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<p> PM SAYS NLD HAS LEGITIMATE RIGHT TO CONVENE PARLIAMENT

<p> &quot;It Is Time, It Is Long Past Time To Convene The Parliament.&quot;

<p> Sunday, August 30, 1998

<p> The Prime Minister of the NCGUB today, citing a report by the International Human
    Rights Law Group called the junta's continued rule a &quot;blatant violation&quot;
    of Burma's national law and of international law. According to the International
    Human Rights Law Group, &quot;the People's Assembly and not [the junta] is the
    legitimate repository of governmental authority in [Burma].&quot;

<p> Dr. Sein Win said that &quot;the NLD not only has a right to govern, but a responsibility
    under Burma's law and international law to carry out the mandate given by the
    people.&quot;

<p> U Bo Hla Tint, the Minister for American Affairs added that &quot;While the world
    knows how much repression parliamentarians in Burma are suffering, they were
    given a mandate by the people which they have a duty to carry out if at all
    possible.&quot; The NLD received a mandate from the people by winning 82% of
    the seats in the election.

<p> Dr. Sein Win noting that the NLD expected to be able to convene the parliament
    within thirty days of the 1990 election, added that &quot;The people have waited
    not thirty days, but nearly three thousand and thirty days. It is time, it is
    long past time to convene the parliament.

<p> In its statement released today, the NCGUB outlined the legal status of the 1990
    election under both domestic and international law, concluding that the only
    legitimate source of governmental authority in Burma is the People's Assembly
    elected in 1990.

<p> The full text of the NCGUB statement follows.

<p> -------------

<p> NCGUB STATEMENT ON CONVENING THE PARLIAMENT:

<p> &quot;It Is Time, It Is Long Past Time To Convene The Parliament.&quot;

<p> Sunday, August 30, 1998

<p> It has been almost a full decade since the military junta promulgated the &quot;People's
    Assembly Election Law.&quot; According to the law, &quot;The [People's Assembly]
    shall be formed with [Assembly] representatives who have been elected in accordance
    with this Law from the constituencies.&quot;

<p> Under the law, the regime dictated the creation of an election commission to
    organize an election, set qualification for voters, parties and candidates,
    mandate an election and specify that the election results were to be implemented
    by convening the People's Assembly.

<p> In this decade past, the regime has used the law to form an Election Commission,
    stage qualify and disqualify candidates, ban political parties and to stage
    an election. The only thing the regime has not used the law for is its central
    purpose; to implement the results of the election.

<p> Under international law and our country's national law, the military junta has
    no legitimacy for its continued rule. Under the law, the People's Assembly is
    the only lawful source of governmental authority. Governmental legitimacy is
    achieved by presenting an authorized legal basis under international and domestic
    law for the exercise of power.

<p> Under international law, the will of the people, as expressed in genuine elections,
    is the basis for legitimate governmental authority. This principal, enshrined
    in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was ratified by Burma in 1948
    when the government voted in favor of the Declaration in the General Assembly.

<p> The right of self-determination of people's is enshrined in Articles 55 and 56
    of the U.N. Charter and the junta has declared its adherence to these principles.
    The right of self-determination of people's includes &quot;the right of every
    member of the community to choose, in full freedom, the authorities that will
    implement the genuine will of the people.&quot;

<p> The United Nations General Assembly has also repeatedly called on the military
    junta to honor the results of the 1990 election, calling for example that the
    regime &quot;take all necessary steps towards the restoration of democracy,
    fully respecting the will of the people as expressed in the democratic elections
    held in1990.&quot;

<p> The military junta's continued rule is also in &quot;blatant violation of [Burma's]
    constitutional law.&quot; The military junta itself has acknowledged that it's
    seizure of power was outside the law. Even Gen. Khin Nyunt has described the
    military's rule as &quot;No law at all.&quot; The junta has since decreed that
    it's rule is no longer to be called martial law but it continues to rule solely
    by military force.

<p> The International Human Rights Law Group has found that &quot;The people of Myanmar
    participated in genuine election on May, 27, 1990 and expressed a desire to
    be governed by an elected civilian People's Assembly. Therefore the People's
    Assembly they elected is the legitimate government.&quot;

<p> In its analysis of both of Burma's post-independence constitutions, the Law Group
    found that &quot;In sum, all Burmese constitutional law has mandated that legal
    authority to govern arises out of an elected legislature.&quot;

<p> During the 1990 election campaign, the NLD made clear to the people of Burma
    that a vote for the NLD would be a vote to replace the junta with a democratically
    elected People's Assembly. NLD leader U Tin Oo, laid out the NLD's position
    on transferring power: So, our single attention and task is now focused on the
    fact that the power seized by the Defence Forces is not legal. To correct this
    we must return power to the people as soon as possible. We believe that 30 days
    after the election would be sufficient to assemble representatives. The people
    have waited not thirty days, but nearly three thousand and thirty days. It is
    time, it is long past time to convene the parliament.

<p>

<p> -----------------------------

<p> IHRLG, at 28.

<p> See Amnesty International, `No law at all': Human rights violations under military
    rule, ASA 16/11/92, 1992. (&quot;I would like to explain about this martial
    law according to records that I have studied. martial law is neither more nor
    less than the will of the general who commands the army; in fact, martial law
    means no law at all.&quot;).

<p> See also Press conference by General Saw Maung, Sept. 7, 1990, published in BBC,
    Summary of World Broadcasts, &sect;3B, Sept. 10, 1990 (&quot;We are a military
    government ruling under martial law. We are not based on a law.&quot;)

<p> IHRLG, Post-Election Myanmar: A Popular Mandate Withheld, 1990, at 17.

<p> IHRLG, at 26.

<p> The 1947 Constitution states that &quot;the sole and exclusive power of making
    laws in the Union shall be vested in the Parliament.&quot; 1947 Constitution,
    ch. IV, #90. The 1974 Constitution, imposed by the military, also gives the
    People's Assembly exclusive authority to promulgate laws. 1974 Constitution,
    ch. XVI, art. 202(b)(d).

<p> NLD Leaders News Conference, Delhi International Service in Burmese, June 27,
    1989, published in FBIS, June 28 at 30-31. 
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