NCGUB Says Military’s ‘Democracy’ Plan ‘Nothing More Than Political Ploy’

The plan announced recently by General Khin Nyunt to revive the national
convention, draft a constitution, and hold elections following a national
referendum is nothing more than a political ploy to ease mounting
international pressure and prolong military rule.

This is the same political game that the generals have been playing for the
past 14 years, and, if the new proposed plan is accepted at par value, it
will be tantamount to wholesale legitimization of military oppression,
massacre, and brutality in the country.

The main reason that the national convention got suspended was not because
the National League for Democracy (NLD) withdrew from it as accused by
General Khin Nyunt. The NLD had informed the military authorities about
the undemocratic practices and lack of proper representation at the
convention and had sought talks to thrash out the matter. Instead of
responding to the NLD, the authorities gave a deadline for the NLD to
rejoin the convention and later unilaterally suspended it.

The generals merely want to use the national convention as a tool to draft
a constitution that gives legitimacy to ensure that the military continues
to play an overwhelmingly dominant role in Burma's political future at the
expense of the people.

A convention of national importance should be an inclusive process with
proper representation and conducted in a democratic manner under an
unbiased authority. SPDC's convention dominated by military commanders and
delegates selected by the military is only there to rubber stamp SPDC's own
ideas.

Besides, the SPDC has no credibility to be announcing a "roadmap" after
massacring NLD supporters and members at Tabayin on 30 May and keeping
elected democratic leaders and representatives, including Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi, under detention.

Prime Minister Dr Sein Win said, "We cannot accept any political process
which excludes the role of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD. A common
course of action has to be sought through a tripartite dialogue. SPDC has
neither the legitimacy nor the support of the people to dictate or impose a
political process, particularly on a political party like the NLD which has
the mandate of the people through the 1990 elections.”

The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma is convinced that
the recent changes in the SPDC and its cabinet as well as the “roadmap”
floated by the SPDC are acts of desperation by the generals who are trying
to prolong military rule in the face of international pressure. The
situation calls for the Burmese democracy movement and the international
community to step up their demands for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and the other NLD leaders and for a United Nations-mediated and
internationally supported plan for democratization in Burma to begin
immediately.