Road map plan needs more co-operation between governments

DVB ( August 12, 2003)

The UN envoy, Razali Ismail, told reporters that he would try to persuade SPDC to accept the road map plan proposed by Thailand after a meeting with the Thai foreign minister, Surakiart Sathirathai.

In a news conference, without revealing the detail of the plan, Ismail said Thailand and UN are in cooperation and the plan will be implemented within a time frame.

But the military government in Burma has shown no interest in the proposal and the opposition groups have also been quite sceptical about the plan.

“We don’t know any details about the plan and I think that it is too early yet to say whether we could accept the plan,” Khun Tun Oo, the leader of Shan NLD and a member of The Committee Representing the People's Parliament (CRPP) told DVB.

Khun Tun Oo also said that “ethnic nationals will accept it(the plan) as long as there is true democratic federalism… The most important is to be able to solve political problems by political means.”

For Khun Tun Oo and other opposition groups, if there would be a political dialogue, there would be democracy and equal opportunity.

“Our main strategy is if the SPDC is persuaded to come to the table for talk, that would be the success of Mr. Razali,” said Khun Tun Oo.

But Aung Moe Zaw from the National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) which bases at the Thai Burma border had another idea.

“The most important matter is the unconditional releases of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners. Also, NLD and other political parties should also be allowed unit freely within Burma,” said he. “Personally, I think only when you have these conditions, it would be more suitable to think other matters.”

In addition, Aung Moe Zaw said the Thai PM and FM have repeatedly said to for national reconciliation and the emergence of democracy in Burma. So far, he has not seen any result so far.

“If Thai’s effort becomes an UN initiative, we think that would be good,” said . “We have to overcome the current problems of Burma but we also need to think about the future of Burma.”

Razali Ismail had told reporters that he would do his best to make the plan acceptable to the majority.

Apart from the cooperation between Thailand and Burma, Chinese government’s support is important as well.

Surakiart Sathirathai is planning to meet his Chinese counterpart soon and he hope to discuss the matter with him.