NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA
Press Release
May 14, 2004
Don’t Give Credence to the Generals’ Convention
The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma fully supports and understands why the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) -- the two together with their affiliated parties together won over 95 percent of the Parliamentary seats in the 1990 elections -- had decided not to attend the sham National Convention staged by the generals in the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).
The NCGUB also endorses the demand by the ethnic ceasefire groups for a review of the "sixth political objective" which concerns the "participation of the military in the leading role of national politics" and the 104 constitutional principles stipulated by the SPDC, as well as the repeal of Law No. 5/96 that restricts freedom of speech at the National Convention, among others.
Once again, the generals with their uncompromising attitude have refused to respond to the fair requests by the NLD and the SNLD and hence, missed another rare opportunity to achieve national reconciliation and bring peace and harmony to the country. Until now, the generals, particularly the shortsighted Senior General Than Shwe, believe in the "might is right" thinking and expect everyone, apart from them, to make concessions.
The generals failed to give any tangible reason to either the NLD or the SNLD to achieve a compromise, but they instead wanted the parties to give up their democratic principles and the pledges they had made to the people. Since no self-respecting party that loves the country and its people will ever do that, these two parties were forced to make the decision to boycott the sham National Convention.
The sole responsibility
for failing to bring about national reconciliation, therefore, lies squarely
on the shoulders of the generals who have also reneged on the promise to the
international community to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo and to
make their convention an equitable and fair process.
The NCGUB calls on all governments, the United Nations, and other international
institutions and organizations not to lend any credence to the so-called National
Convention of the SPDC and but to give full support to the NLD and SNLD in light
of the unyielding attitude of SPDC towards their legitimate concerns.