BurmaNet News, April 21, 2004

[Editor]

April 21, 2004 Issue # 2460

"You don't agree with sanctions for example, and you don't even care about
any political situation
That is why you go ahead with training of the
human rights. They are giving training to those police officers ... but
the police officers have to go get the orders from the military."
– U Lwin, NLD’s National Secretary, in an interview on ABC Australia
radio's PM program about Australia's policies on Burma.


INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Ethnic Groups Want Convention’s Proceedings Modified
Reuters: Myanmar army seeks key govt role
News International: Karen rebels, Myanmar junta to hold fresh talks
ABC Australia: Burma secretary denies leader will be released

REGIONAL
Nation: Academic urges probe after rights report
Nation: Cloud over “Bangkok Process”

INTERNATIONAL
AFP: Pressure builds on Myanmar as UN rights forum urges Suu Kyi's
European Report: EU/ASEM: Myanmar Divides Foreign Ministers' Meeting

OPINION/ OTHER
Asahi Shimbun: Japan Should Be More Generous In Offering Refuge
Irrawaddy: The Lady Waits
Time Asia Magazine: Stone Age: The military strongmen who rule Burma have
made the country a global byword for backwardness and brutality

STATEMENT
UN Commission on Human Rights: Situation of human rights in Myanmar


INSIDE BURMA
_____________________________________

April 21, Irrawaddy
Ethnic Groups Want Convention’s Proceedings Modified - Kyaw Zwa Moe

Burma’s ethnic organizations—including ceasefire groups who have already
decided to attend the National Convention—want the military government to
modify the convention’s proceedings to allow free discussion during the
meeting, ethnic leaders said today.

Ethnic groups are responding to the junta’s statement released on Monday
that announced the May 17 reconvening of the convention will be held in
accordance with the same objectives and proceedings as when the convention
was first opened in 1993. This would mean sticking to the same six
objectives and proceedings set by the junta that have been strongly
criticized by opposition groups.

The convention was halted in 1996 after the opposition, the National
League for Democracy, or NLD, walked out calling the proceedings
undemocratic. Last August, Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt announced the
restart of the convention to draft a new constitution as the first step of
his seven-step road map to democracy.

"Unless the government will change its 104 proceedings, there may be
difficulties [to the convention]," vice chairman of the Kachin
Independence Organization, or KIO, Dr Tu Ja told The Irrawaddy yesterday.
"We want some proceedings to be changed."

The junta’s 104 proceedings, if adopted, will make the chief of staff of
the defense forces the most powerful person under the constitution and
will place the military above the constitution and the law.

The KIO, based in northern Kachin State, is one of the ceasefire groups
that has accepted an invitation to attend the convention. According to the
junta, all 17 ceasefire groups have agreed to attend.

Dr Tu Ja said that within the organization the KIO has already discussed
and prepared which proceedings they think should be modified and would
submit their findings to the government in time. But he refused to say
which proceedings they want changed.

The KIO leader added that there is a need for discussion on the
participation of the military in the country’s future political
leadership, one of the convention’s six objectives.

So far, however, the KIO is sticking to its decision to attend the
convention, the vice chairman said. He hopes that the military government
will make some alterations to the convention.

Another ceasefire group recently invited to the convention, the New Mon
State Party, or NMSP, has expressed its dislike for the junta’s stance on
the convention.

Secretary of the NMSP, Nai Han Tha said that his party would be inclined
to reject the convention if it will be the same as the old one. The NMSP
has yet to decide to accept its invitation to attend.

The largest armed ethnic group, the Karen National Union, or KNU, also
expressed its view on the convention. Chief of the KNU foreign affairs
committee, David Taw, explained that key areas such as administration,
legislation and justice were previously discussed during 1993-1996
convention. These issues were not satisfactorily resolved, making it
difficult for the KNU to say whether it will accept an invitation should
the junta demand adherence to the previous principles.

The KNU agreed on an informal ceasefire with the junta last December.
David Taw added that if those matters can be discussed freely again in the
coming convention, it will benefit the delegates.

_____________________________________

April 21, Reuters
Myanmar army seeks key govt role

Yangon: Myanmar's ruling generals will seek to entrench the military's
central role in any new Constitution emerging from multi-party talks due
to start next month, state media said yesterday.

National Convention overseer Thein Sein was quoted as saying the talks
would be based on the same objectives that led to a walkout by the
National League for Democracy (NLD) of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
more than eight years ago.

NLD secretary U Lwin told reporters his party's complaints on the agenda
had been rebuffed.

'The military sticks to these objectives and it is unacceptable to us,' he
told reporters.

The first convention was halted in 1996 months after the NLD walked out,
accusing the military of trying to manipulate the process to stay in
power.

At that time, one of the objectives set by the junta called for the
military to play a leading role in the national politics of the future
state.

The military also sought a new Constitution under which it would have held
25 per cent of any lower house of parliament, and control an upper house
with a veto over policy.

That plan was rejected by the NLD, which wants full 'one person, one vote'
pluralism.

On Tuesday, the state-owned Myanma Alin newspaper quoted Lt-Gen Thein Sein
as saying talks would resume 'according to the procedures and six
objectives laid down by the former National Convention Convening
Commission'.

Diplomats were also sceptical that next month's talks would achieve a
breakthrough.

'Indications are that positions may be hardening and over the long term it
will be difficult to reconcile differences...we are still in a
wait-and-see pattern,' one diplomat said.

_____________________________________

April 21, News International
Karen rebels, Myanmar junta to hold fresh talks

Bangkok: Myanmar’s biggest rebel group, the Karen National Union (KNU),
will hold a third round of peace talks with the ruling junta later this
month, a spokesman said on Tuesday. Ner Dah Mya told AFP that the KNU was
negotiating with the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
over a date for the talks.

"The next round of negotiations, which will be the third, will begin
before the end of this month, probably by next Sunday or Monday," said Ner
Dah Mya, the son of General Bo Mya who commands the KNU’s military wing.

He said that KNU first secretary Htoo Lay will head the delegation, but
that a venue for the talks, expected to last four or five days, had not
been chosen yet.

The KNU was working on the details of the negotiations and although its
agenda had not yet been set, the representatives were likely to raise the
issue of designating the group’s territory, he said. After a surprise
December agreement to cease hostilities, General Bo Mya in January led a
delegation on an historic trip to Yangon, which produced a provisional
ceasefire deal.

_____________________________________

April 21, ABC Australia
Burma secretary denies leader will be released

The National League for Democracy in Burma says it is unlikely the
country's military authorities will release their leader Aung San Suu Kyi
from house arrest.

Speculation over her possible release has been growing in recent weeks
since an apparent relaxation on the party's activities.

Burma is preparing for a constitutional convention next month but the
ruling military junta has said it intended to entrench the role of the
military in any future constitution.

In an interview on ABC radio's PM program, Burma's national secretary U
Lwin was scathing about Australia's policies on Burma.

"You don't agree with sanctions for example, and you don't even care about
any political situation," he said.

"That is why you go ahead with training of the human rights. They are
giving training to those police officers ... but the police officers have
to go get the orders from the military."


REGIONAL
_____________________________________

April 21, The Nation
Academic urges probe after rights report - Pravit Rojanaphruk

Allegations of state sanctioned murder of human rights defenders have
prompted Chulalongkorn law professor Vitit Muntarbhorn to call for the
establishment of special committees to follow up on a rights report by
Hina Jilani, the special representative of UN secretary-general Kofi
Annan.

Jilani’s assessment of human rights in Thailand was heavily critical of
the government.

She suggested human rights violations had occurred during the government’s
war on drugs and levelled new allegations of unmitigated surveillance and
harassment of nongovernmental workers.

She highlighted alleged violence against human rights defenders during the
gas pipeline protest in Songkhla, alleged or attempted murder of various
human rights defenders addressing environmental, labour and land rights
concerns, lax implementation of the Constitution and a “widespread sense
of insecurity” among human rights workers, the general community and
journalists.

Vitit yesterday told Foreign Ministry staff the government should not
dismiss the report, but instead should be proactive about the matter. He
said the government’s credibility was at stake.

Thailand’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Chaiyong
Satjipanon, last week said the government would not accept generalised
statements and unsubstantiated information.

But Vitit said: ?The United Nations may not be a father to some Thais, but
it can certainly be a mother to others,? in reference to Thaksin’s comment
about Jilani’s visit and subsequent report.

In Geneva, Jilani said “the current environment is no longer conducive for
activities of defenders working from Thailand on human rights and
democracy concerns in other countries in the region, including Myanmar
[Burma].”

Former foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan was pessimistic about the
government’s stance, and expressed doubt the parliament would be
interested in the 25page report.

He warned that Thaksin administration’s “misconception” of human rights
and the role of civil society would lead to the eventual replacement of
the rule of law.

All that would be left was naked power, in which the end justified the
means, such as the alleged abduction of human rights lawyer Somchai
Neelaphaijit, he said.

“Our great leader held a meeting in the South with governors recently and
asked them how many people were armed and resorting to violence [in the
name of] separatism. A governor told him 60,” said Surin.

He said police and the military needed to be educated about human rights,
as they were the most likely to commit human rights violations.

Surin said much had changed for the worse in Thailand during the past
three years, a period that corresponds with Thaksin’s hold on power.

_____________________________________

April 21, The Nation
Cloud over “Bangkok Process” - Rungrawee C Pinyorat

The Foreign Ministry insisted yesterday the Burmese military junta would
honour its commitment to engage in international dialogue, even if next
week’s “road map” talks have to be postponed.

“A change of date, if it happens, will not reflect any change in Burma’s
position,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow.

Bangkok is considering postponing the second set of international talks,
scheduled for April 29-30, after Rangoon reportedly announced its
intention not to attend.

Sihasak said it would take a day or two to confirm if the meeting would be
postponed but the government was working to keep the original date.

Rangoon wants to concentrate on the National Convention for the moment,
and junta officials have said it is better to wait until things are in
place, he said.

He insisted the military junta would honour its commitment to participate
in the talks, which will be attended by 16 countries, including a United
Nations special envoy to Burma.


INTERNATIONAL
_____________________________________

April 21, Agence France Presse
Pressure builds on Myanmar as UN rights forum urges Suu Kyi's release -
Peter Capella

Geneva: Myanmar's military junta came under growing international pressure
to free pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders
on Wednesday as the 53-country UN Human Rights Commission unanimously
urged their release.

The call was made in a resolution brought by European Union countries,
which was adopted by the United Nations' top human rights forum without a
vote.

The decision came amid mounting speculation in recent weeks that Aung San
Suu Kyi, who was taken into detention during political unrest a year ago,
will be freed before a national convention on political change opens on
May 17.

Ireland's ambassador Mary Whelan, representing the EU presidency, said the
move was "the proof of the common concern and interest in the future of
the people of Myanmar on the side of the international community".

Although it supported the resolution, the only dissenting voice came from
China, which has traditionally shunned finger-pointing against specific
governments over abuse.

"The resolution has not been able to fully reflect the positive
developments in Myanmar, it is something China regrets," he said.

The resolution "strongly urges the government of Myanmar to restore
democracy and respect the results of the 1990 elections by ... releasing
immediately and unconditionally the leadership of the National League for
Democracy (NLD), including Aung San Suu Kyi".

It also put the detained opposition leader firmly at the centre of any
political developments by urging the military government to open dialogue
with Suu Kyi on establishing democracy and national reconciliation "at an
early stage".

Some Asian and western diplomats also put pressure on Myanmar to come up
with a concrete timeframe for the transition process the military has
pledged to set up from next month.

"The Burmese government should also articulate a timetable leading to the
establishment of democracy in Burma," United States ambassador Richard
Williamson told the Commission.

While acknoweldging recent political developments including the seven-step
roadmap to civilian rule in the country, the text also urged the
government "to end the systematic violations of human rights in the
country".

It listed killings and rapes "carried out by the armed forces", continuing
use of torture, foreced labour and land confiscation by the army.

The Commission also called for an investigation into political violence in
May 2003 which led to a further crackdown on opponents of the military
regime and urged the release of all political prisoners.

"The resolution should not isolate Myanmar from the international
community but should encourage it to make every effort to improve the
current situation," a Japanese diplomat said.

Despite praise from the EU for behind-the-scenes "constructive
consultations" with Yangon in shaping the resolution, Myanmar's delegate
rejected it as unbalanced and "a far cry from what it ought be".

"My delegation rejects all the negative elements," he told the Commission.

Human rights experts have warned that political transition in Myanmar
would fail unless all political detainees -- estimated to number 1,300 --
were let out immediately.

Authorities re-opened the NLD headquarters and freed some party leaders
last week.

But NLD officials reiterated Tuesday that they would not take a decision
on whether to attend the convention until Suu Kyi is released.

___________________________________

April 21, European Report
EU/ASEM: Myanmar Divides Foreign Ministers' Meeting

European Union and Asian Foreign Ministers have failed to bridge their
differences over how to handle the military regime in Myanmar/Burma. At
their meeting in the Irish town of Kildare on April 17 and 18 they
postponed a decision on whether to allow the country to join the
Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) process. The Asian countries say Myanmar should
be admitted along with Cambodia and Laos into ASEM when the EU enlarges on
May 1. The Kildare ASEM Foreign Ministers meeting gathered the EU's 15
Member States - as well as the European Commission - and ten Asian
nations: Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

The issue has been passed over to officials, who will meet again at the
end of May to see if they can reach a compromise. It should also give
Myanmar more time to show it is ready to reform, and work with the
opposition party of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "Let's work
together to see about further progress and then senior officials can
report back to us", said Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, who
co-chaired the ASEM meeting. "It's a positive approach rather than
emphasising the differences that we have."

The United Kingdom, Myanmar's former colonial power, and the Netherlands
had pressed hard for Myanmar to be kept out of ASEM because of the junta's
repression of political opponents, and in particular Mrs Suu Kyi's house
arrest. The EU already maintains an arms embargo on Myanmar and targets
key junta officials through an asset freeze and visa ban.

At the meeting, the EU set its conditions for Myanmar's entry into ASEM.
These include Mrs Suu Kyi's release and the participation of her
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) in talks on a new
constitution due to start on May 17. "I repeated this forcefully...and had
support from Britain and Italy", Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said.
"Asian colleagues said they got the message."

But Asian Foreign Ministers remained cool about the conditions. "We in
Asia maintain our position that the three countries have to be admitted as
a package", Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said. "There
should be no demands, there should be a good understanding." He was echoed
by Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka, who said, "Imposing
something from outside would not be the right answer", said his Japanese
counterpart. The Asian Ministers called on the EU to pay greater credit to
reformist moves by the junta, but Europe said it was too early to go
further in appraising whether democracy is set finally to return to the
South-East Asian country.

Nonetheless, the two sides jointly called for the release of Mrs Suu Kyi.
"Ministers looked forward to the early lifting of remaining restrictions
on Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy", their joint
statement said. "Ministers noted that the members of ASEM stand ready to
assist the government in its efforts to bring about national
reconciliation", it said. The Ministers also "pledged continued effort"
for the mediation efforts of the UN special envoy on Myanmar, Razali
Ismail. Mr Ismail forecast Mrs Suu Kyi's release in the "next several
days".

North Korea.

The two sides stressed they wanted to strengthen cooperation on North
Korea, countering terrorism and immigration issues. In their joint
statement, they backed efforts to end a crisis over Stalinist North
Korea's nuclear ambitions "peacefully through dialogue, in a spirit of
mutual respect and consultation". They also called for a strong United
Nations role in an orderly restoration of sovereignty to an Iraqi
Government and deplored the recent upsurge of violence and hostage-taking.
On the Middle East, they condemned Israel's killing of Hamas chief
Abdelaziz Rantissi and - following a surprise US policy reversal announced
on April 13 - said a final peace settlement could only come about through
negotiations.

China snubbed on arms.

Mr Cowen rebuffed China's demands for an end to an EU arms embargo in
place since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in separate talks on April
19. Mr Cowan told Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing that the embargo
was being reviewed by EU military experts and would then have to return
for discussion among Foreign Ministers on April 26. But a decision was
some way off, he said. "I've given to my Chinese colleague this
Presidency's frank assessment that we don't believe as things stand that a
decision is likely during our Presidency", Mr Cowen said. The Netherlands
takes over from Ireland as EU chairman on July 1. Given the Dutch
opposition to lifting the embargo, China may be in for a long wait.

Mr Li said Beijing was prepared to wait. "All good things take time", he
told reporters, flanked by Mr Cowen and European External Relations
Commissioner Chris Patten. "I believe the arms embargo is a product of the
Cold War period. It's already outdated. It is at the moment of no good
use. However, the issue is up to all our European friends."


OPINION/ OTHER
___________________________________

April 20, The Asahi Shimbun
Japan Should Be More Generous In Offering Refuge

Japan's asylum and refugee policy has long been criticized, both at home
and abroad, for being too restrictive and "cold" to people seeking
protection from persecution in their home countries. At long last,
however, lawmakers have started taking steps to improve the system.

A bill to amend the immigration control and refugee recognition law for
kinder treatment of refugees and asylum seekers has been sent to the Lower
House after passing the upper chamber. We hope the proposed improvements
will be enacted during the current session of the Diet.

The revision would extend the period for asylum application to six months
from the current 60 days after entry into Japan and prohibit the
extradition of asylum seekers while their claims are being examined. They
would be allowed to stay in Japan during the screening process under
certain conditions, such as no fears the individual would flee. Qualified
applicants would be entitled to resident status if they meet certain
criteria. Complaints about refusal would be addressed by a "third party."

Admittedly, the proposed revisions represent a step forward and we welcome
the change in the Justice Ministry's stance on this issue.

But the proposed amendments do not go far enough. We doubt Japan will be
able to shed its reputation as a country tightly closed to refugees. The
biggest problem with the bill is that only people who arrive in Japan
directly from countries where they face persecution would be eligible for
permission to stay-either as asylum applicants or permanent residents.

Justice Ministry officials defend this provision on grounds that people
who flee persecution should apply for asylum in the country in which they
feel they will be safe after direct entry. European countries also operate
on the same basis, the officials point out.

That may sound reasonable enough. But this argument is sharply undercut by
the fact that a third of the people who applied for asylum in Japan last
year were from Myanmar (Burma). The next largest group were Kurds with
Turkish nationality. It is next to impossible for these people to come
directly to Japan.

These were people who fled the oppressive military regime in Yangon
(Rangoon) or became refugees after resisting the Turkish government's
harsh policy toward ethnic minorities. They first take refuge in
neighboring countries, but soon realize they are not safe there either.
That is why they must travel so far to seek asylum here. Restricting
protection to those who come directly from their countries of nationality
would exclude all these people who amply deserve protection.

The Upper House has passed a supplementary resolutionattached to the bill
calling for flexible implementation of this rule based on consideration to
the circumstances of individual cases. But it would be much better to
eliminate this provision from the bill.

Another major flaw with the revision lies in the envisioned system to deal
with complaints about the vetting process. The bill says such claims by
applicants would be studied by a "third party." In reality, this means an
advisory panel to the justice minister. There is nothing reassuring about
a system in which the head of the ministry which has denied an asylum
application has final authority to rule on the fairness of the decision. A
"third party" should mean a body that is completely independent of the
Justice Ministry.

The ministry is worried that easing the standards for refugee and asylum
protection would invite more abuse by illegal immigrants. There are indeed
many cases of such abuse of the system. This concern, however, should not
be used as an excuse for keeping the door closed to refugees who really
need Japan's protection.

Japan needs to be more generous in offering a helping hand to those
fleeing persecution and seeking freedom.

___________________________________

April 21, Irrawaddy
The Lady Waits - Aung Zaw

The world anxiously awaits the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, but her
Rangoon jailers appear to want to keep their prisoner a little bit longer.

The question is how long? A few more weeks, months? No one seems to know.

Suu Kyi, 58, has been detained since May 30 last year when her convoy was
attacked by a regime-orchestrated mob in Sagaing Division. Dissidents
charged that the government leaders had engineered an assassination plot.
Suu Kyi was injured in the melee and was fortunate to escape with her
life.

Burma's political reform process was thrown back to square one. Suu Kyi
was first detained in Insein prison then transferred to her lakeside home
on University Avenue.

She was visited by UN special envoy Razali Ismail who predicted that the
opposition leader would be released in April. But Suu Kyi and Tin Oo, vice
chairman of the National League for Democracy, or NLD, remain under house
arrest and now it’s almost the end of the month.

Party chairman Aung Shwe and secretary U Lwin were released last week and
the party headquarters were allowed to reopen and its telephone
reconnected.

But NLD leaders are not sanguine. U Lwin told Irrawaddy that the regime
must make substantial changes, such as releasing political prisoners who
have served their terms.

What about the release of Suu Kyi? The party secretary was highly dubious
that his leader would be freed this week. "She wants to be the last person
[to be freed]. She wants many other political prisoners to be released
[first]," he said by phone from the NLD office in Rangoon.

So why the delay if the junta intends to free her in April? "The decision
to release [Suu Kyi] rests entirely with [Senior-General] Than Shwe," said
a veteran journalist in Rangoon.

Than Shwe, 72, commander in chief of armed forces and chairman of the
State Peace & Development Council, the junta that controls Burma, is
regarded the man who calls the shots.

"He is the one who will make the decision and it seems that Than Shwe is
not so keen to free her yet," commented a Rangoon-based analyst.

The junta leader has a reputation for being reclusive and taciturn and
reportedly spends most of his time with his extended family. He plays
golf, visits pagodas and consults with astrologers on the country's
affairs.

"If you analyze [Burma], you cannot assume rational or logical thinking,"
said an analyst in Rangoon. "Today, if astrologers tell him [to release
Suu Kyi] he might do so."

Some veteran politicians also suspect that top military leaders are
divided into two camps; one group wanting to release Suu Kyi at a later
date. The—relatively speaking—moderate voice of the regime failed to
persuade Than Shwe.

However, diplomats in Rangoon suggest that the regime might have set a
date for Suu Kyi’s release but then other issues got in the way. "I
suspect the government has not reached any sort of formal agreement with
Suu Kyi yet," said a western diplomat.

Government officials were reportedly seen visiting Aung San Suu Kyi’s
house prompting speculation that negotiations were underway. The fear is
if Suu Kyi is let out, she is going to speak out and rock the boat, said a
diplomat.

Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt outlined a seven-point roadmap last year
that promised to reopen the National Convention tasked with drawing up a
new constitution (which was closed in 1996 after the NLD walked out on
proceedings). The junta has since announced that it will be reconvened on
May 17.

It is still not clear whether either the NLD or a number of ethnic leaders
will attend the convention, party leaders said.

Since April 7, the government has invited numerous political parties to
attend the assembly. All NLD central executive committee members have been
asked except Suu Kyi and Tin Oo. The central committee has said that it
will not decide whether to attend until it can discuss the issue with its
two members still under house arrest.

The world is waiting to hear Suu Kyi's opinion on the roadmap and the
National Convention. That day should come sooner rather than later—there’s
a lot of work to be done!

___________________________________

April 26, Time Asia Magazine
Stone Age: The military strongmen who rule Burma have made the country a
global byword for backwardness and brutality - Andrew Marshall

Whenever I visit Burma, I have a ritual: I look up a name in the Rangoon
telephone book. Every year a new directory is published, but the listing
remains "Aung San Suu Kyi, Daw," followed by Rangoon's most famous address
"54 University Avenue" and a telephone number. The number never seems to
work. When I tried it during my recent trip, the Nobel laureate and leader
of the National League for Democracy (NLD) was enduring her third stint
under house arrest since 1989. But seeing her celebrated name in the book
always seems both extraordinary and reassuring.

I had returned to Burma to see old friends. Last year was particularly
terrible for the long-suffering nation. In February came the near collapse
of the private banking system, then in May the savage "Black Friday"
attack on Suu Kyi by state-sponsored thugs, who killed or injured scores
of her supporters and so provoked tough new economic sanctions by the U.S.
In the past, either event might have sparked a popular uprising on the
scale witnessed in 1988, when the Burmese military shot and jailed
thousands of demonstrators. The reaction this time—nothing, not a peep of
protest—reflects how ruthlessly the Burmese junta has terrorized its own
people. Washington's sanctions have boosted morale among Burma's embattled
democrats, but they promise little apart from further poverty and
desperation in a country ravaged by military greed and incompetence. The
military is now a state within a state, with the best housing, education
and healthcare reserved for soldiers and their families.

For full text see:

http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501040426-612426,00.html

STATEMENT
___________________________________

April 21, United Nations Economic and Social Council

Commission on Human Rights
Sixtieth session
Agenda item 9

Question Of The Violation Of Human Rights And Fundamental Freedoms In Any
Part Of The World

Albania*, Andorra*, Australia, Austria, Belgium*, Bulgaria*, Canada*,
Cyprus*, Czech Republic*, Denmark*, Estonia*, Finland*, France, Germany,
Greece*, Hungary, Iceland*, Ireland, Italy, Latvia*, Liechtenstein*,
Lithuania*, Luxembourg*, Malta*, Monaco*, Netherlands, New Zealand*,
Nicaragua*, Norway*, Peru*  Poland*, Portugal*, Republic of Korea,
Romania*, Slovakia*, Slovenia*, Spain*, Sweden, Switzerland*, Turkey*
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of
America: draft resolution

2004/  Situation of human rights in Myanmar

The Commission on Human Rights,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other human
rights instruments,

Reaffirming that all Member States have an obligation to promote and
protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and the duty to fulfil the
obligation they have undertaken under the various international
instruments in the field,

For full statement: http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs/L34-amended.htm