Written by U Ne Oo on 1995-02-20
February 20, 1995.
Your Excellency:
RE: The U.N. Security Council Action on the Government of Myanmar
As a Burmese refugee in Australia, I would like to call U.N. Security Counci U.N. Security Council's attention, through Your Excellency's office, to the Military Government of Myanmar's non-compliance to the United Nations General Assembly resolution 49/197. The Military Government of Myanmar's violations of human rights of Burmese citizens in recent years have created continuous outflows of refugees and displaced people inside and outside of Myanmar. In particular, the Myanmar military government's recent offensive on the opposition camps at Manerplaw has created an outflows of 10,000 refugees efugees into Thailand. In this regard, I have also enclosed the letter to U.N. Secretary-General for your information.
There have been the outflows of refugees and displaced people to Myanmar's neighbouring countries, in particular Thailand, since the Burmese military seize state power in 1988. Continuing government's repressions upon political dissidents and minorities, in the period that followed the 27-May-1990 election - of which the military authorities still refused to honour, have produced further exoduser exodus of refugees and displaced people. Despite the appeals by international community to solve its human rights and political problems through dialogues and through reconciliations, particularly at the 1994 United Nations General Assembly, the Burmese military have launched a renewed offensive on the oppositions in December 1994.
Military Government of Myanmar's failure to reconcile with the civilian opposition and ethnic minorities amounts to delays in solving the Burma's refugee and displaced isplaced people problem. Because of the Government's over-spending on military, the people of Burma are experiencing the extreme poverty and having to face with an egregious humanitarian situation. I wish to appeal the U.N. Security Council to urgently ratify these situations in Burma so that a speedy improvement to human rights / humanitarian condition can be made.
Thank you for your attention to Burma and your kind consideration given to the Burmese people. We, Burmese people, are in the great hope thatpe that you will consider our requests favourably.
Yours faithfully and sincerely
( U NE OO)
To :
Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali
The Secretary-General of United Nations
38th Floor, U.N. Secretariat
United Nations New York 10017
United States of America.
January 31, 1995.
Dear Secretary-General:
RE: Continuing detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and the Burmese military's recent attacks on oppositions}
I wish to call the Secretary-General's attention toneral's attention to the Burmese military's recent attack on the opposition forces at the Manerplaw, Karen State in eastern part of Myanmar. As a result of this fighting, there has been a further outflows of refugees into Thailand, which creating another added-burden to the international aid agencies supporting refugees in Thailand. Within Karen State, reports indicate that the intensifying military operation by Burmese army is resulting in the forced porterage of civilians.
I also wish to notish to note the Military Government of Myanmar's failure to fulfill the international community's request to engage in a substantive dialogue with, and also the release of, the opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. These requests had already been made at the 1994 U.N. General Assembly by the international community (clause 4 and 5). This failure to comply the international community's request, together with the recent offensive on the ethnic opposition indicate that the Military Government ofent of Myanmar is not sincere in its effort in promoting peace and reconciliations. Clearly, the current trend is not leading towards a peaceful transition to democracy. Therefore, a stronger action from U.N. and international community are needed to ensure that the Military Government of Myanmar comply with the U.N. resolutions.
I therefore call upon Secretary-General of U.N. and the international community to take measures regarding recent attack on the opposition camtion camps and continued detention of the opposition leaders:
1. The attack on the ethnic opposition, the Karen National Union which seeks the peaceful political settlement with Burmese army, has been the proof of insincerity of SLORC on ethnic minorities issues and also a revelation of the true intention in making cease-fire with the rebels. The Military Government of Myanmar evidently fails to take the opportunity to make political settlement with the ethnic minorities. Therefore, erefore, current cease-fire agreement with the ethnic minority forces are intended only for temporary halt in military assault on the oppositions forces, which will not give a lasting peace in Burma. Such an attack indicates that Burmese military will seek to destroy these ethnic opposition whenever there is an opportunity.
The military operation against the opposition forces also induce an attack on the refugees and internally displaced people. In July 1994, there has been an attack on the civilian refugee cefugee camp at Halockhani at Thai-Burmese border. The international community had already expressed its concerns in such incidences in the 1994 U.N. General Assembly resolution (clause 17). Therefore it is necessary to prevent such attacks repeating in Burma.
Therefore, I call upon the Secretary-General and the U.N. Security Council to implement the nation-wide cease-fire in Myanmar/Burma.
2. Continuing military conflicts and the delays in implementing political settlements with o with oppositions indicate that the human rights violations will continue to occur, especially, in the minority areas. Burma's neighboring countries - especially Thailand - have been inundated by refugees and displaced people because of the continuing human rights abuses in Burma. Therefore, it is necessary to create a condition in which human rights situation can speedily be rectified.
Therefore, I called upon the Secretary-General and U.N. Security Council to create the special zonecial zones, which are similar to security zones created in Northern Iraq in 1991, particularly in Karen and Mon States, Kachin State, Tenasserim divisions, and Arakan State where refugees are repatriating. In such special zones, no armed -forces should be allowed to build their military capacities, to provoke confrontations and to make aggression againsts one another. In order to make a speedy improvement to human rights situation in those special zones, the human rights bodies and humanitarian agenci agencies should be permitted of unhindered access to those areas.
I also wish to call upon the U.N. Security Council to implement international arms embargo in order to discourage the Burmese Army in the building-up of its military capacities and attacking the ethnic oppositions.
3. I also wish to draw the Secretary-General's attention to the lack of progress in drafting of the constitution. The impositions of guidelines and lack of participation by true representatives of the peo of the people of Burma has made this process of writing constitution an illegal. Furthermore, such constitution at its completion will unlikely be having the approval by the people of Burma when the national refrandum is made. Therefore present process of drafting constitution need to be modified.
The new constitution will also need systematic inclusion of the minority rights in order to encourage reconciliation between Burman majority and ethnic minorities. The presence of respective U.N. agencies in draft in drafting such constitution is required to provide impartial judgements in incorporating these minority rights. Therefore, I wish to call upon the Secretary-General the U.N. agencies in assisting the writing of the constitution.
The present Military Government of Myanmar insists that the constitution must provide the military to have the prominent role in future national politics. The people of Burma do not allow any organization to have special role in their future constitution. However, as a requir a requirement for the national reconciliations, the elected parliamentarians, in consultations with present military leaders, may define the role of army only for an immediate future in accordance with the benchmarks policy.
4. Within Thailand, there have been repeated incidences of the conflicts between Thai authorities and Student refugees in Bangkok as well as the ethnic refugees at the border. The protections given to the displaced Burmese by the Royal Thai Government are inadequate at present. Therefore, the U.N. and international community should encourage the Royal Thai Government to grant temporary asylum to \underline{all} Burmese nationals on the Thai soil. To assist the ethnic refugees, the UNHCR should urgently set-up their offices at the refugee camps at the Thai-Burmese border.
Finally, I should like to thank the United Nations and the Secretary-General for the efforts that has been made to promote human rights and democracy in Burma. My sincere thanks are also to yks are also to you for your helps in promoting reconciliation in Myanmar and , in particular, your kindness to the people of Myanmar/Burma.
Your faithfully and sincerely,
Sd. U Ne Oo
copy to:
1. Ms Sadako Ogata, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Case Postale 2500, CH - 1211 Geneva 2 Depot, Switzerland.
2. Senator the Hon. Gareth Evans, Minister for For Foreign Affairs, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600.
3. John Shattuck, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, Room 7 Affairs, Room 7802, US Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington DC 20520, United States of America.
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