Suu Kyi Party To Draft Constitution

[darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx]

[This looks like a major move -- a bit further out than a camping holiday 
-- DA]

Suu Kyi Party To Draft Constitution

AP, Rangoon, 16 September 2000. Myanmar's democratic opposition
led by Aung San Suu Kyi declared Saturday it would draft a
national constitution, in a sign that a recent official crackdown
against the party has not dented its ambitions to end military rule.
Two hundred members of the National League for Democracy
held a meeting at the party's Yangon headquarters two days
after authorities eased restrictions against NLD leaders.

The leaders had been confined to their homes for two weeks
after Suu Kyi tried to travel outside Yangon on party work.
At the meeting, the party commemorated the second
anniversary of its Committee Representing People's Parliament
(CRPP) - a proxy parliament formed as a direct challenge to
the ruling military government, which has refused to honor
the NLD's 1990 general election victory.

Military authorities had earlier blocked the road to the NLD
office in downtown Yangon, but they allowed the meeting to
take place, attended by 200 party members and diplomats.
Reporters were barred from entering.

The NLD passed three resolutions at Saturday's meeting:

to demand the government release all political prisoners;
to maintain the proxy parliament until a proper parliament is convened;
and to draft a national constitution.

According to a 1996 law, drafting a charter without the government's
approval could result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

A state-organized national convention was set up seven years ago
but was boycotted by the NLD on the grounds it was dominated
by the regime. It has not met for four years and has not produced
a constitution.

``With the support of the people and with support from countries
who support democracy, a democratic government will certainly
emerge,'' a declaration released Saturday by the CRPP said.
At the meeting, Suu Kyi announced she would take over as
CRPP secretary and its representative for ethnic affairs, taking
over from Aye Tha Aung, who was arrested and sentenced to 21
years in prison in June for violating a publication law and an
emergency law.

On Friday, NLD leaders emerged from their homes and reopened
the party headquarters, which were raided Sept. 2 by the authorities.
The government justified its actions by saying it was investigating
alleged NLD links with terrorists.

In her first public comments since her confinement, Suu Kyi
appeared  determined Friday to maintain political pressure on
the military regime,  daring authorities to stop her from traveling
outside the capital.

Suu Kyi won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle for
democracy in Myanmar, also known as Burma, which has
been ruled by its military since 1962. She was kept under
house arrest from 1989-1995. Her movements have remained
heavily restricted.

An NLD statement issued late Friday demanded the immediate
release of 11 party members it said were arrested earlier this
week in Yangon and the town of Kungyangon despite the
government's announcement that the party would be allowed
to go about daily activities as normal.

In addition, 15 NLD members have been arrested outside the
capital since Sept. 2, NLD Yangon Division chairman Soe Myint
told reporters Friday.

The government has yet to comment on the NLD's allegations
of arrests.

The restrictions on NLD leaders came after a nine-day standoff
between Suu Kyi and the authorities that began late last month.
She and NLD vice chairman Tin Oo were blocked Aug. 24 by
security forces as they traveled to a planned NLD meeting in
the countryside. They refused to return to the capital and camped
by their vehicles on the outskirts of the city until police forcibly
transported them back to Yangon and confined them to their homes.

The crackdown drew vehement international criticism, mainly from
the United States and Britain, which accused the regime of blatantly
violating the Myanmar opposition leaders' political rights. Myanmar
accused both countries of meddling in its internal affairs.

[extracted from Tin Kyi's "Burma-related News" of 16 Sept]