NLD requests meeting with detained leaders

by Mizzima News
Monday, 21 September 2009 21:13

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Members of the central executive committee of Burma’s major opposition – the National League for Democracy – have requested for permission from the junta to meet detained party leaders to discuss party matters.

Ohn Kyaing, a member of the NLD Information Committee, told Mizzima on Monday that the party had submitted a letter of request addressed to the junta supremo Snr. Gen Than Shwe asking for permission to meet Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo.

“As we are at a critical juncture, we [NLD] need to take important decisions regarding our future activities. So we have requested Snr Gen Than Shwe to allow us to meet Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo,” Ohn Kyaing said.

The letter, according to Ohn Kyaing, was submitted on September 16, but the authorities are yet to respond.

Party General Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi and Vice-Chairman Tin Oo, are both under detention. While the Nobel Peace Laureate is serving an 18-month suspended sentence, handed down recently, Tin Oo has been under house arrest since May 2003, following an attack by a junta-backed mob in upper Burma’s Depayin town, during a political tour.

Though the NLD has not officially announced its intention to contest the forthcoming 2010 general elections, in recent months, its youth members across the country are said to be reorganizing.

In May, following a nation-wide party conference, the NLD released the “Shwegondine declaration”, stating it is willing to contest the elections but on the condition that the junta revise the 2008 constitution, release political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, kick-start a process of dialogue and recognize the 1990 election results.

Last week, the junta announced amnesty for 7,114 prisoners, of which opposition sources confirmed the release of over 100 political prisoners so far.

However, a central executive member of the NLD, Win Tin, said those freed are too few and it is not significant, as it is a gesture to ease international pressure.

He urged the junta to release all political prisoners saying “Releasing all political prisoners is just part of the solution and is not the solution in itself. In Burma, we have many problems that need to be addressed and political prisoners are a part of it.”


Reporting by Myint Maung