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29/8/99:LETTER TO ALEXANDER DOWNER,



WRITTEN MON 30 AUG 99; 9:00AM

LETTER TO HON.ALEXANDER DOWNER,
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN AUSTRALIA.
-----------------------------------------
[Added NOte: Our friends on Internet who would like to make
comment/express concern to Mr Downer can sent to following
facsimile address. I offer my assistance to anyone who wish
their e-mail
 message to Mr Downer be delivered. If you like your message
to be delivered to Mr Downer, you can send directly to me
or to the Burma-list you are reading and clearly state (1) your
name (2) post mail address (3) organisation (if applicable).
I shall made hard copy and send your message to Mr Downer.
-- Regards, U Ne Oo.]
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr U Ne Oo
8 Shannon Place
Adelaide SA 5000

9 August 1999

Hon Alexander Downer
Minister For Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2601
FACSIMILE:(612)6273-4100

Dear Mr Downer

re: Burma situation and Human Rights Commission
-------------------------------------
Since last July ASEAN meeting in Singapore, I have been watching
with interest about your proposal to give assistance to Burmese
military government to set up their own independent commission
of human rights. Firstly, I sincerely appreciate your effort
that is made in the spirit of breaking this human rights and
political stalemate in Burma. However, I believe that current
political climate is not conducive for Australian officials to
meaningfully assist the Burmese people to set up their own human
rights body.

I have also read your article in International Herald Tribune,
in which it sounding the legally elected National League for
Democracy would be to watch from a sideline for setting up of
such human rights body in Burma. I ask your government and
Australia firstly give some measure of recognition to the
Committee Representing People Parliament (CRPP) and, then, go
forward with plan to assist in such matter.

One unfortunate thing in dealing with SPDC/SLORC is that Burmese
military consider any initiative for improvement of human rights
in Burma simply as either (1) a politically motivated attack on
them or (2) a propaganda opportunity to promote themselves to
the world's community. There are numerous examples about
SPDC/SLORC's genuine lack of commitment to the improvement of
human rights situation in Burma. The Burmese government over the
years consistently fails to comply recommendations made
especially by the United Nations Human Rights Special Rapporteur
and International Labour Organisations. I just have enclosed
with this letter a summary of exchange of communication between
the Burmese military government and ILO Governing Body on the
issue of Burma complying ILO Forced Labour Convention. In that
document you may find that how Burmese military disregard the
concerns of ILO Governing body and how the junta has dragged its
feet to move forward on human rights. If Australia were to
engaged in this proposal, your official are sure to face with
this kind of treatment by the Burmese military government.

        Most important factor in this proposal is Australia's
eventual lack of leverage on Burmese military. Australia doesn't
simply have enough influence on the junta to see through a
possible plan for properly setting up of a human rights body. A
better approach for Australia is to try to go through United
Nations and UNSC to get unhindered access for human rights and
humanitarian organisations into Burma.

Burmese military has shown apparent interest to set up a human
rights committee simply because of National League for
Democracy, in last few months, had been able to regularly put
out information concerning human rights violations within Burma.
Burmese junta is thus looking for ways to legitimately
counterbalance what
they considered to be the "opposition propaganda". You are
therefore not to simply believe that SPDC/SLORC has some respect
for the concerns of the Foreign Minister of Australia.

At a time when the unhindered access to Burma for all human
rights and humanitarian organisation become possible, there will
be many Australian NGOs and Burmese Expatriates (including one
Burmese Refugee) ready to contribute to the advancement of human
rights and humanitarian situation in Burma. I earnestly ask you
and Australian Government push hard at the United Nations to
achieve such objective.

In closing, I thank you for your attention to this matter. We,
the Burmese people, continue to appreciate the support from
Australia for our democracy and human rights movement.


Yours respectfully and sincerely
(U NE OO)
--
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]

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