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Mizzima: In Burma, Nothing yet but



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             In Burma, Nothing yet but onto the Right Track

By Win Htein, June 3, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

Eleventh anniversary of the 1990 general elections on 27 May had passed
without any attraction. But the winning party, Aung San Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy (NLD) vowed that they would continue to
fight to restore democracy in Burma.

"We are doing our best to reach democracy goal as we have promised to
voters in the election. There is no opportunity to convene a parliament
yet. But we are sure doing that" claimed U Lwin, joint secretary of the
NLD. "They (the military rulers) held an election as free and fair in
the 26 years. But (they) did not respect the result of election. They
allowed us to elect MPs, but no permission to assemble a parliament,"
the current in-charge of the opposition party told the Democratic Voice
of Burma via telephone on the Election Day.

Some observers had hoped that the ruling military junta and the
opposition party will announce the result of eight months-old "Secret
Talks" between a senior general and the opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi on the anniversary of election day. But, nothing came out.

"I hope that we will know more facts about the talks when Mr Razali
comes back from his visit to Burma", commented Dr Sein Win, Prime
Minister of the exiled government of Burma. The United Nations special
envoy Razali Ismael is currently in Rangoon for the third visit, which
will end on Monday. He broke the news of "Secret Talks" in his last trip
to Burma in January. The talks have reportedly started in October last
year.

"We welcome the role of UN in Burma. I hope that Mr Razali could carry
the 'Talks' to the 'Dialogue'. It is the best way," added Dr. Sein Win.

In the past eleven years of present military regime, the country does
not see any change of progress due to long-standing political crisis.
There are more than 2,000 political prisoners in jail while universities
are closed for almost six years.

According to exiled Members of Parliament Union (Burma), 39-MPs are in
jail while 35-MPs are in the so-called "government guest house". Total
123-MPs were forced to resign while 38-MPs were deceased. Although the
government had released some democracy activists from jail, U Lwin
confirmed that no Member of Parliament was included in the release.

In the social and economic fields, the HIV and AIDS have become an
epidemic in the country while the junta continues to use forced labor
widely despite the International Labor Organization's punitive actions.
The world community led by Western countries has sanctioned the regime
and then the economic situation becomes worse.

"The exchange rate is highest ever (900-kyat per 1-US dollar). So
everything is expensive. Now, we are controlling ourselves not to get
sick because we do not have enough money to buy medicine" lamented U
Lwin who is approaching to 70th birthday.

Last month, junta's finance and economic ministers tried to get loans
from Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s annual meeting in Hawaii and Least
Developed Countries (LDC) conference in Brussels. The answer is: no
dollar for the military regime until there are concrete political and
economic reforms.

"Without changing the country's economic policy, there is no hope to get
loans. Without changing the government system, there is no hope to
receive foreign aid," said Dr Zaw Oo, an economic researcher who
attended the LDC meeting.

Some political analysts believe that the ruling junta has no way out. So
the military is trying to sway people's anger to others: such as border
tension with Thailand, religious clashes between Buddhists and Muslims
in parts of Burma.

The ally of junta, Wa or Karen splinter armed groups attack to Thailand
soil while the state-owned media fights on the Thai officials and the
Royal King. Inside the country, religious clashes are now dangerously
widespread. About 20-people were killed while hundreds are injured since
15 May.

"There is only one way to overcome all these crisis. That is dialogue,"
said U Mya Win, an elected Member of Parliament, who left the country
late last year after years in jail.

"If we go ahead to convene the parliament by CRPP (Committee for
Representatives of People Parliament), the junta will never allow us. If
the junta goes ahead with a new election through so-called "National
Convention", the NLD will never allow", he explained. "So there is only
one way left that we must compromise".

Back in Rangoon, rumors spread widely that the Secret Talk is in
deadlock. NLD's joint secretary U Lwin however refused to comment it. "I
have no permission to talk you about this talk. That's all".

U Mya Win argued. "If both sides really want to have dialogue to solve
the country's problems, there is no reason the talks to be stalled ".

(Win Htein is a correspondent for Democratic Voice of Burma.)



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<center><b><u><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>In Burma, Nothing yet
but onto the Right Track</font></font></u></b></center>

<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>By Win Htein, June 3, 2001</font></font>
<br><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></font>
<p><font size=+1>Eleventh anniversary of the 1990 general elections on
27 May had passed without any attraction. But the winning party, Aung San
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) vowed that they would continue
to fight to restore democracy in Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"We are doing our best to reach democracy goal as we have
promised to voters in the election. There is no opportunity to convene
a parliament yet. But we are sure doing that" claimed U Lwin, joint secretary
of the NLD. "They (the military rulers) held an election as free and fair
in the 26 years. But (they) did not respect the result of election. They
allowed us to elect MPs, but no permission to assemble a parliament," the
current in-charge of the opposition party told the Democratic Voice of
Burma via telephone on the Election Day.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Some observers had hoped that the ruling military junta
and the opposition party will announce the result of eight months-old "Secret
Talks" between a senior general and the opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi on the anniversary of election day. But, nothing came out.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"I hope that we will know more facts about the talks when
Mr Razali comes back from his visit to Burma", commented Dr Sein Win, Prime
Minister of the exiled government of Burma. The United Nations special
envoy Razali Ismael is currently in Rangoon for the third visit, which
will end on Monday. He broke the news of "Secret Talks" in his last trip
to Burma in January. The talks have reportedly started in October last
year.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"We welcome the role of UN in Burma. I hope that Mr Razali
could carry the 'Talks' to the 'Dialogue'. It is the best way," added Dr.
Sein Win.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In the past eleven years of present military regime, the
country does not see any change of progress due to long-standing political
crisis. There are more than 2,000 political prisoners in jail while universities
are closed for almost six years.</font>
<p><font size=+1>According to exiled Members of Parliament Union (Burma),
39-MPs are in jail while 35-MPs are in the so-called "government guest
house". Total 123-MPs were forced to resign while 38-MPs were deceased.
Although the government had released some democracy activists from jail,
U Lwin confirmed that no Member of Parliament was included in the release.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In the social and economic fields, the HIV and AIDS have
become an epidemic in the country while the junta continues to use forced
labor widely despite the International Labor Organization's punitive actions.
The world community led by Western countries has sanctioned the regime
and then the economic situation becomes worse.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"The exchange rate is highest ever (900-kyat per 1-US
dollar). So everything is expensive. Now, we are controlling ourselves
not to get sick because we do not have enough money to buy medicine" lamented
U Lwin who is approaching to 70th birthday.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Last month, junta's finance and economic ministers tried
to get loans from Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s annual meeting in Hawaii
and Least Developed Countries (LDC) conference in Brussels. The answer
is: no dollar for the military regime until there are concrete political
and economic reforms.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"Without changing the country's economic policy, there
is no hope to get loans. Without changing the government system, there
is no hope to receive foreign aid," said Dr Zaw Oo, an economic researcher
who attended the LDC meeting.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Some political analysts believe that the ruling junta
has no way out. So the military is trying to sway people's anger to others:
such as border tension with Thailand, religious clashes between Buddhists
and Muslims in parts of Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The ally of junta, Wa or Karen splinter armed groups attack
to Thailand soil while the state-owned media fights on the Thai officials
and the Royal King. Inside the country, religious clashes are now dangerously
widespread. About 20-people were killed while hundreds are injured since
15 May.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"There is only one way to overcome all these crisis. That
is dialogue," said U Mya Win, an elected Member of Parliament, who left
the country late last year after years in jail.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"If we go ahead to convene the parliament by CRPP (Committee
for Representatives of People Parliament), the junta will never allow us.
If the junta goes ahead with a new election through so-called "National
Convention", the NLD will never allow", he explained. "So there is only
one way left that we must compromise".</font>
<p><font size=+1>Back in Rangoon, rumors spread widely that the Secret
Talk is in deadlock. NLD's joint secretary U Lwin however refused to comment
it. "I have no permission to talk you about this talk. That's all".</font>
<p><font size=+1>U Mya Win argued. "If both sides really want to have dialogue
to solve the country's problems, there is no reason the talks to be stalled
".</font>
<p><i><font size=+1>(Win Htein is a correspondent for Democratic Voice
of Burma.)</font></i>
<br>&nbsp;
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