Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The National League for Democracy (NLD) party will hold its plenary meeting shortly at its head office in Rangoon which will be attended by elected MPs, Executive Committee members, delegates from all States and Divisions, Central Youth and Women and Central Executive Committee members.
The plenary meeting of 1990 general election winning party NLD comes at a time when the country faces a constitutional crisis which is the future of all citizens and is meant to address major issue in the country.
The ruling military regime did not recognize the result of 1990 general election which was widely accepted as free and fair and then the new constitution was drafted by their handpicked persons and later approved hastily in May last year.
The NLD has urged the junta to review this new constitution for the last six months, but the regime has not paid any heed.
The forthcoming plenary meeting will be watched closely by opposition forces and the international communit, besides the ruling junta since it comes ahead of the junta's planned general election to be held in 2010.
Therefore it can be said that this meeting is crucial not only for party members but also for the future of the country.
Mizzima reporter Ko Wild compiled the opinions and some facts regarding the plenary meeting to be held from April 28 to 29 by interviewing some responsible persons of the party and a mother of a political prisoner.
U Nyan Win party spokesman
Q: Why did you call this meeting?
A: It can be called the annual plenary meeting but this is a regular annual meeting. We have held such meeting four times. The timing of the meeting is in accordance with the situation.
Q: Who are entitled to attend this meeting as there are comments circulating regarding invitation to the meeting?
A: All elected MPs, five Organizing Committee members from each State and Division unit, three from Central Women’s Organization and three from Youth organisations. That's all.
Q: Is it mandatory for these Chairmen and Secretaries of each State and Division Organizing Committees to attend this meeting?
A: No, we just said five delegates from each State and Division Organizing Committee in our Invitation.
Q: Does it mean any five from these State and Division Organizing Committee members? What does MP mean in this context?
A: Yes, MP means our NLD party MPs. We have invited all MPs who are consistently with the party. We did not invite those with whom we don't have any more relationship.
Q: Did you mention the meeting agenda in the invitation as we heard that the Central Committee would submit a paper at the meeting?
A: No, it is not included. We just mentioned it as a get-together meeting. Yes, a paper will be submitted. We mentioned about this paper in our invitation too. There will be three headings in this paper. They are what the NLD is doing in the current situation and what the NLD’s stand would be in the future and our opinion of the constitution.
Q: In this politically crucial situation, what results do you expect from this meeting?
A: This meeting will try to get a unified opinion and define a unified outlook within the NLD. We won't restrict our delegates from discussing only our paper. We will listen to States and Divisions Committees' political opinions and their outlook.
Q: Some said the two-day meeting to be held on April 28-29 is not adequate as many delegates will come and attend this meeting. What do you think?
A: We usually hold a two-day meeting. Two days are enough. Some who think it is not enough then it is their opinion. No one has submitted a written complaint regarding this issue.
Daw Khin Saw Htay
(Yenanchaung Township Vice-Chairman and Magwe Division Women wing In-charge)
Q: Have you selected the delegates who will be attending NLD States and Divisions meeting to be held in April 28-29 this month in Rangoon?
A: They didn't say who should come. There is no MP-elect in our Yenanchaung Township. I and Yenanchaung Township Organizing Committee Chairman U Khin Win will attend this meeting representing Divisional Organizing Committee and Township Committee respectively. We don't know yet what will they (Central) present at the meeting say to us. But I think they will discuss again the Announcement No. 18.
Q: How many persons are allowed from each Division?
A: Five persons from each Division including Magwe Division but the speaker will be only one from them as there are many States and Divisions who will come and attend. Though they have limited the number to only five, we will go there anyway. We must discuss in this meeting representing our Magwe Division. We will have a separate meeting with our Magwe Division MPs when we arrive in Rangoon since we cannot meet together anywhere else. Both our Magwe Division Chairman U Han Zaw and Secretary U Soe Myint live in Rangoon. Magwe Division is weak and we cannot hold a meeting in Magwe.
Our Magwe Division had made a demand in January and March which called for the first meeting of the CEC (Central Executive Committee) and MPs. The next one is direct dialogue between Snr. Gen. Than Shwe and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. We don't want any intermediary like U Aung Kyi. We'd like to hear what our leaders say on how to face 2010 polls. We made this demand to both NLD Central Committee and the SPDC.
Because they must listen to the voice of grassroots people if they want to establish a democratic system. We can't accept a decision adopted by the Central Committee exercising a central democratic system and implement it. In the past, first they said that they would not contest in the general election and changed their mind and contested in it while Daw Aung San Kyi was under house arrest. Secondly they said that they would not attend the National Convention and then they changed their mind and attended it while Daw Suu was under detention.
Now they have issued Announcement No. 18 which says they would consider contesting the election only if the constitution is reviewed and amended. We are worried about this stand being tilted and twisted. In fact, the government didn't recognize the 1990 general election result. The constitution must be drafted in fact by these elected MPs. It is abnormal to see the constitution was presented first and then the election was announced. Moreover this constitution is not for the people. Thus we don't want this Announcement No. 18 being tilted and weakened. This is the position and stand of the Magwe Division Women’s wing and Yenanchaung Township Organizing Committee.
We will adhere to this position even though the Central's position is changed despite having no MP in Magwe Division.
Q: Which demands by the NLD do you think should be given priority?
A: The first priority should be discussing national reconciliation between Daw Suu and Snr. Gen. Than Shwe. If we use the word 'Parliament' they become tense. They cannot accept it though it is right. After that, it can lead to a tripartite dialogue. But we'd like to know the viewpoint of Daw Suu on how to face 2010 elections. As for the demand on releasing prisoners, the government released prisoners but not real prisoners. Releasing prisoners without negotiation will be useless. It they negotiate and hold a dialogue, releasing prisoners issue will be automatically included in it.
Q: Do you have any views if NLD is outlawed for not contesting the 2010 general election?
A: This is up to them. We must consider only our own business. It is premature to say now.
Q: How much do you expect out of the meeting?
A: We want them to consider what the grassroots present to them.
An active NLD member who wished not to be named
(Mandalay Division)
Q: Have you selected delegates for this Inter States and Divisions meeting?
A: Yes, we have selected as we have many MP-elects in our Division Organizing Committee. All MPs except 2-3 MPs who are not in good health will attend this meeting as they are invited. Please don't disclose yet who will go and attend. We have already made many preparations.
Q: What do they mention in the invitation?
A: They invited mainly officially standing MP-elects and 5 delegates from each States and Divisions Organizing Committee including Chairman and Secretary of them. Other invitees are 3 each from Youth Wing and Women’s wing which exist only in Rangoon Head Office and are not concerned with States, Divisions and Townships units. There is one exception in the invitation which excludes those who are assigned and attached at Rangoon Head Office as a quota of their concerned mother units. There are currently Youth task forces working for emerging Youth wing organization in grassroots units. In Mandalay it is called Youth assisting unit previously it was the Divisional Youth Wing post. Former Youth Wing organizers are now working for the emergence of new Youth Wing units in township level.
There are some MP remnants in Mandalay of about 12-15 excluding MPs living in Rangoon. Some of them, about 2-3, are abstaining from attending this meeting on health grounds.
Q: What will be the main agenda in this meeting?
A: We have no clear idea but Uncle U Win Tin recently said in his interview that the matter concerning the election is impossible while the constitution matter will be possible to discuss. But this is just our guess. I think the constitutional matter is too late so that there must be other changesw and alternatives. They (Central) said that they would distribute a paper prepared by them for discussion but we still don't know what contents it has. We have to discuss this paper.
In my own opinion, it is too late to discuss these matters because the other side (government) doesn't want these matters discussed. It does not need to present these matters to the States and Divisions level as the central executive committee (CEC) unit has already been given a mandate regarding this issue.
Q: How much do you expect from this meeting at this politically significant time?
A: It's difficult to comment on this meeting because it is significant to see some key persons like Uncle U Win Tin and Uncle U Khin Maung Swe are included and rallying around CEC. But we cannot guess how significant and important this meeting will be.
Q: Are you pleased with the organizational activities of NLD in both inter and intra activities?
A: It depends on the political weather. If the political weather is good, no specific organizational work is needed. Most people came and join in our activities in good time. One significant thing we could see recently was the active participation of youths in work for emergence of grassroots local youth wings. We can work in the people only when we get some political space otherwise it is very difficult.
Q: Can you create this political space yourself?
A: It's very difficult because the local authorities harass our grassroots organizational works. They harassed both our party members and those we visited in our organizational tour. For instance, in Madaya, we visited the villages. The local authority threatened the people in these villages before our visit and after the visit. The local people cannot bear this and dare not take risks in working with us. Under this circumstance and under the economic crisis, the people become indifferent to us. They see politics as a dangerous thing and are afraid of being arrested and tortured. So we have to weigh and balance all matters in our organizational work. So this work is moving at snail's pace.
Q: What preparations have you made in your Divisional Organizing Committee?
A: We are at a crucial junction. We must consider how we will work if we place the issue of 'officially standing and existence' as priority and if we do not. We discussed this matter in our Divisional Committee meeting. We invited legal experts to our meetings and discussed the weak points of the constitution. Our Divisional Committee will discuss in this meeting based on what CEC tells us and the prevailing situation.
Daw Nyunt Nyunt Oo, mother of political prisoner and 88 Gen Student Leader Ko Pannit Tun who is serving 65 years prison term in Bamo prison
Q: Auntie, what do you know of the latest health situation of Ko Pannit Tun?
A: The families of political prisoners said he was fine and ok after coming back from prison visits in March. This is the latest news that I have heard about him. He also said to me he was fine when I visited him. He always said not to send any parcel for him with everyone who visited there. So I don't need to worry about him much. But as a mother, I have some anxiety. I heard that Ko Min Ko Naing and Ko Htay Kywe were not feeling well. And also Ko Aung Thu was becoming thin and not feeling well when his wife Myat Myat Htwe visited him. He once suffered a mild stroke.
Q: The NLD is holding its plenary meeting on 28-29 this month which will be attended by MP-elects of NLD and its State and Division Organizing Committees representatives. As the mother of a political prisoner, do you want them to discuss this political prisoners' issue in this meeting?
A: I must welcome whoever discusses this issue and it is not confined only to NLD, for the release of political prisoners including my son. We expect and welcome anyone who demands the release of these prisoners.
Q: The NLD's forthcoming meeting is said to be significant. As the mother of a political prisoner, do you have some expectations about this meeting?
A: I want to use the word 'having interest in this meeting' rather than 'expecting' the release of political prisoners including my son. I'm interested only in what the NLD’s stand will be, how they will face the election and what their stand is on this election. How NLD and SPDC will better the country in 2010 among others. Freedom of political prisoners including my son depends on change in our country. It can be both possible and impossible. Firstly I am interested in this meeting and secondly I place my hope and rely on them.
