New Delhi, saturday, August 10, 1996

Intervention OF Olivier DUPUIS, secretary of the transnational Radical Party, member of the European Parliament

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

first of all I would like to thank George Fernandez (*) to have invited me to this conference on Burma and India's security.

Just yesterday I was in Dharamsala with a colleague of mine member of the transnational Radical Party, the European Union Commissioner for humanitarian aid, Emma Bonino, who was directly coming from Rangoon where she met AUNG SAN SU CHI.

Unfortunately I'm not in any way a specialist nor on Burma and nor Asia. I'm, as secretary of TRP and member of the European Parliament, an activist for the freedom and Democracy all over the world. And particularly for the Freedom of Tibet.

Very shortly, the other issues of the TRP are:

1) worldwide abolition of death penalty punishment;

2) institution of a permanent international tribunal;

3) legalization of all drugs in order to destroy the powerful mafias who control the market;

4) institution of an international auxiliary language.

But obviously, through our participation in the struggle for the freedom of Tibet and for democracy for China, the people of my party and myself have developed an increasing attention to the problems of this region, problems which are often common. Exactly the opposite of what the EU and its member states are doing today.

In fact they are pursuing a policy - may we use this term - mostly based upon the commercial point of view, on one hand. On the other hand, they are acting in an absolute chaotic and anarchic way both in front of the asian countries and among themselves.

The results of this so-called policy are very well known.

- A struggle among themselves and with USA to conquest markets;

- a concentration of investments in certain countries and not in others;

- no respect at all of the criteria of democracy and human rights.

It could seem to you that I'm going a bit far away from the question of Burma. But, as she confirmed during her talks with Miss Bonino, HAUNG SAN SU CHI doesn't wont any foreign investment in Burma today because of the absolute lack of democracy and respect of human rights. But as you know the investments in Burma are mostly coming from asian countries.

Despite the fact I am not a specialist of Burma, I'm strongly convinced that the question of Burma, and the tibetan question as well, have to be faced both internationally and regionally. The democracy for Burma and the freedom for Tibet are deeply linked to what is already happening and what will happen inside the two biggest neighbouring countries: China and India.

As far as China is concerned, the question is simple. We must support those who are fighting for democracy and respect of human rights. It's why we are campaigning for the freedom of WEI Jingsheng and collecting signatures for his nomination to the Peace Nobel Prize 1997. For the same reason we are collecting MPs' signatures on an appeal to the UN Secretary General that asks him to receive His Holiness the Dalai Lama as soon as possible in order to understand how to open a negociation without any precondition between the chineses and the tibetan government in exile. So far 1.000 MPs from all over the world have joint this initiative.

As for India, the biggest democracy and the second biggest market in the world, several urgent things remain to be done.

The most urgent and important one is, I'm sure, an even stronger reform of its economy in order to become as soon as possible a real alternative to the Chinese market for the foreign investments, in particular the European ones. Europe must support this initiative. And we are ready to lobby for that.

The second one is a clearer position of India in front of Burma and Tibet.

India, as well as all the other democratic countries, have moral reasons for doing so. Besides that, India have strong strategic and security reasons to stand for a democratic development in Burma and Tibet. To make them free of any nuclear weapon and foreign military troops. Open and friendly to all their neighbours.

Thank you very much for your attention, thank again to Jorge Fernandez. I hope the next future will see us fighting together more and more closely for our common values and goals.

(*) George Fernandes is leader of the SAMATA Party and member of the indian Parliament.