Europe, February 12th,1997: Open le

[bcn@xxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Europe, February 12th,1997: Open letter to the Presidency of the European Union

Europe, February 12th,1997
Open letter to the Presidency of the European Union

The
Burma Action Group (UK)
Burma Action Ireland
KWIA steungroep inheemse volkeren (Belgium)
Info Birmanie (France)
Association Suisse Birmanie
Danish Burma Committee
Finnish Burma Committee
Burma Centrum Nederland
call upon Hans van Mierlo, minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, 
and currently holding the Presidency of the European Union, to urge member 
states of ASEAN and the EU to give their strongest encouragement to the 
commencement of dialogue between Burma's junta (State Law and Order 
Restoration Council (Slorc)), the democracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi 
and ethnic nationality leaders, to achieve the peaceful resolution of the 
long-term crisis plaguing Burma. It is only after this that Burma should be 
welcomed as a member of ASEAN and the world community. 
We urge the participants of the 12th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting to work in 
focused cooperation for an immediate cessation of human rights violations by 
Slorc.
Tension in Burma is rising to a point comparable to that in 1988.  Physical 
attacks by the Slorc's civil front organization USDA on Aung San Suu Kyi, 
vicious attacks by the state media and a recent death-threat by the 
Slorc-minister of Transport add to the concern for her security. Diplomats 
in Rangoon have already warned that the possibility of an assasination 
should not be dismissed. Snipers are reported around her compound.
The latest documented violations against the Ethnic groups took place only 
last week on January 28th, when Slorc and the Slorc-organized Democratic 
Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) violated Thailand's borders and attacked 3 Karen 
refugee camps, in the Thai border area near Mae Sot. This action follows on 
the January 3rd mortar attacks and military raid on the Karenni refugee and 
student camps near Mae Hong Son, on the North-West border of Thailand. More 
attacks are expected.
These human rights abuses violate the very spirit and letter of Burma's 
Union Day national holiday, which falls on February 12th. It is extremely 
urgent that the participants of the 12th ASEAN - EU Ministerial Meeting use 
their good offices in both formal and informal meetings, to effect the 
Slorc's immediate cessation of human rights atrocities.

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BCN is onafhankelijke stichting. Doel: Nederlandse samenleving informeren 
over Burma. Het initieert en co-ordineert aktiviteiten die democratisering 
en duurzame ontwikkeling bevorderen. Het geeft een positieve bijdrage aan 
een constructieve dialoog tussen de diverse groeperingen.

BCN
Paulus Potterstraat 20
1071 DA AMSTERDAM
THE NETHERLANDS
(31)20-6716952 (tel)
(31)20-6713513 (fax)

LIST OF BURMA WEB RESOURCES

Just remember one website:

http://FreeBurma.org

This single page serves only as an easy to remember URL and departure
point to resources promoting the establishment of democracy in Burma.