news from malaysia 14 aug 96

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Subject: news from malaysia 14 aug 96

MEDIA RELEASE AND OPEN LETTER FOLLOWS:

For immediate release: 14 August 1996

MEDIA RELEASE
NGOS OBJECT TO SLORC VISIT

Kuala Lumpur, Wed.- Twenty-eight (28) Non-Government Organisations today 
lodged their objection to the state visit of General Than Shwe, head of 
Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC).

The open letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi 
said: We are shocked by the apparent willingness of our government to 
consort with a regime notorious for its atrocities and disregard for the 
basic human rights of its citizens.

It is internationally recognized that this is the regime guilty of the 
massacre of thousands of unarmed civilians exactly eight years ago, the 
regime who refuses to honour the results of the 1990 election which it 
organised, the regime who continues to jail, torture, murder and enslave 
thousands of Burmese.

The letter reminded the Minister that General Than Shwe's regime has 
continued to harass and plague the elected representatives of the Burmese 
people, jailing with impunity these elected Members of Parliament and 
their supporters.  In May, more than 260 members of the National League 
for Democracy, including elected MPs, were arrested and detained without 
trial.  Deaths in custody are common, notably, U Hla Than, the elected 
representative from the Cocos Island constituency, who died as a result 
of torture, last week. 

The letter was delivered by a delegation of Burmese and Malaysian 
activists, and was received on the Minister behalf by officials of the 
Department of Foreign Affairs at Wisma Putra this morning.

Later one of the members of the delegation, Mr. Fan Yew Teng said it was 
extremely unfortunate and disappointing that Malaysia has put itself in a 
position to be seen as an accomplice of the SLORC.
Last week, we had an electricity black-out and our Prime Minister said 
he was ashamed.  This week, we have a moral black-out and no one talks 
about it, he added.

ENDS
2- page letter follows


Yang Berhormat Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Wisma Putra
KUALA LUMPUR
August 14th, 1996
Dear Datuk,

STATEMENT OF OBJECTION

We, the undersigned organizations, wish to state our concern and lodge 
our objection to the state visit of General Than Shwe, head of Burma's 
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC).

We are shocked by the apparent willingness of our government to consort 
with a regime notorious for its atrocities and disregard for the basic 
human rights of its citizens.

It is internationally recognized that this is the regime guilty of the 
massacre of thousands of unarmed civilians exactly eight years ago, the 
regime who refuses to honour the results of the 1990 election which it 
organised, the regime who continues to jail, torture, murder and enslave 
thousands of Burmese.

General Than Shwe's regime has refused to honour the outcome of the 1990 
elections, an election which the SLORC itself organised.  Instead, it has 
continued to harass and plague the elected representatives of the Burmese 
people, jailing with impunity these elected Members of Parliament and 
their supporters.  In May, more than 260 members of the National League 
for Democracy, including elected MPs, were arrested and detained without 
trial.  Torture, murder and other atrocities against supporters of the 
will of the Burmese people continue under General Than Shwe's regime. 
Deaths in custody are common, notably, U Hla Than, the elected 
representative from the Cocos Island constituency, who died as a result 
of torture, last week. 

Hundreds of thousands of Burmese citizens continue to be subjected to 
forced labour under hazardous and life-threatening conditions for the 
SLORC's so-called "development" projects.

Tens of thousands of Burmese Muslims continue to be oppressed in 
humiliating and life-threatening ways.  This includes the desperate 
situation of the Rohingyas, who still continue to seek refuge in 
Bangladesh, despite repatriation efforts.  At this time 50,000 Rohingyas 
continue to be refugees in Bangladesh, with more people fleeing the 
brutal SLORC every day.

Therefore, it is extremely unfortunate and disappointing that Malaysia 
has put itself in a position to be seen as an accomplice of the SLORC.

We call upon our government to use this opportunity to express concern at 
the crisis in Burma and encourage the SLORC to cease these atrocities 
against our 47 million neighbors.  It is clear that the situation in 
Burma is not an internal matter.

Malaysia set an excellent example in defending the rights of the people 
of Bosnia and South Africa.  In the case of Burma, Malaysia is in a 
better position to facilitate positive change instead of unconditionally 
supporting a regime smeared with the blood of hundreds of thousands of 
our fellow Asians.

We look forward to your written reply.
Yours sincerely,
1. ABIM (Malaysian Youth Muslim Movement)
2. ALIRAN
3. All Womens Action Society of Malaysia (AWAM)
4. ASA Media Centre
5. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
6. Burma Solidarity Group Malaysia
7. CENPEACE
8. Center for Orang Asli Concerns
9. Consumers Association of Penang
10. Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth
11. Ideal Time
12. IIFSO (Islamic Federation of Student Organisations)
13. INSAN
14. Jawatankuasa Sokongan Peneroka Bandar (Support Committee for Urban 
Pioneer Settlers)
15. Jia Chong (United Chinese School Teachers Association)
16. JUST World Trust
17. Labour Resource Centre
18. MSRI (Malaysian Sociological Research Institute)
19. Parti Rakyat Malaysia (Peoples Party Malaysia)
20. PKPIM (National Union of Malaysian Muslim Stdents)
21. Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth)
22. SEAFDA (South-East Asian Forum for Development Alternatives Malaysia)
23. Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth
24. SUARAM
25. Third World Network
26. WAMY (World Assembly of Muslim Youth)
27. Tamil Support Group for Human Rights
28. World Tamil Relief Fund
Coordinated by:
Fan Yew Teng
CENPEACE
Tel: 603 758 3272
Debbie Stothard
Burma Solidarity Group Malaysia
Fax: 603 732 7325