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To
His Honorable Yohei Kono Foreign Minister Japanese Government Since August 24, 2000, Burmese Democracy champion and national leader Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi, Vice Chairman of National League for Democracy (NLD) U Tin Oo,
Executive Committee member of NLD, U Soe Myint and 12 other youth leaders of NLD
youth wing have been at a standoff with the armed Police at Dala close to the
capital, Rangoon. They were stopped when they were peacefully traveling to
Kungyangon for the re-organization of NLD youth members.
Now four days have passed and the State and Peace Development Council
(SPDC) has given no sign to lift their restrictions on 1990 Nobel laureate Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi. The international community has expressed its outrage at
the Myanmar junta's blockade of Aung San Suu Kyi in the countryside outside
Rangoon and warned it will be regarded as responsible for her safety.
Japan has been consistent in urging the junta to democratize the country,
but always in ambiguous terms. We would like to plead with Japan to take this
opportunity, in which it will be able to present to the Myanmar junta a concrete
example of what it means for a society to take steps towards democracy.
Japan will be able to play a great role in convincing the Myanmar government
that, in order to democratize Myanmar, it should allow NLD members, including
their leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to travel freely in their own country.
As the Japanese government has much influence on the Military junta, we
would like to urge you to assist in alleviating this crisis by requesting the
Myanmar military junta to lift this blockage and give Daw Aung Suu Kyi freedom
of movement necessary for her party activities.
Thank you very much for your co-operation.
League for Democracy in Burma (LDB) Rm. 502, APTO Bldg 7-18-1, Takinogawa, Kita-ku Tokyo 114-0023 Tel / Fax 813 3916 4996 |