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10/1/00:LETTER TO MR DOWNER(AUS.FM)



POSTED WED 12 JAN 2000; 6:00AM

LETTER TO HON.ALEXANDER DOWNER (10/JAN/2000)
********************************************
[Our friends, especially in Australia, please help write letter to Mr
Downer to initiate his diplomatic efforts on Burma. Facsimile number is
provided. -- U Ne Oo.]
-----------------------------
Dr U Ne Oo
18 Shannon Place
Adelaide SA 5000

January 10, 2000.

Hon. Alexander Downer
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canbarra ACT 2600
Facsimile:(+612)6273-4112

Dear Mr Downer:

re: The UNHCR and NGOs access to Burma

Firstly, I like to recall the letter to you on August 29, 1999 regarding
with unhindered access for humanitarian organisations into Burma. As of
recent, there has been a formal request made by 10,000 Karen Refugees to
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to assist in their
return (news items enclosed). Earlier on November 1999, the Thai
National Security Council had requested the UNHCR to mediate the problem
of Burma's ethnic minority refugees in Thailand. Whereas these brave
refugees are making initiative for UN monitored return to their own
places, I believe the international community must not fail to
facilitating this request by arranging unhindered access to the area in
Burma for the UN Refugee Agency. I appeal Australian Government and
international community to help, with their utmost diplomatic efforts,
at the United Nations in arranging the UNHCR and all international
humanitarian organisations getting access to Burma. 

	
Secondly, I should like to request Australian government to impose rule
on Australian NGOs (either private or government funded ones) regarding
with their operations in Burma. I appeal Australian Government to
request all NGOs, in mandatory, to  consult and report their operations
in Burma to the Committee Representing the People's Parliament. As a
first step towards this end, the Australian Parliament should give
formal recognition to the Committee Representing the People's
Parliament. In this connection, I like to inform your government that on
the 12th of November 1999 the 54th Session of UN General Assembly
(draft) Resolution (A/C.3/54/L.76) in Operational Paragraph (10) notes
the existence of Committee Representing the People's Parliament in
Burma. Therefore, it is timely that Australian Federal House of
Representative as well as Senate to formally recognise CRPP as the
"legitimate instrument of the will of Burmese people".


On 10 December 1999, the AAP has reported Australian Government is
considering to post the Federal Police Officer to Burma to assist in
anti-narcotics efforts. I am supportive to this initiative and I hope to
see a proper co-operation from the Burmese side of law enforcement
agencies on this matter. I enclosed my personal view that was
broadcasted to internet lists. I believe the Australian Federal Police,
with the diplomatic assistance by Australian Government and
international community, should push the Burmese government to arrest
and prosecute the suspected drug traffickers in Burma. 

	
In closing, I thank you for your kind attention to this matter. We
continue to appreciate Australian Government and your efforts to help
solve problems in Burma. May you have a happy and prosperous new year of
2000.

Yours respectfully,
U Ne Oo

Copy:

1. Ms Sadako Ogata, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
2. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General.
3. Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State,US Department of State.
***************************
AUSTRALIA AND BURMESE DRUGS 
Posted 13 Dec 99; 6:00am to Internet  Discussion Lists
<reg.burma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
<burmanet2-l@xxxxxxxx> <maykha-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 

 On the news of Australian Federal Police officer to be stationed in
Burma to suppress illicit drugs ( especially Amphetamines tablets) I am
not quite alarmed as one of our friend in Paris. In contrast to the
earlier Australian initiative on Burmese junta to set-up a human rights
commission, I think this initiative makes a lot more sense. It will be
helpful if we know a little more about what kind of co-operation
Australian/Thai police are seeking from Burmese authorities in this
particular case. 

In talking about co-operations, if Australian/Thai police are only
looking to provide training and drug-detection equipment to Burmese,
then we might just call this operation an "Australian Federal Police's
Picnic to Rangoon". That kind of limited involvement will not help
improve situation at all. 

What we would like to see in co-operation is those criminal elements,
not necessarily of that higher-up echelons, to be arrested and
prosecuted. I think the Thai Police already have the list of drug
trafficking criminals from Burmese side. I suspect that the Thais have
been pushing on this line all along since early this year. It looks like
because of no apparent moves were made from the Burmese side, the
Australian -- other international players perhaps -- have now been
brought into the matter. 

It is worth noting that, although the media and the activist circle 
have often quite rightly charged Burmese government rank-and-file of
complicity in illicit drug trade, we have never been quite close to
eventually proving anything. International intelligence circle may
already have had some substantial information on illicit drug trade (for
example, early this year, one ANU Professor wrote detailed report on
drug related corruption in Burmese government). The US Government put
few million dollar price on some high profile drug traffickers. But
Burmese junta noted it to be a little more than US publicity stunt. To
get things done, one has to keep closer to the target -- which probably
the Thai and Australian police seems to be doing. 

The Australian government and the Federal Police should seriously push
the Burmese authorities arresting drug traffickers on Burmese side (the
Australian Government and Police can be rather casual and slack in some
way: it is my impression). Should this push been successful, i.e.
Burmese begin to arrest and prosecute real traffickers, it will no doubt
beneficial to all of us. But( i.e. my feeling) it is more likely that
the Burmese side will eventually cancel the operation when time has come
to carry out serious tasks. Until that time, let us wish well to the
Australian and Thai police in their jobs. -- Regards, U Ne Oo.] 

***************
BURMA-AFP AUST FEDERAL POLICE TO BE STATIONED IN BURMA
DATE:23:50 09-Dec-99
BANGKOK, Dec 9 AAP- Federal police will be based in Burma for the first
time to gauge the threat of a future flood of amphetamines into
Australia.

Australian Federal Police official Mick Keelty said approval to station
a liaison officer in Rangoon from January for a six-month trial was
expected this week.

"We've planned to expand a number of our overseas posts in strategic
areas throughout the world, and the opportunity has arisen for us ... to
trial the posting of an officer in Rangooon," Mr Keelty, general
manager, national operaitons, said.

He was attending a three-day conference in Bangkok of a regional meeting
of a national drug law enforcement agencies in Asia and the Pacific.

Thailand has been a base for AFP officers, with responsibilities to
cover Burma and the flow of narcotics, mostly heroin, to Australia from
the notorious Golden Triangle region of Burma, Thailand and Laos.

But there has been an explosion of amphetamine-type drug production,
with over 200 million tablets flooding into neighbouring Thailand.

Mr Keelty said the officer's role "will be to facilitate inquiries on
behalf of Australian police agencies in Burma and to also identify
opportunities to cooperate more closely with the law enforcement
agencies in Burma".

Australia is planning to assist the RAngoon government in training,
education and equipment to gain greater cooperation "to facilitate
enquiries for amphetamine type substances and heroin that is coming out
of that part of the world," he said.

Burmese officials said the Rangoon government was determined "to fight
against the drug without or with any assistance from international
assistance abroad".

"If we receive any international assistance we would be more successful
in suppressing drug production and heroin production, "the official,
speaking on behalf of Police Brigadier General Hla Tun, said from the
central committee for drug abuse control. AAP rec/rds/br
 
-- 
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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