Breaking News (r)

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Burma news on 4/28/99

Khin Nyunt brought a company of diplomats to Northeast Shan State on
4/26/99. The delegation was invited by Paukyuchan, Wa cease-fire drug group
leader. The coverage on TV-Myanmar was a very high profile propaganda
piece. Hundreds of ethnic girls and women wearing colorfully dresses
danced, flowered and greeted with folded hands. A small number of poor pigs
were shown on TV saying that it was for substitution to opium cultivation.
Balloons were set free for opening bridges and construction. Khin Nyunt
pretended to be the King of the function. Relatively young Paukyuchan with
spectacles was the organizer of all and he  spent a lot of money on the
occasion while entire people of Burma are hard to meet a square meal.

But foreign journalists did not miss the opportunity to explore the
situation. It was of the Reuters.

U Win Aung, the foreign minister of SPDC told a Rieuters journalist that
his government will release NLD political prisoners on the next day if NLD
dissolved the Committee Representing Peoples' Parliament (CRPP). He also
blamed at NLD for a boycott call to Visit Myanmar Year and foreign
investment. U Win Aung admitted that Visit Myanmar Year failed because of
NLD and because of that NLD lost the opportunity for a dialogue.

When BBC stringer called U Tin Oo, the Vice Chairman, the NLD leader simply
rejected foreign ministers proposal. U Tin Oo said SPDC was saying that the
Visit Myanmar Year and foreign investment were not effected by any move and
that they were saying different now.

Rangoon-base foreign diplomats estimated around 2,000 political prisoners
were behind bar in Burma. Last month Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said 150 elected
MPs had been detained. U Win Aung mentioned only NLD prisoners who were
said to be put in the so-called guest houses.

U Win Aung also told that NLD had no more chance to talk. However U Tin Oo
expressed NLD's unbroken hope of solving problems of Burma by a substantive
dialogue which NLD proposed since 1989.

NCGUB sees that the NLD has legal and democratic obligation to convene 1990
Parliament. All arrested, detained, forced to resign and killed for wanting
democracy through a Parliament shall not exchange their deadly sufferings
with a promise to dissolve the CRPP. It will be right to consider of
dissolving CRPP if all the desire and will of entire people of Burma were

met. The people of Burma want democracy, universally accepted human rights,
and the Parliament of 1990 election.

It is not appropriate to exchange release of only NLD members if all
political prisoners, students, monks, workers and etc. were still put under
detention of various kinds as long as the will of the people was not met with.

U Win Aung's response can not be regarded as a surprise and or a positive
initiative from the SPDC. As a matter of fact, it reflected that SPDC would
not talk to NLD and will be harder than before so that all opponents have
to choose harder strategy.

The UNCHR has passed a critical and strong resolution. The EU extended it's
sanction on SPDC for another six months. The people of Burma have been
already resistant against the SPDC. It is up to the SPDC to avoid utter
devastation.

DTS