STATEMENT ON THE SLORC'S SAVAGE TRE

[lurie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: STATEMENT ON THE SLORC'S SAVAGE TREATMEMT OF NLD SUPPORTERS

______________________________________________________________________________

				A  B   S   D   F

   A L L   B U R M A   S T U D E N T S'   D E M O C R A T I C   F R O N T 
______________________________________________________________________________


               STATEMENT ON THE SLORC'S SAVAGE TREATMENT 
                            OF NLD SUPPORTERS
                                                                         
                                                    Date: August 23, 1996

We, the ABSDF, learned that at least 11 members of opposition  leader Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) including U Win Htein, a liaison
officer for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, have been recently handed seven-year jail terms by
Burma's military authorities. It is understood that more NLD supporters are being
questioned or rounded up nation wide and are still under detention in Rangoon's Insein
Prison awaiting trial. 

These sentences took place following the ruling State Law and Order Restoration
Council(SLORC) recent trip to Malaysia of Chairman Than Shwe and indicated the
failure of ASEAN's undefined constructive engagement policy for democratisation in
Burma.

This incident, and the SLORC savage response, demonstrate clearly yet again that there
are still no signs of progress towards democratic changes and human rights record under
the military regime and that the entire people of Burma continue to suffer under the
oppressive military regime.

The ABSDF strongly denounces the SLORC for the long term imprisonment of the NLD
supporters and its continuation of human rights abuses throughout the country.

The ABSDF deplores the continuing unwillingness of the SLORC to tolerate any political
activity in Burma and demands the immediate release of all political prisoners including
prominent student leader Min Ko Naing.

We earnestly appeal to the international community to exert more pressure against the
SLORC who has been committing continuous human rights abuses by ignoring the
demand from the international community and the will of the Burmese people.

We also request the ASEAN nations to reconsider their constructive engagement policy
which is just benefiting the SLORC and encouraging the SLORC to be more aggressive to
crack down on democratic movements, but has done nothing to promote respect for
human rights or a transition to democracy that the Burmese people voted for
overwhelmingly in 1990.

The ABSDF also urges the Burmese students and people inside and outside of Burma,
hand in hand with us, to redouble our efforts for the struggle to uproot the military
dictatorship from our mother land.


Central Leading Committee
ABSDF
Camp 88