[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

No Subject Given



Organization: Forum for Democracy and Human Rights
To: burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 1996 14:59:16 +0000
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Subject: Suu Kyi: Junta Circumventing Law
Reply-to: chan@xxxxxxxxxxxx
CC: dvb@xxxxx
Return-receipt-to: chan@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Priority: normal
X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.10) & WPEGWAF v0.7

         *******************************************************
         The Hindu ( September 2, 1996 ): Junta circumventing law : Suu Kyi
         *******************************************************
<From V. Jayanath, Singapore, Sept. 1>

Even as Myanmar's National Development Minister urged Japan to release its 
pending multi-million dollar aid, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ms. Aung San 
Suu Kyi, slammed the military junta of circumventing "due processes" of law and
sentencing her supporters to long term imprisonment.

The National Development Minister, Brig. Gen. David Abel, called upon Tokyo 
to release the blocked aid funds for the reconstruction of the Yangon Airport. 
The aid, pledged in the 1980's, was suspended during the height of the 
pro-democracy movement's struggle in 1988.

He stressed the urgency of rebuilding and developing the airport to cope with the 
current demands and pressure as also to provide more convenience to visitors 
and investors alike. His call came ahead of the "visit myanmar year," which 
begins in November this year.

But Ms. Suu Kyi raised the banner of revolt yesterday, accusing the military 
junta of "Travesity of Justice" and "secretive Trials" of political activists 
supporting her National League for Democracy (National League for Democracy).

She alleged that the under-trials were denied access to legal help and their friends 
and relatives were denied visits to the prison where they were held. Ms. Suu 
Kyi dubbed the trial and the procedures adopted by the administrations as 
"illegal" and meant only to crush the pro-democracy movement.

Though the National League for Democracy had filed appeals on their behalf, 
past experience, she said, had shown that they were of no avail. Though the 
League was the registered political party, it was still unable to function 
effectively and freely.

The Nobel laureate's latest outburst against the military regime could possibly 
intensify Western pressure on the state law and order restoration council 
(SLORC), the name by which the junta calls itself. These charges specifically 
relate to denial of justice and prevention of legal, political activity. And that 
should provide some fodder to the human rights groups that have been lobbying 
for firmer action against the junta.

South Asian analysts see in Myanmar, a ripe issue for the region's 
seven-member grouping, the Asean, to mediate and find a political solution. 
Especially in the context of the OIC Indonesia brokered peace pact in the 
Philippines, they are emboldened to suggest that the Asean can now take on the 
role of "facilitator" to begin a dialogue between the military junta and the 
pro-democracy movement in Yangon.

"The earlier Asean decides to play that role, without in any way offering a 
solution or imposing one, the better for the region. It will not be any violation of 
Asean's policy or approach, to enable disputing parities to come to the 
negotiating on Myanmar. All that is being suggested is that an informal, 
facilitator's role could be played, even diplomatically, to bring the two parties 
together. They can and should find a solution on their own,: the analysts 
suggest.

They are worried about not only the crackdown on political activists by the 
authorities, but the growing stridency of Ms. Suu Kyi's charges against the 
SLORC. If both these trends continue, then the situation in Myanmar can soon 
go out of hand and Asean will then face a genuine problem at its doorstep. 
Without waiting for cloud burst, the "preventive diplomacy," which is one of 
the watch words of the region, can get into play even now, Western diplomats 
here say.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = E.O.F. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =