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

Press Release & Transcript of DASSK



Subject: Press Release & Transcript of DASSK Video Statement

<html>
<font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D5><b>Press Release<br>
</font></b><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times">Tuesday
12</font><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"=
 size=3D1><sup>th</font></sup><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times">
October 1999<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D5><b><div=
 align=3D"center">
Presentation of Video Message by<br>
Dawn Aung San Suu Kyi,<br>
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and<br>
Leader of the National League for Democracy<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"></div>
Sponsored by the Danish IPU Delegation<br>
<br>
</b>For the first time Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will address the IPU
conference by a video smuggled out of Burma. Also present is a delegation
of Burmese MPs in exile seeking for stronger support from the IPU and
parliamentarians around the globe. They will draw attention to the
current situation of the elected MPs in Burma, where parliamentarians has
been denied the rights to convene for 9 years. For this reason the NLD
have set up the Committee Representing the People=92s Parliament (CRPP) to
act on behalf of parliament until the official parliament can be
conveyed. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appeals to the world to recognise the
committee as genuinely representative of the people of Burma. Currently
more than 40 MPs of the National League for Democracy and numerous
members and leaders of parties representing different ethnic groups have
been arrested and incarcerated.<br>
<br>
<b>Please come to the video presentation and meet with:<br>
</b>
<dl>
<dd>U Bo Hla Tint, (MP-elect, Mogok-2 Constituency)
<dd>National League for Democracy
<dd>NCGUB Minister for North and South American Affairs<br>
<br>

<dd>U Tint Tut, (MP-elect, Einme-1 Constituency)
<dd>National League for Democracy<br>
<br>

<dd>Dr. Myint Cho (Director of the Burma office, Sydney)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>
</dl>Venue:</b> <x-tab>&nbsp;</x-tab><b>Room 17/18 - Internatinal Press
Center<br>
Date:
</b><x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab><x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;</x-tab><b>Tuesday
12</font><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"=
 size=3D1><sup>th</font></sup><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times">
October, 4:00 p.m</b>.<br>
<b>Agenda:</b><x-tab>&nbsp;</x-tab>Introduction by Mr. Henning Gjeller=F8d,
Head of the Danish Delegation<br>
<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab><x-tab>&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Screening
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi<br>
<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab><x-tab>&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Comments
by U Bo Hla Tint and U Tint Tut<br>
<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab><x-tab>&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Press
Conference<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Responsible for this
release:<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab><x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Henning
Gjeller=F8d.<br>
Press
Contact:<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab><x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab><x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;</x-tab><x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Trin=
e
Johansen Tel.: +47 951 49 875<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D4><div align=3D"center">
Message to the
102</font><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"=
 size=3D3><sup>nd</font></sup><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D4=
>
Inter-Parliamentary Conference by<br>
<br>
</font><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D4>Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,
<br>
General Secretary National League for Democracy and <br>
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate<br>
<br>
</font></b><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times">Produced by:<br>
PD Burma<br>
Altsean<br>
<br>
<b>Strictly Embargoed, 4.00 PM, October
12</font><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"=
 size=3D1><sup>th</font></sup><font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times">
1999<br>
<br>
</b></div>
May I start by extending the greetings of the Committee Representing the
People's Parliament to the 102nd Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union. <br>
<br>
The CRPP was founded last year to represent the parliament that was
elected by the people of Burma in 1990. Nine years have gone by but the
MPs who were elected by the democratic will of the people have still not
been allowed to perform their duties. It is our intention that Burma
follows the democratic process in a non-violent systematic way that we
may establish a good precedent for good generations to come. This is the
main reason why we insist that the parliament that is elected by the
people in 1990 must be allowed to convene and must be allowed to take up
their duties.<br>
<br>
With regard to the recent happenings in East Timor, it has been said that
the democratically expressed will of the people should not be flouted and
should not be overturned through violence and intimidation. This is
exactly what happened in Burma nine years ago. The democratically
expressed will of the people was overturned through violence and
intimidation. <br>
<br>
We depend on parliamentarians all over the world to support us in our
just cause. We would like to thank all of you who have given us your
sympathy, your moral support and your practical help. The concern for the
IPU has shown for those MPs who are in detention in Burma has been a
tremendous boost to our morale. More than 40 MPs still remain under
detention. <br>
<br>
They remain under detention because they refuse to reject the will of the
people and stand by their principles that the democratically elected
parliament must be allowed to meet. Our MPs will do their duty until the
very end and the CRPP will represent them until they are allowed to
convene. <br>
<br>
We would like parliamentarians from all over the world to take a greater
interest in what is going on in Burma. This is not because we are
concerned with our own country alone. This is because we want to
establish the democratic principles must be allowed to work in the name
of justice in peace. <br>
<br>
We believe in democracy because we believe that democracy is the only
system that ensures respect for basic human rights and without basic
human rights there can be no peace in our world. When the Burmese
parliament is allowed to meet, we are confident that it will represent
the true will of the people and that the true will of the people of Burma
will go a long way towards assisting democracy and peace in our region
and in the world. <br>
<br>
It is now over a year since many of our MPs were taken into detention.
Some have been released because of ill-health or extreme over age. There
are those who have been forced to give up their duties as members of
parliament, although it is a little ironic to say that they have been
forced to give up their duties because they have never been allowed to
take up their duties anyway. Before they have even been allowed to act as
members of parliament they have been made to resign. This of course is
unacceptable because under the democratic precedent laid down by our
previous democratic government, no MP can resign without the consent of
our People's Parliament.&nbsp; And since the parliament has not met, none
of our MPs can be made to resign. There is no channel by which they can
resign. <br>
<br>
So as far as the CRPP is concerned, all those MPs elected in 1990 who are
still alive today remain the representatives of the people who elected
them. We make no distinction between the MPs from our party, the National
League for Democracy and those MPs from other parties. The Committee
Representing the People's Parliament represents not just the
National<br>
League for Democracy but also four other parties, all representing
different ethnic groups. Because of that we are confident the CRPP has
the support of the whole country. Ours is a union of different peoples
and it is a very good sign, it is a most auspicious sign that the CRPP
represents different ethnic nationalities. <br>
<br>
When democracy comes to Burma, we hope that we may be able to make our
own contribution towards the progress of justice and peace in the world.
But until that time comes, we would like to call upon our friends all
over the world to help us in our struggle. <br>
<br>
To struggle on a daily basis against a dictatorial military regime is not
an easy business. Many of our people have suffered grievously and some
are still suffering but they continue with their struggle because of
their deeply held beliefs in the ability of the human race to do better
for<br>
themselves now than they have done in the past. We believe that humanity
is capable of progress, which is not to say that we are not aware of our
own weaknesses. But we believe that we have the ability to overcome these
weaknesses. But in our times of trial, we would like to call upon our
friends to help us to combat our own weaknesses as well as the harshness
and injustices of our enemies. <br>
<br>
I would like to conclude by thanking all of you and all those others who
have helped us in our struggle for democracy and who are helping to
establish democracy all over the world.<br>
<br>
Thank you.</font><br>
<br>
<div>PD Burma</div>
<div>Welhavensgt. 1</div>
<div>0880 Oslo</div>
<div>Norway</div>
<br>
<div>Telephone: + 47 22 98 90 05</div>
<div>Telefax:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; + 47 22 11 49 88</div>
<div>Mobil Tel.: + 47 95 14 98 75</div>
<div>E-mail:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
pdburma@xxxxxxxxx</div>
Homepage:
<a href=3D"http://www.worldviewrights.org/pdburma.html"=
 EUDORA=3DAUTOURL>http://www.worldviewrights.org/pdburma.html</a>=20
</html>