NCUB - NCGUB NewsDesk

24 October 2003

Targeting the NLD

It's all over again. Wounds suffered from a vicious campaign launched against it three years ago by the ruling generals have barely healed, yet the National League for Democracy (NLD) has become the target of the military once again. Around 2000, rallies were held nationwide to denounce the NLD and its members were forced out of the party through official harassment, persecution, and blatantly falsified legal charges.

When Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in 2002, things looked good, at least for a while. With NLD leaders touring all over the country and new young members joining the party, the NLD regained its strength. The Tabayin Massacre on 30 May disrupted that rapprochement as scores of NLD members and supporters became casualties in that premeditated attack.

The generals who from time to time have vowed to eliminate the NLD are in the destructive mood again today. After detaining all leading NLD members and closing down NLD Offices, the generals have steadily and systematically been increasing pressure on the NLD rank and file. Local authorities and the military intelligence are asking party members to resign voluntarily from the NLD. Regional peace and development councils have even instructed the local police to frame civil or criminal charges against the "stubborn" ones and to jail them.

Making Tenasserim 'NLD Free'

On 12 September, Major General Ohn Myint, newly appointed chairman of the Tenasserim Division Peace and Development Council (PDC) and commander of the Coastal Military Command, was heard telling a meeting of local PDC executives, district/township police commanders, and officials in charge of township General Administrative Departments that his Division must be turned into a "model region rid of all political parties". He said, "Thanks to the outstanding performances of the previous chairmen of this division's Peace and Development Council, the Defense Ministry/Army has given recognition and praised Tenasserim Division as the region where the NLD is the weakest. Under my command, efforts must continue until no NLD member or organizer remains and until the Tenasserim Division is transformed into a model region rid of all political parties. Pressure must therefore continue in every village, ward, and township that you are in charge of so that the remaining NLD members, organizers, and elected representatives will leave that party. Those who submit their resignations must be found jobs with Pyithu Swan Ah Shin Aphwe ('People's Power Association') and regional peace and development council offices. Efforts must also be stepped up against those who remain stubborn so that they become criminally implicated or legally charged under a police case."

Victimizing Witnesses to Tabayin Incident

This is the trend that is occurring all over the country today. Members of the NLD are increasingly facing legal action. U Aung Soe Myint, elected NLD representative of Toungoo was imprisoned for seven years with hard labor on September 19 after a motorcycle accident even though the other party did not want to open a case. In addition, NLD members who had accompanied Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during her tour of Upper Burma and who were victims of the brutal assault at Tabayin are being hunted down and given long prison sentences. NLD Youth Wing leader Thein Naing Oo and NLD member Tin Tin Nyo of Dala Township, Rangoon Division, were each jailed 7 years. NLD members Maung Maung Lay (Kemmendine Township), Myint Htay (Tamwe Township), and Ne Win (South Dagon Township) were arrested in June without any explanation and are now facing legal action in court. NLD Youth Organizer Than Moe Aung was jailed for 11 months with hard labor on unexplained charges. Similarly, even though the whole country is known to be playing underground lottery, NLD member Ko Nyunt Lwin (Palaw Township) was singled out and accused of betting on illegal lottery and jailed six months with hard labor on 21 August. He was immediately sent to a military unit and deployed as a porter to carry military supplies to the frontline.

Ko Nyunt Lwin joins many other political prisoners connected to Tabayin incident who are now being used as porters for the military. Seventy six political prisoners from Shwe Bo prison, including Pho Toat, 23 years old, Prisoner No. C 7616 (Father – U Tun Naing) were sent to a military base in Thanbyuzayat on September 25. These political prisoners will be used as porters for frontier forces in Kya-in-Seikkyi and Three Pagoda Pass areas in Karen State under the command of Military Operations Command Headquarters 19. That command had issued an order that should any of these prisoners become sick they are not to be transferred back to the Corrections Department.

In addition to imprisoning NLD members, local authorities have been targeting families of NLD members depriving them of livelihood and causing difficulties for them in their daily life. Ma Khin Htay, secretary of Palaw Township, NLD Women Wing, said "there is no way I can survive under the circumstances." She submitted her resignation to the NLD Headquarters and sent a copy to the Chairman of Township level Election Commission to stop local authorities from harassing her.

In Magwe Division, NLD Youth Wing members are subjected to threats and harassment by the local authorities and the military intelligence and their homes are frequently checked by authorities to see if any unregistered guests are there. On August 28, homes of Myo Thin and Aye Min Soe (Madaya Township) were checked and the two youths were threatened by local authorities. Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Kyaw Wai, Khin Myint Maung, and Tin Kywe (Magwe Division) were interrogated and threatened by the Military Intelligence.

The ongoing crackdown against NLD is similar to the vindictive campaign launched against the NLD circa 2000. At the time, Minister of Home Affairs Col. Tin Hlaing and Commander of Police Forces Col. Soe Win declared that they were out to eliminate the NLD. The only difference is that the present anti-NLD drive is being launched discretely and out of sight of the international community.

Courage under Military Crackdown

The intensification of pressure from the military has, so far, not dampened the enthusiasm of NLD members and other democracy activists. Even though the entire Central Executive Committee has either been detained or left incommunicado by the military, and the NLD leadership had not been able to officially respond to the "roadmap" proposed by the SPDC Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt, elected NLD representatives and state/divisional and township-level NLD officials as well as other democratic leaders have been displaying courage and boldly rejecting the plan of the generals. Their defiant interviews with news agencies, particularly with Burmese language broadcasts, which are frequently being heard on radio, suggest that aspiration for democracy and the undercurrent of the democracy movement remain as strong as ever. Several mass activities cited below confirm this:

On 1 September, a group of senior Political Veterans sent a letter to Senior General Than Shwe, expressing their concern about the news of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi staging a hunger strike and called for the start of a political dialogue. The veterans again sent a letter on 7 September protesting the SPDC "roadmap". They called for the immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; the beginning of a tripartite dialogue; the reopening of NLD offices; and the resumption of regular relationship with the NLD.

On 7 September, despite the restrictions imposed, about 100 NLD members convened a prayer meeting to mark the first 100 days after the Tabayin (Depayin) Massacre and in memory of those who were killed and maimed by the military and its affiliated thugs. The meeting was held at the famous Shwedagon Pagoda.

On the 15th anniversary of the coup by the current regime, 252 NLD Youth Wing members sent a petition letter to the UN Security Council through the UN Secretary-General asking for action to implement the results of 1990 general elections; to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners; end human rights violations and the lawless situation in Burma; and help overcome the socioeconomic crisis that the Burmese people are facing.

Members of the State and Divisional NLD Offices issued statements which demanded the end of military rule; the release of all political prisoners; the reopening of all NLD offices; to have an independent inquiry into the Tabayin (Depayin) Massacre on 30 May and take appropriate legal action against the perpetrators; to stop the acts of banditry and rapes; and asked the military to abide by their own Order 1/90.

NLD leaders and Youth Wing members from various states, divisions, and townships converged on Rangoon, passing through restrictions and roadblocks, to gather in front of Royal Asia Private Hospital to pray for the health of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and to deliver presents when she underwent a major surgery on 17 September.

Again in the last week of September, 200 NLD youths sent a letter to the Chairman of ASEAN, calling for action to pressure the military region. On September 30, 1,562 NLD members and people sent an open letter to UN Secretary General with similar demands.

Political prisoners and other prisoners in Bassein (Pathein) prison who are serving long prison terms staged a hunger strike starting from 6 September, demanding the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners. On 8 September, riot police raided the prison and killed ten prisoners. A similar incident also occurred in Myaungmya prison.

On 10 September, 1,000 monks and 500 people gathered in the compound of Masoyein Monastery in Mandalay for a "religious" sermon, where monks referred to the code of conduct of good rulers mentioned in Buddhist scriptures and made critical remarks about the incumbent regime.

On 11 October, about 50 NLD youths went to the residence of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon to pay respects to her on a religious occasion and were prevented from meeting her. The youths said they were there to prove that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest and not "simply resting at home" as claimed by the generals.

Mobilizing the Armed Forces and USDA

During 4-28 September, declared as "the state of emergency" by the SPDC, all Armed Forces units, the Swan Ah Shin units (members of the police, fire services, Red Cross, etc) were placed on alert, and basic military training for the People's Militias (Second Phase), which included civil servants, were organized throughout the country. Government service personnel were told "to cultivate the patriotic spirit and to join with the Armed Forces in preparing for nationwide guerilla warfare 'when the U.S. invasion comes'."

Although the aim of the mobilization was to instill anti-American sentiments among the Burmese, the reaction of the people as Burma-based Ross Dunkley, the Australian chief executive officer and managing editor of the regime-censored Myanmar Times, said was quite the reverse. During a September conference on "Prospects for Democracy in Burma" held at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, Dunkley said, "I live in Yangon and I catch a taxi to work every day. And I speak to a lot of people randomly out on the street, and indiscriminately hear opinions from people who don't know who I am and I don't know who they are... But one thing is pretty common. They all want George W Bush and the UN to come into Myanmar with a whole lot of guns and airplanes and jets and to solve the problem. They believe that's possible."

Sources: Political Defiance Committee, Shan Herald News Agency, Burma Today, Irrawaddy, Democratic Voice of Burma, Asian Times Online

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