[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

NCGUB Statement on ASEM



National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma


For immidiate release
16 February 1999


PM calls regime?s bid to attend ASEM cynical
Says junta should be shunned until rights record improves

NCGUB Prime Minister Dr. Sein Win today called the SPDC regime?s current
willingness to ?talk? about human rights if it is allowed to attend the ASEM
meeting in Berlin ?a cynicalattempt to gain legitimacy without addressing its
abhorrent human rights record.? For years, the regime has denied that human
rights in Burma are systematically abused and refused entry to investigators
from the United Nations, the European Union and international organizations. 
?The European Union? Dr. Sein Win said, ?should insist that the regime first
curtail its abuses before it is allowed to attend the ASEM Meeting.
Specifically, the regime should stop suppressing Burma?s legitimate democratic
parties and begin a serious political dialogue with them.?

In its bid to be admitted to the ASEM meeting, the regime last week released
two political prisoners.  U Bo Hla Tint, the NCGUB?s Minister for North and
South American Affairs  welcomed the release but noted that ?it comes two
weeks
after the regime sentenced some 270 more political prisoners to prison terms
totalling 3, 440 years.  Releasing two and imprisoning more than 200 is not
the
kind of progress on human rights the regime needs to make.?

Dr. Sein Win praised the stand taken by Denmark, the United Kingdom and other
members of the European Union to uphold its Common Position which was
strengthened in Oct. 1998 to deny visas to the high ranking regime officials
who are preventing the restoration of democracy.  ?Until such time as the
regime stops suppressing legitimate political dissent and engages in a real
dialogue with the winners of the 1990 general elections and its ethnic
peoples,
the generals should not be allowed to participate in ASEM or any international
meetings.?

-end-