To Mr. Chairman Date: 6 October 2003 Excellency, Subject: Proposal for expulsion of Burma’s ruling military junta from ASEAN We have no doubt that ASEAN (the Association of South East Asia Nations) is an establishment to ensure economic development, peace and stability for the whole Southeast Asia region. Nevertheless the ASEAN membership of our country’s military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), casts doubt on the Association’s sincerity with its own founding objectives. It is undeniable that SPDC is not just a military junta which has no mandate to rule Burma, but also an international outcast for its ongoing brutal suppression on democracy movement, bad human-rights records and connection with illegal drug trades. The Association should not overlook the fact that the junta’s membership does not represent the people of Burma. Given the recent developments of our country’s political impasse, ASEAN leaders have, we believe, a broader perspective and wider view on our country’s political change towards democracy. The view should be executed constructively in favor of the Burmese people’s aspiration to freedom from oppression. From the beginning the Association introduced the constructive engagement policy towards the junta, we, the Burmese opposition, have strongly opposed it, because we saw that the policy would enable the junta to defy any pressure for making progress for a political change. Before the Association embraced the junta as a member, we also had pointed out that the junta’s membership would create an image problem for ASEAN at the international front and cause a regional instability politically and economically. But the Association took a blind eye to our concern. In the beginning of this year the political situations in our country seemed smoother with the blessing of the United Nation broker effort for dialogue between the junta and the NLD (National League for Democracy) that won an overwhelming victory in 1990 elections, but was denied by the junta to take power. It followed by the confidence-building process between the two sides. After that, the NLD made overture to the junta for genuine political talks towards democracy which the junta promised the people after it had seized power by cracking down the 8888 pro-democracy movement. The junta turned down the NLD call without any concrete reasons. So the NLD had to make a move to push the junta to the talks table by organizing political tours throughout the country. Feeling the heat from the NLD move, the junta orchestrated a brutal attack on the NLD entourage, which left over 100 people dead or missing and NLD leaders including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in detention. After the massacre, the junta came under international outcry and sanctions as well as the Association’s call for immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The people of Burma were encouraged especially by the ASEAN call. They saw it as a positive sign for the cause of democracy and are still hoping that the ASEAN will continue its policy turn to pressure the junta. The real political problem of our country is the junta’s refusal to transfer power to the elected party, not national reconciliation, not national convention, not new elections. The people already gave mandate to the NLD to lead the country to democracy. The people need no road map to democracy .The NLD party is in place to take office. The outcome of the 1990 elections must not be forgotten. It is the will and rights of the people. The military junta is the only hindrance to our country’s smooth transition to democracy. The road map recently floated by the junta highlights its intention to maintain tight grip on power and is just to revive the old version of a sham national convention. The junta concerns itself in staying on power rather than regional stability or cooperation. It sees ASEAN as a stepping stone for its long-term objective of taking ever-lasting power in the country’s political future and uses its ASEAN membership to shield internal opposition and international criticisms. The junta has proven its insincerity with ASEAN objectives by refusing the Association’s call for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and a substantial dialogue with NLD and ethnic groups. Regardless of appeal from ASEAN, the junta continues to exercise its heavy-handed tactic. In this situation we urge ASEAN leaders to access the junta’s membership status which has marred the international reputation of the Association and to consider collective punishment on the junta. ASEAN will alienate the people of Burma if it continues to accept the junta’s membership. ASEAN belongs to the people of the South East Asia region and must listen to the people. It should no longer allow the junta’s membership to stand in the way of trade, social and political relation with the rest of the world. On the Burmese people’s behalf, we urge ASEAN leaders - To use the Bali summit meeting to expel the junta from ASEAN, - To compile collective pressure on the junta for the immediate and unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, - To increase cooperation with the United Nations in effort to push the junta towards a genuine political dialogue with NLD. We believe the expulsion of the junta will be, in a way, productive of the ASEAN’s aspiration to make Southeast Asia a prosperous and peaceful community and is consistent with ASEAN’s objectives to promote rule of law and respect for justice in the region. For ASEAN the expulsion will ease mounting strange relation with other economic powers-such as Japan, EU and USA which have either frozen economic aids or imposed sanctions on the junta - resulting from the junta’s ASEAN membership. We hope our proposal will be taken into consideration. Campaign Committee Contact Persons Thant Zin Htun Coordinator tzhtunfinland@yahoo.com+35840
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