FTUB CONDEMNS SLORC TERRORISM

[aungsan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

FEDERATION OF TRADE UNION S- BURMA
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PRESS RELEASE
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							August 21, 1997


		FTUB COMDEMNS SLORC TERRORISM
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The Federation of Trade Unions - Burma (FTUB) strongly condemns the
harsh prison sentences imposed on U MYO AUNG THANT, U CHO AUNG THAN, DAW
NGE MA MA THAN and her husband U MYINT SWE.

U MYO AUNG THANT, a member of the Executive Committee of FTUB, in
particular was accused of high treason for "terrorist" activities and
for "smuggling in explosives". He was jailed for life and 10 years.
SLORC charges against U MYO AUNG THANT are a blatant lie. He was
arrested in Mingaladon Airport while the "explosives" were supposed to
have been seized by SLORC in Kawthaung, hundreds of miles away. U MYO
AUNG THANT is a unionist decided to the cause of restoring rights of the
workers. And, that was scared the SLORC.

SLORC's Special Court, which handed down the sentence, used forced
confessions extracted though torture and psychological abuse. The trial
lasted less than ten days and merely confirmed SLORC's predetermined
conclusion without observing any of the internationally accepted
standards for a fair trial.

SLORC has also accused the FTUB of being linked to a "HAWK" terrorist
group captured by the SLORC in 1990. For the record, FTUB was founded
only in 1991. SLORC should have checked before making unfounded
accusations.

Terrorism is the use of brute force, the handing out of extremely harsh
prison sentences on activists and the imposition of severe repression to
silence the nation. SLORC generals are guilty of terrorism.

Treason is when one acts against one's country. The people of Burma in
1990 called for democracy and voted overwhelmingly for the National
League for Democracy. The SLORC acts against the will of the people and
continues to prevent democracy from being established in Burma. SLORC
generals are guilty of treason.

The generals themselves are the traitors and terrorists in Burma.

U MYO AUNG THANT who was unfairly sentenced to life imprisonment is a
true patriot working for the rights of the workers. U CHO AUNG THAN, DAW
NGE MA MA THAN and her husband U MYINT SWE, who received 10 years
imprisonment each, are the true heroes of the movement for democracy in
Burma.