NLD requests meeting with party leaders

by Myint Maung

Tuesday, 24 March 2009 20:07

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The National League for Democracy’s Central Executive Committee has called on the junta to let them meet with party Vice-Chairman Tin Oo and General Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi. NLD party spokesman Nyan Win today said that the party sent a letter dated the 19th of this month to the SPDC [Burma’s military government] Chairman requesting permission for a meeting with their leaders in order to facilitate decisions at this crucial juncture in the country’s politics. "As everybody knows, the government announced that a general election will be held in 2010. We need to discuss and consider this general election," Nyan Win said. Thus far, the government has yet to respond to the inquiry. "If we get a positive response from them, we shall implement it. If not, it will mean differently. So we have to consider the outcome in different ways,” he said. In the meantime, authorities yesterday sentenced more dissidents to varying terms of imprisonment. The special court sitting inside Insein prison on Monday handed down verdicts to 13 activists, including five political activists, NLD members and cyclone Nargis volunteers. The special court sentenced NLD Youth members Htet Htet Owei, Win Myint Maung (a.k.a. Pe Pyoke) and Tun Tun Win to five years imprisonment each under charges stemming from the Emergency Provisions Act – having been arrested on the 30th of December 2008 for staging a protest, originating at the NLD head office, by marching with banners and placards. Similarly, volunteers Tin Tin Cho, Yin Yin Waing, Myat Thu and Ni Moe Hlaing, who donated their services to cyclone Nargis victims, were arrested at a teashop in Rangoon on the 12th of June 2008 and were yesterday sentenced to three years imprisonment each for abetting an unlawful association. And a further six youth from Rangoon who tried to distribute pamphlets in association with the 88 Generation Students on the 7th of August 2008 were sentenced to various prison terms ranging from two to seven years. Aung Kyaw Oo and Zeya Oo were sentenced to seven years imprisonment for infringing upon state security while Htin Aung, Than Tun Zin and Tin Tun were sentenced to five years each for involvement in an unlawful association and former 88 Student Myo Thant was given two years for threatening state security. < Prev   Next >