September 4: The Summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting will soon be held in Helsinki and the Burmese military will be represented at the meeting because of a special waiver. The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) understands that the waiver was issued with the expectations that the Burmese generals will be more susceptible to suggestions by the international community, which has been stressing the need to address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions and begin an inclusive political process leading to national reconciliation and democratization in Burma.

Given the circumstances and in light of the fact that the situation Burma is now increasingly becoming critical because of rising tensions, soaring prices and higher taxes, and deepening political divide, the NCGUB believes that the ASEM Summit will place Burma high on the agenda and discuss the human rights, political, and humanitarian situation in the country. The discussions, NCGUB hopes, will lead to a consensus at the ASEM on the minimum parameters that are required from the Burmese generals to end the political deadlock in the country.

The Burmese generals’ intent to pursue their own road map and legitimize military rule in Burma should no longer be tolerated by ASEM as the regime’s exclusion of all legitimate political parties — the National League for Democracy, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, and others — from the decision-making process at the national level will only lead to unforeseeable problems for the country and the region.

The NCGUB firmly believes that ASEM should take into consideration the gestures of goodwill and compromise made by leaders of the democracy and ethnic movements so that a negotiated political settlement can be achieved and also heed their call for the United Nations to mediate and assist in the process of national reconstruction.

The Burmese generals have not complied with any of the recommendations by the United Nations and have refused to follow up on the pledge to UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Mr. Gambari. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners continued to be detained, atrocities are still being committed against Karen civilians, legitimate parties remain excluded from the National Convention, and UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations are still being hampered from carrying out humanitarian assistance for the needy.

Hence, the NCGUB calls on the ASEM to come up with practical solutions, including the passing of a binding resolution through the UN Security Council to make the Burmese generals accountable and compliant with the calls by the United Nations and the international community for national reconciliation and democratic transformation in Burma through dialogue.

4 September 2006, Helsinki

(For further information, please contact Dr. Thaung Htun, Tel: 1-646-6624557)