Myanmar opposition meeting to go ahead
Myanmar opposition meeting to go ahead
BANGKOK (Reuters): Myanmar's military government said in a
surprise statement yesterday that it would allow the opposition
National League for Democracy to hold a gathering from May 27-28
to mark its unrecognized 1990 election victory.
The ruling military State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
said in a statement that permission for the gathering had been
granted. It overrode a Sunday SPDC statement which urged the NLD
not to hold the gathering to preserve peace.
"The authorities concerned approved their (NLD) request and
informed the NLD to conduct the ceremony in accordance with
existing rules and regulations," the government statement
obtained by Reuters said.
If the gathering goes ahead, it will be the first time the
military has allowed the opposition to mark the anniversary of
the elections.
Earlier yesterday, the opposition had said that the NLD was
going ahead with the plan to hold the gathering at the Yangon
lakeside residence of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, despite
government warnings on Sunday that they should refrain from
holding the meeting.
"We have got confirmation from the NLD (in Yangon) this
morning that despite the ongoing intimidation it will go ahead
with its plans for the meeting," said Teddy Buri, an elected NLD
parliamentarian now living in exile in Thailand.
The NLD's sweeping victory in the May 1990 polls was not
recognized by the ruling military junta.
Suu Kyi -- who has spent much of her time under house arrest
since the elections -- and her party have accused the military of
curbing their political activities, abusing human rights and
harassing NLD members.
On Monday, a government spokesman denied an NLD report that at
least 16 NLD delegates from outlying townships had been detained
last week to prevent them from attending the meeting.
Last May, when the NLD tried to hold a similar gathering, the
military detained hundreds of its members nationwide and thwarted
the gathering.
Teddy Buri said the political crisis in Indonesia, which led
to President Soeharto's ouster, had encouraged pro-democracy
activists in Myanmar, but Suu Kyi was seeking peaceful dialogue
with the SPDC.
"The SPDC should take Indonesia as a good lesson and hold
tripartite dialogue with Suu Kyi and various ethnic groups in the
country to avert violence," he added.
"Suu Kyi and the NLD still believe in peaceful dialogue," he
added.
Separately, Suu Kyi said in a statement released yesterday
through the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, a non-
governmental organization: "It is eight years since the elections
have been ignored by the authorities, but we still stand by the
promises that we made to our people."
She added that the NLD preferred to hold peaceful dialogue
with the SPDC and ruled out revenge against the military regime.
"We want dialogue because we want to find a solution that is
best for everybody, that is to say particularly for the people of
Burma (Myanmar) and for the government," Suu Kyi added.
"We do not want revenge, we do not think there is anything
particularly honorable or admirable in seeking revenge. We want
to find a peaceful settlement" she said.
"We think that to accept dialogue would be a display of
strength by the government, to show that they have the strength
and the courage to do what is best for the country," she said.
Suu Kyi has in the past sought dialogue with the military
junta but the SPDC has refused to meet her as an NLD
representative.