SPDC might release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

DVB, February 10

The Foreign Minister of Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) U Win Aung said that the constitution drafting ‘National Convention’ would be convened either in the first or second part of 2004 and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi could be released before that event.

U Win Aung, who has been attending a meeting of Asian foreign ministers at Phuket, Thailand told reporters that the offices of National League for Democracy (NLD) could be reopened before the convention. He also said that there have been regular contacts with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi but he didn’t elaborate on the nature of the contacts.

Nevertheless, U Soe Myint, the temporary spokesman of NLD told DVB that the SPDC has been inconsistent with reports regarding contacts with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the road map plan. He also said that it is time the regime release all NLD leaders and political prisoners to decease the tension.

On the other hand, Pu Cin Shin Thang, the spokesman of United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) which is made up of 9 election winning political parties said that he doesn’t believe the words of the SPDC foreign minister.

He told DVB that there is no shadow of an action by the junta to discuss the matter with the opposition and he insisted that the vagueness of the junta on the time frame is an attempt to dawdle and divert people’s attention from Dipeyin incident.

A Burmese critic, U Aung Naing Oo said the junta keeps on moving political goal posts for the oppositions depending on the success of ceasefire talks with the Karen National Union (KNU). And he warned that the convention would not be successful without the participations of the NLD and UNA and the situation in Burma could deteriorate and become more complicated.

Other critics and observers believe that U Win Aung is merely on the charm offensive as there is no evidence that the regime is doing anything positive to improve the political climate inside Burma.