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Statement on Lt. Gen.
Khin Nyunt’s visit to Japan
June 6, 2000 We want to express our deepest sympathy for the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Obuchi Keizo on May 14. His leadership and direction for the nation went unquestioned. We had that much respect for his judgment. He was the first Japanese prime minister who met with a top Burmese military leader since 1988. Prime Minister Obuchi met Senior General Than Shwe during ASEAN summit meeting at Manila, Philippines last November. He gave a clear message to the military junta that without significant political reforms, Burma could only receive little help from Japan. We, the Burmese people, much appreciate his willingness to restore democracy in our motherland and felt a great loss when he passed away. But, we are very frustrated and humiliated when we learn that Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, Secretary (1) of SPDC, will attend the late Obuchi’s funeral. We would like to question why Japan grant a visa for such a person who is black listed by the United States of America and EU countries. There are tons of reasons, not to permit Khin Nyunt to land on Japanese soil. 1. Khin Nyunt does not represent Burma and the Burmese people at all. His military junta is not a legitimate government elected by the peoples vote, but which continuously refuse to transfer the power to the elected representatives of 1990 general election. 2. Khin Nyunt is the commanding person of the bloody coup in 1988 in which thousands of Burmese people who peacefully demonstrate for democracy were brutally killed. 3. Khin Nyunt is the chief of notorious military intelligence, which is responsible for jailing, torturing, threatening, confining, restricting the democracy activists inside Burma. 4. Khin Nyunt and the junta provide a safe heaven for drug warlords, such as Khun Sa and Lau Sit Han in the country and allow using their drug money freely. The drug warlords can even continue their drug trafficking and can control their drug businesses from the safe capital. 5. Khin Nyunt and his fellow generals never ever make any democratic reform yet. Instead they impose tighter grip on Burmese people and rule the country at gunpoint. 6. Khin Nyunt is the most responsible person for forced labor and other human rights violations in Burma. Military continues to practice killing, raping, torturing, forced relocating, systematic ethnic cleansing despite international protests. 7. Khin Nyunt and the junta stubbornly refuse to start dialogue with NLD, which won the landslide victory in 1990 general election. They never try to resolve the dilemma by political means but by force. 8. Khin Nyunt and his colleagues defy the international community by taking hostage of 45 million Burmese people. Nobody could see any change toward democracy as late Prime Minister Obuchi described. But they demand aids and loans from Japan and other countries like as ransom money. 9. Khin Nyunt is the one who mercilessly refused to grant a visa for the dying Michael Aris, whose last wish is to see his beloved wife Aung San Suu Kyi. Khin Nyunt never consider of humanity at all. But he wants humanitarian aids. And Japanese government grants him a visa! 10. Finally, Khin Nyunt only represents the world’s most repressive military regime, not the Burmese people. We are shocked and surprise why Japanese government allow such a cruel and wicked person to attend a state funeral as an honored guest. Burmese people and the democracy activists abroad strongly protest Khin Nyunt’s visit to Japan. And we strongly urged the Japanese government not to yield further privileges to him and his colleagues. We release this statement on behalf of the Burmese people whose voices are suppressed by Khin Nyunt and the military regime and on behalf of democracy activists inside Burma as well as in Japan and other countries. JOINT
ACTION COMMITTEE National League for Democracy (Liberated Area)-Japan Branch Burmese Association In Japan Burma Youth Volunteer Association (Japan) Burmese Women’s Union (Japan) Students’ Organization for Liberation of Burma |