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are designed to place a veneer of democratic process over a
totalitarian, brutal junta. We can notagree to participate under
such an electoral farce. Doing so would mean that tens of thousands
of
Burmese patriotsdemocracy activistswho have fought for freedom
and experienced torture,
oppression and even death would have done so in vain. Their
sacrifice to democracy and thefuture of our country would be
worthless.
We want a Burma that is free, stable and at peace. We welcome an
opportunity to engage withthe military regime to review and revise
the constitution through a tripartite dialogue taking place
with all stakeholders: the military, the NLD and our ethnic
representatives. We strongly believe
that these demands are the solution to move our country on the
path of national reconciliation
and democratization peacefully. We appreciate the U.S.
Government and Congress for takingstrong economic and diplomatic
actions against the Burmas junta during the past decade. Your
countrys actions represent a moral statement that America will
not engage in trade with the
Burmas junta that will only serve to finance the militarys
instruments of oppression. Thesemeasures are also necessary to
remind the generals in power that their crimes against humanity
and the brutal and terrible war they wage against their own
people are fully noticed and strongly
denounced by the civilized world.
Recently, the juntas officials have asked the United Nations to
try to remove economic
sanctions on Burma. They have blamed the NLD, Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi, and our democracy
movement as instigators for these sanctions. They have been
complaining that the U.S. andWestern nations that have imposed
sanctions are making the people poor, our country
underdeveloped, and our economy destroyed. Let us be clearit is
the military junta and its
disastrous economic policies, terror, corruption, illegal rule
and mismanagement that have turnedone of the richest countries in
Asia into one of the least developed in the world.
We understand that you have ordered a review of Burma policy.
Here are our recommendations.
(1) We believe that no sanctions should be lifted on the junta
until political prisoners have beenreleased and a meaningful
dialogue between the junta, the NLD and representatives of our
many
ethnic groups has finalized a new constitution.
(2) We believe that U.S. leadership with strong diplomatic
effort to organize other nations,especially Burmas neighbors China,
India and ASEAN, as well as the EU to work together to
address the situation in Burma with common interest, shared
responsibility, unified action, and
clear benchmark will be the best way to make sanctions and
engagement effective and produce
positive results.(3) We support the direct engagement between
the U.S. and Burmas military junta. However,
such direct engagement should reach to the sole decision maker
of the junta, Senior General
Than Shwe.(4) We suggest you should consider additional measures
that include the addition of Burmese
crony businessmen and the juntas political surrogates to visa
ban and financial sanctions lists;
and calling for a global arms embargo at the U.N. Security
Council; if the junta still refuses toimplement the meaningful
change.
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We want to assure you that as you and the civilized world do
your part, we do ours. Each of ushas committed our lives to the
freedom of our country in the same manner as your Founding
Fathers did when they signed the Declaration of Independence.
For us there is not going back
from this freedom road we are traveling. We have confidence
knowing that our country will befree because we have truth on our
side where this junta has only brutality, guns, fear and terror
to
support it. We know our cause is just and we are joined by
millions of our citizens.
One day, our country will be free. When that hour comes and the
history of our democracy
movement can be written, it will be with great appreciation how
we will tell of the moral and
political support that the American people gave to us during the
darkest hours of our struggle.
And that out of your support a new country was born rooted in
democratic rights and individualliberties.
Sincerely yours,
Ashin Aww Bar SaAll Burma Monks Alliance
Rangoon, Burma
[email protected]
Tun Myint Aung
The 88 Generation StudentsRangoon, Burma
[email protected]
Encl:
(1)Open Letter to the SPDC by the 88 Generation Students,
No.3/2009 (88), Dated 6 April2009
(2)Joint Statement on Shwegondaing Meetings Resolution, Dated
May 1, 2009Copies Sent to:
The U.S. Senate Womens Caucus on BurmaThe Tom Lantos Human
Rights Commission, U.S. House of Representatives
