LETTER TO AMBASSADOR MADELEINE ALBR

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: LETTER TO AMBASSADOR MADELEINE ALBRIGHT (24/10/96)

/* Written 25 Oct 6:00am 1996 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* -------------" Letter to Ambassador Albright "--------------- */

SOME FAX NUMBER TO SEND YOUR APPEALS:

Ambassador Albright, U.N. New York: (+1 212) 415 4443
Mr Alvaro de Soto, U.N. New York: (+1 212) 963 1395
Mr Alexander Downer, Canberra: (+61 6) 273 4112

LETTER TO THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS (24/10/96)
**************************************************************

Dr U Ne Oo
48/2 Ayliffes Road
St Marys SA 5042
Australia

October 24, 1996.

H.E. Dr Madeleine K Albright
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
799, UNited Nations Plaza
New York NY 10017-3503

Dear Ambassador Albright,

RE: United Nations Security Council meeting on Burma
----------------------------------------------------
I call the H.E. Ambassador's attention to the recent student demonstration
in Rangoon and the possible arrest of the deputy chairman of the National
League for Democracy, U Kyi Maung. According to the reports by Reuters,
about 500 Burmese students from Rangoon University staged a demonstration
on 23 October against the police brutality. U Kyi Maung was reportedly
involved in trying to mediate the students in order to dissolve the protest
peacefully.

As we all are well aware, the political situation in Burma has been very
volatile and therefore I fear that such incident may induce a public unrest
and cause a greater upheaval between the two contesting political forces.
While the National League for Democracy all the time is committed to
peaceful reconciliations, the SLORC authorities have the tendency to arrest
members of opposition on any occasion under the pretext of maintaining law
and order to suppress the National League for Democracy.

I therefore appeal the Ambassador Albright and the Government of United
States of America to immediately call for a U.N. Security Council meeting
on Burma and to make initiatives for dialouge between disputing parties.

Yours respectfully and sincerely,
Sd. U Ne Oo.

Copy to:
1. Hon. Warren Christopher, U.S. Secretary of State, Main State Building,
2201 C Street NW, Washington DC 20520-7512, U.S.A.
2. Mr Alvaro de Soto, Assistant Secretary-General, U.N. Department of
Political Affairs, United Nations New York NY 10017, U.S.A.
3. Hon. Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Parliament
House, Canberra Act 2600, Australia.

/* Endreport */

Reuters Reports(Courtesy of DVB) 
-------------------------------- 
23Oct96 BURMA: BURMESE STUDENTS HOLD RARE ANTI-MILITARY RALLY. 06:58 GMT
RANGOON, Oct 23 (Reuter) - About 500 Burmese university students on
Wednesday staged a rare demonstration against the military government and
its handling of a recent scuffle involving students at a food shop,
witnesses said. The three-hour demonstration ended peacefully after
teachers from the Yangon Institute of Technology (YIT) and education
ministry officials pursuaded the students to disperse. 
    The government said on Wednesday they had not arrested any of the
students involved in the protest.  The students said they were protesting
against the detention of three classmates who were involved in an argument
at a food stall on Sunday.  A simila r quarrel at a tea shop in 1988
sparked nationwide outrage against the military government, leading to
pro-democracy street demonstrations that left thousands dead or in jail. 
The students involved in the protest said government-run television and
radio broadcasts on Tuesday night on the arrest of the three students were
inaccurate and said the police had manhandled those who were detained. 
    The demonstrators demanded an apology from the police within 48 hours
and said they wanted the government to broadcast a correct chronology of
the events leading to the detention and the release of students. The
ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) issued a statement
calling the demands impossible, and said the students were trying to
instigate unrest. "If we study the chronology of this incident, it can be
found that a restaurant quarrel was forged and diverted to become public
unre st," said the statement. 
    It accused the students of colluding with democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party.  It said the students
and the politicians were trying to turn the quarrel into a bigger
political issue. "The students' unrest was mixed with politics on purpose
to make the matter worse," the statement said. 
    "Members of the security forces had to control the situation by taking
a preventative measure so as not to let peace be spoiled, and in order to
maintain community peace and tranquility and the rule of law," it said. No
one from the group of demonstra ting students or the NLD was immediately
available for comment. 
    Witnesses said the SLORC again blocked access to Suu Kyi's University
Avenue home on Tuesday night by closing off roads leading to it. The roads
had been reopened on Monday after being sealed off for 10 days. Suu Kyi's
phone has been out of order sinc e late September, when the government
thwarted NLD plans to hold a September 27-29 party congress at her house. 
    At the time the government set up barricades manned by security police
to prevent the meeting from taking place. The SLORC also arrested 573
activists to prevent unrest, but later released them in stages. The NLD
won a landslide victory in a 1990 gene ral election, but was never allowed
to take power because the SLORC would not recognise the result of the
vote. 

23Oct96 BURMA: TOP SUU KYI AIDE DETAINED BY BURMA MILITARY. 10:01 GMT
RANGOON, Oct 23 (Reuter) - One of the top officials in Aung San Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy (NLD) party was picked up for questioning by
Burma's military government, diplomats and party sources said on
Wednesday. Kyi Maung, the deputy chairman of the NLD and one of Suu Kyi's
closest confidants, was detained for questioning by the ruling State Law
and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) on Tuesday. 
    No one from Kyi Maung's family could be immediately reached to say if
he had been released, but diplomats said they heard he was still being
questioned. SLORC officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Kyi Maung, 75, was in Rangoon's infa mous Insein Prison from 1990 to 1995
for his role in the democracy movement. 
    The SLORC on Wednesday accused him of colluding with some students
involved in an early-morning protest. They said he was helping politicise
a scuffle between students and restaurant owners and trying to create
unrest by staging a protest. 
    About 500 Burmese university students on Wednesday staged a rare
demonstration against the military government and its detention of three
classmates involved in the scuffle. 
    Kyi Maung gave speeches to supporters along with Suu Kyi on Sundays at
the front gate of the Nobel Peace laureate's house. The government has
regularly attacked Kyi Maung through official media, saying he was trying
to undermine the peace and stabilit y of the nation.  (c) Reuters Limited
1996 REUTER NEWS SERVICE