SCMP-Junta laws illegal, say defian

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

South China Morning Post
Friday  September 18  1998

Junta laws illegal, say defiant democrats 

WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok and Agencies 
A new committee headed by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi openly
declared yesterday that all laws enacted by the ruling junta since it
seized power in September 1988 had no legal basis or authority.

The committee, formed on Wednesday to represent those freely elected in the
1990 general election, also declared it would perform the functions of a
parliament until a formal parliament could be convened under the 1990
democracy election law, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
said.

The committee, consisting of nine NLD leaders and one national minority
delegate, elected Arakhan democracy party member Saw Mya Aung as speaker of
the parliament, and demanded full political rights for all parties and the
release of all political prisoners.

Saw Mya Aung has been detained since September 6 along with hundreds of
other opposition members in a government crackdown aimed at preventing the
NLD from carrying out its vow to convene a "people's parliament" this
month.

"Something drastic has taken place. We must keep our fingers crossed that
the junta will wake up to reality and react in a positive manner," said
Teddy Buri, a spokesman for the government-in-exile in Bangkok, the
National Coalition Government of Burma.

Diplomats feared last night that the provocative statement, issued on the
eve of today's 10th anniversary of the formation of the ruling junta, would
meet with even more repression.

"The generals will be wriggling with anger. They hate this kind of talk. I
do expect more arrests and perhaps Aung San Suu Kyi kept under house arrest
again," a diplomat in Rangoon said.

Observers said it was highly significant that the NLD chose a member of the
ethnic minority parties to be the chairman of the parliament.

"This must really sting. The junta's big claim is that it has unified the
country and that the NLD is isolated," said Aung Naing Oo, of the All Burma
Students Democratic Front in Bangkok.

A diplomat also noted that the Arakan League for Democracy was also
represented in the junta's tame constitution-making body.

Mr Buri said the international community now needed to stand behind Ms Aung
San Suu Kyi's bold decision. "We need the international community to back
us up," he said.