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NEWS-Myanmar Ethnic Leaders Want Pa
Myanmar Ethnic Leaders Want Parliament Covened
Reuters
09-JUN-98
YANGON, June 9 (Reuters) - Four
ethnic leaders in Myanmar, elected in
the 1990 general elections ignored by
the ruling military, on Tuesday
appealed to the government to
convene parliament based on the poll
results.
They were the latest to support a
similar call made by the main
opposition National League for
Democracy (NLD) party led by Aung
San Suu Kyi late last month.
The elected ethnic parliamentarians
making the call in an open letter were
Saw Mra Aung from Rakhine
(Arakan) State, Khun Tun Oo from
the Shan state, Naing Tun Thein
from the Mon state and Kyin Cin Htan
from the Chin state.
The opposition, led by the NLD,
swept the 1990 polls but the result
was never recognised by the military
government, which also dissolved 83
political parties after the election.
Saw Mra Aung represents the now
dissolved Arakan (Rakhine) League
for Democracy and Naing Tun Thein
the now-dissolved Mon National
League for Democracy. Kyin Cin
Htan was chairman of the dissolved
Zomi National Congress and Khun
Tun Too is chairman of Shan
Nationalities' League for Democracy,
which is still registered as a legal
party.
``It was a noble performance
directing towards democracy of the
Tatmadaw (the armed forces) to
allow formation of political parties
and to hold free and fair general
elections,'' their letter said.
``However, being still unable to
implement the result of the elections
remains as a black mark in the
history of Myanmar.''
``To erase that black mark, there is
no other way but to implement the
result of the elections and to
summon people's parliament.''
The letter said: ``With the existing
political, economic, social and
national races affairs remaining
unsolved, the Union of Myanmar at
present is facing various difficulties.''
``We are firmly convinced that the
only way to overcome these
difficulties is to hold politically
significant talks among the
Tatmadaw group (present
government), democratic forces,
including the National League for
Democracy and ethnic groups,
comprising ethnic parties that won in
the general elections and ethnic
armed groups,'' the letter added.
The major opposition NLD held a
two-day special gathering to mark its
unrecognised 1990 polls victory on
May 27-28 and also sought the
convening of parliament based on the
poll results.
State-owned newspapers in
Myanmar, usually considered as the
mouthpiece of the ruling State Peace
and Development Council, hinted in a
commentary on June 7 that
convening parliament would be
impossible without a systematically
drafted constitution.
The SPDC and the opposition have
been at political loggerheads ever
since the aborted election. The
opposition charges the military with
abusing human rights and curbing its
political activities, and has sought
dialogue with it.
But the SPDC has said that it will not
hold talks with the opposition so long
as Suu Kyi represents the party in
any dialogue.