Mizzima: From 'Secret Talk' to 'Rea

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            From 'Secret Talk' to 'Real Dialogue' in Rangoon

By Win Htein, June 30, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

    Some positive political developments came out in recent weeks in
Burma's capital Rangoon from the eight months old "Secret Talks" between
the ruling generals and the opposition National League for Democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi. These include releases of some political
prisoners and allowance to reopen some NLD offices in and outside
Rangoon.

The UN's Secretary-General Kofi Annan has welcomed these moves as
positive signs, saying "There is no alternative way, except dialogue",
while Australia, Japan and Britain recognizes the junta's new moves.

In Rangoon, the NLD welcomes them as well. "We hope to see more release
(of political prisoners). More than 200-members of our party are still
in jails. None of them were criminals. So they should be released now,"
said U Lwin, joint secretary of the NLD in a telephone conversation with
Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma.

On 20th June, Bo Hmu Aung, one of the Burma's "Thirty Comrades" along
with his colleagues wrote an open letter to Senior General Than Shwe who
is the head of ruling junta. They welcomed the recent developments as
positive sign but they said the junta needs to do more.

"We entreat the SPDC (the junta) to release imprisoned and incarcerated
political prisoners unconditionally, including Aung San Suu Kyi. We
believe that all legally constituted political parties should be
restored the democratic right" the letter urged.

However, U Saw Mara Aung, elected chairman for the alternative
parliament, Committee for Representing People's parliament (CRPP) and
who was one among the recent releases said, "I really cannot say what is
their attitude, changed or not! It is very premature at this stage. I
was just permitted to return home. I want to meet Daw Suu before talking
about future" in his emotional interview.

Diplomatic sources in Rangoon believe that the issue of political
prisoners is the heart of the discussions between generals and Aung San
Suu Kyi. So that release is a part of confidence-building process. More
progress will come out soon, hopefully.

According to semi-official Rangoon-based paper "The Myanmar Times", the
UN special envoy Razali will come back to Rangoon in July to talk with
both sides. Observers believe that it is the time now to start a real
dialogue for political changes in Burma.

For the opposition camp, although there were some releases of political
prisoners in the past two weeks, Suu Kyi and her two chairmen -Aung Shwe
and Tin Oo - are still under house arrest while other 1500-political
prisoners are having long-term prison sentences. Although the generals
allowed to reopen 18 offices of NLD in Rangoon Division, hundreds of NLD
offices outside the capital are still closed and the party officials are
not allowed to visit there.

"We don't know exactly whether they (junta) will allow us or not to
visit the countryside. When Daw Suu went to outside Rangoon (in
September last year), they blocked her although there is no official
ban", explained U Lwin.

According to Shan sources in Thai-Burma border, the junta's Military
Intelligence (MI) continues to pressure on the members of Shan National
League for Democracy (SNLD) to resign from the party. Some members were
reportedly arrested. SNLD is one of the ethnic nationality parties that
won in the 1990 elections.

Meanwhile, exiled opposition has demanded the immediate release of Aung
San Suu Kyi, her two chairmen and some prominent political prisoners,
including the student leader Min Ko Naing and CRPP secretary U Aye Thar
Aung, before entering into next round of talks.

They also urged the military regime to make official announcement in the
state-run media about the discussions. Some even suspects that the junta
is using the talks as an escape from international pressure.

"If they are really honest on this process, there is no reason to
continue to hide", commented Dr Thaung Htun, representative of the
Burmese exiled government for the United Nations.

"We hope the next round of talks should discuss about principles of
transition for a new government. And we would like to urge both sides to
invite more participation in the next step", he added. For the Burmese
people in general, they continue to wait and see.

Win Htein is a correspondent for Democratic Voice of Burma and
contributed this article to Mizzima News Group.



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<center><b><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>From 'Secret Talk' to 'Real
Dialogue' in Rangoon</font></font></b></center>

<p><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>By Win Htein, June 30, 2001</font></font></i>
<br><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></font></i>
<p><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Some positive political developments
came out in recent weeks in Burma's capital Rangoon from the eight months
old "Secret Talks" between the ruling generals and the opposition National
League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. These include releases of
some political prisoners and allowance to reopen some NLD offices in and
outside Rangoon.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The UN's Secretary-General Kofi Annan has welcomed these
moves as positive signs, saying "There is no alternative way, except dialogue",
while Australia, Japan and Britain recognizes the junta's new moves.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In Rangoon, the NLD welcomes them as well. "We hope to
see more release (of political prisoners). More than 200-members of our
party are still in jails. None of them were criminals. So they should be
released now," said U Lwin, joint secretary of the NLD in a telephone conversation
with Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>On 20th June, Bo Hmu Aung, one of the Burma's "Thirty
Comrades" along with his colleagues wrote an open letter to Senior General
Than Shwe who is the head of ruling junta. They welcomed the recent developments
as positive sign but they said the junta needs to do more.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"We entreat the SPDC (the junta) to release imprisoned
and incarcerated political prisoners unconditionally, including Aung San
Suu Kyi. We believe that all legally constituted political parties should
be restored the democratic right" the letter urged.</font>
<p><font size=+1>However, U Saw Mara Aung, elected chairman for the alternative
parliament, Committee for Representing People's parliament (CRPP) and who
was one among the recent releases said, "I really cannot say what is their
attitude, changed or not! It is very premature at this stage. I was just
permitted to return home. I want to meet Daw Suu before talking about future"
in his emotional interview.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Diplomatic sources in Rangoon believe that the issue of
political prisoners is the heart of the discussions between generals and
Aung San Suu Kyi. So that release is a part of confidence-building process.
More progress will come out soon, hopefully.</font>
<p><font size=+1>According to semi-official Rangoon-based paper "The Myanmar
Times", the UN special envoy Razali will come back to Rangoon in July to
talk with both sides. Observers believe that it is the time now to start
a real dialogue for political changes in Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>For the opposition camp, although there were some releases
of political prisoners in the past two weeks, Suu Kyi and her two chairmen
-Aung Shwe and Tin Oo - are still under house arrest while other 1500-political
prisoners are having long-term prison sentences. Although the generals
allowed to reopen 18 offices of NLD in Rangoon Division, hundreds of NLD
offices outside the capital are still closed and the party officials are
not allowed to visit there.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"We don't know exactly whether they (junta) will allow
us or not to visit the countryside. When Daw Suu went to outside Rangoon
(in September last year), they blocked her although there is no official
ban", explained U Lwin.</font>
<p><font size=+1>According to Shan sources in Thai-Burma border, the junta's
Military Intelligence (MI) continues to pressure on the members of Shan
National League for Democracy (SNLD) to resign from the party. Some members
were reportedly arrested. SNLD is one of the ethnic nationality parties
that won in the 1990 elections.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Meanwhile, exiled opposition has demanded the immediate
release of Aung San Suu Kyi, her two chairmen and some prominent political
prisoners, including the student leader Min Ko Naing and CRPP secretary
U Aye Thar Aung, before entering into next round of talks.</font>
<p><font size=+1>They also urged the military regime to make official announcement
in the state-run media about the discussions. Some even suspects that the
junta is using the talks as an escape from international pressure.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"If they are really honest on this process, there is no
reason to continue to hide", commented Dr Thaung Htun, representative of
the Burmese exiled government for the United Nations.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"We hope the next round of talks should discuss about
principles of transition for a new government. And we would like to urge
both sides to invite more participation in the next step", he added. For
the Burmese people in general, they continue to wait and see.</font>
<p><i><font size=+1>Win Htein is a correspondent for Democratic Voice of
Burma and contributed this article to Mizzima News Group.</font></i>
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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