Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for UNSC Emergency Meeting: Time to take immediate action

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for UNSC Emergency Meeting: Time to take immediate action

11 March 2010

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for United Nations Security Council to convene emergency meeting since Burma crisis is in very critical situation. We must take action decisively and collectively in order to intervene Burma crisis so as to avoid total devastating.

Burmese junta is fully geared up to extinguish democracy, human rights and rule of law in Burma. Junta is touching its final brush to eliminate all the democratic voices by issuing its so-called the electoral law on 8 March 2010 which effectively turning their back on national reconciliation in Burma.

The so-called junta’s electoral law states that political parties are prohibited from having a prisoner as a party member; it means Aung San Suu Kyi or all the political prisoners cannot participate in the election. Addition, the junta announced that within 60 days from the announcement date, the final deadline will be on 7 May 2010; the current legal parties such as NLD have to register to take part in 2010 election which will legitimise military rule in Burma or face the cessation of to existing as legal party.

The dilemma is that if NLD wanted to hold the legal existence, they have to expel Aung San Suu Kyi as their leader or else face dissolving the party. If NLD agrees to register, it means they have to give up upholding the “Shwe-Gone-Daing” declaration that need to place in order to have true national reconciliation in Burma.

Junta is all doing this because international community fails to take action practically in the past. International community is misled by junta and fall into the regime’s lies for more than 20 years now.

We would like to give message to the world leaders that “To bring about justice realities in Burma, UNSC must take action practically. For many decades we have been scarifying thousands of lives to bring about justice realities in Burma. How many more lives need to die in order to take practical action on Burma. How many years more do we need to wait to take practical action on Burma?”

We call for United Nations Security Council to intervene in this very critical situation or else Burma will face turmoil. We would like to urge all the justice loving people around the world to call for United Nations Security Council to take practical action on Burma.

For more information please contact Myo Thein, the Director at the Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) on 00-44-78 7788 2386 or 00-44-20 8493 9137.

Must do UNSC actions on Burma:

1. UNSC must declare that it won’t recognize junta’s planned 2010 election and its results

2. UNSC must declare junta’s sham 2008 constitution as NULL and VOID

3. UNSC must implement the successive UN General Assembly Resolution on Burma calling for “to restore democracy and implement the results of the 1990 election”

4. UNSC must declare that it will recognise Aung San Suu Kyi led National League for Democracy (NLD) as the legitimate Government of Burma mandated by people of Burma in 1990 general election

Background information:

• The very junta held the election in 1990 in which Aung San Suu Kyi led NLD party won the landslide victory. But, junta still ignores to honour the 1990 election results until now and again they are planning to hold election in 2010 to nullify 1990 election result as well as in order to legitimise military rule in Burma. Our legitimate leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, had foreseen regime’s cunning plans so that she had already expressed her views on what we must do regarding the importance of implementing 1990 election results.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said:

• The results of these elections will remain valid until such time as the Members of Parliament elected in 1990 by the people have had a chance to get together and decide what the next step is going to be. The world has to make certain that the outcome of these elections is honoured.

• If this country is to achieve genuine democracy, the result of the elections of 1990 must be recognized. It must be recognized by the military regime, as it has been recognized by the people, and by the world at large. It is through this recognition that we will be able to make genuine progress in Burma. The results of the 1990 General Elections must be implemented as a resolution already taken by the United Nations. We already know that the General Assembly of the United Nations has accepted the notion that the will of the people has been expressed in the 1990 General Elections. This is something we cannot abandon. It will be to the detriment of our country if after an election has been held the results are not honoured and we do not resist attempts to trivialise it.

• We stand firm for implementation of the results of the 1990 general elections.

• To ignore the result of the 1990 elections is to have total disrespect for the people and is also an insult to the people.

• We would like to see the UN standing very firmly by the General Assembly resolution* on Burma and to try to implement the terms of the resolution as quickly as possible. And we would like the whole international community to support the UN and this. (*On November 19, 2002, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution strongly urging the Government of Myanmar “to restore democracy and implement the results of the 1990 election and to ensure [...] without delay into substantive and structured dialogue towards democratisation and national reconciliation [...] to release unconditionally and immediately all political prisoners.”)

What is 2010 election?

• The junta’s planned 2010 election is only a charade designed to legitimise the military dictatorship within Burma. With victory in their sights the junta has already made plans for after the election clearly indicating this election is a sham. Obviously there will be no need to count the votes since it would be an exercise in futility. Before we could possible address the junta’s proposed 2010 election we must address the validity of the recently adapted constitution.

What is “Shwe-Gone-Daing” Declaration?

• Aung San Suu Kyi and her party the National League for Democracy (NLD), the unanimous victors of the 1990 election, clearly stated their position in the “Shwe-Gone-Dine” Declaration that need to place in order to have true national reconciliation in Burma, i.e. to

1. Release all the political prisoners

2. Review 2008 Constitution

3. Recognise 1990 election result

4. Take place political dialogue

What is 2008 constitution?

• Drafted by the junta, this document is far from credible or constitutional. Free, fair and all inclusive is not what this document represents. The International Community should be aware of the hopelessly irreconcilable contents of the constitution that was adopted in 2008. The referendum was ushered into existence under questionable conditions including extortion and rigged ballots. We would like to draw particular attention on these points:

1. The Junta gave itself amnesty from the crimes against humanity it has perpetrated throughout Burma during their reign of terror.

2. The Military regime systematically took 25% of the parliamentary seats. The military commander in chief was also given absolute authority to dissolve the parliament at any time effectively neutralizing the voice of the people.

• Giving the military junta 25% of the parliamentary seats, unbridled authoritarian control and a self serving amnesty for the crimes against humanity were truly not the will of the Burmese people. Legitimizing the criminal regime was also not the will of the people and this is incomprehensible and totally unacceptable to the Burmese people. The essence of the 2008 Constitution is to guarantee impunity indefinitely and the 2010 election will implement it. Therefore, we are calling for the nullification of the Burma’s 2008 Constitution by the UN Security Council.

What you can DO?

• Please sign the petition “Implement 1990 election results in Burma” http://www.gopetition.com/online/22158.html

• Please call for your government to call for United Nations Security Council emergency meeting

• Please call for your government to call for United Nations Security Council to declare junta’s sham 2008 constitution as NULL & VOID

• Please call for your government to declare Aung San Suu Kyi led National League for Democracy (NLD) as the legitimate Government of Burma

• Please call for your government to not to recognise junta’s planned sham 2010 elections and its results