BURMESE ORGAZATION'S NEWS
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Statement on ASEAN-US trade meetin in Indiana
December 10, 2000
We, the Action Committee strongly condemn upon the ASEAN 's meeting including Burmese diplomat, which will be held behind the door, sponsored by Congressman Mark Souder's administration. The meeting will lead to allow Burmese military regime to become a members of ASEAN -U.S. trade
allies, and which mean indirect trade with military dictatorship despite of objection from democratic governments, United Nations and International Labor Organization, and human rights organizations around the world. And also, the meeting will be formed a group to protect their own selfish economy interest, to shield sanctions from democratic governments, to counter political pressure from democratic government, organizations (United States, European Union, United Nations, and International Labor Organization).
Investment in Burma from foreign companies are often required to deal directly with government ministries, and state-owned enterprise, including those tied to the defense ministry. All trade money (Military regime received 608 million U.S. dollars from custom duties in the first eight months of this year) were spent for military expense, civil war, and to suppress pro- democracy movements.
The economic sanctions have produced positive results, Aung San Suu Kyi who won a Nobel peace laureate and others political prisoners were
released, and military regime agreed to cooperate with U.S. counternarcotic efforts, including a surveillance of opium production. The U.S. policy of
imposing trade and investment sanction against Burma, it is going to bring meaningful change in the human rights practices of the Burmese military
regime. Advocates of sanctions have pointed to Haiti, Iraq, and South Africa as example of success.
In contrast, this meeting threatened to drop a legislative " nuclear bomb" on Burmese people who are struggling for democracy and human rights
under the military suppressions.
Meanwhile, the dead locked political situation is getting worst in Burma. Burmese military regime continue systematic violations of civil, political,
economic, social and culture rights, including extrajudicial, summary of arbitrary enforced disappearances, rape, torture, inhumane treatment, mass
arrests, forced labor, including use of children, forced relocation use of anti-personal land mines , and denial of freedom of assembly, association,
expression and movements.
Military junta showing no sign to dialogue with democratic forces led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, now she is still under house arrest.
Therefore, we, the Action Committee of Indiana and Burmese Democratic Forces of Minnesota call for international communities -
1. To mount a pressure on the countries, companies who currently trade with Burma re-examine their relationship with military regime or face strong
sanctions
2. To urgently withdraw the foreign investors whose presence has the direct or indirect effect of aiding or abetting forced labour from Burma or face
legal actions for against the international labor law led by UN bodies.
3. To back the Committee Representing the People's Parliament(CRPP)'s
demand for an immediate dialogue with the present military regime.
4. To reinforce the UN General Assembly Resolution and International Labor Organization (ILO) resolution upon Burma.
5. To urge immediate release of all political prisoners including NLD leaders, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo.
Action Committee of Indiana
Burmese Democratic Forces of Minnesota