Written by U Ne Oo on 1997-05-20
TO OUR FRIENDS IN AUSTRALIA:
Following are letters to Minister Downer by me and by Community Aid Abroad Support Group in Stirling, Adelaide (The CAA Sulaide (The CAA Support Group is a local grassroots independent advocacy group, obviously support CAA but is independent of the CAA.), calling for Australian Government to take measures against SLORC/ Embassy in Canberra.
From what I have gathered, Australia and Burma do not have a direct exchange of military attaches. The Australian mission in Bangkok, however, have the military attache who taken care of responsibility for Burma. Anyway, the Australian Government should be urged to officially withdraw such responsibility for Burma. r Burma.
It reported that there have been quite a few visits of Burmese military personnel to Australia since 1988. A visa ban would directly effect those people. There are also un-confirmed reports of military intelligence entering Australia in the guise of businessmen or student. Lets kick the hell out of those unsavoury elements from Australia.
PLEASE SEND YOUR FAX TO:
FOREIGN MINISTER: HON. ALEXANDER DOWNER (06) 273-4112
AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRATS: HON. VICKI BOURNE (02) 9294-9681
(Sen1
(Senator Vicki Bourne is Australian Democrats spokeperson on human rights
and foreign affairs. Add. G.P.O. Box 36, Sydney NSW 2001.)
Dr U Ne Oo
48/2 Ayliffes Road
St Marys SA 5042
May 20, 1997.
Hon. Alexander Downer
Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Mr Downer,
Firstly, I should like to thank you and Australian Government for your generous financial support to the Karen refugees at the Thai-Burmese border. Such a kind help from Au kind help from Australians to our refugees in these difficult time of needs will always be remembered by the Burmese people.
I am writing to you in the support of Australian Government banning the entry visa for military personnel from Burma. I also urge Australian Government not to delegate military attache to Burma. There has been concerns by Burmese community in Australia on the report of Burma military intelligence arriving Australia. In the past, it is of my knowledge that the Burmese Embassy in Canberra had been an instrument inument in intimidating the Burmese community who mainly support the democracy movement. I request you to issue warning to Burmese Embassy for their behaviour and ask them to send their military intelligence personnal back to Burma.
I am in agreement with you that Australian investment in Burma has been of a small amount and will not make significant impact by banning the investment. In anyway, the lack of legal and financial infrastructure in Burma has also made the situation not conducive to a good investment. Therefore, it wore, it will be appropriate to advise the business community in Australia not to invest a large sum of money in Burma.
Finally, I thank you for your consideration to these matters. Continuing help from Australian Government to our refugees and Burma democracy movement are very much appreciated by the Burmese people.
Yours respectfully and sincerely,
Sd.(U Ne Oo)
A Letter Sample by the CAA-Support Group, Stirling (Adelaide)
4.5.97
Community Aid Abroad, Stirling Group
President, Divid Ferrie,
Stirling 5153
Hon Mr Alexander Downer, MHR,
76 Mount Barker Road,
Stirling, 5152.
Dear Minister,
I/we applaud Australia's actions in condemning the military government of Burma and in supporting refugees at the Thailand-Burma border. The generous support given recently to the Burmese refugees reflect Australia's humane and principled stand on the issue of human rights in Burma.
Nevertheless, Au Nevertheless, Australia could do more to help solve the current political impasse in Burma, by officially supporting the democratically elected party of Aung San Suu Kyi, and giving formal diplomatic recognition to the leadership of the National League for Democracy.
We would like to suggest that the first step of this process could be to expel the military attache in the Burmese embassy in Canberra and to impose a ban on entry visas for the Burmese military junta's officials. I/we would strongly support the Australian Government in aent in any action it took against the military junta in Myanmar.
Yours faithfully,
(**********)
Letters to Hon Madeleine K Albright,
The U.S. Secretary of State
Dr U Ne Oo
48/2 Ayliffes Road
St Marys SA 5042
Australia
May 21, 1997.
Hon. Madeleine K Albright
The U.S. Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington D.C. 20520, U.S.A.
Dear Secretary Albright:
Re: United States Action on Military Government of Burma
I call the Hon. Secretary's attention to the continuing political impasse in Burma. The State Law and Order Restoration Council is continuing to refuse to make dialogue with the National League for Democracy and ethnic nationality groups. In this connection, I should like to recall my communications on 18-February-1997 and 29-April-1997 to your attention.
As was noted in the 29th April communication, the United Nations Envoys has visited Burma on May 7-10 and met with various political leaders and also the SLORC Secretary-1. Hary-1. However, there are no signs of SLORC moving towards dialogue with opposition as a result of the visit. Much to our disappointment, it must be concluded that the SLORC's invitation of United Nations Envoys to Burma had been made - not by a genuine intention to enter dialogue with the opposition - simply to reduce the pressure of U.N. Commission on Human Rights on SLORC.
I therefore call on you and Government of the United States to put pressure upon the military junta in Burma, with any available means within your power, to enter the dialogue the opposition and to honour the result of election of 27-May-1990.
Finally, I thank you for your kind attention to Burma. The help from you and the Government of United States to our democracy movement is greatly appreciated by the Burmese people.
Yours respectfully and sincerely
Sd. U Ne Oo.
