In recent weeks Mr Tony Blair, the leader of the Labour party, sent a personal message to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy (Burma) and the Burmese Democracy movement, to address the Labour party conference as a distinguished international guest. In his letter Mr Blair expressed strong support for the democratic movement in Burma.
He wrote: “While I appreciate the difficulties that you may have in leaving Burma, we would be greatly honoured if you were able to attend. The Labour party has been a consistent supporter of the Burmese movement. And we have been deeply impressed by your own personal role as the leader of that movement. Your courage and dignity have been an inspiration to democrats everywhere.”
It is understood that in her written reply to Mr Blair, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi explained her reasons for her inability to accept the invitation to speak at the conference, and conveyed to Mr Blair her deep appreciation for the efforts made by the Labour party in support of the struggle for democracy in Burma.
Right at this moment the democratic struggle in Burma is yet again facing a new wave of arrests and repression. In order to block and obstruct the National League for democracy’s conference to be convened on September 27-29, the military junta detained about 800 activists and delegates. There were 16 NLD elected representatives amongst them. About three hundred soldiers surrounded the vicinity of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house and blocked all public access to her house where the conference had been arranged to convene. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s movement was also restricted and the usual weekend meetings at the entrance of her house were also suppressed. The brutal action of the illegal military regime is in fact a repeat of their actions last May when they also tried to prevent the meetings of the Central Council of the NLD.
We strongly condemn the unlawful, undemocratic and unjust actions of the military regime in Burma who call themselves the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). We strongly urge the Labour party and British people to carry on supporting our movement and put more and more pressure on the Burmese brutal regime to hand over power to the legitimate winners of the people’s mandate and cease violations of human rights and respect the liberty and freedom of the people of Burma.
Central Executive Committee
NLD (Liberated Area-Burma)
Please note excerpts from the opening speech of Mr Tony Blair, leader of the Labour party;
“Let me also give apologies for one absentee. The NEC invited Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma to be our guest here this week. For reasons that everyone will understand, she cannot be with us. Let me invite her to come next year, a free citizen and an example to democrats all over the world.”
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE STATEMENT, CARRIED 3/10/96
Claire Short MP in her opening address to conference said;
“Conference we obviously recommend that you support the NEC’s statement on Burma in order to express solidarity and admiration for Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese democracy movement.”
Conference salutes the immense courage and determination of Aung San Suu Kyi, Leader of the National League for Democracy. We applaud her commitment to democracy. We very much regret that the attitude of the authorities in Burma have prevented her from being able to take up this invitation from the Labour party to come to Blackpool and address our conference as a fraternal international guest.
Conference unreservedly condemns the abuse of human rights and the denial of democratic freedoms by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in Burma. We are extremely concerned at the recent deterioration in the situation with further arrests and increased repression. We further deplore the activities of SLORC in their attempts to isolate, intimidate and harass Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters. We call on the military junta to release all political prisoners, to end the ban on political parties and to respect the results of he 1990 general election. We call on the present rulers of Burma to return the country to peaceful, democratic civilian rule. And we urge the British government to exert whatever pressure it can in order to bring about an end to the repression and the restoration of full and political rights.