5 February 1992

Doc. 6565

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

on the arbitrary arrest and detention

of elected members of parliament in Myanmar

presented by Mr HOLTZ and others

1.       Repeatedly during 1988 the population of Myanmar (formerly Burma), after many years of suffering and shortage, rose up against the military government. The uprisings, although severely quashed, nevertheless brought about the government's resignation. In September 1988 a military coup put in power a State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) which, under international pressure, promised to hold free elections.

2.       These elections took place on 27 May 1990. The National League for Democracy, headed by Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi, the winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, who has been under house arrest since 20 June 1989, obtained 82% of the votes cast.

3.       The People's Assembly which resulted from the elections has still not been convened by the authorities on the pretext that many election disputes have not yet been settled.

4.       Since the elections, 65 elected members of the People's Assembly have been detained and imprisoned, some without being charged or tried, others sentenced.

5.       One of these members of parliament, Mr Tin Maung Win, died in custody without the authorities ever having conducted an inquiry into the causes of his death.

6.       The Assembly vigorously condemns the human rights violations perpetrated by the military junta governing Myanmar, whose victims include not only the parliamentarians but also the people who elected them.

7.       The Assembly demands that the Government of Myanmar:

      i.       put a stop to human rights violations;

      ii.       release the detained parliamentarians;

      iii.       abide by the election results and convene the People's Assembly elected in May 1990.

8.       The Assembly asks the Council of Europe member states to take any measures that may lead the Government of Myanmar to end its human rights violations and respect the people's will as freely expressed in the May 1990 elections.

Signed:       HOLTZ, FENNER, MARTINEZ, MARQUES, ESPERSEN, FISCHER, HELLSTRÖM, HAWLICEK, LUCZAK, AARTS, TERBORG, LOTZ, SCHIEDER, REIMANN, SCHLUCKEBIER.