Activists praise British stance on

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12 Sep 1997 

The Nation 
Activists praise British stance on Burma junta 
Agence France-Presse 
BURMESE student dissidents yesterday hailed the British government's decision 
to exclude the Rangoon junta from next year's Asia-Europe (Asem) summit in 
London. 
Eight students from two dissident groups handed over a letter to the British 
Embassy in Bangkok welcoming the European Union's "wise and honourable" policy 
to forbid visas to the "inhuman monsters" of Burma's ruling military. 
"We would like to welcome the EU action as they are against the military 
junta," said Aung Naing Min, spokesman of the All Burma Basic Education 
Students' Union (Thailand). 
The letter, addressed to the British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, was also 
presented on behalf of the Overseas National Students' Organisation of Burma, 
another group of student exiles. 
Carrying a red flag emblazoned with the yellow peacock ­ the ensign of the 
Burmese democracy movement ­ and British flags, the students presented the 
letter to a Gurkha soldier on duty at the embassy in central Bangkok. 
During an Asian visit this month, the British Foreign Secretary ruled out the 
participation of Burma in the Asem summit to be held in April 1998, in line 
with European Union sanctions against Rangoon. 
Last year the EU decided to deny visas to officials of the junta, officially 
known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc), in protest at 
its human rights record and suppression of democracy. 
Aung Naing Min expressed some disappointment that the British ambassador did 
not come out in person to accept the letter. "We would like to talk to him 
[the ambassador] about our feelings about human rights abuses," he said. 
In their letter, the students expressed hope that the EU would "gradually 
impose more sanctions against the Slorc until they hand over power to the real 
representatives of the people." 
The Slorc, which assumed power in 1988 during a bloody crackdown against a 
pro-democracy demonstrators nationwide, overturned the results of general 
elections in 1990 that were swept by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 
Burma was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 
July, despite pressure from the west to isolate the unelected military regime.