SPDC desperate says Burma's opposition groups

DVB - December 17, 2003

Analysts and observers on Burma are puzzled by the attendance of the Foreign Minister of Burma’s military junta, the SPDC to the meeting recently held in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

Sao Harn Yawnghwe, the director of EU-Burma Office said that the SPDC is trying to find a way out of the political mess it is in by attending the meeting.

The new SPDC Prime Minister, general Khin Nyunt told other ASEAN delegates at the last summit of the organisation at Bali that the regime is working towards democracy and it has to show something to them, Sao Harn added.

But the regime has to change its rigid rules and demands before reconvening the ‘National Convention’ or else the effort would be meaningless, he insisted.

The UN representative for the exiled NCGUB to the UN, Dr. Thaung Tun insisted that the SPDC needs to work on the basic needs for the emergence of a democratic country rather than the convention.

‘The regime needs to release all political prisoners. It needs to allow political parties and the public to take part in politics freely. The country needs basic freedom speech and movement,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the SPDC still fails to get in touch with the NLD and other elected ethnic national political parties on its efforts on ‘road map’ plan for democracy in Burma.

The majority of Burmese believe that the regime is reconvening the ‘National Convention’ to enshrine the role of the army and to propagate military dictatorship in future governments in Burma.