NCGUB Holds Press Conf in Washingto

[maung@xxxxxxxxxxx]

PRESS CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON DC VIEWS AUNG SAN SUU KYI INTERVIEW 

The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma held a press
conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on September 17.
NCGUB Prime Minister Dr. Sein Win and U Bo Hla Tint, minister for South and
North American Affairs, conducted the press conference where a videotape
interview with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was presented.

Freelance journalist Jeanne Hallacy, who recently was in Burma, conducted
the interview.

Dr. Sein Win and U Bo Hla Tint made the following speeches at the press
conference attended by about 40 television and print journalists and people
representing different organizations:

((Bo Hla Tint))  Good morning friends of Burma, ladies and gentlemen

I would like to welcome and thank all of you for attending this most
important event - a rare video interview with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi. I am Bo Hla tint and I am an elected Member of Parliament from the
1990 Burmese elections and the spokesperson for the government in exile.
Next to me is Dr. Sein Win, also an elected Member of Parliament and the
Prime Minister in exile. We are also delighted to introduce the last minute
addition of freelance TV journalist Jeanne Hallacy who conducted the
interview.

As many of you may know, in 1990 Burma held its first elections following
decades of repressive military rule. In this election, the National League
for Democracy party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won over 80% of the
parliamentary seats. However, the military refused to recognize the clear
mandate of the people and allow the newly elected members of parliament to
take their seats. Instead, the military, known as Slorc (the State Law and
Order Restoration Council), began an increasing campaign of intimidation
and arrests. I should point out that Aung San Suu was already under house
arrest at this time -- which ended up lasting over six years in the end.
Many of my close friends and colleagues that were elected were arrested and
some were tortured and killed by the brutal military dictatorship.

When it became clear the Slorc would not allow the legitimately elected
representatives to take their seats, they met to form a government in
exile, named the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or
NCGUB. They now continue the struggle from Washington, India and Thailand.

While Aung San Suu Kyi was finally released from house arrest in 1995, she
remains, for all practical purposes, a prisoner in her own home. Her
movements are restricted and visitors are limited. It is for that reason
that this video is even more remarkable and important. So without further
ado, I would like to now present you with a very recent video interview
with Aung San Suu Kyi that was smuggled out of Burma this month.

The video is divided into three topics --
1) U.S. sanctions and support of Burmese democracy; 
2) The recent admission of Burma into ASEAN; and 
3) Aung San Suu Kyi's remarks on conditions in Burma and hopes for the
future. 

The video is only fifteen minutes and has been edited for time. Full
transcripts and video copies are available in both VHS and Betacam formats.
After the video the prime minister and I will make a few brief remarks and
then open the discussion up for questions.

I am always struck by Aung San Suu Kyi's ability to demonstrate such
perseverance and even a sense of humor despite the repressive conditions
which she must operate under. The call for democracy in Burma couldn't be
more clear or compelling.

I would now like to turn the microphone over to Prime Minister Sein Win.

                             oooo

((Dr. Sein Win))  I am sure you have many questions so I will make my
comments very brief. I'd like to take the opportunity to express my thanks
to the members of the grassroots movements all over the world, who by
embracing our cause as their own, have brought democracy closer to Burma.
In particular, I'd like to express gratitude to the people, Congress, and
Government of the United States for all the support given to the Burmese
democracy movement. Selective purchasing legislation introduced by
different cities and the state of Massachusetts have had an enormous impact
on the illegitimate military junta and are a tremendous boost to our effort
to restore democracy.

Economic sanctions imposed by the United States have helped to raise the
level of international pressure on the illegitimate military regime and
also severely weakened the Burmese currency -- in turn making it harder for
the military to pay off its henchmen. My thanks also to Canada and the
members of the European Union which have imposed visa restrictions and
withdrawn GSP and trade privileges from the Burmese military. Scandinavian
countries, Japan, Australia and others are also establishing conditions to
help restore democracy in our country.  Such joint action by the
international community has directly affected the military regime and
created conditions conducive to a dialogue for national reconciliation in
Burma. We are closer to such dialogue now than ever before and I call on
the international community and grassroots organizations to continue their
important support.

On the question of ASEAN, let me say to the member nations that democracy
is in your best interests. Democracy in Burma will bring greater regional
stability, security and openness for economic investment, stem the flow of
refugees and erase the ugly stain that Burma brings to ASEAN in the
international community. I call on the member nations to play a greater
regional role in supporting democracy in Burma. So far ASEAN's constructive
engagement with the Slorc, including granting membership, have failed to
bring any positive change. Now that Burma is a member, I call on ASEAN to
intervene constructively and with seriousness. It is in their best Interest
and the people of the region. As Aung San Suu Kyi said.. one cannot address
the economic problems without addressing the political problems. It is
quite simple.

With that I would like to turn the microphone over to Bo Hla Tint who will
finish the comments section and then open up the discussion for questions.

((Bo Hla Tint)) Thank you prime minister. I think it is important to add
one point about relations with the West, particularly the United States.
Burma with Slorc's approval produces over 60% of the heroin reaching
American streets and children. The Slorc not only has turned a blind eye to
this drug flow but has benefited while filling the military's own pockets
with dollars. This devastating drug flow will continue as long as the
brutal military remains in power.

I can assure you that a legitimate democratic government in Burma will give
highest priority to stopping this drug problem.  Finally, I would like to
end with a look to the future. The illegitimate military is rotten and
crumbling from within. Detested by the people, it is a leading producer of
the world's drugs, a leading violator of human rights, and is destroying a
once proud society and education system once the envy of the region -- all
to fill their own greedy pockets. Imagine a country in today's modern world
that forces its own people, including children, to conduct slave labor at
gunpoint; a country that keeps a Nobel prize winner under house arrest for
six years; a country that slaughters and imprisons thousands of its own
people for wanting a free society; a country where owning a fax machine can
lead to seven years in jail. I say it is time for Slorc to recognize the
legitimately elected government and enter into a serious dialogue with the
democratic forces and ethnic groups toward real national reconciliation.

I pledge to you as one of the legitimately elected members of parliament
that a democratic government will restore democratic rule, respect human
rights and freedom of expression, develop the rule of law to protect
investments, and bring Burma into the community of responsible nations.

Thank you and let us now open it up for questions.

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