International Campaign against AUA
Burma Campaign Austria - 10.04.2003 21:59
Groups from 12 countries condemn Austrian Airlines for undertaking flights to Burma. This country is ruled by a military dictatorship. AUA is the only European airline to serve connections to Burma from Europe.
International Campaign against Austrian Airlines/ Lauda Air
Brussels, March 31, 2003 – The Annual International Conference of European Burma Campaign Organisations, trade unions and partner organisations from all over Europe start a campaign today against Austrian Airlines / Lauda Air because this company recently started flights to Rangoon (Burma).
This coalition of organisations today wrote a letter to Dr. Joseph Burger, CEO of Austrian Airlines (Lauda Air), stating: “To our great dismay we learned of AUA/Lauda Air’s direct weekly flights from Europe (Vienna) to Rangoon (Burma) commencing last November.
Burma is currently ruled by a ruthless military dictatorship which is guilty of human rights abuses and forced labour on a massive scale. Burma’s military regime has never acknowledged the results of the 1990 elections, in which the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won over 80 percent of the seats. To date, the military junta has still not handed over power to the democratically elected government.”
The Burmese Democratic opposition and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) called for sanctions. The EU and the Burmese Democratic opposition have also called for a boycott on tourism.
Burma Campaign Organisations, trade unions and partner organisations in UK, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland consider Austrian Airlines operations in Burma unacceptable. Therefore, all Burma Campaign Organisations urge them to cease flights to Rangoon indefinitely, as long as the current military regime in Burma is in power and the Burmese democratic and ethnic opposition requests a tourism boycott.
At the Annual International Conference of European Burma Campaign Organisations meeting in Brussels, the undersigned organisations state our commitment to launch an international public and media campaign against Austrian Airlines/Lauda Air. All organisations will continue this campaign, including public demonstrations and the mass-release of protest cards, until AUA/Lauda Air ceases its flights to Rangoon indefinitely.
Since last November Burma Organisations from a number countries have strongly asked AUA/LA to stop its flights to Burma. AUA /LA has not responded adequately to these requests. Today a worldwide public campaign starts. In several countries public protests will be organised in the months to come. The campaign is opened in Amsterdam by the largest Dutch trade union (FNV) and Burma Center Netherlands with a public demonstration in front of AUA’s Dutch office, on Monday the 31st.
For more information:
Burma Center Netherland (BCN): +31 20 6716952, email: bcn xs4all.nl
Www. Burmacenter.nl
 E-Mail: burma_campaign_austria@yahoo.com
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