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YANGON: Myanmar’s military rulers declared a “victory” in
concluding 14 years of constitutional talks Monday, as the junta
clamped down on a rare string of protests by pro-democracy
supporters.
Delegates to the secret talks held at a military
base north of Yangon said the National Convention had finally
concluded with a formal ceremony led by acting Prime Minister Thein
Sein.
“Thein Sein said the National Convention has
successfully concluded its work. He called it a victory for all
people,” one delegate to the talks told AFP by telephone.
The end of the convention completes what the
junta claims is the first step on its “road map” to democracy,
which in theory will lead to elections for the first time since
1990.
The long-delayed process ended amid a manhunt
aimed at arresting the remaining leaders of peaceful protests that
have taken place in Yangon and key provincial cities over the last
two weeks.
State media mentioned the protests for the first
time on Monday, and accused Min Ko Naing of breaking a law that
gives up to 20 years in prison for anyone convicted of criticizing
or disrupting the National Convention.
“Ordinary people were harmed because the
marches organized by your group,” the Myanmar-language newspaper
The Mirror said.
“Everyone was confused because the foreign
correspondents took photos of whatever they saw,” the official
newspaper said.
Many of the 1,000 delegates picked by the
military came from ethnic minority groups, who were unhappy at their
failure to win more autonomy from the junta during the convention,
Win Min said.
The military appeared concerned that the
protests could embolden the ethnic minorities to press for greater
rights during the convention if the talks continued to drag on, he
added.
“The junta is worried that these ethnic
minority groups may join ongoing protests. It’s better for the
junta to finish it now,” he said.
China, a major investor and trade partner for
Myanmar, has also pressured the junta to finish the convention as a
trade-off for shielding the country from western pressure at the UN
Security Council.
“China wants to see stability in Burma. Rather
than a government without a constitution, China wants to see a
government with a constitution,” Win Min said.
The National Convention has only drafted
guidelines for a new charter in the country formerly known as Burma.
A committee will now be tasked with writing up
the actual constitution, which would be brought before the public in
a referendum that would eventually lead to elections.
No timetable has been set for the rest of the
process, and analysts say the charter would bring little real change
to Myanmar.
The charter will enshrine the military’s role
in the government, guaranteeing the presidency to a retired soldier
and barring Aung San Suu Kyi from running in an eventual election,
they say.
A quarter of the seats in parliament would be
reserved for the military, and be appointed by the commander in
chief.
Britain’s Brown calls for release of
Myanmar prisoners
LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
criticized Sunday the repression of demonstrations in Myanmar and
called for the immediate release of all those who have been
arrested.
“I deeply deplore the Burmese government’s
violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations,” Brown said in a
statement.
In the last two weeks, there has been a rare
string of demonstrations in Myanmar over soaring fuel costs, which
have been spearheaded by pro-democracy activists.
The price hike has left many workers unable to
even afford bus fare in the impoverished nation formerly known as
Burma, which has been under military rule since 1962.
Amnesty International said Friday that more than
150 people have been detained since the protests broke out on August
19.
“I call upon the Burmese authorities to
release immediately all those detained merely for protesting at the
hardship imposed on them by the government’s economic
mismanagement and failure to uphold fundamental human rights,”
Brown added.
He also reiterated the British government’s
call for the release of all political prisoners, including Nobel
Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Brown added that he supported calls for the
United Nations Security Council and General Assembly to consider the
issue.
--AFP
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