KIO decision has to be respected says U Khun Tun Oo of UNA

DVB ( 18 November 2003 )

The spokesman of UNA (United Nationalities Alliance) and chairman of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) U Khun Tun Oo said that the decision of the KIO (Kachin Independence Organisation) to attend the SPDC-sponsored ‘National Convention’ has to be respected.

The KIO decided to attend the convention because it believes that there could something for their nationals and the SPDC might become more flexible and the delegates want to ‘sample’ the regime’s attitudes, said U Khun Tun Oo.

He also insisted that the participations in the convention by ethnic national groups which signed ceasefire agreements with the SPDC do not mean the split among ethnic nationals as claimed by the SPDC.

Their demands are similar to those who refuse to attend the convention and one can’t just judge the unity of ethnic nationals from the attendance and non-attendance of the groups, he said.

Some of the ethnic nationals decided to attend the convention because they believe that the SPDC would change their attitudes and policies eventually and it is too early to comment on their action, U Khun Tun Oo added.

But the spokesman of KNU (Karen National Union) Phado Mahn Shar Lar Phan insisted that the SPDC’s National Convention is undemocratic and it excludes genuine representatives and key players in Burmese politics.

Moreover, the convention is designed to propagate the military dictatorship and the KNU is opposing it, he added.

Ko Win Minn, an expert on the relation between Burmese army and civilians commented that the SPDC will prolong the problems of Burma if the regime is not heading towards national reconciliation and working for its own interest.