Bangkok Post News (30/8/90)

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<underline>News headlines:

</underline><bigger>1): Democracy league backed

2): Opposition is tool of colonialists

</bigger>


<bigger>1): Democracy league backed

</bigger>

<italic>Move to convene parliament supported

</italic>

A spokesman for the parallel Burmese government, the National Coalition
Government of the Union of Burma, yesterday said the effort by the
National League for Democracy to convene parliament in the near future is
within the law.

	U Maung Maung Aye, an elected MP in the 1990 election which was negated
by the then State Law and Order Restoration Council, said allegations by
the military regime that NLD's arrangement to convene parliament on it's
own is a violation of the laws of Burma are absolutely false.

	The NLD announced earlier this week that it would call a "people's
parliament" after it had failed to convince the military junta to convene
representatives of a parliament elected in 1990.

	The question of legality and legitimacy totally rests with the question
whether the law, by-law, or declaration receives the approval and
cooperation of the people.

	Therefore, he argues that " a law receiving approval and cooperation of
majority of the people is legal, where as a law that does not receive the
approval and cooperation of the majority is as unjust law."

	He reminded that the Slorc's declaration promising to hold a general
election and the " Election Law" provided by law N0 14/89 have received
the approval and cooperation of the political parties, election
candidates and the voters.

	"Since the Election Law is in consonance with the wishes and commands
the cooperation and respect of the majority of the people, it is legal,"
he said. He added that in the past, the Slorc which supervised the 1990
election had often said, at home and abroad, that the election was 
fair.

	Though Burma had two constitutional laws, both of them were not in force
at time when Slorc came to power. Without a constitutional law, the
SLORC/SPDC has been domination the country.

	U Maung Maung Aye said, "what is significant is that, at that time, the
wishes and demands of the people were for free and fair elections and an
election law acceptable to the people. Up to this day, the Election Law,
is not in anyway dependent upon the question of whether there is a
constitution in existence or not.

	"Instead of taking steps for convening parliament the State Peace and
Development Council has been trying only to mislead the people by
spreading false propaganda to the effect that it has initiated dialogue
with the NLD," he said.

	He described the recent meetings between the SPDC and NLD Chairman U
Aung Shwe and Central Executive members was not meant for the resolution
of political problems of the country, but "they were merely a farce to
divert the effort to convene parliament from its true course".


<bigger>2): Opposition is tool of colonialists

</bigger>

 military government launched a scathing attack on the opposition
National League for Democracy (NLD) through the state media yesterday.

	Already strained relations between the administration and the NLD have
soured further since the first talks in more than a year between the
party and the government failed to stop anti-military protests this
month.

	Local media reported a speech by Secretary Number One of the ruling
State Peace and  Development Council Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt
attacking recent opposition tactics.

	Newspapers quoted Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt as saying the opposition were
traitors controlled by Western powers attempting to recolonise  the
country.

	"The traitors within the country, with the support of big nations, are
defying laws. These are tactics dictated by the neo-colonialists and the
traitors are following their subversive schemes," he said.

	Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt said the gentle handling of recent pro-democracy
protests had weakened the opposition but hinted the government was
prepared to take a harder line if necessary.


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