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26/10/97: LETTERS TO 52ND SESSION O



/* Written 26 Oct 12:00am 1997 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* -------------" Letters to UNGA-1997 "--------------- */

Dr U Ne Oo
October 26, 1997.

Dear Friend:

Please find enclosed (attached) report, "BURMA: On the Road to
peace" and a letter to the President of UN General Assembly,
H.E. Mr Hennadiy Udovenko, regarding with current political and
human rights situation in Burma. I have submitted this report
also to U.N. Secretary-General and U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees.

I call upon you/your organization to raise the issues on Burma
to the President of U.N. General Assembly and U.N.
Secretary-General. Parcicularly, please give strong support to
the United Nations regarding the issues of protection of Burma's
refugees in Thailand. I should also like you to call upon your
home government to sponsor Burma resolution at this 52nd Session
of UN General Assembly.

In closing, I thank you for your kind attention to this matter.
Your continued support and interest to Burma matters are greatly
appreciated by the Burmese people and refugees.

Yours sincerely,
(U Ne Oo)

/* Written 23 Sep 6:00am 1997 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* ----------------" Letter to President of UNGA-97 "---------------- */

LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY-1997.
----------------------------------------------------
Dr U Ne Oo
Australia.

September 20, 1997.

H.E. Mr Hennadiy Udovenko
President of U.N. General Assembly
United Nations Secretariat
United Nations New YOrk NY 10017
United States of America

Dear Sir,

I am a Burmese national currently residing in Australia. With this letter,
I call Mr President's attention to the continuing volatile situation of
refugees and displaced Burmese people in Burma's neighbouring countries. In
Thailand, there are estimated 100,000 refugees and 600,000 displaced people
who fled from Burma to escape abusive practices of Burmese military
government. Some of these refugees, who are of Burma's ethnic minority
groups, have been displaced in Thailand since 1984.

Although the Thai authorities, in the past, informally allowed Burma's
refugees to stay on the Thai soil, there are recent signs that Royal Thai
Government is increasingly intolerant to the refugees. In this connection,
I enclosed with this letter just two of several reports that indicating
Thai authorities harassment and threatening gestures made to the Burma's
refugee, especially exiled-politicians. Earlier this year also, there are
instances of the Thai authorities forcibly repatriating large number of
Burma's ethnic minority refugees into war zones.

Thailand's recent financial crisis has also brought much further gloom to
the situation of refugees and displaced Burmese. There are more than
600,000 displaced Burmese in Thailand, illegally working in Thai's labour
intensive industries. We have received recent reports of Burmese illegal
workers facing near starvation as a result of a construction company
failing to pay the wages. I fear that more workers have the likelihood of
facing similar difficulties.

I believe that urgent attention from United Nations and international
community are necessary in order to protect our refugees in Thailand and to
find appropriate solution to the problems of displaced Burmese people. I
ask Mr President to address the issues of Burmese refugees and displaced
people in Thailand at this 52nd session of United Nations General Assembly.
I call upon you to encourage the Royal Thai Government at this UN General
Assembly to solve this refugee problem with the help of UNited Nations and
international community. In particular, the UNited Nations General Assembly
should urge the Royal Thai Government to (1) transfer protection
responsibility of Burma's refugees to United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees and (2) to sign a memorandum of understanding with the UNHCR for a
safe and voluntary repatriation of Burmese refugees and displaced people.

In closing, I thank Mr President for your kind attention to this matter.

Yours respectfully and sincerely,
Sd. U Ne Oo.

Copy to:
1. Ms Sadako Ogata, UN High Commissioner for REfugees.
2. Ms Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
3. United States Department of State, U.S.A.
4. Australian Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Canberra, Australia.

/* Endreport */
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