Written by U Ne Oo on 1999-03-01
Dr U Ne Oo
18 Shannon Place
Adelaide SA 5000
Australia.
1st March 1999.
Daniela Napoli
Chief, Human Rights Unit
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels, BELGIUM.
FACSIMILE NUMBER=(+32-2)295-7850
Dear Mrs Napoli:
re: The ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Beeting in Berlin
Thank you for your letter of 29 October 1998 informing the member states of European Union have extended a stringent visa ban on the officials of Burmese military junta. I, along with numerous others who striving to achieve democracy in Burma have been uplifted by the European Union taking such a strong position against the junta. We, the oppressed people of Burma, are very grateful to the European Union for the firm stand taken on parn on participation of Burma at the ASEAN-EU Joint Co-operation Committee meeting in Bangkok last January.
I believe the continued boycott by member States of European Union on the participation of Burmese military government at the forthcoming ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Berlin is justified, provided that State Peace and Development Council(SPDC) take no significant step to improve human rights situation in Burma. As you are aware, the Burmese military junta since laince last September have continue detaining the representatives elected to the Peoples' Parliament. Furthermore, the SPDC appointed minister for Foreign Affairs U Win Aung is not a legitimate representative for Burma. In this connection, I call your attention to my enclosed communi-cations to the President of UN General Assembly on September 21 and, to the UN Secretary-General on October 17 last year.
There have been concerns raised from certain quarters that the contihe continuing dispute over human rights in Burma may cause some strain in the relation between European Union and the rest of member States of ASEAN. In case of the impasse over Burma continues, which is quite likely, the European Union should make use of the alternative forums for communication, such as ASEM, being available to the rest of member states of ASEAN. On the event of an EU-ASEAN meeting in Berlin is taking place and a formal representation for Burma as a country being required, the European Union should allow only the B the Burma's Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany to take part in that meeting.
In closing, I express my sincere thanks
to European Commission for your continuing support to the causes of democracy
and human rights in Burma.
Sd. U Ne Oo.
