Students Urge Recognition of CRPP

[maungt@xxxxxxxxxx]

STUDENTS Urge  recognition of CRPP
21 May, 1999
We Burmese students residing in Australia and our Australian supporters will
submit this statement to  the New South Wales Parliament today on Friday May
21th 1999 at 12:00 noon. We demand immediate action from the Australian
states and the  Commonwealth Parliament in support of the Committee
Representing the People's Parliament (CRPP) which was formed to accomplish
the convention of the People's Parliament according to the 1990  election
result.
We are gathering today to express our disapproval of Australian government
policy, 'the benchmark', as being irrelevant since democracy leader Daw Aung
Suu Kyi's call on the international community to take concrete action to
deal with the severe violations of human rights in Burma. In January 1997
she remarked that "Australia is sitting on the fence" and that statement
still stands today. The government position of 'neither encourage nor
discourage trade with Burma' is disingenuous as trade is actually increasing
with the help of the Austrade office in Rangoon. For example, the A.C.T.
government owned Totalcare Industries recently completed a contract for the
regime. Pacrim Energy oil company continues its $8 million project and many
more companies are on their way to prop up the regime with their investment.
In the state of Massachusetts the legislature has voted to boycott companies
dealing with the regime. Meanwhile in Canada, the province of British
Columbia recently decided to recognize the CRPP. Furthermore The EU
parliament, Belgian , Denmark parliaments support the CRPP whereas none of
the Australian parliaments ( Commonwealth or states)  support CRPP.

Since 251 parliamentarians - elect  formed the Committee Representing the
People's Parliament in September 1998, the political crackdown against the
leaders of the NLD has mounted. About 150 people?s
representatives elected in the 1990 elections have been detained without any
explanation or ability to appeal. Australian political leaders should not
allow this to continue. Therefore we urge the Commonwealth and state
parliaments:
-to support the CRPP as the legitimate highest authority of the people of
Burma and its lawful right to convene the people's parliament as per the
1990 elections result;
- to urge the SPDC regime to enter dialogue with the CRPP
- to seek ways to free Members of Parliament-elect and political prisoners
including student leader Min Ko Naing; and
- to encourage the reopening of all universities and colleges (closed since
1996) , and the re-establishment of the student union.
We also urge the Australian Government to impose economic sanctions against
the Burmese military dictatorship and call on the state parliaments to adopt
selective purchasing laws that ban any contracts with companies doing
business with the regime in Burma.
Central Committee
All Burma Students Democratic Organization ( Australia)
Further info. please contact:
9999 center  9643 5015 ,  0411337816
freeburma9999@xxxxxxxxx  , kmoe@xxxxxxxxx ,
visit:   :  www.absdo.com