Home | Media releases | Publications | Aung San Suu Kyi | Articles | Reports | Contacts | Guestbook

TEN YEARS ON - A PARLIAMENT DENIED

May 20, 2000

The following is an English-language transcript of a video produced by Altsean-Burma to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the elections in Burma. Sections translated from Burmese are indicated. Owing to time constraints some sections may have been edited out in the actual video footage. The interviews were conducted by Aung San Suu Kyi recently, before U Aye Tha Aung was arrested. Media organisations are welcome to use sections of this transcript at will, as long as the embargo is observed. Footage/actuality will be available Friday May 19.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
CRPP Committees on Education & Ethnic Nationalities' Affairs. General Secretary, NLD. Nobel Peace Laureate.

These interviews to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the elections of 1990 were arranged at very short notice so I must first of all apologize if I have not been a competent interviewer. The interviewees all spoke their own minds, there was nothing pre-arranged. They were free to say what they wanted and I must confess I asked what I wanted.

I asked the questions that interested me, I asked the questions that I thought would interest other people, the people of Burma, as well as the people of the world who are interested in our movement for democracy. I hope that these interviews will enable those who listen to them to understand something of what we are working for. Obviously, it is very difficult to encapsulate the whole movement into a couple of hours' interviews, but still I hope that these will give you an idea of why people are prepared to go on struggling for democracy and why we are confident that our cause will prevail.

At this time ten years from the date that the Burmese people went to the polls in high hopes that their desire for a democratic government will be realized, we are still struggling for parliament to be convened. The members of parliament who were elected in 1990 have not been given a chance to carry out their responsibilities and we are working for the day when they will be allowed to perform their duties as elected representatives of the people.

We would like to ask the international community to support our efforts. We would particularly like to request the peoples of our region to support our efforts. We believe strongly that democracy is based on universal values. It has nothing to do with western values or Asian values. West, East, it makes no difference. Democracy is based on human values. We want democracy because our people want freedom, security and the right to balance. Too often in countries where democratic government is not in power, the emphasis is on security. Security is used as an excuse for crushing the rights of the people, for disallowing the rights of the people. But security has to be balanced by freedom. Security without freedom is in fact not security. It is simply lack of freedom. It doesn't mean that just because people are regimented, a country is secure. Because where people are grossly regimented, dissatisfaction runs underground and that can mean future problems of the country.

We would especially like to send a message to the democracies which have helped us in our struggle over the last ten years. We would like to thank them and we would like to ask them to continue with their support. We are confident that we will be able to achieve our goal but the greatest support we have from the international community the sooner we shall achieve our goal. And it is important to achieve our goal quickly because our people are suffering too much.

We would like to send a special message to the people of Japan because Japan is the strongest democracy in Asia. We know that the people of Japan bear goodwill. We would not like that goodwill to be manipulated by those who want to use it for their own ends. We would like the people of Japan to look at the people of Burma. Let the people of Japan talk with their hearts to the people of Burma and decide what is best, what should best be done.

We have confidence that peoples all over the world favor justice and peace, and compassion and friendship, all the qualities which can only come to the fore if there is a free democratic system of government. Peoples who are repressed cannot think of peace because they have to think of survival. Peoples who are repressed cannot think of justice because they have been given no justice. Because of that we have to build up a system where there is rule of law, where there is an accountable, transparent government and where we can achieve the right balance between freedom and security that we may contribute towards peace in our region and in the whole world.

I would like to thank all of you who have made it possible for us to put these interviews together and we hope the time will come soon when we will be able to conduct these interviews in a more professional manner. Thank you.

U Aung Shwe
Chairman, CRPP, Chairman, CRPP Committee for Foreign Affairs.
Chairman, NLD MP, Mayangone 1, Rangoon Division

(translated from Burmese) All these MPs were rightly elected by the people in free and fair elections. They can only be removed from parliament by the chair of that parliament. No one else can remove them. The junta cannot oust any MPs as it wishes. That is why when we can convene parliament, all those MPs must come back and attend. They are legitimate MPs by law. A total of 392 Members of Parliament came from the NLD, but 30 of them have passed away. Those who remain must attend the parliament. These MPs are not only from NLD but also from the ethnic parties. In any country, there are problems. We too have problems. These cannot be solved without discussion and negotiation. We have to give-and-take. We have political, economic, social, education and health problems. The people of Burma have elected the MPs with the hope of solving these. These problems cannot be solved without them or the parliament.

U Aye Tha Aung
Secretary, CRPP. Chairman, CRPP Committee on Ethnic Nationalities' Affairs.
Central Executive Committee Member, Arakan League for Democracy. Member, ALD & Union National League for Democracy Secretariats Represents Arakan League for Democracy, Mon National Democracy Front and Zomi National Congress, which support the CRPP and the call to convene Parliament. Arrested on April 24th, 2000 (after this interview). At time of publication, his whereabouts and state of health remain unknown.

(translated from Burmese) We, who represent the ethnic parties, decided to join in this (CRPP) because we believe the parliament should be convened. The authorities totally ignored our demand and even arrested MPs and ethnic leaders. So we decided to fulfil the wishes of our people. Members of these parties endorsed and gave their mandate to the CRPP. That was why we think it is necessary to have the CRPP. We have a basic policy to tackle ethnic problems when parliament convenes. We need to make decisions to resolve national and ethnic matters. The most important step towards national reconciliation to have is a National Convention. We need to discuss matters democratically and develop a basic policy. With that, we will be able to form a genuine federal union. With a genuine federal union, I believe we will definitely be able to achieve unity and reconciliation. All of the problems faced today are not because of the NLD and other political parties. They are because of the authorities. They allowed the elections and should allow the parliament to convene. But they do not. The current political problems are the consequence of that. Many ethnic parties sought to meet and negotiate but the authorities still refuses to do that. The SPDC tells the world it is willing to negotiate but this is not genuine. It is not the NLD but the SPDC who are very inflexible.

U Than Tun

Secretary, CRPP. CRPP Committee for Workers Affairs.
MP for Taungtha 2, Mandalay Division.

U Than Tun was the first MP targeted by "no-confidence" demonstrations organised by the regime, USDA and local authorities. His constituents were misled and coerced into attending these meetings. U Than Tun took legal action but the court dismissed his case on the grounds that these demonstrations were not anti-government activities. He has appealed to the High Court.

(translated from Burmese) Since 1990, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has found that the junta imposes forced labor on farmers, children, women and men. The ILO barred the junta from its meetings and discontinued assistance to Burma. The SPDC's denial of the facts caused the ILO to take up stronger action. The ILO will take this to the United Nations to seek further action. The ILO is made up of representatives of workers, employers and governments. It will ask these groups to take action on Burma. I believe that we can rely on worker and employer groups but government representatives may only pressure the junta through diplomatic means.

U Lwin
CRPP Committee for Health and Social Affairs.
Secretary, NLD. MP for Thonekhwa 1, Rangoon Division Also denounced in "no-confidence" meetings organised by the regime. The court dismissed his complaint but he has appealed.

(translated from Burmese) Our country's social, education and health have reached very poor levels under this military government. It is very sad. We can tell if we look at the state's budget. The worst sector is health - the state does not even spend 8 kyats per person for health per year. We have to prioritise the Rule of Law once we have a people's government. This government has to work according to the wishes of the people. It needs to have Transparency and tell the public what it is going to do. MPs are elected by the people and we cannot ignore the will of the people. Another important matter is Accountability. This military government is not elected by the people and does as it wishes.

When we have a parliament we can work for the needs of people and there will be improvement for the country. To improve the economy, we should only spend ninth tenth of the current military budget since we have peace and tranquility. We do not need to go to war. There will be development if more money is spent on health and education. We will be able to seek assistance from the UN, other countries and NGOs. I strongly believe if Burma has a democratic government, these organizations will help us. If we plan and use this assistance systematically we won't have to wait a year to see the fruits of that.

U Soe Myint
Member of CRPP. Chairman, Committee on Cultivators and Peasants Affairs. Member of opposition during Anti Fascist People's Freedom League (democratic) government. Currently MP, South Okkalapa 1, Rangoon Division

(translated from Burmese) The only thing that farmers hope to have is their own farms, a hope unfulfilled for many generations. The AFPFL government enacted the rights of farmers to ownership in the 1947 Constitution, and had given some land to farmers. The government enacted laws to protect farmers and peasants from exploitation by landlords, so they were fairly well taken care of. Now the current government uses the 1963 Relocating of Land Act, which is very unjust to the farmers. Additionally, when the Ministry of Trade and Commerce (MTC) issued Act 4/78 in 1978, farmers had no choice but to sell a certain amount of rice to the government. If they refuse to do that then the government will seize their farms. When Parliament is convened, we are going to withdraw or amend the 1963 Act and will abolish the MTC's the Act 4/78. We, the CRPP will ensure that farmers have all their rights.

U Hla Pe
CRPP Committee for Parliamentary Affairs. MP, Maw Kwyone constituency, 1952. MP, Wah Khae Ma constituency, 1956, Secretary for Agriculture. Currently MP, Moulmeingyun 1, Irrawaddy Division

(translated from Burmese) Actually, the NLD won 485 seats in the elections. Many NLD MPs were forced to resign. Many political parties were also abolished by the junta and about 10 parties are left now. Of all the parties, the NLD gets more intimidation and attacks because we won most of the seats. Most NLD MPs are threatened with loss of livelihood if they do not quit. The junta got our MPs list from the Election Committee and then went after those MPs to force them to resign. This is why we are now left with 143 MPs and many of them face to the same fate as the others before them. There are also 33 MPs from our ethnic alliance. Not long ago, when we announced we would convene parliament, over 50 MPs were arrested and imprisoned. However, we still have 345 MPs so we can, at any time, convene parliament with them. We already have a parliament building and all the servants and experts to start it. And the NLD still has 312 MPs, so we can call it even overnight. So it is our duty to serve till we die. I have made that determination.

U Tin Oo
CRPP Committees for Defense and Legal Affairs. Vice-Chairman of NLD. Former army leader (Brigadier General). Jailed for 6 years to prevent him from standing in the 1990 elections.

(translated from Burmese) I want to give back everything I owe to the people. I was a senior officer in the army. Whether we liked it or not, we had to obey orders. Sometimes we had to act against the people and deny their rights. I regret that very much and came back into the light of what is right. I am determined to serve the people with my very best and one day we will prevail. I might have to sacrifice my life. If we cannot free our people from this military terror, we all will suffer for many generations to come. I would feel very bad if I cannot serve the people so I am doing all I can. The legislature is the most important in a country. The government should act only on its agreement and guidance. The Defense Minister must answer to the cabinet. The minister should be a civilian elected by the people. If we can do that we will have a very different situation. The Chief of Staff is also a servant only. Only persons elected by the people can take responsibility to implement and prioritise the wishes of the people.

U Nyunt Wei Chairman
CRPP Committee on Finance, Economy & Commerce. Member of Central Committee, NLD. MP, Taungoo Township, Pegu Division

Given democracy we will have stability and the rule of law and then business will run. Today there is no rule of law and one of the reasons why a lot of the investors have left or are going to leave and the economy is not working is that there is no rule of law. All contracts are subject to personal whims and fancies.

(Question from Aung San Suu Kyi): Does this mean that you believe that under a democratic system, the necessary financial aid and skills would be there to implement the reforms that will have to be implemented if we are to bring about sustained development?

Necessary skills and the funds. Well, even with the little skill that we have, amongst the Burmese today, people are leaving the country because they cannot live in this country for various reasons and therefore whatever is available amongst the Burmese is also not fully available to this government. In terms of the funds, no funds, investments are coming in because for the simple reason that there's no rule of law, everything is arbitrary and everything can be taken over and then you cannot compete with all of the firms of the military complex. And therefore the funds are not there. But with democracy, the Burmese technicians will come back. They know they're going to come back to lower scales of pay. But then it's their country, this is where they were born. They like to stay here - the value of being amongst their own kind is an invisible income. They will come back. And for the other technicians they will also come back because the country is a pleasant place to live in and if the environment is suitable they will come back. And in terms of funds, as well as of technical assistance we are friends of the world, the United Nations, starting right down to the small countries like Timor. They are all prepared to come to our aid. And they will come to assist us in many ways in terms of technicians, in terms of advice and in terms of funds. So I'm quite confident that within a couple of months we'll know where we stand.

(Comment from Aung San Suu Kyi): Well I hope we'll be standing upright. Thank you, Uncle.

U Naing Naing
MP, Pazundaung Township, Rangoon Division. Jailed for 8 years until Feb, 1999

(Question from Aung San Suu Kyi): You served 8 years in prison but in spite of that you have not in any way backed down from your desire to get democracy for Burma. I would like to ask you what it is that keeps you going, what it is that keeps you still committed to the cause for democracy and how you hope to be able to help that cause for democracy?

It is not because of brave or not brave, this is what I believe. This country is badly in need of a change. And the change of promised prosperity and peace and justice (can be met) only by the establishment of democracy at this stage. And this is what made me to go through all these hardships and risks and sacrifices. This is very simple. This is very important for individual citizens, not only these politicians like us, other people are responsible to bring the country to regain the prosperity, peace and justice. This made me go through all these hardships in prison. I've still made up my mind I'm going to work for this purpose to serve the people as … I promised to the people. You see, not a single person or not a single organization can crush the people.

(Question from Aung San Suu Kyi): In what ways do you think the international community can help Burma to regain democracy quickly?

As I think, the present ways and means employed by the international organizations and countries, UN, the way they are now doing is quite helpful, and quite appropriate. I do think this will succeed. Only thing (is) they have to persist. They have to build up more forces which can convince the authorities here that a political resolution is necessary and is the only way to secure them, to … guarantee their security… the way presently done by the international organizations, and NGOs, (and) governments … are very encouraging.

U Tun Myint
NLD member imprisoned for 3 years (1989-1992)

(translated from Burmese) (Question from Aung San Suu Kyi): Many people want to work for and achieve democracy but are afraid. What do you have to say about this?

Generally, human beings are afraid of danger. But they should be able to distinguish what is right and what is wrong as human beings. If they stand for justice and the people they have to get rid of their fear. It is the 21st Century and all kinds of dictatorship are defeated in the current political trend. In this world, bad will become good and low will become high. We cannot ignore this factor and regress to the past. Democracy will be better for our future generations. That is why we must have democracy.

Naw Ohn Hla
Member, NLD Women's wing. Former political prisoner

(translated from Burmese) I started to get involved in politics in 1988. Even before 1988 I believed that if our country became democratic, our farmers' lives would be much better though I did not imagine I would be involved in politics. I thought one day this system is going to change but I had never imagined I would become a politician. After the formation of NLD, I joined because the party's policy on the farmers and peasants is just what I wanted. In 1990 elections, I worked hard for the success of the NLD. I said to people that we are not promising anything but only when we win elections we would work step by step towards what we all want. Offering inducements to get votes was not right. That's why we did not do such things. Some other organizations did that. We did not have to say much, really, as the people trusted our leaders. Some voted for us without ever talking to us. No one was allowed to gather but when we had meetings for the elections, we were better than other parties. Even though many farmers and people eagerly support our aims, they are understandably scared of oppression. The military government treats us so harshly that they dare not come out to support us as before. But we know how they feel about us. I come from a family of Karen farmer and I know that we ordinary farmers are afraid, but I would like to encourage them not to be afraid.

(Question from Aung San Suu Kyi): You were also detained for over a year. How do you keep your strength despite all that?

I have a habit of finishing what I started. Many students and civilians sacrificed their lives in the democracy uprising before us. There are many others in exile, and many others also in jail. If we do not work hard it will be worse for them. We who can work have to work even harder than ever. This government is erratic. They can arrest anyone anytime. If one gets arrested then it is up to us who remain to keep up the work. I have set out my own determination like that.

Ko Aye Tun
Member, NLD Youth Wing. Former political prisoner

(translated from Burmese) I was involved in the students' movement well before 8.8.88. That's why some of my colleagues and I were imprisoned on August 5, 1988 for 6 months. While we were in jail, there was a riot and some inmates lit fires. We were trapped like that for two nights. After I was released, I resumed work in my township. Then, there were no rules and laws, so we had to maintain peace and stability within the township. After the coup d'etat, the NLD was established and I participated in the party since then. I thought it would be more effective to work within a political party. I also looked carefully for a real good leader. I believe that if we work under the guidance of this good leader, we will quickly achieve democracy and human rights in Burma. That is why I joined the NLD and do whatever duty is assigned to me. So many people of my age sacrificed their lives in the democracy uprising. Many have been locked up for their beliefs and many still endure suffering. They do this not for their own sake but for our country. Our country's fate is in our hands too. If we young people ignore the current political problems, our country will never develop and will go backwards in all respects. We need to be interested in our country's political situation if we really love our country. As young people for future, we should stand for what is right.

---