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NLD ready to share power, says Suu



NLD ready to share power, says Suu Kyi

BY STEVEN GAN 

Feb. 16, 1998
The Nation

RANGOON -- The National League for Democracy (NLD) is prepared to share
power and form a coalition government with the military junta, said party
secretary-general Aung San Suu Kyi. 

"We are keeping all our options open," she told The Nation in an interview
in Rangoon last week when asked if she would accept the possibility of a
coalition government with the ruling State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC). 

"It is very important never to say never in politics," said Suu Kyi who won
the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her role in campaigning for democracy in
Burma. 

Since the NLD won the 1990 elections which the military refused to
recognise, Suu Kyi had insisted that the poll results be fully accepted and
that all elected members of parliament be allowed to take their rightful
place in Parliament. 

However, faced with an intractable stance from the military junta, the NLD
has appeared to soften its line. 

In a separate interview, former defence minister and NLD Deputy
Secretary-general Tin Oo said there was "no problem to sharing power" with
SPDC. 

"There will be a compromise -- a give and take," he said. 

However, Suu Kyi reiterated the NLD's condition that any dialogue with SPDC
to overcome the political impasse in Burma must be based on mutual respect
and should include her. 

Last year, powerful SPDC First Secretary Kyin Nyunt met briefly with NLD
Chairman Aung Shwe. However, the NLD has rejected further meetings with
SPDC unless Suu Kyi is also invited. 

"We want a genuine political dialogue without any pre-conditions. A genuine
political dialogue involves equality. This means that they choose their own
representatives and we choose ours,'' said Suu Kyi. 

"But if they choose their own representatives and ours as well, that is not
a dialogue on an equal basis. For that reason, we will not accept this."

Burma is facing a serious downturn in its economy over the past two years.
Inflation is running at a high 30 per cent per year and there have been
price hikes of staple foods. 

Income disparity is phenomenal -- a taxi driver can earn 60,000 kyat
(US$240 at the unofficial rate) a month, almost 60 times more than a
soldier whose monthly salary is 1,000 kyat. 

This has fuelled corruption as government servants sought to supplement
their meagre income by demanding bribes.

Tin Oo said the authorities often turned a blind eye tocorruption since it
could not pay its civil servants more. However, top government officials
said a number of former members of the State Law and Order Restoration
Council, SPDC's precursor, are being punished for corruption. 

"We have heard that several of them are virtually under house arrest and
they have certainly not been seen in public. We do not know exactly what
has been done to them. One hears that some have been interrogated and
dismissed from their jobs, said Suu Kyi. 

According to Tin Oo, this crackdown was prompted by Indonesian and
Singaporean investors who complained of the high level of graft when doing
business in Burma. 

Tin Oo believes that the economic problems will soon put pressure on the
military government to seek an accommodation with NLD. 

"The economy is getting worse. So they better come and sit down and talk to
us, he said. 

Also at the interview, Suu Kyi called on the Thai government to help the
Burmese refugees and migrant workers who are in Thailand. 

She said while she understood Thailand is facing an economic crisis, she
hoped that Thais, as Buddhists, should be able to demonstrate "loving
kindness and compassion". 

"It is very easy to be compassionate and kind when things are going well.
But when things are not going well for you that your kindness and
compassion is really valuable. If you have a lot to eat, it doesn't matter
much if you toss a cake for somebody, but if you are prepare to share your
last bowl of rice with somebody, that is very kind and compassionate," she
said. 

"I don't think that Thailand is in a state that people are being forced to
share their last bowl of rice with the refugees so I would like to appeal
to the Thai government to do what they can to alleviate their suffering,
and if they themselves cannot do it, to allow those who are prepared to
help the refugees such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees
and the NGOs."