STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, Aug. 9. – Calling the present military regime of Myanmar "illegitimate", veteran journalist Mr B G Verghese today stressed upon the need for resumption of talks between the military government and pro-democracy leaders in Myamar.

Mr Verghese was speaking at a conference on "Current Situation in Myanmar" in the Capital. The event was organised by Mizzima News, a newspaper run by Myanmarese living in India and also commemorated the 15th anniversary of the people's uprising in Myanmar against the military regime and the fifth anniversary of Mizzima News.

"It is high ime that the military regime release the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and resume talks with pro-democracy leaders rather than putting them behind bars. Many countries have imposed sanctions against Myamar after its regime illegally arrested Suu Kyi," said Mr Verghese who himself was born in Myanmar. Highlighting the conditions of women in Myanmar under the military regime, Ms Thin Thin Aung of Women's League of Burma said that women are living in "pathetic" conditions. "At present there are 87 women political prisoners in Myanmar. Women are denied their fundamental rights. Trafficking of women is on the rise and 52 per cent of female sex workers are HIV positive. But the
government has closed its eyes to these problems," said Ms Aung.

Speaking on the occasion, editor of Mizzima News, Mr Soe Myint, said that Myanmar is perhaps the only country where a common man cannot live wihtout the fear of being punished by the government, even for a day. "There is no term like fundamental right in that country, because everyone has to obey what the military regime says. Imagine only a few people, that too picked by the regime, can access Internet. A 1996 law bans import, possession or use of the fax machine and those who disobey are put behind bars," said Mr Myint.