victory in the 1990 elections," Ms Suu Kyi said by telephone from Rangoon.
"The military has ignored that result and has chosen to use
force, intimidation and suppression of the Burmese people.
"Burma is now a country with no law, no justic and no stability."
"It is unrealistic to expect a country to contribute peace under
these conditions."
"The legitimacy of any Burmese government can only be determined
by the people making their choice freely and without coercion and not by
some outside power."
"ASEAN and ARF should wait until Burma's internal problems are
solved before considering membership."
Ms Suu Kyi criticised ASEAN's policy of contructive engagement,
under which States seek to apply subtle pressure for change on the
Rangoon junta using quiet diplomatic channels.
"This policy has failed miserably,: she said,
"Not only is there no improvement but it has encouraged the
military to significantly escalate its human rights abuses with impunity."
"Even Thailand has recognised that constructive engagement has
lost credibility and I suspect that the other ASEAN States are
uncomfortable with pursuing this policy."
Ms Suu Kyi called on ASEAN to guide Burma's military leadership
towards starting a dialogue with the NLD.
This, she said, was the only way of solving the country's
internal problems peacefully.
"I have called for dialogue with the military junta from the
first day of my release (from house arrest) last year and have repeatedly
stated that dialogue is the only way to settle our differences
peacefully," she said.
"But the military leadership has completely ignored us."
"Dialogue should be held without pre-conditions. We should
discuss all points of disagreement and no topics should be ruled out in
advance."
Ms Suu Kyi held two long meetings with the ruling military
generals just prior to her release last year but has declined to disclose
any details of those meetings.
She said the question of continued human rights abuses in her
country was a serious issue urgently in need od address.
"It is a problem that disturbs me deeply. I want the Jakarta
meetings to view it with the utmost gravity and call for these abuses,
which appear to be worsening in recent months, to be stopped
immediately," Ms Suu Kyi said.
"The military leadership must be called upon to release all
political prisoners held in Burmese jails."
Ms Suu Kyi said that she will very soon announce the draft of the
NLD's proposed constitution for Burma.
She would not elaborate on the details but it is known that a key
element of the new constitution would deny the military any pivotal role
in a future civilian government and confine it to security and defence
issues.
The military Government has announced a draft constitution of its
own entrenching its power base in any future civilian government.
It would view any attemp by Ms Suu Kyi to announce a new
constitution as a direct and serious provocation.
[AFP, The Australian, 18 July 1996].
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