|
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Burma's Political Crackdown: Action Urged (New York, September 22, 2000) Asia Division Washington Director Mike Jendrzejczyk Human Rights Watch today called for immediate
international pressure on Burma to lift new government restrictions on the
opposition party National League for Democracy (NLD). In the past two days, NLD
General Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD Deputy Chairman Tin Oo have again
been put under de facto house arrest and more than one hundred other NLD members
are believed to have been detained.
"The Burmese military government apparently believes it
can suppress the NLD without paying any price internationally," said Asia
Division Washington Director Mike Jendrzejczyk. "It's time for concerted action
by the U.N., ASEAN, and others. Diplomatic appeals alone are not enough."
Human Rights Watch urged the following specific measures: * Razali Ismail, the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's
Special Envoy for Burma, scheduled to visit Burma from October 6-8, should
publicly call for immediate and permanent lifting of restrictions on the NLD and
an end to the harassment of NLD party activists.
* The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of
which Burma is a member, should make clear to Burma that its actions risk
disrupting ASEAN's relations with key aid and trading partners. ASEAN leaders
have defended the 1997 decision to grant membership to Burma on the ground that
engagement would induce reform in Burma. ASEAN leaders should use their
influence to insist on immediate lifting of restrictions on the NLD and respect
for basic rights.
* The European Union (EU) should immediately announce that
it will not be able to proceed with plans for an EU-ASEAN summit in Laos in
December if the restrictions are not lifted and if Burmese officials responsible
for the recent crackdown are on the summit invitation list.
* Japan and Australia should put on hold planned workshops
with the Burmese government until restrictions on the NLD are lifted. The first
Japanese joint economic reform seminar took place in Rangoon in June. The next
meeting of the Australian human rights workshops, aimed at creating a national
human rights commission, are currently set for October.
On the afternoon of September 21, Aung San Suu Kyi, Tin
Oo, and eight NLD youth members attempted to board a train bound for the
northern city of Mandalay, but were told that tickets were "sold out." The group
waited on the platform for subsequent trains, but officials from the State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC) government did not permit them to board any
outbound trains. Early on the morning of September 22, authorities forcibly
returned Aung San Suu Kyi to her home and placed her under house arrest. The
government has said Tin Oo and the eight NLD youth reportedly are being held in
a "government guesthouse."
On Thursday, police reportedly rounded up some 100 NLD
supporters who had gathered at the
station in support of the group. Their whereabouts are also unknown but they are believed to be in police custody. This is the second attempt in recent weeks by Aung San Suu
Kyi, Tin Oo, and other NLD members to travel outside of the capital. On August
24, they tried to visit Kungyangon Township to organize the NLD youth wing
there, but were forced off the road in the town of Dala on the outskirts of
Rangoon. After a nine day standoff, the group was physically forced back to the
capital on September 2. The NLD leaders, who have been held under house arrest
off and on for years, were again put under house arrest. The restrictions were
removed twelve days later following an international outcry.
Authorities reportedly detained eleven other senior NLD
officers on September 13 and 14 on unknown charges. The ruling SPDC continues to
hold over 1000 political prisoners, including members of ethnic minority groups.
|