Feb 28, 2006 (DVB)

The international community is hoping that Burma’s ruling military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) will seriously consider the proposals put forward by the the National League for Democracy (NLD) in the special statement issued on 12 February, UN rights envoy to Burma told DVB.

Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro told DVB that the proposals are positive proposals indicating the NLD’s flexibility, which could be acceptable to the junta and political parties.

An Indonesian parliamentarian, Ms Eva Kusuma Sundari who is also a member of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar (Burma) Caucus, also noted that the proposals are flexible and unthreatening enough for the military government to accept.

Meanwhile, exiled former Burmese army officers urged their former comrades to accept and substantiate the proposals of the NLD for the benefit of the country.

“While the domestic situation is in the doldrums like now, the proposals are very soft (flexible?) and constructive, and I like them very much. Let’s say I support them,” said Gen Kyaw Zaw, one of the founding members of modern Burma Army, now living in exile on the Sino-Burmese border. “We, the people should all support the calls for the convening of the Pyithut Hludaw (People’s Parliament) and the release of political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi put forward by the NLD.

“It is an offer put forward by the NLD with good intention and honesty for the sake of the country and the people,” Col Aye Myint who is now living in Australia told DVB. “It is an offer which should be obliged. In fact, it is the utmost and the most obliging offer the NLD could offer. The NLD did it with the good intention of solving the political stalemate in Burma.”

At the same time, the people of Burma including the NLD members are continuing to express their supports for the statement and hoping that the ruling generals will react to it in a positive way. The statement also says that if the junta allowed the elected representatives of the 1990 election to convene the Hludaw, it would recognise the SPDC as the legitimate ‘caretaker/interim’ government.

28 Feb 2006

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) condemns the decision made by Burma’s military junta to suspend visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Burma’s 90 prison and labour camps.

Since 1999, the ICRC has reportedly made 453 such visits to prisons as well as two to opposition leader Aung San Auu Kyi . Since the purge of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt in October 2004, the organisation has faced increasing difficulties in carrying out the visits as the junta imposed new conditions on the agency restricting their ability to act independently. No reason has been given for the suspension of prison visits.

Estimates place the number of political prisoners in Myanmar to be as high as one-thousand one hundred. The ICRC is a critical monitoring group assessing conditions of detention with reference to international standards in 80 countries. The AIPMC is highly concerned that without the monitoring work of the ICRC, conditions of detention may deteriorate.

The AIPMC also reiterates its welcome and support for the recent ‘olive branch’ offer from the National League for Democracy (NLD) to the Burmese Military Junta. On 12 February 2006, the NLD agreed to recognise the role of the current military regime if the Generals agree to convene parliament in accordance with the results of the 1990 elections. This is a significant gesture by the NLD for national reconciliation, that will break the political stalemate which has clouded Burma for 17 years.

The AIPMC notes that movement in this direction could pave the way for the release of political prisoners, and, begin the process of return for the thousands of Burmese refugees who have settled in camps along the Thai border and elsewhere in the region. The AIPMC urges the Burmese military junta to reconsider the cessation of the ICRC prison visits and to accept the NLD’s offer, in order to move towards improved conditions and democratic reforms in Burma for its people.

AIPMC mission to the Nai Soi Refugee Camp on the Thai-Burma Border (Mae Hong Son) – February 2006

Written by Sai Silp

(Irrawaddy-24 February 2006)

Members of the special Asean caucus on Burma vowed today to urge the grouping to expel Rangoon unless the regime met pleas to release democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

Speaking for the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar (Burma) Caucus at a press conference in Thailand, Kraisak Choonhavan, chairman of the Thai Senate’s Foreign Relation Committee and a prominent member of the Asean group, said: “Four years ago, Burma’s government promised to release them. They have not acted on their word yet. If they still ignore our request, we will urge Asean to expel them.”

Kraisak was speaking after members of the Asean group visited a refugee camp on the Thai-Burmese border in northern Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province. The visit was part of the program of an official visit to Thailand by the Asean caucus.

The caucus also decided to appeal to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to postpone his planned visit to Rangoon until the Burmese regime grants his request to meet members of the opposition National League for Democracy. Yudhoyono is scheduled to visit Rangoon in early March.

Kraisak said the Asean group also wanted China to use its influence on Burma. India, he said, had responded well to Asean concern by organizing a special committee of 15 members of parliament and senators to address Burma issues.

After touring the refugee camp with the Asean caucus, Kraisak told The Irrawaddy that the group would urge the Thai government to provide opportunities for the refugees to work occasionally outside the camp. He welcomed the provision now of Thai language courses after appeals by various NGOs.

February 23rd, 2006, Bangkok

We, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) delegation to the Thai Parliament and further to the Thai-Burma border refugee camps, would like to welcome and support the ‘olive branch’ offer from the NLD to the Burmese Military Junta.

In the unprecedented move, the NLD, on 12 Feb 2006, said it will recognize the role of the current military regime, in national politics, if the Generals agree to convene Parliament in accordance with the results of the 1990 elections.

This is a significant gesture by the NLD for national reconciliation, that will break the political stalemate that has clouded Burma for 17 years.

In addition, we encourage China – as a member of the UN Security Council and major power in the Asia Pacific region – to play a bigger role in bringing change to Burma. We believe it is in China’s political and economic interests to see national reconciliation, which would result in a more accountable and stable government in Burma.

The AIPMC delegation, which comprise members from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia, would also like to respectfully ask the President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is scheduled to visit Burma in March, to delay his trip until after the visit of the ASEAN fact-finding delegation to Burma led by the Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

In the event that the President makes the visit, we urge him to call on the Burmese military junta to accept NLD’s ‘olive branch’ offer.

We reiterate our call on ASEAN leaders to maintain pressure on the junta for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners – of which 15 are elected Members of Parliament – as the only realistic first step in facilitating the national reconciliation process.

Delegation members:

Kraisak Choonhavan (Member of Thai Senate)

Son Chhay (Member of Parliament, Cambodia)

Nursyahbani Katjasungkana (Member of Parliament, Indonesia)

Eva Kusuma Sundari (Member of Parliament, Indonesia)

Teresa Kok ((Member of Parliament, Malaysia)

Contact persons:

Roshan Jason: +6012-3750974, +6671122802 (International media)

Chalida Tajaroensuk: +6618085622 (Thai language media)