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Myanmar court suspends Suu Kyi sentence over dispute
By
Aung Hla Tun
YANGON, Feb. 21 (Reuters) A Myanmar court sentenced pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday to one week in jail or a 500 kyat fine over a
domestic dispute but the sentence was later suspended.
The
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) said the dispute between the Suu
Kyi and her cousin was being used by the ruling military as a political
weapon.
Suu Kyi's lawyer, Nyan Win, said the opposition
leader and Nobel peace prize winner refused to accept the sentence, which a
higher district court later suspended pending a review.
Leaving
the Bahan township court in the area of Yangon where she lives, Suu Kyi, with a
trademark boquet of white flowers in her hair, was critical of Myanmar's legal
system.
''Now we know what the law means in Myanmar,'' she told
reporters gathered outside the court, along with about 200 supporters and
bystanders.
The official exchange rate in Myanmar is six kyat to
the U.S. dollar, making the fine around $83. However, it takes around 1,000 kyat
to buy a dollar on the widely used black market.
Announcing the
sentencing at a news conference earlier, NLD chairman Aung Shwe said that the
ruling and conduct of the trial showed political interference. The junta has
made no comment.
''This judgment and the trial are politically
motivated,'' he said. ''She is ready to go to jail.''
Suu Kyi's
lawyer said that soon after he had lodged an appeal to have the ruling revised,
a process which usually takes days, the Western Yangon District Court suspended
the sentence, saying it would make a final ruling later and allowing Suu Kyi to
go home.
GULF WIDENS
Suu Kyi and
her cousin, Soe Aung, filed lawsuits against each other last year shortly after
the pro-democracy leader's release from 19 months house arrest.
Soe Aung accused Suu Kyi of ''wrongful restraint,'' while Suu Kyi
accused him of ''outraging the modesty of women'' after a scuffle outside her
residence on May 10, two days after Suu Kyi's release. The court sentenced Soe
Aung to one week in jail or a 1,000 kyat fine, which he paid the same day.
Suu Kyi's NLD won 1990 elections in Myanmar by a landslide but was
denied power by the ruling military. Suu Kyi has spent much of the past decade
under house arrest.
Her latest release in May came after heavy
international pressure and months of U.N.-mediated confidence-building talks,
and sparked hopes the junta were moving towards reform.
But the
talks have stalled and the gulf between Myanmar's opposition and military
appeared to widen this month, with Suu Kyi calling for meaningful dialogue as
ruling generals railed against threats to stability.
Suu Kyi told
supporters in a speech that the country's society and economy, ruined by years
of isolation and mismanagement, was suffering because of government stalling on
real dialogue.
Myanmar has been ruled by the military in various
guises for most of the period since its independence from Britain in 1948.
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Myanmar's central bank bails out private banks: consultant
YANGON, Feb 21 (AFP) - Military-ruled Myanmar's central bank has
bailed out three of the country's cash-strapped private banks by extending loans
to them, a consultant from one of the banks said Friday.
The banks
each received five to 11 billion kyat loans based on the value of the collateral
they were able to provide, the consultant told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The value of the loans equates to five to 11 million dollars at
the prevailing blackmarket rate -- considered more reflective of the currency's
actual value -- or 833 million to 1.8 billion dollars at the official rate.
"Three leading banks, Asia Wealth Bank, Yoma Bank and Kambawza
Bank are the first to receive such collateral government loans," the consultant
said.
"It is expected that other private banks will also receive
similar loans if they can put up the necessary collateral."
A
government source also told AFP the government had separately paid seven billion
kyat to the Olympic Construction Co., one of several business ventures run by
the Asia World Bank.
The company had undertaken construction
projects contracted by the government, which had fallen in arrears in paying it.
"These official moves are the first positive indications that the
authorities have finally decided to intervene and help contain the deteriorating
situation," a local analyst said.
In recent weeks depositors have
rushed Myanmar's 20 private banks, seeking to withdraw their savings amid
rumours of their imminent collapse.
The runs led to Asia Wealth
Bank, Yoma Bank and Kambawza Bank suspending their credit card services.
The banks were also pushed to suspend their credit card services
following a State Central Bank order that private banks should only allow
withdrawals totalling 500,000 kyat a week.
The amount has since
been reduced to only 100,000 kyat, resulting in long queues at main banks and
their branches from dawn amid an increase in security.
The rumours
that the banks were vulnerable have persisted despite assurances from the
central bank governor last week that the public should have "complete
confidence" in the banks as they were operating strictly in accordance with
state financial laws.
The panic runs appear to have been sparked by the
failure of 14 financial services groups to pay investors. The groups were
operating outside of government regulations and offering high returns of about
60 percent a year.
Military authorities have charged that some
elements were spreading false and malicious lies to deliberately create a
monetary crisis.
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US says no dialogue invite from Myanmar
WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (AFP) - The United States said Thursday it
had received no proposal from Myanmar for a dialogue, after the military-ruled
state called on Washington to "open its heart" and enter constructive talks.
The call from Yangon came five days after a senior US official
said Washington was losing patience with the junta and examining what extra
sanctions it could impose in the absence of a promised dialogue with the
democratic opposition.
"We saw the statement, but the fact is the
Burmese have not raised a proposal with us on what they called a constructive
dialogue," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
"At
this point we're not really prepared and in a position to comment on the idea.
"We would, of course, welcome concrete steps by Burma to move
toward democracy and greater respect for human rights.
"The
critical dialogue is the one between the regime and Aung Sung Suu Kyi and the
National League for Democracy."
The rulers of Myanmar, the former
Burma, earlier rejected US scepticism over the progress of its political reform
process and slammed the sanctions warning.
The junta said it
"noted with disappointment" remarks made last week by Lorne Craner, US assistant
secretary of state for human rights, democracy and labor.
"Our
patience for positive change is beginning to run out and we, along with the UK
and others, are considering all options, including further sanctions," Craner
said Saturday.
The United States currently maintains an investment
ban, travel restrictions for Myanmar officials and an arms embargo on Myanmar,
among other sanctions.
The junta responded by condemning sanctions
for failing to solve the country's problems.
"Sanctions, by
definition, impede economic growth, and deprive the Myanmar people of job
opportunities. Sanctions, especially against a developing country, directly hurt
healthcare and education," it said in the statement.
"Sanctions,
in short, do not solve problems; they only make them worse."
"The
government therefore invites the United States to join us in open, constructive
dialogue toward humanitarian, economic and political development in Myanmar,"
the statement said.
"We urge the United States to roll up its
sleeves and join with us to bring a better life to the people."
Washington is a staunch critic of Myanmar, and a strong supporter
of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy party
won a landslide election victory in 1990, which has never been recognised by the
military.
The Nobel peace laureate -- who was released from house
arrest in May -- has been engaged in UN-brokered talks with the junta since
October 2000, but they are yet to progress beyond a confidence-building
stage.
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The Business Times
Published February 21, 2003
Myanmar mired in worst financial crisis
Riot police
deployed over fears of public uprising in Yangon
By HARISH
MEHTA, IN BANGKOK
RIOT police are out in force in Yangon
as the country's worst financial crisis continues to spiral out of control even
as the central bank pulls out all the stops to stem a bank
run.
Sources in Yangon and along the Thai-Myanmar border told BT
that fears of a public uprising grew as the economy ground to a halt, prompting
the military junta to deploy riot police in the streets of Yangon yesterday and
Wednesday.
The heightened security measures followed a massive run
on local banks on Feb 6, sparked by the collapse of several non-banking
financial companies (that accepted deposits to finance their businesses in real
estate, construction, trading, and manufacturing), and the sacking of the
finance minister, diplomats and analysts said.
To staunch the
haemorrhaging, the central bank has imposed a ceiling on withdrawals, suspended
cheque transactions and fund transfers, and starved companies of funds as
working capital.
The crisis was sparked by the huge losses suffered
by the country's largest commercial bank, Asia Wealth Bank (AWB), on its deals
in China, making depositors nervous, and contributing to the run, analysts said.
As well, moves by AWB, and the Myanmar Eastern Bank to seek permission from the
government to sell their shares to the public unsettled
depositors.
AWB said in a statement: 'The present situation is
created as savers are withdrawing their deposits in a short time, resulting in
most private banks, including the Asia Wealth Bank, encountering a serious
shortage of cash.'
The government panicked and rushed to print
money, which exacerbated the situation by sapping confidence in the kyat. It is
believed that 19 trucks carried newly printed 1,000 kyat notes from Wazi, in
central Myanmar where the government prints its notes, to
Yangon.
These moves took place amid fears that the government may
be forced to demonetise the currency in which the people have lost all
confidence.
The country's top banks such as AWB, Myanmar Mayflower
Bank, Yoma Bank, Kanbawza Bank, First Private Bank and Myanmar Oriental Bank are
in a parlous state. The 20 banks there had combined kyat deposits equivalent to
about US$946.61 million as at March 2001, up by US$386.23 million from March
2000. But this is believed to have plunged by about 20 per cent during the
crisis.
Meanwhile, frightened people in Yangon, Moulmein, Mandalay
and in border areas rushed to the banks early this month after the ruling
military junta said that a number of non-banking financial institutions, which
had attracted huge deposits with interest rates of up to 50 per cent, were
illegal. The announcement caused many of them to fold
overnight.
Depositors were already jittery following the removal of
the minister of finance and revenue, Khin Maung Thein, on Feb 1 for his
involvement in foreign exchange transactions, and for his role in destabilising
the financial markets.
Then on Feb 6, the run on the banks began in
earnest following rumours that the 20 private commercial banks would collapse,
too.
Soe Aung, a Myanmar director of external affairs at the
Network for Democracy and Development, based along the Thai-Myanmar border, told
BT: 'The banking system is about to collapse.
The financial
instability was brought about due to political factors as
well.
'The finance minister was fired for his involvement in
foreign exchange dealings. This sent the message that the government was
unstable and sparked a rush on the banks.'
Businessmen in Yangon
are concerned that the new finance minister, Hla Tun, who is an army officer
with no skills in finance and banking, may worsen the
situation.
'Maj-Gen Hla Tun is like the other ministers who do not
have necessary experience in the portfolios to which they are appointed. This
indicates that incompetency in government has made the country one of the
poorest in the world,' Mr Soe Aung said.
The Myanmar central bank
has banned money transfers and imposed a ceiling of 500,000 kyats a week on
withdrawals, sparking a full-blown run on deposits. One US dollar is equivalent
to 6.5 kyats at the official exchange rate, while it is one to over 1,500 in the
black market.
Subsequently, the central bank tightened withdrawals
to 100,000 kyats a week, which is less than US$100. AWB is said to have paid out
80 billion kyats of its deposits of 260 billion kyats during the run.
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Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-02-21
Public health milestone reached as leprosy declared eliminated in
Myanmar
By Nang San
Noom
Myanmar, Feb. 10 - 16: Myanmar has reached a
significant milestone in its public health programs with the announcement last
week that the country had reached its goal of eliminating
leprosy.
The announcement was made by Secretary 1 of the State
Peace and Development Council, General Khin Nyunt, in an opening address at a
meeting of the Global Alliance for the Elimination of Leprosy at the Sedona
Hotel last Thursday.
Addressing the meeting in his capacity as
chairman of the National Health Committee, General Khin Nyunt said Myanmar had
reached the target at which the disease is considered eliminated ? fewer than
one case for every 10,000 people ? at the end of January. He attributed the
achievement to the work of the committee and the Ministry of Health and also
paid tribute to the technical and financial support from the World Health
Organisation and Myanmar?s other international partners in the fight against the
disease.
"Mutual support among partners in developing a
comprehensive and consistent leprosy elimination program has proved to the
cornerstone of our success," General Khin Nyunt told the meeting, the first of
its kind to be held in Myanmar since the alliance was established in 1999. He
said the introduction of multi-drug therapy following a WHO recommendation in
1986 had paved the way for the elimination of the disease, which had been a
target of national health programs since soon after independence in
1948.
The campaign against leprosy had been challenging, with the
total number of cases in Myanmar estimated in 1954-55 at about 200,000 cases and
rising to an estimated 700,000 cases in 1973. A combined effort by the
government and its partners had reduced the prevalence rate from 39.9 cases for
every 10,000 people in 1988 to 1.04 last December.
General Khin
Nyunt said leprosy was not only a public health problem. "Because the side
effects of the disease result in deformity and disability, it also carries
social stigma and economic costs to the individual and the community," he
said.
General Khin Nyunt said Myanmar would continue its efforts in
sustaining elimination and in establishing an appropriate network for the care
of disabled individuals in order to minimise the health and economic
consequences of the disease.
Those at the meeting included the
WHO?s executive director for communicable diseases, Dr David Heyman, who
described Myanmar?s elimination of leprosy as "a remarkable achievement."
"Myanmar has worked hard to attain the target and the government should be
congratulated," he told Myanmar Times.
Another WHO official at the
meeting, Dr Vijaykumar Pannikar, expressed appreciation for the contribution
played by two international foundations in helping Myanmar to achieve the
elimination target through donations of multi-drug therapy
treatments.
The Nippon Foundation had donated treatments from
1995-1999 and the Novartis Foundation was committed to providing treatments from
2000 to 2005, the year set by the global alliance for eliminating leprosy
throughout the world, Dr Pannikar told MT. Mr Yohei Sasakawa, the global
alliance?s special ambassador and the president of the Nippon Foundation, told
the meeting that it was his life?s goal "to see a world without
leprosy."
Mr Sasakawa said the Nippon Foundation and its sister
organisation, the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, had been working in
Myanmar for 26 years to help eliminate leprosy. He said the two foundations had
provided the equivalent of US$20.3 million to support leprosy elimination in
Myanmar, most of which was disbursed by the WHO
In its
international work to eliminate leprosy, the two foundations appreciated the
cooperation of the WHO, governments, international agencies, the World Bank,
Novartis and domestic and international non-government organisations, said Mr
Sasakawa. He expressed confidence that the meeting of the global alliance would
result in a further strengthening of the collaborative effort to "emancipate
humankind of this centuries-old disease." - The Myanmar Times -
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Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-02-21
Democracy, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law in
Burma
Lorne W. Craner, Assistant
Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and
Labor
Thank you for your welcome. There is an energy in
this room this morning, an energy felt in this Administration not to mention in
Burma, and with the inspiration of Aung San Suu Kyi, we will continue to work
until Burma is free. It is a pleasure for me to be here this morning, speaking
with so many proven champions of human rights and democracy in
Burma.
I would like to begin with a story I think many of you know.
Less than two months ago Aung San Suu Kyi traveled to Rakhine State, her fifth
countryside trip since her release from house arrest last May. A crowd of 25,000
people assembled to greet her, despite attempts from the authorities to prevent
them from coming together. The authorities felt threatened by the crowd,
although the gathering was absolutely peaceful. And so they summoned police who
were carrying batons, and a fire engine to disperse the crowd with high-pressure
water cannons.
Upon seeing the scene, Suu Kyi climbed up onto the
fire engine and managed to stop the police from hosing the people by pointedly
saying, ?I?m here in the name of democracy which puts the people ahead of
everything else. Our first priority is to serve and protect the people ? the
police as well as other officials have the same responsibility.? This image of
one courageous woman heading off an assault by authorities on a peaceful
gathering illustrates the urgent need for democracy and human rights in
Burma.
Last week the Freedom Forum announced that Suu Kyi was
awarded the Al Neuharth Free Spirit of the Year Award and one million dollars.
It is obvious why. Even after years of on-and-off political arrest, harassment
and constant surveillance, Aung San Suu Kyi, through tremendous strength of
character, is still wholly committed to bringing democracy and a humanitarian
rule of law to the Burmese people.
Last May we were all heartened
by the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and we welcomed the
release of a few hundred political prisoners over the past few months. But
unfortunately these steps have not been matched by any progress toward a
political dialogue on constitutional issues. In fact, the State Peace and
Development Council [SPDC - Burma's ruling military junta] took a serious step
backwards just a few days after the recent visit by Amnesty International with
the arrest of several more political prisoners. As a result, we remain highly
skeptical about the regime?s commitment to any political transition.
The U.S. Government has long respected Aung San Suu Kyi?s
leadership in support of democracy and human rights; President Bush publicly
congratulated Aung San Suu Kyi on the anniversary of her Nobel Prize. Democracy,
national reconciliation, and human rights are our primary foreign policy goals
in Burma. We -- and by that I mean we in the Executive Branch, but also the
Congress -- we have been at the forefront of drawing attention in an official
way to Burma?s deplorable human rights record.
The freedom-loving
people of Burma have no better friend in the U.S. Congress than Senator Mitch
McConnell. He has been a champion of human rights and democracy and a protector
of the persecuted for nearly two decades. The strength of his voice is matched
by the power of his actions. And he is ably assisted by another champion of
human rights and democracy in Burma, Paul Grove, who will join you later today.
The SPDC?s disregard for human rights and democracy extends to
every conceivable category of violation and we will be cataloguing these this
year. The regime suppresses political dissent by censorship, persecution,
beatings, disappearances and imprisonment. It harasses ethnic minorities through
brutal campaigns against civilians. It sharply curtails religious freedom. It
subjects its people to forced labor. And in the past year there have been more
reports of increased extra-judicial killings, rapes, disappearances, force d
labor, and forced relocations.
According to the International
Committee of the Red Cross, as of last October 1,448 political prisoners
languish in Burmese jails. This month the Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners updated this figure to 1,453. The SPDC allows the International
Committee of the Red Cross to monitor political prisoners and prison conditions,
and the UN Special Rapporteur, Mr. Pinheiro, reports that prison conditions for
political prisoners have ?incrementally improved.?
But what does
this mean? As he reports, it means that the beatings and torture of political
prisoners have decreased; it means that some elderly and sick prisoners are now
maybe receiving medical attention, although just in the past six months four
more political prisoners who we know of died in prison due to the withholding of
medical treatment. Political prisoners also continue to be held in solitary
confinement for extended periods, and they are deliberately sent far from their
homes, precluding visits and support ? including food ? from family members. And
when family members are able to visit, it is witho ut any privacy.
We need to keep this most disturbing fact at the front of our
mind: These individuals, mostly students, teachers and lawyers, were unjustly
arrested ? often arbitrarily ? and are being held under such abhorrent
conditions for peaceably promoting democracy and freedom; sometimes for
distributing leaflets or just for being involved in the publication of a
bulletin, or just for being associated with a pro-democracy association, such as
a church. There still is no freedom of association, no freedom of _expression_, no
freedom of the press in Burma.
Last November, the SPDC stated they
would release the largest group of prisoners ever ? 115 in all ? but we have not
been able to confirm all of these releases. Even so, the conditions of those
released are unacceptable. Currently, prisoners are released under the pretense
of ?suspension? of their activities. Understandably, many political prisoners
decline to be released under these conditions, which are a violation of their
human rights. Again, we, together with the international community, have pressed
for the im mediate and unconditional release of all of these political
prisoners, and we will continue to do so until every individual prisoner is
released to live a productive life of freedom and peace.
After
years of intense international pressure, the regime finally agreed to allow the
International Labor Organization (ILO) to appoint a liaison officer in Rangoon
and we hope this will develop into a full representation for the ILO. We also
hope that it will allow us to take more actions in response to new, credible
documentation of forced labor, including child soldiers.
Officially, the government passed a law in October 2000 banning
forced labor. However, forced labor continues, particularly in rural ethnic
regions. Human Rights Watch recently reported that thousands of boys, some as
young as eleven, have been forced to fight with the Burmese Army, sometimes
under the forced influence of amphetamines and alcohol, after being kidnapped
from bus stations and local markets. These boys have to fight armed with machine
guns and grenades and land mines. Boys and girls as young as seven are forced to
serve as porters in army camps or as construction workers. Villagers of any age
and gender, indeed, any Burmese citizen but particularly ethnic minority
citizens, are vulnerable to forced labor ? building roads and railroads,
farming, portering, working as a camp servant, fighting with the army.
Resistance leads to more torture and more death.
Last June, two
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) ? the Shan Human Rights Foundation together
with the Shan Women?s Action Network ? published a new report of violations of
human rights in Burma. This report documented Burmese Army personnel involvement
in the rapes of hundreds of women between 1996 and 2001. The report also said
that the Burmese Army was using rape systematically as a weapon of war in its
counter-insurgency operations. Responding to this, the State Department sent
investigators to collect first-hand accounts of rape by the Burmese military
from women in Thailand. Jean Geran from my Bureau will be discussing these
finding s later today. But we know this is a very, very grave situation, as both
our report and the earlier report indicated.
In response to
international pressure, the Burma Army conducted an investigation of these
charges, which was widely regarded by many in the international community as a
sham. We are now urging UN Special Rapporteur Pinheiro to move forward with his
effort to fulfill his mandate by conducting an independent investigation into
these reports of widespread rape. Such an investigation has the full support of
the international community, and Pinheiro has presented the regime with options
for implementation. We hope that the regime will break from tradition and
finally make an intelligent choice.
Rape is not the only abuse
committed by the Burmese army against ethnic minority populations. We remain
deeply troubled by reports of brutal tortures and murders, forced relocations,
forced labor, and suppression of religious freedom. The basic human rights of
these minority peoples are regularly violated, with repercussions not only for
individuals and families, but also at the regional level and internationally.
Refugee flow into Thailand intensified in 2002, and the number of internally
displaced people inside Burma is an estimated one million.
As you
are aware, the ethnic issue has a long history in Burma and has been a key
factor in determining whether Burma enjoys stability or suffers conflict. If
there is to be a successful political transition, appropriate ethnic
representatives must be included in the planning for transition at an
appropriate time. Aung San Suu Kyi?s recent trips to Shan State and Rakhine
State illustrate her commitment to the ethnic groups of Burma and her concern
for their participation and welfare.
Are productive talks in
Burma?s near future? Clearly, the necessity of resuming dialogue is urgent and
must be supported by the international community. We maintain hope for directed
and unwavering involvement of the UN and the global community in assisting the
NLD (National League for Democracy) and the country of Burma in its
democratization, its economic development, and its incorporation into the global
community after decades of isolation. But also, we recognize that economic
development can only be fairly and effectively managed by a democratic
government that is representative, transparent and accountable. To this end, the
United Sta tes and many key members of the international community are resolved
to maintain our insistence on positive change as a precondition for dropping
sanctions. Indeed, our patience for positive change is beginning to run out and
we, along with the UK and others, are considering all options, including further
sanctions
. The United States already has tough sanctions on Burma
in place. We have imposed an arms embargo and an investment ban, among other
measures. Only our sanctions on Iraq are tougher. If there is significant
progress towards a transition to democratic rule and greater respect for human
rights as a result of dialogue between Aung San Suu Kyi and the regime, the
United States would look seriously at measures to support this process. But, we
are disappointed and frustrated by the recalcitrance of the SPDC. We hope that
other states that currently do not share our sanctions policy will consider the
imp act that their policies have on the human rights and democracy movement in
Burma. Burmese democrats have made it clear that they do not want any assistance
to Burma that will strengthen the regime?s illegitimate grip on power.
Because of the SPDC?s disastrous policies, Burma may be facing a
humanitarian crisis arising from the dreadful nexus of hunger, malnutrition,
lack of education, and HIV/AIDS. We remain convinced that extensive aid to Burma
that passes through the military regime will be vulnerable to diversion and
mismanagement. USAID, with congressional support, provides one million dollars
in HIV/AIDS assistance in Burma and this amount may well be increased in the
future. Our assistance goes through NGOs and does not benefit the government. It
is important to stress again that humanitarian aid within Burma will be very
closely monitored and managed in co nsultation with the NLD.
How
can we promote democracy and human rights in Burma without supporting the SPDC?
In recognition of the fact that the Burmese people will require the
infrastructure and knowledge to establish a sound, democratic government, the
United States has supported a number of scholarship and training programs for
Burmese students. These programs send students to Thailand or bring them here to
the U.S. to learn good governance and management principles and to advance their
leadership skills.
The United States has also invested heavily in
the promotion of an uncensored, independent press in Burma, in recognition of
the fact that a free press fosters transparent, democratic government. We are
currently supporting independent journals, newspapers and radio media focused on
promoting democracy in Burma. We know that other nations also support grassroots
democracy efforts in Burma, and we are very happy to join our efforts with
theirs. It is inspiring to see many of those who have received some of this
support here today. I am personally humbled by your courage and perseverance in
the face of so many obstacles and such an ardu ous journey. But, as elsewhere,
it will be worth it one day when we celebrate in a peaceful and free Burma
created with the help of all of you.
We again urge the SPDC to
move beyond this impasse and to do the right thing for the people of Burma. Only
by adhering to their stated commitment, only by fashioning a transition to a
democratic government can they truly serve the desires and rights of all the
peoples of. In the meantime, in preparation for the democratization of Burma,
the United States and Burma?s other friends will continue to train, educate and
support the development of a sound and free government and civil society in
Burma, a transitional process that ? again ? must happen. We continue to work
toward that goal ? a free and prosperous Burma where people can work through
their differences through peaceful and democratic means. May this year be the
year that truth and justice prevail in Burma, bringing an end to oppression ?
and setting Burma free.
Thank you.
(Released on 19
Februart 2003)
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