SPDC's campaign to denounce US sanctions

DVB (August 26,2003)

The SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) has found new ways to deceive the world that Burmese do not accept the economic sanctions imposed by the US government.

The new method would be implemented nationwide at the beginning of September under the guidance of the township Peace and Development Councils, according to a new directive, issued on 23 August by the Police Director-General's Office.

In the directive, two ways to oppose the sanctions were mentioned. The first one is to stage public unity systematically in every town. People should denounce the sanctions by shouting slogans like "down with the sanctions"; "non-acceptance of interference in internal affairs"; "traitorous axe-handles relying on external elements"...etc.

Another way is to organize the workers to be made redundant within the township. Then they and other employees will write a petition to the US President George W Bush. The directive said that those workers and employees would be forced to sign the letter which would be then sent to the US embassy.

Meanwhile, the military government-owned New Light of Myanmar newspaper has published a series of articles writer by Aung Moe San, entitled, "What will be the outcome of the lopsided US sanctions on Myanmar [Burma]".

The article seemed to represent only one-sided criticism against the US sanctions and the writer did not point out ways to prevent the action or means to lessen the effects.

Furthermore, the author failed to explain the very basic factor that caused the US sanctions at the first place, the Dipeyin incident on 30 May, and the illegal arrest of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD (National League for Democracy) leaders.