From MIZZIMA News Group (r)

[thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Indians condemned the constitutional principles prepared by the National
Convention of the military regime

By: MIZZIMA NEWS GROUP
12th February 1999

Lal experts, academics and political leaders of India joined together
today to condemn the Burmese military junta's attempts to foist a
constitution on the people of Burma that they said is neither legitimate
nor conforms to basic democratic constitutional principles. 

Their condemnation came out of the meeting held by the Burma Lawyers
Council (BLC) today at Indian Women Press Corporation in New Delhi. The
BLC, an independent legal organization formed with legal academics from
Burma and other countries, organized a meeting of political leaders and
legal experts from both India and Burma today which is celebrated as the
Union Day in Burma. The meeting, organized under the title of "The 52nd
Union Day and Constitutional Problems in Today's Burma", was participated
by leaders of major political parties in India such as Ms Jaya Jaitely
from Samta Party, Mr Surendra Mohan from Janata Dal Party, Mr Atul Ajaan,
Secretary, National Council of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Mr
Hannan Moolah, Member of Parliament from Communist Party of India
(Marxist). Samta Party is currently a part of the coalition government in
India and the other three parties are in opposition. Mr F.S Nariman,
President of Bar Association of India, and also former Chairman,
International Commission of Jurists, Mr Gopal Subramanian, Senior Advocate
of the Supreme Court of India, and Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty from Political
Science Department of Delhi University were among the key speakers in the
meeting. The pro-democracy activists from Burma were seen in the meeting.

Indian political leaders at the meeting were unanimous in their
condemnation of the attempt by the military junta to perpetuate its rule
by reserving 25% of the total strength in the legislature proposed by the
draft, and also the attempt to control key decision making positions in
the government, for all times to come. This, according to them, was
subversive of democratic principles, universally understood.

The meeting basically rejected the constitutional principles, approved by
the "National Convention" which is conned by the military regime in Burma.
This meeting further condemned the undemocratic process of the Burmese

government, which prevented the people of Burma from holding a voice in
constitution making in Burma. Moreover, the meeting also condemned all
attempts by the regime to legitimize and perpetuate its rule. 

According to a spokesperson of the Burma Lawyers Council (BLC), the
meeting is a part of worldwide campaign being launched by BLC to highlight
the ongoing constitutional problems in Burma. It is learnt that similar
meetings and conferences were held in other parts of the world on the same
day.