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NLD Statement 41/2000:

National League for Democracy
No: (97/B), West Shwegonedine Road
Bahan Township, Rangoon

Statement 41 (4/00) (translation)

Contents of letter dated 31 March 2000 sent to Chairman of SPDC by Chairman of NLD is published for information.

Start

Subject - The conspiracy to pull down a legally installed signboard in Sin-in village, Shwebo township, Sagaing division.

1. Under instructions from the village authorities in Sin-In village, Shwebo township, five members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) went at midnight on the 15 March 2000 to the house of U Kyaw Myint (supporter of the NLD organising committee) and attempted to pull down the NLD signboard that had been legally installed there. However, they ran away when the inmates of the house awoke.

2. On the night of the 17 March 2000, U Kyaw Myint received a summons from the Sin -In Police Station Officer. Later at about 21:00 hours some policemen arrived at the house and shouted using very abusive language and announcing that they were the Police and did not wish to see the signboard. They then proceeded to attack the signboard with sticks, stones and spears. The owner of the house and family then chased the offenders who resisted with sling shots as a result of which U Kyaw Myint's son Maung Myint Naing Tun was injured on the chest, arm and leg. Five sling shots , broken bricks and a hooked stick (used for extinguishing fires) with which they brought down the sign board were found on the site after they ran away.

3. On the 18 March, U Kyaw Myint and son Maung Myint Naing Tun went and reported the matter at the police station to U Aung Myay who claimed that he had no knowledge of the events and that they police were not involved. U Kyaw Myint and his son unequivocally claimed that those involved were Lance Corporal Soe Hlaing, policemen Hla Htwe and Sein Win. It was then that they learned that one Major Myint Lwin, Secretary of the Shwebo PDC on his trip in connection with paddy purchase said that he did not want to see the NLD signboard in the village and the village authorities had been severely ordered to have it removed. That was why the above three members of the police force and U Tint, village authority connived and acted the way they did.

4. At about 20:00 hours of the 19th March while U Kyaw Myint was sitting with Maung Win Kyaw who lives in the same village in front of his house, U Tint (village authority) and his son deliberately ran into them with their motor cycle and Maung Win Kyaw was severly injured. While both sides were arguing about it, eyewitness and neighbours unable to control their anger attacked U Tint with stones, sticks and sling shots. In the fracas, U Tint's son was hit in the head.

5. U Tin reported the matter to the Shwebo authorities, and consequently U Kyaw Myint was arrested and imprisoned at the Shwebo police station and charged under Section 326 and 4 other sections of the Penal Code.

6. Looking at the above facts it appears that in the first place, much injustice was perpetrated by the authorities. Police were instructed to forcibly pull down and destroy a legally installed NLD signboard with stones, sticks and spears and in the course of so doing hurt was caused to a member of the family. The authorities failed to take legal and appropriate action against the perpetrators though a valid complaint was made. Moreover, Major Myint Lwin's order to the local authority to remove the NLD signboard was an arbitrary and illegal order amounting to abuse of power.

7. Encouraged by all this abuse of power, U Tint and his son dared to cause bodily harm even though life was endangered by deliberately riding their motorcycle into U Kyaw Myint and Maung Win Kyaw. Having full knowledge of how U Kyaw Myint had been victimised, it is truly unjust to now arrest and imprison him.

8. We ask that the proper investigation be made and action be taken against the real offenders.

Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy

Rangoon
3 April 2000.