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Protest Against LT.GEN.Maung Maung
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STATEMENT ON LT. GEN. MAUNG MAUNG KHIN'S ATTENDANCE AT INVESTMENT =
SEMINAR IN JAPAN
The Burmese community in Japan is outraged to learn that Lt. Gen. Maung =
Maung Khin, Vice Prime Minister of the Burmese military regime, has been =
invited to attend the Seminar on Promoting Investments in ASEAN =
Countries to be held in Tokyo on June 16, 1998.
Recent developments in Indonesia prove that economic growth cannot be =
sustained without political reform, said Ye Htut, Chairman of the =
National League for Democracy=97Liberated Area (Japan Branch). NLD =
leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has clearly =
stated that an investment boycott against Burma will pressure the =
generals to accept reforms, he added.
Promoting investment in Burma will only encourage the Burmese junta to =
continue to abuse human rights and refuse dialogue with pro-democracy =
groups, and it will ease international pressure on the generals, said =
Khin Maung Zaw, Chairman of the Burmese Youth Volunteer Association =
(BYVA). Without international trade and investment, the generals cannot =
support their huge army (which has more than doubled in size since the =
current regime seized power) and buy more weapons to continue their =
repression Burma=92s people, he added.
Most foreign companies enter joint ventures directly with the regime, or =
with front companies owned by the army and other state organs or reputed =
heroin smugglers, said Aung Than, Chairman of Students' Organization for =
Liberation of Burma (SOLB). Profits from investments go directly to the =
ruling junta for expanding and better equipping the army to repress its =
own people, despite the current economic crisis and shortage of foreign =
reserves, he added.
The Burmese junta seized power following a brutal crackdown on peaceful =
democracy uprising in 1988, in which it killed thousands and arrested =
thousands more. The Burmese people resoundingly rejected the army=92s =
rule in 1990 elections in which the NLD won over 80% of the seats in the =
national parliament, but the generals have refused to allow the elected =
representatives to take office. The Burmese junta is also one of the =
world=92s worst violators of human rights. The March 1997 resolution =
adopted unanimously by the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva =
described a litany of abuses including murder, torture, rape, political =
imprisonment and forced labor. These physical abuses are compounded by a =
total lack of free expression and free association enforced by the =
military=92s secret police.
The undersigned organizations in Japan therefore call on the =
international community to stop investment in Burma in order to pressure =
the Burmese junta to pursue democratic reform and respect human rights.
National League for Democracy=97Liberated Area (Japan Branch)
Burma Youth Volunteer Association
Students' Organizaton for Liberation of Burma
POSTER SLOGANS
-------------------------
Boycott investment in Burma
No economic success without political reform in Burma=20
Investment in Burma directly benefits military
Investment in Burma builds up military in Burma
Investment in Burma: life support for military rule
Investment in Burma prolongs military rule
Pressure Burma junta for dialogue for democratic reform
Stop human rights abuses in Burma
Peace-loving Japanese: Stop your companies building up Burma's army
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D3>
<P>STATEMENT ON LT. GEN. MAUNG MAUNG KHIN'S ATTENDANCE AT INVESTMENT =
SEMINAR IN=20
JAPAN</P>
<P>The Burmese community in Japan is outraged to learn that Lt. Gen. =
Maung Maung=20
Khin, Vice Prime Minister of the Burmese military regime, has been =
invited to=20
attend the Seminar on Promoting Investments in ASEAN Countries to be =
held in=20
Tokyo on June 16, 1998.</P>
<P>Recent developments in Indonesia prove that economic growth cannot be =
sustained without political reform, said Ye Htut, Chairman of the =
National=20
League for Democracy—Liberated Area (Japan Branch). NLD leader and =
Nobel=20
Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has clearly stated that an =
investment=20
boycott against Burma will pressure the generals to accept reforms, he=20
added.</P>
<P>Promoting investment in Burma will only encourage the Burmese junta =
to=20
continue to abuse human rights and refuse dialogue with pro-democracy =
groups,=20
and it will ease international pressure on the generals, said Khin Maung =
Zaw,=20
Chairman of the Burmese Youth Volunteer Association (BYVA). Without=20
international trade and investment, the generals cannot support their =
huge army=20
(which has more than doubled in size since the current regime seized =
power) and=20
buy more weapons to continue their repression Burma’s people, he=20
added.</P>
<P>Most foreign companies enter joint ventures directly with the regime, =
or with=20
front companies owned by the army and other state organs or reputed =
heroin=20
smugglers, said Aung Than, Chairman of Students' Organization for =
Liberation of=20
Burma (SOLB). Profits from investments go directly to the ruling junta =
for=20
expanding and better equipping the army to repress its own people, =
despite the=20
current economic crisis and shortage of foreign reserves, he added.</P>
<P>The Burmese junta seized power following a brutal crackdown on =
peaceful=20
democracy uprising in 1988, in which it killed thousands and arrested =
thousands=20
more. The Burmese people resoundingly rejected the army’s rule in =
1990=20
elections in which the NLD won over 80% of the seats in the national =
parliament,=20
but the generals have refused to allow the elected representatives to =
take=20
office. The Burmese junta is also one of the world’s worst =
violators of=20
human rights. The March 1997 resolution adopted unanimously by the UN =
Commission=20
on Human Rights in Geneva described a litany of abuses including murder, =
torture, rape, political imprisonment and forced labor. These physical =
abuses=20
are compounded by a total lack of free expression and free association =
enforced=20
by the military’s secret police.</P>
<P>The undersigned organizations in Japan therefore call on the =
international=20
community to stop investment in Burma in order to pressure the Burmese =
junta to=20
pursue democratic reform and respect human rights.</P>
<P>National League for Democracy—Liberated Area (Japan Branch)</P>
<P>Burma Youth Volunteer Association</P>
<P>Students' Organizaton for Liberation of Burma</P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P>POSTER SLOGANS</P>
<P>-------------------------</P>
<P>Boycott investment in Burma</P>
<P>No economic success without political reform in Burma </P>
<P>Investment in Burma directly benefits military</P>
<P>Investment in Burma builds up military in Burma</P>
<P>Investment in Burma: life support for military rule</P>
<P>Investment in Burma prolongs military rule</P>
<P>Pressure Burma junta for dialogue for democratic reform</P>
<P>Stop human rights abuses in Burma</P>
<P>Peace-loving Japanese: Stop your companies building up Burma's=20
army</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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