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BURMA/AMNESTY ....VOA



DATE=10/20/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-221447
TITLE=BURMA/AMNESTY (L ONLY) 
BYLINE=DAVID BUTLER
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MONDAY ACCUSED BURMA'S MILITARY 
GOVERNMENT OF WHAT IT CALLS CYNICAL CONTEMPT OF THE BURMESE 
PEOPLE'S HUMAN RIGHTS.  AS DAVID BUTLER REPORTS FROM OUR 
SOUTHEAST ASIA BUREAU, A REPORT FROM THE LONDON-BASED HUMAN 
RIGHTS GROUP SAYS BURMA IS HOLDING MORE THAN 12 HUNDRED POLITICAL
PRISONERS.

TEXT:  THE 12-PAGE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT SAYS -- SINCE THE
FIRST UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION ON BURMA WAS 
ADOPTED IN 1992 -- THE RULING MILITARY COUNCIL HAS MADE ALMOST NO
PROGRESS IN ADOPTING THE U-N RECOMMENDATIONS.

AMNESTY SAYS THE RULING STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL 
HAS SHOWN WHAT IT CALLS CYNICAL CONTEMPT FOR INTERNATIONAL CALLS 
TO IMPROVE ITS HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD.

AMNESTY SAYS -- ALTHOUGH SOME PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE HAVE BEEN 
RELEASED SINCE 1992 -- SCORES OF OTHERS HAVE TAKEN THEIR PLACE IN
PRISONS THROUGHOUT BURMA.

THE AMNESTY REPORT SAYS THERE ARE MORE THAN 12 HUNDRED POLITICAL 
PRISONERS IN BURMA AND THE NUMBER IS GROWING STEADILY.  AMNESTY 
SAYS 1997 ALSO SAW WIDESPREAD REPRESSION OF ETHNIC MINORITIES IN 
BURMA BY THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT.

IT SAYS THOUSANDS OF ROHINGYAS -- MUSLIMS FROM ARAKAN STATE 
--FLED FROM POVERTY, FORCED RELOCATIONS AND FORCED LABOR INTO 
NEIGHBORING BANGLADESH.  AMNESTY SAYS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SHAN, 
KAREN AND KARENNI REFUGEES HAVE FLED INTO THAILAND THIS YEAR.

AMNESTY SAYS THE REFUGEES HAVE PROVIDED DETAILED INFORMATION 
ABOUT EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS, FORCED LABOR AND FORCIBLE 
RELOCATIONS -- ACCOMPANIED BY WHAT THE REPORT CALLS CRUEL, 
INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT.

AMNESTY SAYS, SINCE BURMA JOINED THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST 
ASIAN NATIONS IN JULY, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ASEAN'S
DIALOGUE PARTNERS -- THE EUROPEAN UNION, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, 
JAPAN, CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES -- HAVE URGED ASEAN TO PURSUE
THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN BURMA. 

SPEAKING AT THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN SEPTEMBER, 
BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTER OHN GYAW SAID THERE WERE NO POLITICAL 
PRISONERS IN BURMA AND NO VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. (SIGNED)

VOA / TM / WD

20-Oct-97 5:41 AM EDT (0941 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America