U.S. Support for Human Rights and

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Dear Netters,
                        Please redistribute the following text. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Julien Moe
-----------------
U.S. Support for Human Rights
                           and Democracy in Burma 

                                Revised 11 February 1998


     The United States condemns in the strongest terms efforts by the State
Law and Order
     Restoration Council (SLORC), recently renamed the State Peace and
Development
     Council (SPDC), to prevent the citizens of Burma from exercising their
basic political
     rights. The United States wants an end to human rights abuses and the
installation of a
     democratically elected government in Rangoon, and supports the
aspirations of the
     National League for Democracy (NLD) and the people of Burma, who desire
what so
     many others around the world now take for granted: the chance to freely
express their
     views and to be represented by leaders of their choosing.

     Burma cannot fully rejoin the international community and gain the
assistance it needs
     until fundamental changes are made. The United States maintains its
position that a
     meaningful political dialogue between the Burmese authorities and the
democratic
     opposition leaders and representatives of the ethnic groups is the only
path to a solution
     of Burma's crisis.

Source:Department of State