Representatives of
the People elected to the Parliament in the 1990 multiparty democratic elections
(Committee
Representing Parliament)
Notification 63 (11/99)
1. The Shan National League for Democracy, the
Arakan League for Democracy, the Mon National Democracy Front, the Zomi National Congress and the National League for
Democracy are political parties which were formed to establish and advance a
genuine democratic system in the country.
2. To achieve the above objective, there has to
be a parliament. Therefore, general
elections were held in 1990 in which the above parties contested.
3. The general elections were successfully
accomplished but a parliament has not been convened. The military authorities who decreed the
People's Parliament Election Law and conducted the general elections should
have taken steps to convene parliament in accordance with the provisions of the
law they promulgated and flouted.
4. At the time of the elections, the political
parties issued manifestos promising their constituents political changes to be
accomplished through the parliament that would be formed. Therefore the political parties repeatedly
and in very strong terms urged the military authorities to convene parliament. But they have shut their eyes and ignored
these requests. Under these
circumstances, the above political parties deemed it their bounden duty to act
on behalf of the people and formed the Committee Representing the People's
Parliament.
5. That political parties should act on behalf
of the people is a notion which the military authorities are totally opposed
to. Therefore the military intelligence
arm of the army
(a)
Illegally arrested and held in their custody Dr. Saw Mya Aung, aged 82 years,
(Chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy) for a period of 13 months.
(b)
Chairman of the Mon National Democracy Front, Mr
Naing Htoon Thein, aged 82 years and
Chairman of the Zomi National Congress, Pu Kyint Shin Htan
were also illegally arrested and held. They were released for medical treatment
and though they informed the authorities after receiving treatment that they
were prepared to be re-arrested no action was taken.
(c)
However, on
6. The
inevitable fact is that all the nationalities must work together with
solidarity for the stability of the country. Arresting and imprisoning leaders
of the different nationalities reflects a very narrow-minded mentality. By so doing the critical social, economic and
political problems that the country now faces can never be solved. The solving
of a country's extremely important issues are prevented and hampered.
7.
Political means must be utilized to obtain unity and stability. It must be accepted
that striking at each other with military strength by armed groups and
achieving "cease fire" agreements, making temporary
allowances for mutual economic advantage is not the answer for long term peace and
stability. Achieving genuine stability and unity of the nationalities is a political affair.
8. We therefore emphatically urge that the
leaders of the nationalities who have been arrested and held in custody be
immediately and unconditionally released.
Committee
Representing Parliament
(Distributed
by the National League for Democracy)