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Canada Calls for Power Transfer in



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CANADA CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF POWER IN BURMA 
BurmaNews - BC:  August 20, 1998

Military dictatorship blamed for continuing instability in Burma

VANCOUVER -- A delegation from the Vancouver Burma Roundtable today met
with Raymond Chan, Canada's  Secretary of State for the Asia-Pacific
region, to press concerns over the call for Burma's Parliament to be
convened.

The meeting came on the eve of the August 21 deadline set by Burma's
National League for Democracy (NLD) for the ruling military council in the
country to call the Parliament into session.  The NLD won elections in 1990
with an overwhelming majority but the military has never honoured the
results.

At the meeting with Mr. Chan in the Vancouver airport, as he set out for
meetings of the  South Asia Forum in Indonesia, Win Myint Than of the
Roundtable handed a letter to Mr. Chan urging action by the Canadian
government and parliamentarians in support of the elected Parliament of
Burma.

Among the proposals that the Roundtable put forward was a demand that the
Canadian government issue a statement calling for the resignation of the
ruling military council in Rangoon in favour of an administration chosen by
the elected Parliament.

Mr. Chan said that Canada "urges the present government to respect
democracy and the results of the 1990 election".  

"The military council should give authority to the duly elected body
without delay," he added.

Continued control of the country by the military dictators in Rangoon would
only serve to prolong instability in Burma, he said. 

Speaking to a proposal that Canada's parliamentarians should join with MPs
from around the world in support of Burma's detained and imprisoned
parliament members, Chan advised the group to approach individual MPs and
have them put forward a resolution which could be supported by members of
the House of Commons without regard to party affiliation.

There was dedicated group of MPs in his party, he stated, who would support
such an initiative on Burma.

He said that Canada would continue to press for United Nations
participation in opening a dialogue between the generals in Rangoon and the
NLD, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

He would not comment on whether the Canadian charge d'affaires in Bangkok
had been ordered to Rangoon in time for the August 21 deadline.

In their letter, the Vancouver group said that Canada'v voice needed to be
heard with greater firmness and clarity on matters related to Burma. There
was a perception in the country, the group said "that the [Canadian]
government was saying and doing nothing" on Burma issues.

The group also urged the government to do more than it has for the refugees
at Burma's borders.

Jen Suprun of the Roundtable group said that copies of their letter to Mr.
Chan would be forwarded to the Foreign Affairs critics of Opposition
parties in the Canadian parliament.

Last week Svend Robinson of the federal New Democratic party indicated that
he would be proposing a motion to support Aung San Suu Kyi and the
initiatives taken by the NLD for the restoration of democracy in Burma when
the Canadian Parliament resumes sessions in September.  He would seek
non-partisan endorsement for the resolution, he said.


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<html><head></head><BODY bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><p><font size=3D3 =
color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Arial">CANADA CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF =
POWER IN BURMA <br><font size=3D2>BurmaNews - BC: &nbsp;August 20, =
1998<br><br><b><i>Military dictatorship blamed for continuing =
instability in Burma<br></i></b><font size=3D3><br><font =
size=3D2>VANCOUVER -- A delegation from the Vancouver Burma Roundtable =
today met with Raymond Chan, Canada's &nbsp;Secretary of State for the =
Asia-Pacific region, to press concerns over the call for Burma's =
Parliament to be convened.<br><br>The meeting came on the eve of the =
August 21 deadline set by Burma's National League for Democracy (NLD) =
for the ruling military council in the country to call the Parliament =
into session. &nbsp;The NLD won elections in 1990 with an overwhelming =
majority but the military has never honoured the results.<br><br>At the =
meeting with Mr. Chan in the Vancouver airport, as he set out for =
meetings of the &nbsp;South Asia Forum in Indonesia, Win Myint Than of =
the Roundtable handed a letter to Mr. Chan urging action by the Canadian =
government and parliamentarians in support of the elected Parliament of =
Burma.<br><br>Among the proposals that the Roundtable put forward was a =
demand that the Canadian government issue a statement calling for the =
resignation of the ruling military council in Rangoon in favour of an =
administration chosen by the elected Parliament.<br><br>Mr. Chan said =
that Canada &quot;urges the present government to respect democracy and =
the results of the 1990 election&quot;. &nbsp;<br><br>&quot;The military =
council should give authority to the duly elected body without =
delay,&quot; he added.<br><br>Continued control of the country by the =
military dictators in Rangoon would only serve to prolong instability in =
Burma, he said. <br><br>Speaking to a proposal that Canada's =
parliamentarians should join with MPs from around the world in support =
of Burma's detained and imprisoned parliament members, Chan advised the =
group to approach individual MPs and have them put forward a resolution =
which could be supported by members of the House of Commons without =
regard to party affiliation.<br><br>There was dedicated group of MPs in =
his party, he stated, who would support such an initiative on =
Burma.<br><br>He said that Canada would continue to press for United =
Nations participation in opening a dialogue between the generals in =
Rangoon and the NLD, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.<br><br>He would not =
comment on whether the Canadian charge d'affaires in Bangkok had been =
ordered to Rangoon in time for the August 21 deadline.<br><br>In their =
letter, the Vancouver group said that Canada'v voice needed to be heard =
with greater firmness and clarity on matters related to Burma. There was =
a perception in the country, the group said &quot;that the [Canadian] =
government was saying and doing nothing&quot; on Burma =
issues.<br><br>The group also urged the government to do more than it =
has for the refugees at Burma's borders.<br><br>Jen Suprun of the =
Roundtable group said that copies of their letter to Mr. Chan would be =
forwarded to the Foreign Affairs critics of Opposition parties in the =
Canadian parliament.<br><br>Last week Svend Robinson of the federal New =
Democratic party indicated that he would be proposing a motion to =
support Aung San Suu Kyi and the initiatives taken by the NLD for the =
restoration of democracy in Burma when the Canadian Parliament resumes =
sessions in September. &nbsp;He would seek non-partisan endorsement for =
the resolution, he said.<br><br><br></p>
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