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

21/9/98:LETTER TO H.E.DIDIER OPERTT (r)



Subject: 21/9/98:LETTER TO H.E.DIDIER OPERTTI, PRESIDENT OF 53RD

UNGA(REPOSTED)
To: burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.0
X-Sender: strider@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Posted: 28-Feb-99, 6:00am

Dr U Ne Oo
18 Shannon Place
Adelaide SA 5000
Australia

21st September 1998.

Hon. Didier Opertti(Uruguay)
President, 53rd Session of the
    United Nations General Assembly
UN Headquarters, New York NY 10017
United States of America

Dear Hon. President:

I am a Burmese national currently residing in Australia. I call your
attention to recent arrest and detention of elected members of
parliament by Burma's military council, State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC: formerly known as State Law and Order Restoration
Council), and, also, the lack of progress towards transfer of power to
the democratically elected government. The ruling military council,
SPDC, also fails--especially in this year--to cooperate with United
Nations to improve its human rights records. The United Nations General
Assembly(UNGA) since 1992 has been urging, through its resolutions, the
military council in Burma to improve its human rights record and also to
transfer power to democratically elected government.I therefore urge the
53rd Session of UN General Assembly to take appropriate measures to
ensure Burma's military authorities comply with UN General Assembly
Resolutions, A/52/137.

Beginning from early this month, the military council unlawfully detain
nearly 800 opposition party members and supporters, including 195
members of parliament elected in May 1990 General Election. These
arrests on opposition members are made in order to prevent the elected
members from convening the parliament. It should be noted that the
military council unlawfully arresting the elected members parliament to
prevent participating in such political process constitute Burmese
military violation of the Operative paragraphs(5), (8) and (11) of UNGA
Resolution A/52/137.

Particularly in this year, the military junta has been refusing to
cooperate with UN Secretar-General. For example, the Special Envoy of
Secretary-General, Mr Alvaro de Soto, had been told off last January by
military authorities not to interfere the "internal affairs" of Burma.
Recently in August, the military junta refuses to accept the visit of

Secretary-General's personal emissary, Ambassador Razali Ismil of
Malaysia and the President of 51st UN General Assembly. The Burmese
military authorities since 1996 do not allow the HUman Rights Special
Rapporteur, Mr Rajsoomer Lallah, to visit Burma.  It should be noted
that
these non-cooperations of ruling Burmese military council to United
Nations System constitute that SPDC, not complying in particular of the
Operative paragraphs (1),(7) and (13) of UNGA Resolution A/52/137.

Most disturbing point of all is that the Burmese military council has
not been taking any step towards reconciliation and substantive dialogue
with the opposition party, National League for Democracy(NLD). Despite
the arrest of and intimidation on its members and supporters by Burmese
military authorities, the NLD has always been making effort to secure
dialogue with the military junta. During July, Burmese military
authorities preventing the General Secretary of NLD, Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi, from visiting to her party members. This restriction along with
recent detention of 195 elected members of parliament constitute Burmese
military junta denying to provide theleaders of NLD party unrestricted
communication with and physical access to the party supporters. These
violation, again, are the Burmese military council's failure to comply
with the Operative Paragraphs (4) and (6) of the UNGA Resolution
A/52/137.

Notwithstanding such restriction and intimidation by ruling military
council, I like to inform HOn. President and the members of United
Nations General Assembly that, a committee to represent elected members
parliament has been formed on 17 September 1998 in accordance with a
proper democratic procedures. The committee has the mandate of
democratically elected parliament as it is having the endorsement of the
majority of representatives and also enjoy the support by ethnic
minority rebel groups.

I believe this is an appropriate time for UN General Assembly and UN
System to ensure the military government of Burma comply with the UNGA
Resolutions. Furthermore, UNGA should make efforts to encourage parties
to the conflict in Burma moving towards dialogue and reconciliation. As
a first practical step, this 53rd Session of UN General Assembly must
demand the Burmese military council appointed representative, U Ohn
Gyaw, to have endorsement of democratically elected parliament. In the
event of State Peace and Development Council fails to secure U Ohn
Gyaw's appointment as a Burma's Foreign Minister by democratically
elected parliament, the United Nations General Assembly should refuse to
give the floor to that Foreign Minister.

In closing, I thank you for your kind attention to this matter.

Yours respectfully and sincerely,
Sd. U Ne Oo.

Copy to:

1. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations Headquarters, New York
NY 10017, U.S.A.

2. HonMadeleine K Albright, US Secretary of State, US Department of
State, Washington DC 20520, USA.

3. Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for HUman Rights, c/-UN Centre
for Human Rights, Palias des Nations, CH 1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland.


--

HTTP://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~uneoo
EMAILS: drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx, uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
POSTMAIL: Dr U Ne Oo, 18 Shannon Place, Adelaide SA 5000, AUSTRALIA
[http://freeburma.org/[http://www.angelfire.com/al/homepageas/index.htm]

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =