[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
No Place Like Hell
- Subject: No Place Like Hell
- From: koko@xxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 09:14:00
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_001E_01BF53F5.A7F1D540
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Burma
Disease, hunger, forced labor and civil war are daily facts of life =
in many parts of Burma, also known as Myanmar.=20
"If you're a citizen of Burma, you're in danger of having to become =
a refugee from war," said Amnesty International's Jim Roberts. "You're =
in danger of being conscripted into forced labor battalions. If you're =
politically active, you're in danger of being jailed. If you're in =
prison, you're in danger of contracting AIDS - they use unsterilized =
syringes on prisoners."=20
The Burmese government is considered one of the world's =
least-pleasant regimes. The U.S. State Department has warned that the =
"military government suppresses expression of opposition to its rule," =
and says even foreign nationals are detained if they are suspected of =
helping to foment democracy.=20
Torture is common, said Roberts. Amnesty believes that at any given =
time, about 1,500 people are in jail for their political beliefs. =
Because many are then released and others then picked up, the actual =
number of people who have been jailed or beaten for their beliefs is =
much higher, he said.=20
"You're in distinct danger of being tortured if you're arrested," =
he said. "Virtually every type of torture you could think of is =
reported, but mostly it's beatings, electric shock and near-drowning."=20
But Roberts says the government's abuse goes beyond torture.=20
"In many parts of Burma, you're going to be hungry," he said. This, =
he added, is due to mismanagement of the land by state authorities. Rice =
paddies often lie fallow as the military carries out counter-insurgency =
operations.=20
The true extent of the problems in Burma is unknown. The regime is =
careful about what information it makes public.=20
"We would like to send Amnesty International monitors or some other =
acceptable international human rights investigating team to Burma to =
study the problems on the ground, problems in the prisons and jails and =
in the field near military bases, but the government of Burma doesn't =
seem willing at this point in time to allow that," Roberts said.=20
However, the government has agreed to allow some Red Cross workers =
into the country, a move he called "a very positive step."=20
But that's about the only good news to come from Burma in recent =
years.=20
"We haven't seen much change in Burma in the nature of the types of =
violations that have been reported," he said.=20
------=_NextPart_000_001E_01BF53F5.A7F1D540
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>
<P><FONT color=3D#009900 face=3D"geneva, helvetica, arial"=20
size=3D4><B>Burma</B></FONT><BR> Disease, =
hunger, forced=20
labor and civil war are daily facts of life in many parts of Burma, also =
known=20
as Myanmar.=20
<P> ”If you’re a citizen of Burma, =
you’re in danger of=20
having to become a refugee from war,” said Amnesty =
International’s Jim Roberts.=20
“You’re in danger of being conscripted into forced labor =
battalions. If you’re=20
politically active, you’re in danger of being jailed. If =
you’re in prison,=20
you’re in danger of contracting AIDS — they use unsterilized =
syringes on=20
prisoners.”=20
<P> The Burmese government is considered one of =
the=20
world’s least-pleasant regimes. The U.S. State Department has =
warned that the=20
“military government suppresses expression of opposition to its =
rule,” and says=20
even foreign nationals are detained if they are suspected of helping to =
foment=20
democracy.=20
<P> Torture is common, said Roberts. Amnesty =
believes=20
that at any given time, about 1,500 people are in jail for their =
political=20
beliefs. Because many are then released and others then picked up, the =
actual=20
number of people who have been jailed or beaten for their beliefs is =
much=20
higher, he said.=20
<P> “You’re in distinct danger of =
being tortured if=20
you’re arrested,” he said. “Virtually every type of =
torture you could think of=20
is reported, but mostly it’s beatings, electric shock and =
near-drowning.”=20
<P> But Roberts says the government’s =
abuse goes beyond=20
torture.=20
<P> ”In many parts of Burma, you’re =
going to be hungry,”=20
he said. This, he added, is due to mismanagement of the land by state=20
authorities. Rice paddies often lie fallow as the military carries out=20
counter-insurgency operations.=20
<P> The true extent of the problems in Burma is =
unknown.=20
The regime is careful about what information it makes public.=20
<P> ”We would like to send Amnesty =
International=20
monitors or some other acceptable international human rights =
investigating team=20
to Burma to study the problems on the ground, problems in the prisons =
and jails=20
and in the field near military bases, but the government of Burma =
doesn’t seem=20
willing at this point in time to allow that,” Roberts said.=20
<P> However, the government has agreed to allow =
some Red=20
Cross workers into the country, a move he called “a very positive =
step.”=20
<P> But that’s about the only good news to =
come from=20
Burma in recent years.=20
<P> ”We haven’t seen much change in =
Burma in the nature=20
of the types of violations that have been reported,” he said. <A=20
name=3Dchechnya></P></A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_001E_01BF53F5.A7F1D540--