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Mizzima: Delhi Police detained Burm



Delhi Police detained Burmese activists

New Delhi, November 16, 2000
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

Delhi Police detained the Burmese activists who were staging a
demonstration against the visit of Burmese military general to India.
The police arrested about 60 slogan-shouting Burmese pro-democracy
activists who held the protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi today. As
the protestors marched towards Parliament building from Jantar Mantar
around 12 noon, Delhi police stopped them and took them inside the
Parliament Police Station.

When heard about the incident, a Member of Parliament Mr. N. Dasari from
the Communist Party of India (CPI) came to the police station to show
his party?s solidarity and support with the democracy activists. The MP
asked the police to release the Burmese immediately as they were doing a
peaceful demonstration.

One of the demonstrators told Mizzima over telephone from the police
station that the police took their names, addresses and their
fingerprints. The police finally released the demonstrators around 2
p.m.

The Burmese activists were demonstrating against the visit of General
Maung Aye who is second most powerful man in the military junta. Maung
Aye is paying an official visit to India at the invitation of Indian
Vice President Mr. Krishan Kant.

Maung Aye, who is Vice-Chairman of the ruling State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC) is accompanied by senior cabinet ministers of
the regime, including its deputy prime minister Lt. Gen. Tin Hla and
foreign minister U Win Aung.

The Burmese democracy activists based in India are outraged that India
which awarded their leader Aung San Suu Kyi with its highest civilian
honour, the Jawaharlal Nehru Prize for Peace and Understanding in 1995
is now embracing with the generals from Burma. ?It (military junta)
continues to suppress the democratic aspirations of the people. More
than a thousand political activists were imprisoned last year alone?,
said their press statement issued today.

The activists also protested over India?s assistance to constructing the
Tamu-Kalaymyo motor road in Sagaing Division in Burma. ?If new roads are
to be constructed with India?s assistance, the poor people of Burma will
be again subjected to forced labour. It is well founded by the
International Labour Organization (ILO) that forced labour is widespread
in Burma under this regime?, the statement continued. The road, which
has been constructed by Border Road Organizations of India is scheduled
to complete in few weeks.

In an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today,
the Burmese pro-democracy groups in India urged him to raise the issue
of ?systematic violations of civil, political, economic, social and
cultural rights by the SPDC? in his meetings with the visiting Burmese
delegates. They also requested the Indian Prime Minister to urge the
Burmese generals to take steps towards restoration of democracy in
Burma.