Zin Linn
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

October 6, 2003:

After failing to persuade the Burmese generals to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, UN envoy Razali Ismail has also not obtained a promise from the junta that the NLD would be part of their "road map" to democracy, diplomats and journalists in Rangoon said on 3 October 2003. Before he left Rangoon after a three-day visit on 2 October, Mr. Razali, said neither the junta's commander-in-chief Than Shwe nor the new Prime Minister Khin Nyunt appeared to have shown any sign of good will towards the national reconciliation process.

"Khin Nyunt told Razali it was too early to discuss NLD participation in the national convention," suspended in 1996 after the NLD walked out, one diplomat told Reuters in Rangoon. According to Mr. Razali's briefing, the diplomats said Suu Kyi, who was put under house arrest after surgery, which
followed more than three months in detention at an undisclosed location, was
willing to work with Khin Nyunt on the "road map". She also told the UN envoy of her wish to have an investigation undertaken into the 30 May violence between her supporters and pro-junta attackers during a provincial tour which led to her detention, the diplomats said.

But, according to a reliable source in Rangoon, controversy rages over whether Suu would easily accept the junta's "road map" before having had talks with the junta. Daw San San, a Member of Parliament from the Rangoon Division who appeared on the Thai-Burma border a few months ago, said recently she disbelieved Razali's message that Suu was willing to work with Khin Nyunt on the "road map". Suu had firmly decided that the 1990 election results must be respected by all means, Daw San San pointed out. UN resolutions have also recognized the 1990 election results as the Burmese people's will. It may be that what is at stake now are negotiations on the reintroducing the SPDC's national convention which was suspended in 1996, she said. One NLD MP in Rangoon reported disapprovingly that when Mr. Razali met with ethnic leaders, instead of being an envoy he urged them to join in the generals' "road map".

An NLD Rangoon official rebuked Razali for wanting to be praised as a successful envoy after each trip to Burma. Razali forgets that he is dealing with the most notorious generals who never keep their word. According to a political analyst in Rangoon, what Razali should do is to secure Suu Kyi's release so that she can speak out for herself and the people.

Journalists in Rangoon were also disappointed with Mr. Razali for his un-diplomatic manners in dealing with the local press. "He did not disclose anything to us but only made his spin with the diplomats," says a journalist in Rangoon.

In addition, while Mr. Razali was in Rangoon on his eleventh visit, a petition signed by 111 NLD MPs was submitted to the fifteen member states of the United Nations Security Council and the UN Secretary-General on 29 September. The petition was not put forward through Razali but conveyed through a different channel. The petition strongly urges the UNSC to take
responsibility for implementing the national reconciliation process in Burma. Before the process commences, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the senior NLD leaders must be released and all NLD offices also must be allowed to reopen,
the petition demands.

Meanwhile, on 2 October exiled representatives of Members of Parliament testified on the human rights violations of the Burmese junta before the Inter-Parliamentary Union's Assembly, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

However, the Burmese military regime-which shamelessly said it was keeping
Aung San Suu Kyi in detention for her own protection and would release her
when the political crisis cooled down-was unlikely to accept a political
dialogue or a national reconciliation process. According to some political analysts, the generals were not confident enough yet to free the Lady.

The junta's Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win told the BBC's World Today programme that the authorities were in touch with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Mr. Win said that it was because of the authorities contact with Aung San Suu Kyi that they were able to help when she needed medical treatment last month. Asked when the opposition leader would be released from house arrest, he merely answered: "Unfortunately we have had some problems in the past, so when the situation returns to normal, then we can think of releasing her."

The SPDC regime is plotting to play more tricks by denying the release of the Nobel Laureate and of more than 1600 political prisoners and by drawing its own "road map". If the junta sincerely wishes to work for a genuine "road map", it should publicly declare an acceptable time-frame and agreeable representatives involved in the process. It is obvious that the "road map" proposed by Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt is nothing but deception to soften international pressure and to hold on to power incessantly.

That is why the Burmese people believe that the UN Envoy is a diplomat unsympathetic to their cause but supportive to the brutal regime.

In the same way, the Burmese people are expecting ASEAN to pursue anagenda
of seeking the release of Aung San Suu Kyi during the Southeast Asian leaders' summit in Bali this week. The chairman of the Asean Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), Makarim Wibisuno, who is also the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry's director-general of Asian Pacific and South African Affairs, announced: "We (Indonesia) are the chairman of the ASEAN meeting. We will proceed with discussions (on the detention of the Nobel Laureate).'' Makarim said after the SOM, which met ahead of the Asean Summit, ASEAN officials found that the situation in military-ruled Burma was becoming an increasing embarrassment for the group.