Date: 23rd November 2004 (boxun.com)

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The whole world is watching with interest on the recent political development in Burma, in which 3979 prisoners were suddenly released from the long terms of imprisonment kept in various jails in Burma.

It is a positive development during the current Burmese history, and the PDP party wholeheartedly welcomes this news.

According to the various news, although those political prisoners were released and some names of the prominent prisoners were included in the list of the released, some of their families still could not see their beloved ones yet. Although it is still too early to give any comment in this connection, the PDP believes, the SPDC leaders would release them, as those innocent people who just asked for democracy do not deserve to be kept behind the bars anymore.

While we welcome this development, we do not consider it appropriate to offer any thanks to an illegal institution for unlawfully imprisoning political activists who were doing no more than to exercise their inalienable Human Rights to engage in and call for the illegal military regime to give up political power and the introduction of democratic political activity. It would perverse to congratulate the illegal military regime for releasing political prisoners from jails who should never have been put in those jails in the first place. It is a public duty which the military regime should have performed ages ago.

It is evident that the in-fighting and rivalry within the top military cabal is intense. Different factions are fighting for ascendancy and control of all the levers of power. Sec. Gen. Than Shwe's hold on to power is tenuous and temporary as he could be overthrown by the other generals who are contesting his position. If he really had a grip on total power, he could have freed all political prisoners. He is merely trying to fool the people of Burma and the international community that political change is taking place when in fact it is not. Although, it looks like, the current new SPDC leaders are showing their sense of cooperating with the will of the people, and promoting the stagnant political status to a hopeful one, it can only be judged after the people see their real intention by watching their next moves such as how they will return to barracks and return power to the people.

If they are only acting for the sake of attaining praises and recognitions by the world leaders, while Human Rights are still continuing to be suppressed as before, this type of trick would not be acceptable. At the same time, if the army is still holding onto power the same way like before, then the plight of Burmese people would be in the same position and the struggle for democracy will be continued even with more dedication and intensity than we have hitherto done.

For the time being, we should continue to demand for a multiparty dialogue and a new general election with one person one vote. Among the long term political prisoners, there exist many who had their own political parties with their own political agendas. We should pay a special attention and consideration that they all deserve to attend the multiparty dialogue to contribute their knowledge and service for the benefit of the country.

The new SPDC leaders also should realise that if they are really ant to show remorse of the horrendous and unacceptable human right crimes they have committed against the people, then need to be realistic and humble in their intentions. They must understand that the days of military junta's in the 21st Century are numbers and that the military has no role to play in any democratic governance other than to act as a legal National Defence Force. Given this context, they should realise that, their demand for 25% army participation in Parliament and attempting to hold the power by the army, as the army had attempted during Gen.Khin Nyunt period should not be continued. The reason is that, there is no army role in a truly established democratic government, and people could not accept it if they deliberately establish their power again by such a device.

The PDP would like to warn the Burmese people to be vigilant about the intention of the current military junta coup led by Sec.Gen.Than Shwe against Gen.Khin Nyunt the former Prime Minister and previously as the Military Intelligence chief. They should not be mistaken to think that Sec.Gen.Than Shwe has an intention to give up power to civilians, if anything he was and still is opposed to such a development, while Gen.Khin Nyunt was amenable to such a step but the question was how to do it without having to account for the multiple crimes committed by the military.

The release of political prisoners is not a benign move by the junta, but a pawn in the complex rivalry with the competing factions within the army. We call upon the illegal military junta to release all political prisoners without delay or discrimination regardless of their political loyalties.

With all good wishes,

For the people, by the people,

Central Committee,Parliamentary Democracy Party (Burma)

GHQ (Liberated Area)

(Boxun Received Statement of PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY PARTY ,Burma GHQLiberated Area ,published by Burma's Chinese) (boxun.com)