PD Burma statement

[nin@xxxxxx]

Statement from the Japanese members of PD Burma
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[PD Burma is an International Network of Political Leaders
Promoting Democracy in Burma.]

signed by
(1)Takashi Kosugi, member of the House of Representatives
(2)Yukio Hatoyama, member of the House of Representatives
(3)Yasuko Takemura, member of the House of Councillors

                                         March 31st 1999 
                                                   Tokyo

Re: The death of Dr. Michael Aris.
  
We wish to express our sincere condolences on the death 
of Dr. Michael Aris who passed away on March 27th without 
the granting of the visa to see his wife Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

After Burma entered ASEAN in 1997, the international community 
expected its human right situation to be improved. But on the 
country, it has continued to deteriorate as described in the 
latest reports of UN Human Right Commission and the 
International Labour Organization.

In spite of many requests from international community to allow 
a last visit of Dr. Aris to Burma, the military junta rejected 
his visa application until the very end. We think this callous 
decision itself is an abuse of their human rights as well.  
We are concerned not only that the junta rejected the visa 
grant but also they lowered themselves to claim, "The West 
is conspiring to use the cancer patient to discredit our 
nation." The discredit is entirely attributed to the 
cold-hearted attitude of the junta itself, not to the 
foreign powers.

We clearly recognize that this event shows that the junta 
has no respect for human rights nor any shred of human pity.
We call upon the military junta to repent its harsh attitude 
which goes against the eternal morality of human beings and 
we hope they will declare their repentance to international 
society.
If the military regime has no ability to repent, we should 
take ever stronger measures to force them to transfer its 
power as soon as possible.


PD Burma-Japan
Schu Sugawara
schus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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