NCUB's statement on NLD's arrest

[caroline@xxxxxxxxxx]

Position Statement of  the National Council of the Union of Burma

(1) The National Council of the Union of Burma is in grave misery
regarding the arbitrary arrests on 44 Members of parliament from national
League for Democracy and two of their family members, and further arrests
on today of another 39 Members of the Parliament and one spokesperson of
NLD by Slorc, as well as the NCUB harshly condemns the military regime for
these arrests. 

(2) These arrests clearly reveal the regime's attempt to impose restrict
measures on a legally-founded political party in order to bar its freedoms
and prolong the military machinery and the rule of Slorc. 

(3) moreover, these arrests not only contradict to a Slorc's promise-like
uttering that the country is heading towards democracy but also plunge
Burma into more political turmoil as they are not in line with the efforts
of solving the country's political problems by political ways and means. 

(4) Although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has suggested Slorc for face-to-face
dialogue since her release and the international community and the United
Nations urged for the same efforts, Slorc is still against the civic
society and applying oppressive measures on the political parties and the
people of Burma. 

(5) Forthcoming 27 May 1996 is the sixth anniversary of multi-party
democracy general elections at which the NLD won a landslide victory. 
Slorc failed to keep its words for numerous times and neglected to hand
over power to the election-winning party until now. 

(6) The action taken by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD party, planning
to have an all-party conference of the elected representatives on the
current political situation during last six years is shouldering their
historic responsibilities assigned by the Burmese people. 

(7) We, the NCUB notes that Slorc has committed these inhumane action as
they are under in a great fear to transfer the power back to NLD as the
will of the Burmese people expressed clearly in the 1990 elections. 

(8) The NCUB believes that continuing arrest against the opponents would
only plunge Burma into more political turmoil. 

(9) The NCUB demands the Slorc to immediately release all the recently
arrested elected representatives and other political prisoners, as well as
to stop further more arbitrary arrest. 

(10) The NCUB urges the international community, their governments,
political parties and democratic forces to strongly condemn the continuing
misbehaviors committed by the Slorc, instead of failing to take an action. 

(11) The NCUB in particularly requests the ASEAN-member countries to
review their constructive engagement policy on Burma which is by now
plunging the Burmese people into jeopardy. 

(12) The will and desire of the entire Burmese people has been clearly
expressed during the 1990 election and NLD was elected as the winning
political party. People throughout Burma should not stay idle for the
arrest of their elected representatives. The NCUB urges the Burmese people
from all walks of life including patriotic officers and soldiers from the
Burma Army to join and side with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the struggle to
topple down the fascist military dictatorship. 


Fourth Conference of NCUB
May 22, 1996.