open letter to Than Shwe from AI

[euburma@xxxxxxxxx]

Dear all,

Please find, for your information, an open letter to Than Shwe, from
Amnesty International, Pierre Sane.

Best regards, Anja Sloot, AI Dutch section

----------------------------------------------------------

                                            Ref.: TG ASA 16/98.04
Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman
State Peace and Development Council
c/o Ministry of Defence
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon
Union of Myanmar                                       16 July 1998


     OPEN LETTER TO SENIOR GENERAL THAN SHWE FROM AMNESTY             
           INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY GENERAL PIERRE SANÉ

Dear General,

     The 8 August 1998 will mark the 10th anniversary of the pro-democracy
movement in Myanmar, a day that holds great symbolic significance for the
Burmese people and for the international community.  Amnesty International
is deeply concerned, therefore, about the potential for heightened tension
at this time between the authorities and political activists.  This has
been reflected over the past few weeks by political arrests and increased
restrictions and
surveillance of opposition leaders in Myanmar. In particular we are
referring to the incident on 25 June 1998 when the security forces
prevented a group of National League for Democracy (NLD) members from
entering the compound of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon. According to
credible sources, the security forces severely beat several of them merely
for peacefully attempting to attend a meeting there.

     Amnesty International is further concerned that an unknown number of
NLD members of parliament-elect have also been arrested recently and asks
that you make public their names, their place of detention, and the charges
against them. Reports also indicate that those MP's-elect who have not been
detained must report twice daily to the local authorities and are not
permitted to travel to other parts of the country.  Such restrictions on
freedom of movement and assembly clearly constitute harassment by the
authorities of people engaged in legitimate peaceful political activities.

     As this important anniversary approaches, we hope that you will begin
to defuse possibilities for conflict by taking immediate steps towards
improving the human rights situation.

	For example, the release of those prisoners of conscience who are elderly
or sick, such as U Win Tin, would go some way to establishing an atmosphere
of trust between the military and political activists.  Improvements in
prison conditions and a commitment to ending forced labour and other human
rights violations against members of ethnic minorities would also be
positive steps towards establishing better relations among the government,
the opposition, and members of ethnic minorities.
     At this time last year, Myanmar was admitted to the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and joined regional dialogues on the basis
of a clear expectation that there would be some concrete improvements in
the human rights situation there.  As ASEAN and its partners prepare to
meet in Manila, we urge you to take prompt action to improve Myanmar's
human rights record, which will not only help defuse the potential for
serious conflict, but earn
your government greater respect in the eyes of the international community.  
 
   

     Yours sincerely,
     
     
     
     
     Pierre Sané
     Secretary General


Thida                                http://www.communique.no/dvb/
Coordinator, DVB Web Page            Tel: +47 22 41 41 43,41 39 29
Democratic Voice of Burma                     Fax: +47 22 36 25 25