Washington: Around 50 Burmese organizations on Tuesday asked the Obama Administration to press the military
junta for immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and demanded
an end to attacks on ethnic minorities.
"Without the key benchmarks of (1) the release of Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and (2) an end to
attacks against ethnic groups and (3) inclusive dialogue,
including a review of the 2008 constitution, the international
community cannot accept the result of the elections as a true
expression of the will of Burma's people," these organisations
said in a joint letter to US Assistant Secretary of State
for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell.
Campbell is leading a high-power US delegation to Burma
to hold talks with the military rulers on November 4 and 5.
The first round of talks was held in New York in September on
the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
The US-Burma dialogue is a result of the new Burma policy
of the Obama Administration, which calls for a dual policy of
engagement as well as sanctions with the military junta.
"We support your concerted efforts to meet with Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi, NLD, and ethnic leaders. We urge you to meet with
them in their offices instead of government "guest houses.",
the three page letter said.
"We urge the US and others in the international community
to accept nothing less than the regime's fulfilment of key
benchmarks before the 2010 elections: the release of Daw Aung
San Su Kyi and all political prisoners, the cessation of
hostilities against ethnic groups, and inclusive dialogue,
including review of the 2008 Constitution," they said.
"In your upcoming fact-finding visit to Burma, and in any
future efforts, we urge you to follow the lead of Daw Aung San.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and other
pro-democracy and ethnic opposition leaders, who continue to
express their genuine will for substantive dialogue, without
wavering on the key principles and concerns of the people of
Burma," it said.
"As we saw with Senator Jim Webb, naive attempts at
diplomacy—in his case, premature calls for recognising the
undemocratic 2010 elections and lifting economic
sanctions—hold the danger of emboldening the regime to
continue its brutal actions and empty rhetoric, without taking
any real steps towards democratisation," the letter said.
"We have already observed the dangerous misinterpretation
by some key players in ASEAN that the new US policy aims to
follow ASEAN's highly problematic brand of constructive
engagement. In this key time before the 2010 elections, we
urge you to take the path of critical political engagement,
while maintaining pressure on the regime," it said.
Bureau Report