Unofficial Translation
Special Declaration No 1/02 (2006) by the National League for Democracy
Released at the 59th anniversary of Union Day (12 February 2006) Commemorated at the National League for Democracy Headquarters in Rangoon
The Union of Burma emerged as an independent, sovereign, and dignified nation of the world on 4 January 1948 as the result of the Panglong Treaty [1]. But, sadly, instead of thriving, national unity is on the verge of disintegration in the Union today. Furthermore, the economy and the standard of living and health conditions of the people—HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis—are fast deteriorating. Since our country has no wealth or resources to tackle these social problems and dire conditions, it is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance from other countries and organizations.
Hence, on this auspicious day, or in honor of the day that national unity was built, and with national reconciliation in mind, the National League for Democracy, NLD, in the interests of the country and the people, proposes the following suggestions which the State Peace and Development Council urgently needs to implement:
(a) Formerly the State Law and Order Restoration Committee / currently the State Peace and Development Council issued Order No. 14/89 and enacted the Pyithu Hluttaw [2] Election Law on 31 May 1989 so as to convene and establish the Parliament.
(b) A heading under that Law concerns the “Formation of a Hluttaw”, and Section 3 of that Law decrees that the Hluttaw must be formed with representatives elected from different constituencies under that Law.
(c) The multi-party democratic general election was successfully held on 27 May 1990 and the Election Commission had officially announced the names of the Pyithu Hluttaw representatives who were elected during that free and fair election, and those representatives have also been officially recorded in the Burma Gazette as Pyithu Hluttaw representatives. Hence, the State Peace and Development Council must convene the Pyithu Hluttaw in accordance with the law that it had officially enacted.
(d) This Pyithu Hluttaw is needed to (judicially) declare the State Peace and Development Council as a governing council because only the Pyithu Hluttaw has the right and power to declare it and no other organization can do so. The incumbent State Peace and Development Council is not legally authorized to rule but is a council administering the country de facto or in practice only.
(e) This suggestion means that the State Peace and Development Council will become government which is in charge of the transitional period until a government formed with Pyithu Hluttaw representatives who are elected by an election with the free will of the people. It will be necessary for the two sides to discuss and decide the length of that democratic transitional period.
(f) At the same time, NLD General Secretary Daw Aung San Suu Kyi—the person who originally suggested that talks be held to achieve national reconciliation—must unfailingly have the right to participate in all talks pertaining to political reforms in Burma. Hence, she who has been detained since 20 May 2003 must be released unconditionally and included in political dialogues under a situation where she is free spiritually and physically.
(g) Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been leading the people and the NLD for the re-emergence of democracy in Burma, is not only the leader of the NLD which has the overwhelming support of the people during the multi-party democratic general election but also the leader of the democracy movement who is trusted and recognized by all pro-democracy forces, including the ethnic nationalities.
(h) She is a person who has the ability to initiate reforms through political ‘give-and-take’ compromises. Moreover, ‘talks’ had been held before in a confidence-building process between the NLD and the State Peace and Development Council. However, those talks were not genuine political dialogues. The talks were suspended during the confidence-building period due to unfavorable conditions. Dialogue is a path which benefits the country and all nationality groups.
(i) If it is decided that a mediator is needed for the talks, a prominent leader from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who is trusted and respected by the majority of the people, must be chosen for that task.
(j) All conditions in the country make it necessary to quickly pass over the democratic transition period for the sake of the country and the people. Hence, we want the State Peace and Development Council to assess the suggestions made and initiate the first step toward creating fine political conditions, or national unity by 17 April 2006—the auspicious first day of the Burmese New Year of 1368 [3] so that the people of the Union of Burma will be joyous and feel proud, and will utter their blessings.
Footnotes:
- Panglong Treaty is an agreement by various nationalities in Burma on 12 February
- Pyithu Hluttaw is People’s Assembly or People’s Parliament
- 1368 Burmese Era