by Maung Chan (Burma¡¯s Chinese)

   We can remember that U Ohn Kyaw, the ¡° people¡¯s¡± Foreign Minister of Burma declared sanctimoniously at the UN Assembly in November 1989 :

   1. ¡°The People¡¯s Burma ¡± will hold in 1990 the General Election to create a new government.

   2. Sen Gen Saw Maung, the head of SLORC ¡° People¡¯s Government ¡± will hand over power to the winners after the General Election.

   The junta unexpected that even its soldiers had voted to the democratic parties and let the generals suffer a crushing defeat in the election.The junta was so angry to see NLD led by Aung San Suu Kyi and SNLD led by Shan leaders having won 92% parliamentary seats and therefore declared that it would transfer ¡° people¡¯s power¡± only after ¡° people¡¯s constitution¡± had been drafted. When genuine 482 elected people¡¯s representatives were drafting the consitution, the junta created a lot of new problems to trouble them. In 1993, the junta undertook the¡° people¡¯s historic mission¡± and drafted the ¡° people¡¯s constitution¡±. The junta first of all hand-picked 702 delegates, from which it selected 107 ¡° people¡¯s representatives¡±.

   NLD could not tolerate the junta¡¯s undemocratic show and walked out angrily the convention.However, the dictatorial junta continued the ¡° people¡¯s convention¡± further, saying that the globe planet is turning by itself without NLD. Without 92% of the public support, the convention was so awkwardly silent and isolated.It had to stop finally in 1996.

   The ¡° moderate¡± General Khin Nyunt tried to save junta¡¯s face. He proposed 7-step Democracy-Map and emphasized to draft the important constitution by the ¡° people¡±. Thus the ¡° people¡¯s convention¡± was re-performed in June 2004.

   We have to point out that the junta tries to build 4 posts by its ¡° people¡¯s convention¡±, from which the two most important posts are:

   1. implement ¡° people¡¯s democratic¡± multi-party system according to well-drafted ¡° people¡¯s constitution¡± .

   2. According to the¡° people¡¯s historic mission ¡±, demands the junta:

   --¡° people¡¯s army¡± (Tat-Ma-Daw) must hold 25% parliamentary seats without election.

   --Powerful presidents must possess over 10 years¡¯ military experiences.

   --Defence Minister,Internal Minister and Border-Affairs Ministermust be selected by the Commander-in-Chiefs.

   --The Commander-in-Chiefs have the rights to resolutely safeguard the country and people in accordance with the ¡° people¡¯s historic mission¡± .

   --All people must always obey the¡°National Security Regulation.All delegates must not criticise the¡° people¡¯s constitution¡± in the meeting nor discuss it outside the meeting, no one is allowed to divulge the national secret both officially and inofficially.Those who violate the National Security No.5/96, will be punished by the ¡° people¡± by means of long-year jail.

   To avoid its well-prepared¡° people¡¯s plan¡± unexpectedly to be bothered by the ethnic and the pro-democratic representatives,the junta said that the cease-fire groups, being very small portion of 135 nationalities, could not represent the majority of people .To correct the ¡° error¡±, the junta increased 215 national representatives of 1993 convention up to 633 seats, by mixing over 400 seats with its hand-picked ¡° people¡¯s delegates¡±, so as to practise successfully ¡° the minority obeys the majority¡±, the ¡° people¡¯s democratic rule¡± !

   In last convention, the cease-fire groups proposed to revise Act 104,as it had been adopted according to the abnormal situation of 1996. The cease-fire groups also requested the junta to work in democratic way.The dictatorial generals believe that the cease-fire groups were challenging them, the¡° people¡¯s leaders¡±.In order to ¡° warn others against following a wrong-doer¡±,the generals jailed resolutely 9 Shan leaders for 87-107 years.

   In this convention,the junta increased ¡° people¡¯s representatives¡± up to 1086 seats,with 645 obedient ethnic delegates including the Shan State National Army and the Palaung State Liberation Army which had surrendered in April and May 2005¡£

   Using the stick and the carrot policy, the ¡° people¡¯s¡± generals have been forcing the ¡° people¡¯s delegates¡± to talk and do according to the¡° people¡¯s will¡±.

   Dear audience, all of us today have seen more and more clearly:

   1.As usual, the generals place their military force (TatMaDaw) high above constitution and poeple.

   2.As usual, The junta oppresses the democratic parties and the ethnic nationalities by means of dictatorship, torture and prison.Very few people dare to say and do something against them.

   3.As usual ,the junta tries its best to manipulate the so-called convention, consolidate and prolong its military rule.

   (Maung Chan is the main responsible person and distributor of the S.H.A.N. & Burma¡¯s News Published by Burma¡¯s Chinese)