From: hrcoord@igc.apc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: UNITED NATIONS: Burma tries to defe
Date: 8 Oct 92 17:32:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700599:000:4934
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Oct  8 10:32:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: UNITED NATIONS: Burma tries to defe

/* Written 12:30 am  Oct  8, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in igc:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: UNITED NATIONS: Burma tries to defend human rights record


new york, oct 5 (ips) -- in an effort to mark his government's
dubious commitment to humanitarian principles, foreign minister u
ohn gyaw told the united nations monday that myanmar (burma) had
recently acceded to the 1949 geneva conventions on the protection
of human rights of combatants and civilians in times of war.

''the principles enshrined in the conventions are not new to
us. they have been part of the educational and training process of
the myanamr armed forces and of the values cherished by our
people,'' u ohn gyaw told the general assembly.

but reacting to the statement, exiled prime minister dr sein
win told a press conference here monday the commitment was
''meaningless'' as myanmar was not at war with any foreign power
at present.

''if they were seriously committed to human rights the military
government should have signed the two geneva protocols of 1977 on
the protection of the rights of victims of international conflicts
and civil wars,'' dr win said.

myanmar is currently ruled by a military government which is
known as the state law and order restoration council (slorc). it
has refused to recognise the results of the 1990 elections won by
the opposition national league for democracy (nld), the party led
by aung san suu kyi, the 1991 nobel peace laureate.

''the leaders of the nld, including aung san suu kyi, are still
in detention and more than 100 elected mps (members of parliament)
have been disqualified for political reasons,'' dr win said.

in his statement to the general assembly, myanmar's foreign
minister said his government had chalked out a ''specific time-
frame'' for a meeting of the national convention, called to draw
up the basic principles for a new constitution.

he said the government would invite ''delegates representing a
broad spectrum of the entire myanmar population'' to attend the
national convention.

but dr win dismissed the plan as ''illusory and retrogessive''.
he said the military junta dominated the steering committee called
to draw up the agenda for the national convention.

according to the foreign minister, the military government had
taken ''various measures to create an atmosphere conducive to the
establishment of a democratic system'' in myanmar. (more/ips)

united nations: burma tries to defend human rights record(2-e)

united nations: burma (2)

the military junta, two weeks ago, lifted the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
curfew that had been in force for four years, and on sep. 26 it
abolished martial law which was declared soon after the crackdown
of a popular uprising in 1988.

but dr win asserted that ''these are only cosmetic changes.
there is no real movement towards democracy''. he said these
announcements were made ''to mislead the united nations into
thinking that they were actually transferring power''.

as an example, he said the foreign minister did not mention in
his speech the fact that the proposed national convention would
ensure the ''leading role of the armed forces in national
politics.'' this pledge was in fact announced in a radio broadcast
on oct. 3.

according to dr win, military operations against rebels in
karen state were suspended because of the onset of the rainy
season. ''i have information that they are already preparing for
the next offensive,'' he said.

he welcomed the reopening of the universities, ''especially
since they have been closed by the military government
intermittently over the last four years.'' however, he said there
were still a number of restrictions imposed on both students and
faculty which was ''unacceptable in a democratic nation''.

although it was too early to assess the lifting of the curfew,
dr win said the government's recent rescinding of military
tribunals was of little consequence. ''the critical question is
whether the civilian courts will be able to function
independently,'' he said.

dr win, the prime minister of the national coalition government
of the union burma, is the cousin of the detained leader aung san
suu kyi. he is one of the leaders who won the election in 1990 and
escaped imprisonment when the military junta imposed martial law
after the opposition won the elections.

the government-in-exile retains the old name of the country
burma because it considers the change to myanmar an example of the
''burmanisation'' policy of the military government.

ethnic burmese who constitute 40 percent of the population
resent the change. the democratically elected government prefers
the name burma because it is ''ethnically neutral''.
(end/ips/ip/am/yjc/92)