Europe, February 12th,1997: Open le (r)

[cd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: Europe, February 12th,1997: Open letter to the Presidency of the Eur

bcn@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

Hey BCN, 

how do we sign up, We endorse this Open Letter,
dawn star, Paris
Free Burma Action Group France
Euro-Burmanet

> 
> From: bcn@xxxxxxxxx (Burma Centrum Nederland)
> 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.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> 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.