[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
NLD Statement 87 in English
National League for Democracy
No: (97/b) West Shwegondine Road
Bahan, Rangoon
STATEMENT 87 (10/98)
Contents of the letter dated 14 October 1998 from the Chairman of the
National League for Democracy to the Chairman of the State Peace and
Development Council are reproduced below for information.
(f) " Subject- Violations of law
1. The State Law and Order Restoration Council (now the State Peace and
Development Council) which proclaimed that it would "restore law and
order and peace and tranquillity to the country" has been and is
violating Section 503 of the Penal Code which provides that
" A person is guilty of criminal intimidation if he threatens to cause
harm to the body or the character or property of another person or harm
to the body, character of property of any other person in whom that
person has an interest in order that the person so threatened perform or
act as directed, or perform an act forbidden by law to avoid the threat
against him from being carried out".
2. Instances of such violations are
(a) The parliamentarians-elect of the NLD and other political parties,
members of the NLD organising committees, and other ordinary members
have been illegally arrested and imprisoned. But the facts have been
distorted by the military strategic department for international
consumption and they have published that " a great number of NLD members
have been invited to the government guest house to give their views as
to how parliament can be convened without a constitution and to present
them with the government's position on the matter". Please refer to our
Statement 71(9/98) dated 23 September 1998.
(b) The truth is that this is a manoeuvre with criminal intent and by
use of criminal intimidation to abrogate the authority given voluntarily
and freely by the NLD members and parliamentarians-elect to the Central
Executive Committee to represent them and to act on their behalf. Our
information is that those individuals of the NLD who have refused to be
intimidated are now being dispatched to the Insein jail.
3. Signatures, statements or letters from some NLD members (invitees)
indicating that they revoke their power of attorney, or that they resign
from their positions as parliamentarians-elect, or that they will not be
attending the parliament that will be convened by the NLD have been
obtained under duress by the authorities and if these are published or
if reference is made to them in any publication, they will be tainted
and the military intelligence service that is acting on behalf of the
government will be held liable to prosecution for criminal intimidation
which is punishable by 2 years imprisonment, or with fine or with both
under the existing law.
4. Since the 27 May 1998, NLD parliamentarians-elect and members have
been forced to sign bonds restricting their movements under 1961
Habitual Criminal Offenders Act Section 5(1). This is an outright
affront to their reputation and insult to their esteemed positions in
society. But it has cast a greater slur on the reputation of the
authorities who have exceeded the limits of their jurisdiction in the
enforcement of their illegal activities.
5. Those who have resisted the authorities by refusing to sign documents
presented to them have had to face illegal action under the 1950
Emergency Provisions Law Section 5(a). Because they will not act as
directed by the authorities, they now face imprisonment.
6. As mentioned above , it is clear that the authorities have
contravened the provisions of the Penal Code. Obtaining consent through
"criminal intimidation", "force", "duress", "illegal use of
authorities", "false representation", "misrepresentation", "mistake" are
ingredients that cause consent to be void. We wish to inform you that
consent given without the free will of the person is no consent at all.
Moreover, using every devise to make parliamentarians resign from their
positions is illegal. Only when parliament is convened, a
parliamentarian can present his letter of resignation to the Speaker of
House and his resignation has to be approved by the House." END
The
Central Executive Committee
National
League for Democracy
Rangoon
15 October 1998
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com