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Protest at Singapore Consulate in L



September 25, 1998
About ten members of the Burma Forum, Los Angeles protested outside the
Singapore Consulate in Southern California today to bring attention to the
Singapore government's continued pursuit of a policy of so-called
"constructive engagment" with Burma's brutal military regime     After
distributing leaflets around the consulate, the delegation met with the
Honorary Consulate General and expressed our concerns.  She said that she
was not up to date on her government's policy on Burma.    We presented a
letter to her and she said she would pass on our concerns to her
government.        Leaflets calling on the Singapore government to take an
active role in supporting the democracy movement in Burma were placed on
the windshields of all the cars in the parking lot and distributed to
passers-by.

The demonstration was the second in what will be a series of demonstrations
at consulates of ASEAN nations who refuse to apply pressure against the
illegal junta in Burma.        The first demonstration, about a month ago,
was at the Thai consulate in Los Angeles.

For more information, call the Burma Forum at (310)399-0703.

Below is the text of the letter we presented to the Consular General:

September 25, 1998

Consular General
Singapore Consulate
2424 SE Bristol Street, Suite 300
Newport Beach, CA 92660

Dear Mr. Consular General:

 As you know, the nation of Burma is currently ruled by one of the most
brutal military regimes in the world.   The regime has massacred thousands
of peaceful pro-democracy protesters and currently holds thousands of
political prisoners.  In recent weeks hundreds of members of the National
League for Democracy have been arrested and imprisoned by the regime.
Democratically elected leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi remains
under virtual house arrest and has  been threatened with deportation in an
attempt to silence her calls for democracy.

Burma's consistent violations of human rights have brought an international
outcry from many of the world's governments.    The U.S. imposed sanctions
barring any new US investment in Burma.     Unfortunately, your government
has chosen to continue to pursue a policy of so-called "constructive
engagement" with Burma's illegal junta.    This policy essentially means
that while the people of Burma are being murdered, tortured and held
prisoners in their own country, Singapore has refused to put even the most
basic forms of diplomatic pressure on Burma's military regime.
Singapore-based companies continue to invest in Burma, essentially helping
to prop up the cash-starved regime.   We call on the government of
Singapore to join much of the rest of the world in applying diplomatic
pressure to Burma's military and placing limitations on investment in the
country until democracy is achieved.

Sincerely,


signed by the ten members of the Burma Forum who were present






===================================================
Kevin Rudiger
Burma Forum, Los Angeles
Campaign for Corporate Withdrawal
2118 Wilshire Blvd #383
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310)399-0703 - phone
(310)392-9965 - fax
(310)588-3404 - pager
bfla@xxxxxxxxxxxxx