16 June 2003

Following the brutal ambush on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her entourage in Upper Burma on 30 May, Dr. Sein Win, Prime Minister of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), and Dr. Thaung Htun, Representative for UN Affairs and Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Committee, embarked on a Burma briefing tour to explain Burma situation to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden 5-13 June.

The tour was arranged by the Norwegian Burma Council, the Danish-Burma Committee, Olof Palme International Centre, and the Swedish-Burma Committee.

During the Scandinavian tour, the NCGUB delegation met with officials from Foreign Ministries to seek immediate and effective response to the crack down on the National League for Democracy and to provide policy recommendations for the adoption of an emergency resolution on Burma by the European Parliament.

On the delegation return after completing the tour, Dr. Sein Win said, “Friends from Scandinavia agreed with our recommendations and we are confident that the action recommended will be taken by them. We were told that they will raise the matters recommended for action at the EU Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels as well as the ASEAN Regional Forum [ARF] and Post Ministerial Conferences [PMC] in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where EU is the member of ARF and dialogue partner of the ASEAN.

The meetings are scheduled in the second half of June.

Norway

Burma Forum
Dr. Sein Win delivered a keynote speech at the annual Burma Forum between Norwegian Non-Government Organizations and the Norwegian Government held in Oslo on 5 June. The prime minister alerted the participants about the premeditated ambush on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and entourage by military-affiliated thugs on 30 May and the crackdown on the NLD following the attack. He called for a strong response from the international community, saying, "This is the time the world must stand up in solidarity with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, making clear that the world's leaders are ready to enforce all necessary actions to prevent further repression in Burma." (See Appendix)

Foreign Ministry
In Norway, the NCGUB delegation was received by H.E. Vidar Helgesen, Secretary of State of Norway, on June 11. The importance of regional cooperation with the United Nations in its efforts for the success of national reconciliation and democratization in Burma was discussed as the key agenda at the meeting.

The NCGUB delegation expressed its appreciation for Norwegian diplomatic engagements with East Asia and Southeast Asia countries and neighbors of Burma to explore regional response to the escalating political tension in Burma.

NCGUB believes that Norway, because of its highly regarded reputation as a country which assists resolution of conflicts and bringing about peace in different parts of the world, can play a significant role in rallying regional support and contribute to the success of UN-facilitated national reconciliation process in Burma.

The two sides explored and shared views on approaches to bring about change in Burma, including the proposal that Norwegian Prime Minister Bondevik had explored with his counterpart in his recent trip to Tokyo.

Given the situation that Burma's political problems had relapsed and the reconciliation process had reverted to earlier times, the two sides reached a conclusion that further international pressure needed to be built up.

Pressure
The NCGUB delegation expressed the concern that political and diplomatic pressure by the international community would be ineffective if nations did not stop increasing trade and diplomatic links with the Burmese military junta. In that regard, NCGUB noted the increasing amount of timber and textile being imported by Scandinavia countries from Burma and discussed measures to correct that problem.

NCGUB noted that the ILO Conference in 2000 had called on all member States to review and end their relations with the military junta--State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)--if such a relationship in some way supports the SPDC to continue its forced labor practices. The severing of trade links as a means of implementing the ILO resolution on Burma was raised by the NCGUB delegation which explained that it had joined the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma and the ICFTU in the call to end investments in and trading with Burma because there was credible evidence that forced labor was continuing unabated and it was being perpetrated by the SPDC and its Burmese Army.

UN Security Council
The possibility of bringing Burma to the Security Council was also discussed by the NCGUB. The delegation noted that a swift UN intervention might become needed to avoid another round of bloodshed like in 1988 as anger and frustrations are increasingly becoming apparent in the Burmese society particularly since the recent brutal attack on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD members.
Denmark

Foreign Ministry
In Denmark, the delegation was received by Mr. Per Stig Moller, Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs on 12 June. The Minister noted the meeting as timely because he was about to attend the EU Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels on 16 June where the European Union’s action on Burma would be considered in response to the recent detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders and the crackdown on the NLD.

The two sides explored possible options to impose the sanctions regime by European Union. “Investment Sanction” which has been confirmed by legal experts as an action not contradictory to the EU Treaty and “Import Ban on Products from Burma”, an action recently taken by US Congress, were recommended by the NCGUB delegation as possible options.

UN Security Council
As the European Union has the United Kingdom and France as permanent members of Security Council, and Germany and Spain as alternate members, the NCGUB delegation asked the minister to explore whether the issue of bringing Burma to the UN Security Council could be adopted as the position the European Union at its Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.

On regional response to developments in Burma, the Danish Minister agreed with the NCGUB that the European Union should use the ARF and PMC venues to call for persuasive regional reaction to the crisis.

Troika Mission
With regard to the timing of the EU Troika mission's visit to Burma, NCGUB delegation expressed its view that the visit should be postponed until Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, other NLD leaders and members were released from detention and their rights restored.

Social Democratic Party
The NCGUB delegation also had cordial talks with Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Denmark, and requested him to raise Burma with his counterparts within the European Network of Social Democrats and to seek their assistance in securing a strong European Union response to the crackdown on the NLD in Burma.

Sweden

Foreign Ministry
In Sweden, the NCGUB delegation met with Mr. Anders Liden, Director-General for Political Affairs, and Mr. Lars Freden, Director of Asia-Pacific Division, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to express its concern over political developments in Burma and to seek the support of Sweden for NCGUB's recommendations with regard to action that the European Union could take through decisions made at the upcoming Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.

Burma Committees
During the trip to Scandinavia, the NCGUB delegation briefed members of the Norwegian Burma Council, the Danish-Burma Committee, Olof Palme International Centre, and the Swedish-Burma Committee to update them about the political situation in Burma and urged them to take initiatives in response to the “Global Action Call for Burma” which will be launched beginning 19 June.

NCGUB delegation also gave press interviews with radios and newspapers and appeared on television to raise Burma awareness among the Scandinavian people.

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Contact: National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB)
1319 F Street, N.W., Suite 303, Washington, D.C. 20004
Tel: 202-639-0639 Fax: 202-639-0638
E-mail: ncgub@ncgub.netWeb: www.ncgub.net

Burma UN Service Office
777 UN Plaza, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-338-0048 Fax: 212-338-0049
E-mail: burma1un@igc.org