Written by U Ne Oo on 1996-06-03
Dr U Ne Oo
June 3, 1996
Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali
The Secretary-General of the United Nations
38th Floor, U.N. Secretariat
United Nations New York 10017
United States of America
Dear Secretary-General:
I call the Secretary-General's attention to the recent arrest of the elected members of parliaments by the Burma's ruling military authorities. These arrests were prompted by the call for holding a congress for the opposition party, the National League for Democracy, on 26-28 May 1996. The authorities begun arresting the 238 members of parliamnts weeks prior to that congress. The military government's move appears to be to neutralize the threat of opposition's possibility of declaring a Government of Burma.
The National League for Democracy, however, doesn't seem to have an intention of making such a drastic move. The NLD's congress was made to reunite its party members and to discuss about the dialogue with the military authorities. It is clear that the military government's action was caused by the insecurity of its own position and by a paranoid perception that any move by the opposition must be an attempt to remove it from power.
The military authorities, nevertheless, begin releasing some of those arrested in this weested in this weekend - hopefully more be followed. The political consequences of such an irrational behaviour by the government, however, can be disturbing. It become clearer about the unstable hold on power of the SLORC central administration. For some time, we are quite aware that the SLORC do not have a secure hold of power on population and, particularly, the regional military administrations.
While SLORC itself does not have enough capacity to influence regional military administrations, the SLORC is refusing to enter a sing to enter a proper dialogue with the opposition; depriving the opposition of the opportunity to consolidate power. An unfortunate future can be the total breakdown of SLORC central administration, with no alternative power center, which may cause destabilization of the country and, consequently, in the region.
I therefore appeal the Secretary-General, Security Council and the international community to intensify your effort to intervene the situation, and in bringing peace and reconciliation in Burma.
Yours respectfully and sincerely,
Sd. U Ne Oo.
