Interview with U Nyan Win, MP of Paung, Mon State

July 2, 2003

U Nyan Win, the MP of No.1, Paung Township Constituency says that the Dipeyin incident destroyed the prospect for national reconciliation as follows:

U Nyan Win : Our view is – the incident is an unfair deed. The people responsible should say exactly how the incident occurred… We still haven’t heard from them to this day. In fact, they should enquire into it with an independent commission which could ask questions freely.

DVB : …They shut down all the NLD offices and some leaders were arrested throughout the country. What are the situations at Moulmein and Paung like?

U Nyan Win : At the moment, we are meeting with our close friends in pair. We still can’t hold meetings… we have heard that they are trying to stop meetings in Rangoon. Therefore, we can’t come together and have meetings. But we are still trying to keep on exchanging views and keep in touch.

DVB : Now that you are in Rangoon, what was the situation in Paung before the offices were closed down?

U Nyan Win : We still haven’t got the permission to open our office at Paung. At the moment, we still meet each other in pairs. We can’t have meetings with many people.

DVB : Daw Suu went to Moulmein. The State NLD office was opened. Which ones were opened and which are still needed to be opened?

U Nyan Win : The ones at Thahton, Bilin, Kyaikhto in Thahton Dictrct were opened. The ones at Moulmein and Thanbyuzayat in Moulmein District were also opened. Five offices were opened in all.

DVB : It has been a month now. Daw Suu and U Tin Oo are still being detained. U Lwin is put under house arrest. How do you feel as an MP?

U Nyan Win : We faced similar situation before. Therefore, there is no psychological damage to us. We always consult with each other what to do and when…

DVB : In Mandalay and the areas near where the incident occurred, there are interrogations. What are the situations in Rangoon and Moulmein like?

U Nyan Win : There are no interrogations in Moulmein. As for Rangoon, Ko Soe Win and U Myint Thein and the like were arrested and detained.

DVB : U Soe Win is the one who worked at the NLD Head Office?

U Nyan Win : Yes. He is the MP of Pegu.

DVB : And U Thein Oo is the one who worked at the NLD Head Office too?

U Nyan Win : Yes. In lower Burma, U Hla Min, the MP of Kawthaung was arrested. U Myint Thein is the MP of Kyaikmayaw in Mon State.

DVB : … As an MP what do you want to say to your voters as words of comfort?

U Nyan Win : What I want to say to all the people and MPs is we are in a situation in which we are feeling doubtful whether the dialogue with those people will work. We are feeling very doubtful about the prospect of the dialogue after this incident. Before, we were waiting hopefully for the dialogue. The prospect for the dialogue is now destroyed. That’s how we understand.

DVB : The situation is like that now. But is there hope for the future?

U Nyan Win : At the moment, we understand that there is no hope for national reconciliation because of what is happening. We can’t decide it ourselves yet. We are still consulting among ourselves.