More than 70 MPs wrote to General Than Shwe

DVB ( July 21, 2003 )

It is reported that more than 70 MPs throughout Burma wrote a letter and sent it to the SPDC chairman, General Than Shwe urging him to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all those who were detained in connection with the May 30 Dipeyin [Tabayin] assault and to investigate the incident as soon as possible. The letter was sent last week through the post, the MPs told the DVB.

There are three demands in the letter; to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all those who were detained, to reopen all the NLD offices and to enquire into the Dipeyin incident and to tell people of what really happened there. Although the letter was sent 4-5 days ago, there has been no response from the government.

Similar letters were sent by the NLD central youth and women organisations. The youth not only sent a copy of the letter to General Than Shwe but also to the UN general secretary, Kofi Anan. Although the youth were not interrogated for writing the letter, but when the women did the same six women leaders including Daw May Hnin Kyi, the MP of Mogok were detained and interrogated for 24 hours. They were all eventually released but Daw May Hnin Kyi was rearrested the next day after the release and she is still being detained by the authority.

The writing of letter by the 70 MPs to the general is quite an extraordinary deed in Burmese politics and the representatives believe that the generals will heed their demands because of the political strength they have. If the military government doesn’t heed their demands, the representatives will have to demand stronger demands with stronger forces behind them in the future, said some of the NLD MPs.