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PM says Burma aid must be independent of regime

Warns international community to "feed the children, not the soldiers"

January 19, 1999

NCGUB Prime Minister Dr. Sein Win today praised U.S. Congressman Tony Hall for bringing attention to Burma’s humanitarian crisis but warned that international aid to Burma must be independent of the regime. Dr. Sein Win said "The international community must insist that aid is delivered in a way that is transparent, independent and accountable in order to feed the children, not the soldiers."

Rep. Tony Hall, who chairs the House Democratic Task Force on Hunger, returned from Burma last week warning of a humanitarian crisis with the spread of HIV, hunger and illiteracy. The ruling junta has long denied that there are major humanitarian problems in Burma, justifying its suppression of human rights by claiming that it was doing enough by providing for the people’s basic needs.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur is reporting that Hall will not call for a change of U.S. policy toward Burma but supports increased levels of humanitarian aid. U.S. sanctions policy towards Burma exempts humanitarian aid and requires that aid be independent of the regime and undertaken in consultation with the National League for Democracy, which overwhelmingly won Burma’s parliamentary elections.

NCGUB Minister for the Americas U Bo Hla Tint welcomed Rep. Hall’s expression of support for maintaining current U.S. policy towards Burma. U Bo stated that:

U.S. policy specifies that humanitarian aid be undertaken in consultation with the NLD to ensure that the regime is not diverting it to the military or using aid for its own purposes. Rep. Hall underscores what the NLD and the democratic forces have been saying: the most basic job of any government is to make sure the people have food, medicine and education and the regime is failing the people of Burma at this.

Burma’s military regime now spends more than half of its budget on the military and less than 3% on health and education combined. U Bo added that "The regime has used every dollar they have ever touched to feed soldiers, not children. Given the chance, the generals will use aid money to undermine the people’s will expressed through the NLD. Without rigorous accountability, money intended for humanitarian relief will end up prolonging my country’s misery."