* ICRDB urged to recognize denial of democracy,
release political
prisoners, start tripartite dialogue
* Nasaka Forcibly Extracts
Labor and Donations from Rohingya villagers
===============================================================
ICRDB urged to recognize denial of democracy, release
political
prisoners, start tripartite dialogue
The Second International Convention for the Restoration of
Democracy
in Burma (ICRDB), held for three
days in
in its declaration for the Burmese
military government to recognize
its total denial of democracy in
the country, release all political
prisoners and begin tripartite
dialogue.
After the 142 representatives from 14 countries met Oct.
15-17 they
released a declaration stating
that:
* Recognising
that the total denial of democracy, fundamental
rights and freedoms and the will of
the people of
in the 1990 general elections, the
continuation of an illegal military
dictatorship and the expanding
domination of the military over all
aspects of Burmese society, the
lack of a comprehensive political
solution to the civil war and the
continuing gross human rights
violations against the people of
regional and international security
and stability,
* Being committed to the demand for
the unconditional release of
all political prisoners, including
NLD leaders Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and U Tin Oo,
* Urging the cessation of military
attacks on ethnic nationality
communities,
* Calling for the initiation of an
unconditional, transparent, all
inclusive tripartite dialogue,
* Strongly believing that the
currently suspended National
Convention will be unrepresentative so
long as the majority of those
elected in the 1990 general
elections, including the NLD, remain
excluded,
* Highlighting the need to review
the current Indian policy
towards
restoration of democracy in that
country,
The ICRDB also declared its intention to:
1. Establish a support group of parliamentarians and
parliamentary
organizations around the world to
promote the cause of the restoration
of democracy in
2. Form an Asean and
rights in
3. Undertake a visit of delegates of the said group to meet
the heads
of state/government of Asean and South Asian countries for that
purpose.
4. Coordinate with similar groupings and like-minded
legislators
including but not limited to the
European Union and
Congress.
5. Observe
the Democratic Movement of Burma by
holding rallies in all capitals of
the world.
6. Promote the signing of a statement by the heads of all
political
parties and parliamentarians in
The statement will demand the unconditional release of all
political
prisoners including Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo, c essation of
military attacks on ethnic
communities, and the commencement of an
unconditional, transparent and
all-inclusive tripartite dialogue with
the objective of moving towards the
establishment of a truly
representative democracy in
Chair of the Asean
in 2006.
In the Second ICRDB convention Burmese opposition groups’
representatives and representatives
who support the democracy movement
for
Sein Win, "prime
minister" of the National Coalition "government" and
other representatives who applied
for the ICRDB convention were denied
visas to enter
The first ICRDB was held in the first week of January 1996
in New
Parliament.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nasaka Forcibly Extracts Labor and Donations
from Rohingya villagers
====================================================================
Kaladan Press Network
Maungdaw, October18: Nasaka (Boarder Security Force) authorities have
forcibly extracted donations and
labor from local Rohingya villagers
for construction of a
Buddhist pagoda and temple in Maungdaw township
in
In June, Nasaka
authorities established a new Natala (model)
village
named Aung Thaya
near Wabag (Myaw Taung) village in Maungdaw in
northern
242 male and 253 female residents.
Newcomers were brought in from
and community center built with
forced labor and forced donations from
the Rohingyas,
the villager added.
There are two kinds of Natala
villagers: newcomers from
and Buddhist communities within
Kami and Thet, or from Rakhine
or Marma in
from
the others, a schoolteacher said.
The Natala village was built on
confiscated lands of Rohingyas with
forced labor from surrounding
villages such as Wabag (Myaw
Taung),
Maung Hna Ma, Thet
Kai Pyin (Nanda Khali) and Zambonnya (Zinbaingya)
in northern Maungdaw.
These villagers have again been forced to
provide labor for construction of a
pagoda and monastery in the same
Natala village.
On the other hand, SPDC authorities have prohibited construction
of
non-Buddhist religious buildings.
Even slight renovation and extension
of religious schools and mosques
are not allowed. The Nasaka always
try to find ways and means to
destroy Muslim religious buildings in
Arakan, said a trader who came
abroad but declined to give his name.
Recently, Nasaka authorities
confiscated paddy fields, some with
yields, from nearby Rohingya villagers for the Natala
villagers. The
Rohingya villagers have to endure
it silently for fear of punishment.
The real problem is the total nonexistence of the rule of
law in
authorities at any level on any
grounds, without facing some kind of
retaliation, the trader added.
A farmer whose paddy fields were seized, said, “ I have four acres of
paddy lands full of yields. Of
these, three acres were confiscated by
Nasaka for Natala
villagers, and only one acre was left for our
family. How can we survive in the
future? We lost our farmlands,
energy and everything. We even have
to pay a donation and forced labor
for construction of a
Buddhist temple and pagoda.”
Under supervision of the Western Command Commander, the Nasaka set up
39 model villages in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung
townships in
state and even from
It was on
of 285 people in 85 families, was
brought to Arakan state from
proper, said a leader from Maungdaw town.
The Western Command Commander, during a
visit to northern Arakan Oct.
6, visited two Natala villages,
Inn Kran Mrying (Buthidaung) and Aung
Thaya (Maungdaw),
and donated TV sets, generators and other items, a
Village PDC member said.
.................................................................
Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media
groups
such as Mizzima
News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,
Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press
Network,
Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information
Network Group and Network Media Group.
.........................
Contact: Duty Editor
+66 9 54 94
296