Citizens urge Govt to stop arms sales to Burma

A roundtable meeting at Guwahati Press Club on Saturday urged the Government of India to stop forthwith all arms sales to the military rulers of Burma, who use these weapons to suppress the ever-growing movement for democracy in the country. The well-attended meeting, organized by the Burma Centre Delhi and Journalists’ Forum, Assam, also demanded immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners in Burma. In a resolution, the meeting urged New Delhi to review its policy on Burma to facilitate restoration of democracy in the South East Asian country.

The speakers were of the opinion that trade relations between India and Burma should not be at the cost of the democratic movement in that country. They urged New Delhi to allow the Burmese exiles to continue with their political activities in India. India should have a non-discriminatory refugee policy as early as possible, another resolution said.

The participants decided to get organized in a forum titled “North-east India Forum for Democracy in Burma.” The forum will provide space for the people of Burma and Northeast India to join hands to continue the campaign against Burma’s military rulers. Meanwhile, in a message sent to the organizers, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) expressed their support to the democracy movement in Burma and demanded release of Suu Kyi with other political prisoners. The message was conveyed by Dr Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya, AASU advisor and NESO convenor.

Those, who attended the meeting, included Dr Alana Golmei, Htun Htun and M. Kim from Burma Centre Delhi, Rupam Baruah, Hiten Mahanta, Biman Hazarika, Nava Thakuria, Ranen Kumar Goswami, Sabita Lahkar, Anita Kalita Goswami from Journalists’ Forum, Assam, social activists Jayanta Gogoi, Jayanta Barman, Chakreswar Goswami, Kishore Giri, Dr Jagandindra Roy Choudhury, Anup Sarma, Mitali Konwar, Gitali Saikia and Kaveri Mahanta.