NLD Statement 176, 177, 178 (transl

[nldburma@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: NLD Statement 176, 177, 178 (translation)

National League for Democracy
No: (97/B), West Shwegonedine Road
Bahan Township, Rangoon

Statement 176 (12/99) (translation)

1.  For the purchase and for obtaining the entire paddy crop in the 
De-pai-yin township, the Secretary of the SPDC (Shwebo district, Sagaing 
Division) issued oral instructions for the closure of all rice mills 
operating in the region on 14 November 1999.  Our information is that all 
the mills even those operating in the small villages had to close down 
immediately.

2   The cost of one basket of paddy had dropped from Kyats 2400 to 2000 
because of the large supply which delighted the people but when the mills 
had to suspend operations the price of one pyi soared to Kyats 120/-

3.  On the 20 November, 1990 the township and village authorities said that  
the mills could  re-open on payment of Kyats 5000 to 7000 depending on the 
size of the mills. Though all the money had been collected by the 25th 
November, permission to mill has not been given to date.

4.  Also, since the 19th November, a Security outpost has been installed 
outside the telephone office in Saing-pyin village where payment is demanded 
from all big and small vehicles transporting rice.  Right through from 
Monywa, Butalin, De-pai-yin,Ye-U, Kan-ba-loo, road blocks are set up and 
money is demanded in a variety of ways.

5.  Though "open market" is the declared policy, the farmers are aggrieved 
because they are compelled to sell their paddy at fixed prices. Currently 
the rate is 15 baskets per acre. For less productive regions it is 12 
baskets per acre. The selling price of one basket is 350 kyats while outside 
the price is double.  In addition there is a compulsory quota of one basket 
per acre each for the township SPDC, USDA and the bureaucrats of trade and 
agriculture.   Wet grain is given as another excuse for demanding extra 
quantities. Because of the dishonest practices of the officials who weigh 
and count, the poor and simple farmer has to take along 25 baskets extra for 
every 100 baskets.

6.  The cultivators and farmers are suffering so much because of the use of 
force by the dishonest authorities.  We request that the matter be inquired 
into and the suffering of the farmers be alleviated.  We seriously denounce


these illegal and unjust activities.


Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy
Rangoon

21 December 1999.












National League for Democracy
No: (97/B), West Shwegonedine Road
Bahan Township, Rangoon

Statement 177 (12/99) (translation)

1. The Myanma-Asia Company with the cooperation of the military and the 
regional authorities have started a cooking sugar-cane plantation in the 
village tracts of Wa-sone and Kan-gyi-gone village groups in Hte-Kan-Taik 
region, Prome township, Pegu Division.

2.  Lands that cannot be cultivated and lands that have been cultivated are 
ruthlessly cut down and cleared, then ploughed with machines leaving no 
grazing ground for the cattle.  This has left the villagers with no land for 
cultivation and the lands where they had grown some crops were forcefully 
cleared and ploughed. Survival has become extremely difficult. Even animals 
are starving. A very pathetic state of affairs.

3.  The remaining cultivators of the region have been forbidden to sell 
their sugar-cane crop to any other person apart from the individual 
authorised by them who is none other than the Superintendent of  Police in 
charge of the Prome district. No individuals are allowed to process the cane 
sugar into Kyan-tha-ga.  Members of the police force have been threatening 
to take action if any rising smoke is seen.

4.  One ton of sugar-cane fetches kyats 2500.  Cost of labour and 
transportation has to be born by the cultivator, which nets him Kyats 2000 
only. One ton of kyan-ta-ga fetches kyats 10000.  By forbidding the 
cultivator to process his own crop into kyan-ta-ga he is considerably 
disadvantaged.

5.  This state of affairs leaves the cultivator a coolie at the mercy of the 
entrepreneur. Therefore we seriously condemn the authorities that are 
creating opportunities to bring about such unenviable conditions for the 
poor cultivators.

Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy
Rangoon							23 December 1999











National League for Democracy
No: (97/B), West Shwegonedine Road
Bahan Township, Rangoon

Statement 178 (12/99) (translation)

1. National political parties have been registered as such under the 
Political Parties Registration  Law 4/88 promulgated by the then SLORC now 
SPDC.

2. (1) Under the heading "Name and definitions" in Section 2 of Part (1) of 
that law the following definitions have been stated.
(a) "Political party" means an organisation that adheres to and practices 
genuine multi-party democracy.
2. (2) "Registration of political parties" in Chapter 2 states that the 
reasons why registration will be refused are set out in detail in Section 1.

3. Starting from September 1988 many political parties were registered. 
Furthermore, Section 4 stipulates that only duly registered parties have the 
right to participate in the elections.

4.  The parties contesting the 1990 May multi-party general elections did so 
under these provisions of law.

5. The military dictators using any pretext disqualified some political 
parties despite the fact that they were legally registered and dissolved 
them after the elections. Some political parties were forced to enter 
candidates in at least three constituencies by the military authorities.  
Even though the candidates of certain parties were successful in the 
elections the military authorities giving all sorts of reasons dissolved 
their parties.  These parties had all been legally registered as they had 
complied with the provisions of Section 3 of Chapter 2 of the Political 
Parties Registration Law. No political party should be dissolved or 
de-registered unless they violate the provisions of law.  All the political 
parties that were dissolved (with the exception some on their own volition), 
had not violated any provisions of the law.

6. The political parties acted in accordance with the provisions of the 
Political Parties Registration law but it was the authorities that failed in 
their obligations to act in accordance with the law.

Example:- With reference to the registration of political parties  the 
Multi-party General Elections Commission issued the following notices:-
(1) 12- ya ka pa/1/pa ma ya dated 23/5/91
(2)  2/ya ka pa/ka ma ya dated 17/7/91
(3) 18/ya ka pa/1/2/ ka ma ya dated 22/8/91

7.  The gist of those notices were:-
(1) The commission would recognize only the Central Executive Committee 
members of the parties as at the time of registration. No new executive 
members could be substituted for reasons of resignation, death or expulsion.
(2)  Membership numbers of organising committees at all levels (State, 
Division, Township, Ward and village) must remain the same as at 26 April 
1991.  If for any reason whatsoever, the number was reduced to less than 5 
the committee would be dissolved.

8.  The stipulations in the above notices were not contained in the 
Political Parties Registration Law. They are ultra vires the law and even 
made to have retrospective  effect.  They have no legal sanction and are 
improper. Those notices were dated 23/3.91, 17/7/91 and 22/8/91 but were to 
have retrospective effect from 26/4/91.

9.  (a)  The said notices were published by the Elections Commission and 
back dated 22/3/89 .
Some of their published statements are:
" xxxx The formation of the registered political parties have not been 
supervised by us. They have been formed according to the desire of the 
membership with a constitution, president and executive committee elected by 
them. xxx "

     (b)  On 24/12/91, SLORC Secretary (1) gave notice that
"xxxxx expulsion from parties is not our business. I desire to say that it 
is an internal party affair. xxxxx".

     (c)  These utterances and statements contradict the requirements of the 
notices issued by the Elections Commission. Their animosity for the 
political parties is very obvious.  The multi-party general elections 
commission should be an independent body not bound by any orders from the 
authorities.  Its actions should be confined to what is prescribed in the 
Political Parties Registration Law. All this is contrary to the Rule of Law. 
  Long after the elections which gave the National League for Democracy a 
resounding victory these notices are still being applied and issued.

     (d)  The township elections commissions are telling the township 
organising committees such illegalities as
" Township organising committees with less than 5 executive members will be 
dissolved and not recognized.  Members who have resigned cannot be included 
in the executive. Committees that include resigned members will be invalid 
and not legal."

10. The above facts emphasizes that
?h Action taken by the authorities contradicts the original law.
?h Political parties have not contravened the law and are not liable to any 
action.
?h Steps must be taken for conformity with proper provisions of law in the 
future.


Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy
Rangoon

23 December 1999.

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com