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	Human Rights Defender

Burma Update

Alison Tate [*]

The early months of 1996 have seen a strong defence of "Asian values" as articulated by ASEAN leaders in public forums including at the ASEAN -EU meeting in Bangkok in March, not least in relation to ASEAN member's ever closer ties with Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC).

The issue of engagement is a focal point both in terms of trade and tourism this year. With the release of Aung San Suu Kyi in 1995 from 6 years of house arrest, many supporters of the idea of trade and investment as being a positive force for change - even human rights reform, just-ify increased economic links with the regime. The SLORC's campaign to attract visitors and their foreign exchange during "Visit Myanmar Year 1996" is being promoted by the regime and advocated against by human rights campaigners internationally.

The newly elected Australian Government announced in relation to its foreign policy relations with the SLORC that Australia should maintain a "flex-ible" yet "firm policy" of opposition to the SLORC regime and not line up with countries that "acted as if trade were more important than justice and human rights". (Sydney Morning Herald 11/3/96).

Aung San Suu Kyi has said that the international community should desist from investing in Burma now as economic support discourages "the regime from impl-ementing the kinds of structural changes that are necessary for the future benefit of investors themselves". Further that econ-omic "half-measures" taken by the regime would not bring democracy.

Businesses, non-government organis-ations and tourists are being asked to consider these issues before making the dec-ision to "engage" with Burma -and question the impact of their support, for Burma's or the people or the military regime.