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Facts about DPNS



FACT ABOUT "DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR A NEW SOCIETY (DPNS)"

	Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS) was formed to be able to play in
politics legally to achieve democracy in Burma.  The DPNS, which based on
youths including students, played very inportant role in the democratic
struggle in Burma. As soon as it was formed, the DPNS demanded to the
military junta, the so-called State Law and Order Restoration
Council(SLORC), to let the interim goverment, so, many young people linked
the DPNS so much and has become the second largest party in Burma.

	In spite of DPNS happened to be the second largest democratic opposition
party in Burma, next to the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi, the DPNS decided not to enter the general election
scheduled and held in 1990, given full support to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

	After the 1990 election, all of political activities of the DPNS were
suppressed by SLORC and a number of  its members including some of party's
leaders were arrested _ some of them are still in various jails in Burma.
So, the Central Committee of DPNS decided to move to the liberated area.

POLITICAL STAND

	We, the DPNS, have resolved the following as our  steadfast goals;
(1) We shall resolve to work for democracy, national solidarity and peace;
(2) We shall stand, at all times, on the side of oppressed peoples of Burma;
(3) We shall be against any oppressive regime, regardless of its name and
nature, which put our Burmese people under its servitude;

AIMS & OBJECTVES

	- To abolish military dictatorial system;
	- To achieve democracy;
	- To reach internal peace;
	- To establish the genuine federal union;

BACKGROUND HISTORY

	Series of demonstrations took place successively in 1988 of Burma under the
rule of one party system, created by Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP)
with the lack of democratic rights.  In that period, there was no freedom of
speech, writing, assemble and so on.  The BSPP was merely a military force.
Under that military force, the entire people had to face so many
difficulities.  Missmanagement of the unskilled so-called socialist, the
armymen brought the resources-wealthy country into the one of ten poorest
countries in the world and it effects the lives of people.  Corruptions and
economic malaise had impoverished the nation. The people joined the
demonstrations and the entire country seemed to be on the streets calling
for BSPP to step down and interim government to lead our mother land back to
democracy.  But military junta responted with arrests, killings, and staged
a coup itself, established martial law on September 18, 1988.  Many of
people including students and youths were killed during these turbulent
days.  Many popular leaders were over night rounded up imprisoned and executed.

	However, military junta could not resist the pressure of the entire people.
So, they allowed the establishment of political parties and promised to hold
the multi-party election to cheat the people. Meanwhile, the All Burma
Federation of Students' Union (ABFSU), leading organization during the
uprising, considered that there were three main forms of struggle against
the military dictatorship, namely;
	1. Armed struggle 
	2. Non-violent legal struggle and 
	3. Under secret networks.

	The ABFSU leadership decided that part of the student activitists should
establish a legal political party and participate in the non-violent form of
struggle. Thus the student and youth activitists organized and formed the
Democratic Party for New Society (DPNS) on October 14, 1988.

	During the organizational campaign of the DPNS, the DPNS focused on the
youths of grassroot population such as peasants, workers, and urban poor
population.  After the six months, the DPNS emerged as the second most
powerful political party in legal fore. We were able to form our branches in
more than 250 townships and could produce 1500 qualified organizers.  The
number of party members were extened 250,000.  The DPNS became the most
reliable alliance of the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi.

	Furthermore, the DPNS was able to organize to form the League for
Democratic Alliance (LDA) comprising of twelve registered political parties.
The DPNS succeeded in establishing another political front named Democratic
Front of Union of Burma (DFUB) in which forty one registered political
parties participated.  

	In spite of such achievement, the DPNS was the target of the SLORC's
oppression.  After the party was formed, the chairman had to flee to the
eastern border.  Meanwhile more than one hundred party members were
apprehended by the SLORC.  No less than three hundred members of the DPNS
were imprisoned within six months and two of them died in the jail.

	During the political defiance campaign led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the
first half of 1989, almost all leaders were imprisoned by the military
junta, the SLORC. Most of them are still in the prison.

During the general election and after 
	The DPNS never intended contest in the general election held on May
27,1990.  The DPNS aimed to participate in the election campaign for the
political rights and create a democratic atmosphere, but the SLORC issued a
decree ordering every registered party to submit no less than three
constituencies to participate in the contest.

	Nevertheless, the DPNS adopted a strategy to concentrate all its efforts in
the support of NLD, so that the NLD became stronger enough to challenge the
dictators. During that time, the DPNS was able to organize and form a
campaign committe together with the All Burma Federation of Students' Union
(ABFSU), various trade unions, youth fronts, young monks' union and other
youth organizations.

	After the general election, the DPNS adopted a four point programmes as
follows;
1. To convene the parliament as earliest as possible;
2. To release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners;
3. To terminate the civil war ;
4. To convene a national convention where all political groups are able to
participate;

	The SLORC responded by restricting the permit to print and disseminate any
political pamphlets and newsletters of  DPNS, prohibiting publicity
practises, and raiding the party's branche offices in Rangoon and various
part of Burma.  Moreover, the SLORC launched their offensive against the
DPNS.  The chairman and most of party's leaders of DPNS were imprisoned and
the headquarters of DPNS was sealed.

	The Central Committee of  DPNS, therefore, decided to resort to underground
activities.  Then some of party's leaders contacted the DAB and the chairman
and eleven of leaders sneaked out of Rangoon in November 1991. And then, the
headquarters of DPNS established at Manerplaw.

	After arriving the liberated area, the DPNS became a member of the
Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB) and, later, a member of the National
Council of Union of Burma (NCUB).  The DPNS were able to establish contacts
with the members of party who remained inside Burma, and formed underground
party committees inside Burma.

	At the second conference of DAB recently held in the Thai-Burma border, the
chairman of DPNS was re-elected as the General Secretary and  the General
Scretary of DPNS was elected as a member of Central Executive Committee of
DAB by secret ballot. After that, the chairman of DPNS served as the General
Secretary of DAB, a member of secretariat of NCUB and the Incharge of
Political Defiance Committee (PDC).

	While the DPNS was hardly working to reach its aims and objectives for the
sake of Burmese people under the military rule,  the Chairman of DPNS,
Comrade Myint Zaw, passed away by suffering of Malaria on the Thai-Burma
border.  After the death of Comrade Myint Zaw, the Central Committee meeting
was held and Comrade Aung Moe Zaw was elected as the Chairman of DPNS. And
also, in that meeting, it was decided that the DPNS shall continue its
struggle as the policies under the leadership of Comrade Myint Zaw.  


THE PRESENT SITUATION AND ACTIVITIES OF THE DPNS

	In order to improve the involvement of the DPNS in the anti-military
dictatorship struggle and pro-democracy movement, the present activities of
the DPNS emphasizes on the following urgent tasks;
	1. To strengthen the political defiance activities (non-violence action)
inside Burma,
	2. To improve and extend the organizational and information activities.
	3. To set up the regional underground committees of DPNS inside Burma.
	4. To harmonize the movements of inside and outside Burma.

	As the current situation of the armed struggle along the border, the DPNS
have some limitations to continue its struggle to promote democracy in
Burma.  Despite being conditions of not having enough, the DPNS strongly
believes that we will be able to overcome them with the support of the
people of Burma and the international community who understand and
sympathize the real situation of Burma.

	The DPNS is now trying to fulfill its urgent tasks as mush as possible.
The DPNS has been able to establish the contacts with its members who are
still inside Burma and organized them to form the underground committees
regionally.  Now, the regional party committees are implementing the
organizational works and information works according to the guideline
policies and urgent programmes of the Central Committee of  DPNS.
Especially, they are trying to organize the grassroot population of Burma to
be educated the essence of democracy and human rights, to involve the
political defiance programme against the oppressive government and, at
present, to follow up the leadership of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to promote
democracy in Burma and to reach national reconciliation for the lasting
peace in Burma.  And also, the Central Committee formed the political
working groups to meet regularly the underground committees inside Burma.

	On the other hand, as the DPNS is a member organization of DAB and NCUB, it
has been  implementing the strategic plan of NCUB and its PD committee and
then, the DPNS has been trying to reach trust between Burman and ethnic
nationalities leading into national reconciliation by closely hand in hand
with the NDF member organizations and other ethnic forces.