Thursday, 13 October 2011 22:01 Tun Tun
New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Committee Representing People's Parliament (CRPP) says if all ethnic leaders and all political prisoners are granted freedom under the Burmese amnesty it would cooperate with the government.
“We heard that the prisoners would be released in three batches. If it really happens, we will cooperate with any organization, party or person,” CRPP secretary Aye Tha Aung told Mizzima.
The CRPP said that it decided to work with others for poverty alleviation, establishing a cease-fire and national unity.
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| The 10 founding members of the Committee Representing the People’s Parliament in Burma formed on September 16, 1998. It includes members of ethnic parties that won seats in the 1990 general election and the National League for Democracy, which won more than 80 per cent of the seats. NLD General-Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi stands at top right. Photo: Mizzima |
After the state media announced that a total of 6,359 prisoners would be granted amnesty in accord with a recommendation by the National Defence and Security Council, prisoners across the country were released on Wednesday, but exactly how many prisoners were released is still unknown.
“We have seen that prisoners were released in many batches,” Aye Tha Aung said.
The Thailand-based Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (Burma) AAPP-B joint secretary Bo Kyi said, “We don’t know whether all the 6,359 prisoners have been released or not. Today, we don’t see many releases.
“Normally, [under an amnesty] prisoners are released in a day. If there are still some prisoners to be released, they must be released on the next day. They did not release [today], so we can assume that all have been released yesterday. But it is impossible to confirm that,” Bo Kyi said.
The CRPP comprises former MPs from 10 political parties including the National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic political parties that won in the 1990 general election. The CRPP was formed in 1998 to put pressure on the former junta to convene parliament in accord with the 1990 election results.
“There are many challenges in front of us. To face them, we will be patient, forgiving and we will take time. But we must have a time limit,” Aye Tha Aung said.
Mizzima tried to contact the Directorate of Prison to ask whether prisoners will be released again or not, but was not successful.
Meanwhile, the NLD seems to be considering registering as an official political party if the government continues to make concessions. The NLD has not said whether the amnesty would affect its decision.
“We have not held meetings regarding the amnesty. Now, we have no fixed date. We will hold a meeting when we need to,” lawyer Nyan Win, an NLD spokesperson, told Mizzima.
The NLD has said it will try to help all NLD political prisoners freed under the amnesty.
According to information compiled by the NLD, 198 political prisoners including 30 NLD members have been released under the amnesty.
According to figures compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma, 220 political prisoners have been released.
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