Interview with General Strike Committee of Burma

Secret activists into their movement underground in Burma informed Mizzima that the 'All Burma Democratic Front General Strike Committee' (ABDFGSC) was formed on March 18 This new group recognizes only the 1990 general election results and calls for a tripartite dialogue. They announced that they won't recognize the SPDC's constitution drafting process, constitutional referendum and fresh elections. Maung Dee from Mizzima interviewed the spokesman of this new group on March 22, 2008 over telephone.

Q: You said you are calling for a general strike, when will you put your plan into action?

A: We have decided toput our plan inton action from the last week of this month. We will continue our struggle until they withdraw their announced constitutional referendum to be held in May this year. We will base our struggle in four places viz. Rangoon, Mandalay, Ayerwaddy and Bago. We will start our struggle from these places.

Q: Does it mean you are protesting against the regime's constitutional referendum and the entire seven-stage roadmap?

A: Yes, we oppose it all. We will oppose all the laws enacted by the regime. We will oppose them until they recognize the 1990 general election results.

Q: Do you have any plan to agitate on how to oppose the forthcoming referendum, say, boycott or cast 'NO' vote in the referendum?

A: We won't let them reach that stage. Frankly speaking, the current situation is not fit for a dialogue. A 'confrontation' is the sole option available between the regime and the people as Sayagyi Ludu Sein Win said. We must sacrifice our lives for the next generations otherwise whole future generations will be enslaved under military dictatorship. Our national leader has said that we must hope for the best and at the same time, we must prepare for the worst.

Q: Do you think before that the bloodshed is likely like in September when you start the general strike?

A: Yes, there will be bloodshed certainly. We will carry out our plan in three phases. Anyway we will go ahead with our plan as the first step. They (regime) will do what they have to do also. After that, we will launch the second phase, and then the final third phase without turning back. As soon as we start the first phase, we won't look back, only go forward.