NLD denies using media

by Phanida
Thursday, 10 December 2009 14:05

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The National League for Democracy (NLD) has rubbished allegations by the state owned media, which has alleged Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD have created confusion by using the foreign media.

The party denied allegations made in an article in the state owned media, written by ‘Chan Mya Aye’ yesterday. It said the NLD made the letters sent to Senior Gen. Than Shwe by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi public before it reached him. It was a deliberate leak and an intentional ‘mess’, the author alleged.

But party CEC member Win Tin defended his party and said that they did it in keeping with the routine practice in democracy. There was no dishonesty and it was not pre-emptive exploitation of the media to create a mess.

“When the media contacts us, it is our duty to respond to them. We did not exploit the media for our sake. The media is doing their job and we are not colluding with them,” Win Tin who is also the journalist told Mizzima.

“The domestic political community joined hands with the foreign media to instigate by using these two open letters sent by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to the Head of State to force the government into a corner,” author Chan Mya Aye alleged in his article.

But Win Tin said that NLD is a legal party and it has the right to have its stand and position published officially. The media also has the duty to report what people should know.

In her letter of 25 September, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wrote, “she would like to cooperate with the military regime in lifting the sanctions imposed on Burma”. She sent the letter to Senior Gen. Than Shwe and the NLD made this letter public with its Special Announcement No. 6/09/09 on 28 September.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sent another letter to Senior Gen. Than Shwe on 11 November calling it ‘Supplementary presentation on lifting sanctions imposed on Burma’. The second letter was also leaked to the foreign media.

Though the letter was leaked by NLD Youths to the foreign media, the author’s allegation was untrue because the military intelligence was duty bound to send the letter at the earliest to the addressee, Win Tin said.

“I can say this letter reached them at the earliest because it is handled by the Special Branch of the Police (police intelligence). It ought to have been sent to the addressee without wasting even a single minute. If they could not send it in original at that time, they should have sent it by fax immediately. Later they could have sent the original in an official envelope by postal service,” he told Mizzima.

Moreover the author said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in November 2007, had dishonestly used the media by issuing her unilateral statement through the UN special envoy Mr. Gambari in Singapore after a meeting with him.

But Win Tin pointed out that there was no prior agreement between the NLD and the military regime on how long they had to withhold such information. And also NLD has the right to issue its official announcements, he added

Articles written under various pseudonyms appear in the state owned media frequently. They are demeaning and are slanderous attacks on NLD and its leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Besides as a routine the military regime restricts political movements and imprisons active leaders.

The regime has allowed only the head office of the NLD to function in Rangoon and disallowed branch offices in other States and Divisions. But it has ignored the opening and functioning of offices of other illegal party organizations.

(Edited by Ko Wild)