缅甸风云：貌强: Burma's Situation and Taiji's Yin & Yang

The military government delcared yesterday (29-10-2005) that it would resume on Dec. 5 its constitutional National Convention, the first step todemocracy.

According to the First Secretary of the SPDC Gen. Thein Sein, who chairs the National Convention Convening Commission, the meeting is to seek approval to lay down detailed basic principles for sharing the executive and judicial powers.

In its previous phase, which lasted from February to March this year, theconvention "approved" the detailed principles for sharing of legislative power in 11 sectors which include defense and security; foreign affairs; financing and planning; economic; agriculture and livestock breeding, energy,electricity, mining and forestry; industry; transport and communication and construction.

The national convention first started in 1993 but adjourned in 1996. Theconvention resumed on May 17, 2004 as the first step of the seven-steproadmap which was announced by the government in August 2003.

In the two previous sessions, attended over 1,000 junta-invited delegates,i.e. state service personnel (including armymen and generals ), junta-invided political parties, representatives-elect (in the 1990 general election) and cease-fired groups etc.

All people know in 1990 General Election, the NLD won a landslide victory,but the military refused to hand over power, claiming it had to first write a new constitution. As the NLD and its members faced constant harassment and Aung San Suu Kyi was later in detention, the NLD boycotted the first meeting.The biggest party representing the Shan (Myanmar's second-largest ethnic group after the Burmans) also boycotted afterwards, along with smaller minority organizations.

The regime was able to hold the convention later, which was however soon aborted after the NLD had walked out by protesting against its undemocratic procedures.

In May last year the regime convend the first conference without NLD, butadjourned later saying the 1,000 plus delegates needed to return to work.

According to the junta, the convention is the first step in the junta'sseven-step road map toward democracy that is supposed to lead to freeelections.

When will be the free election ?

Sorry, No one knows, as no timetable has been set to complete the task.

(2) NLD Vows Dialogues for Reconciliation

NLD's central executive committee and organising committee members from the states and divisions, central women working committee members, reorganisation committee members etc, held on 28 October an important meeting.

Their statement declares that they welcome the dialogues with the junta to find solutions for the current general difficulties of Burma .The national reconciliation is the main matter.Two sides must engage in dialogues to the point of satisfaction for both in order to achieve the national reconciliation and a democratic transitional period. To make the dialogues possible, communication plays the main role. For this, they always open all the communication channels.

"We'll take examples and learn lessens from the pass and look for better and more sucessful solutions " said U Myint Thein, a NLD spokeman.

（3）The SSA-north Will Attend the December Convention.

The SSA-North is one of the most prominent ceasefire groups.

The SSA-North did not attend the last round of the convention in February, because the junta had arrested their leaders Hkun Htun Oo and Maj-Gen Hso Ten ,leader of SNLD ( the Shan State’s largest winning party) and chairman of the Shan State Joint Action Committee (SSA-North is its member). Further pressure from the junta has also forced the SSA’s ally Shan State National Army back to the armed struggle.

On 23 October,the Shan State Army -North held a meeting on Loi Khurh, amountain fortress in Hsipaw township.The leaders had then resolved to attend the constitutional convention to be held in December by the junta .

The meeting thought its attendance would ease off junta pressures on HsoTen and the SSA. But people argue that the Palaung (State Liberation Army)that had attended the last session, was still forced to surrender last April.

(4) To isolate Burma: Pinheiro against but Melbourne Burmese for

The U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro of Brazil, faulted Asian and Western nations for isolating the military regime instead of engaging it to bring about reforms. Pinheiro said it was an error to deny Burma leadership of ASEAN next year, a censure he noted that also reduces the government's accountability to the international community.

He said Asian leaders and the West are "too erratic" in their dealingswith Burma and must find a more consistent and coordinated approach toengage the regime than complaining about the confinement of Aung San SuuKyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and leader of the National Leaguefor Democracy. He believes the megaphone diplomacy is not appropriate for the moment .

"You have to deal with the generals diplomatically, secretly." ,said he.

"USA and EU needed to better coordinate their policy goals with Asian nations", he added.

Professor Pinheiro arguing strongly against attempts to isolate Burma,while Melbourne Burmese community are exactly the opposite.

Melbourne based Burmese Democratic forces asked Australia to help tame Burmese junta .They lobbied with the Australian government to drastically reduce contact with the Junta. They want a more active role by Australia in coordinating the regional and international efforts to help democratization in Burma, to seek an end to human rights violations and an end to human rights training in Burma. They need to discourage trade and investment in Burma and denial of visas to the leaders of the military regime and their family Members to come to Australia.They support the efforts of UNGA, UNCHR and ILO to break the logjam in Yangon.

Mr. Garry Woodard, former Ambassador to Burma shared the general mood that there is need for ensuring humanitarian aid for HIV prevention and nutritional programs.

The participants felt that the aid should reach the right people in a transparent manner.Accountability and independent monitoring are a must and this would be possible if the aid workers work closely with National League for Democracy (NLD).

(5). British Ambassador and M. Ryder visited Burma's Generals.

British Ambassador in Rangoon and Michael Ryder, an official with theBritish Foreign and Commonwealth Office, have called on the generals in anumber of ministries and departments - including USDA and the Police Chief!

Ryder has visited Burma twice this year. During his trip in June, Ryder met with members of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

For their visits, Derek Tonkin & Sai Wansai's thinking are as follows :

Derek believed this would only be on instructions and there should be a realisation in London and Brussels that the US policy of isolation and sanctions has seriously "backfired".

"If we are to influence events in Burma at all, we must have contact, access and dialogue - but not "engagement" ,said Derek.

According to Sai Wan Sai,the Secretary of of SDU:

-First, U.K's deliberations on Burma looks more like facts-finding orgathering on the ground than going in with pre-conceived idea of "engagement at all cost". The British regime has already a very clear picture of most of the opposition groups, whereas it might think, there is a need to learn more from SPDC's way of thinking.

-The second thing is that it is quite normal that different oppositiongroups have been advocating sanctions to pressure the SPDC on varying degree.

" The point I would like to stress here is it would lend us morecredit", said Sai Wansai, "if we would couple our formulation with theso-called benchmarks policy of carrot and stick, instead of just pushing for mere sanctions".

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