NEWS RELEASES
CANADA MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARYOF LAST DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN BURMA
May 26, 2000 (3:25 p.m. EDT) No. 122
CANADA MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY
OF LAST DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN BURMA
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) Raymond Chan today marked,
with regret, the 10th anniversary of the national election held in Burma. The results of that election, the first held
since the military takeover in 1962, gave the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, 80
percent of the total number of parliamentary seats. Those results, however, were overturned by the military
rulers.
"It is time for the Burmese regime to bring an end to a decade's worth of empty promises," said Mr. Axworthy.
"Meaningful dialogue involving all concerned parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi, is long overdue. The recent
arrests and imprisonment of National League for Democracy parliamentarians who were elected in 1990 is yet
another impediment to a just and fair resolution to the impasse."
"We condemn the serious human rights situation in Burma and the regime's continued harassment of
suspected democracy supporters," said Mr. Chan. "The record of the military rulers is unacceptable. The people
of Burma made their choice abundantly clear 10 years ago. It is time that their wishes were respected."
Canadian bilateral aid to Burma was suspended in 1988, following the army's massacre of thousands of
pro-democracy demonstrators in Rangoon. Canada has also put in place selective trade measures, including
the withdrawal of Burma's General Preferential Tariff eligibility and the restriction of Canadian exports to
humanitarian goods.
Both Mr. Axworthy and Mr. Chan noted that Canada is engaged, with others in the international community, in
ongoing discussions about ways and means to advance the cause of national reconciliation, democracy and
human rights in Burma.
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A backgrounder is attached.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Naseem Nuraney
Office of the Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
(613) 995-1852
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
Backgrounder
CANADA AND BURMA
The human rights situation in Burma continued to deteriorate in 1999. Violations of human rights, on a wide scale, include
extrajudicial and arbitrary killing, torture, arbitrary arrests and detention, deaths in custody, absence of due process of law,
severe restrictions on freedoms of opinion, expression, assembly and association, and violations of freedom of movement.
A 1998 International Labour Organization (ILO) report noted clear evidence of the pervasive use of forced labour and child
labour in Burma.
The humanitarian crisis on the Thai-Burma border caused by fleeing Burmese refugees, coupled with repressive measures
taken by Burma's ruling military regime against the pro-democracy movement, continue to threaten regional security. Illicit
drug production and trafficking is a growing problem in the region, with Burma remaining the largest source of illegal
heroin entering North America.
Canada deplores the human rights violations in Burma and has sought to encourage national reconciliation and the
restoration of democracy. Canada's policy is designed to support democratic reform, alleviate the suffering of refugees and
curb the production and trafficking of drugs. To this end, Canada supports United Nations initiatives, enforces selective
economic measures against Burma, maintains dialogue with all parties involved and provides humanitarian assistance to
victims fleeing the conflict.
What has Canada Done?
Canada has repeatedly called on Burma's military regime to engage in substantive political dialogue with the leaders of the
democracy movement and the ethnic minorities, in order to re-establish democracy in Burma. Canada supports the efforts
of the UN Secretary-General to promote such dialogue.
In 1988, Canada suspended bilateral aid to Burma following the massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators by the army. In
1997, Canada announced further economic measures against Burma to convey the government's concerns over the
suppression of political freedom and our frustration with Burma's failure to curb the production and trafficking of illegal
drugs. Canada withdrew Burma's General Preferential Tariff eligibility and placed Burma on the Area Control List (the
only export approvals since have been humanitarian goods). Minister Axworthy also called on Canadian firms not to trade
or invest in Burma until improvements are evident. Since 1991/1992, Canada has provided $14.4 million in aid to Burmese
refugees in Bangladesh and in Thailand, and is funding, through the Canadian International Development Agency's
peacebuilding fund, various activities of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, the government-in-exile.
Since 1997, there have been three roundtable discussions on Canada's policy towards Burma involving government
officials and the non-governmental organization (NGO) and academic communities.
Burma is the world's second largest producer of opium after Afghanistan, and the source of most of the illegal heroin
entering Canada. On July 30, 1999, Minister Axworthy announced Canada's willingness to engage Burma in a single
sector, narcotics, in conjunction with other ASEAN countries. As a result, in conjunction with partners in Southeast Asia,
Canada is examining how it can address this problem through initiatives which are largely diplomatic and multilateral in
nature. Canada will not engage the Burmese military regime directly or bilaterally. Canada's ambassador accredited to
Burma regularly meets with Aung San Suu Kyi to consult with her on this and other matters.
On May 15, 2000, the Centre for Canadian Foreign Policy Development, in conjunction with the Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade, held a roundtable discussion in Vancouver on Burma and drugs with a wide range of
Canadian and international experts, including health and police officials, journalists, academics, representatives of
international drug control organizations and NGOs. The main focus was the impact in Canada of the Burmese drug trade.
Why Burma?
Canada's promotion of international human rights is founded on our long-standing principle of effective influence.
Dialogue and engagement generally offer the best vehicle to effect change. We have established bilateral human rights
dialogue with countries, such as China, Cuba and Indonesia.
However, dialogue is impossible without a willing partner. Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council has
consistently rebuffed efforts by Canada and other countries to engage in dialogue.
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