Reuters-Myanmar opposition forms bo

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Myanmar opposition forms body for elected members 
08:42 a.m. Sep 16, 1998 Eastern 

YANGON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Myanmar's opposition National League for
Democracy (NLD) said on Tuesday it had formed a committee to represent
politicians elected in a 1990 landslide victory but never allowed to take
office. 



An NLD statement said 251 elected NLD members had given the committee power
to act and pass political resolutions on their behalf. It did not
elaborate. 



It said the 10-member committee was chaired by NLD Chairman Aung Shwe and
included opposition leader and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu
Kyi. Most other members also sat on the NLD's central committee. 



Myanmar's ruling military government has cracked down hard on the NLD in
recent weeks after the party promised to convene a ``People's Parliament''
by the end of September. 



The military has refused to recognise the 1990 general election, saying the
country is not ready for democracy and needs a constitution before a
parliament can be convened. 



The NLD statement said 802 NLD members had been detained by the government
for attempting to organise the parliament since the end of May. 



It said the detainees included 195 elected representatives and 607 other
NLD members. 



The NLD has demanded the release of the detainees and has said the
authorities were held entirely responsible for their health, food and
shelter, ``especially those who are ill and old.'' 



It said the detentions were contrary to the rule of law and violated the
United Nations Declaration on Human Rights, to which Myanmar was a
signatory. 



The government on Wednesday reiterated in a statement that it viewed with
grave concern the NLD pledge to hold a parliament before Myanmar finished
drafting a new constitution. 



``Without a constitution, the parliament would be unable to govern
effectively. That, the government fears, would lead not to a stable
democracy, but to institutional confusion, social chaos and genuine
political crisis,'' the statement said. 



The military government first began drafting a constitution in early 1993
and has not said when the process will be completed.