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Myanmar junta refuses to amend charter barring Suu Kyi from polls
2008-03-07
Myanmar's ruling junta Friday flatly refused to amend its proposed constitution, which bars democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from elections, while accusing a UN envoy of "bias" against the regime. The information minister, Brigadier General Kyaw Hsan, made the remarks during his meeting with visiting UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari, according to state television. Gambari arrived here Thursday on a mission to press the regime to include Aung San Suu Kyi in its plans to hold a constitutional referendum in May and multiparty elections in 2010. Any hopes for progress in his talks appeared dashed by the information minister, who gave no indication that the regime would waver from its own plan to build what it calls a "discipline-flourishing democracy." "It is impossible to draft the constitution again," Kyaw Hsan flatly told Gambari, according to state television. The minister also made a scathing criticism of Gambari's performance as a mediator, accusing him of "bias" in favour of Aung San Suu Kyi for releasing a letter from her after his last visit here. In the letter, she had declared her willingness to enter into a dialogue with the regime aimed at national reconciliation. "You have acted outside your role as a mediator" by releasing the letter, Kyaw Hsan said. "Most people have criticised you for showing a bias. Some also believe that you wrote this letter in advance and released it after negotiations with Ms Aung San Suu Kyi," the minister said. "The statement you released was a danger that could have harmed the recent peace and stability of the country," he said. "It is important for the mediator using good offices not to have any intention of orchestrating events," he added. "There is no justice in attacking us with pressure from all sides," he said. "The United Nations should stand honestly, without any discrimination on anything." Gambari is on his third visit to the country since the regime launched a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests last September, killing at least 31 people according to the United Nations. But the political landscape has shifted enormously since his last visit in November, following the surprise announcement one month ago of the regime's election plans. If held, the planned polls would be the first in the country formerly known as Burma since Aung San Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy (NLD) to a landslide victory in 1990, a result the junta never recognised. Western countries have criticised the regime for limiting the role of Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD in the polls. The junta has brought in a law criminalising public speeches and leaflets about the referendum and announced that Aung San Suu Kyi would be barred from running in elections because of her marriage to a foreigner, Briton Michael Aris, who is now dead. The NLD has warned that the public would not accept the junta's new charter, but has stopped short of calling for a boycott or urging a "No" vote. Gambari has tried to open a dialogue between the Nobel peace prize winner, who has been kept under house arrest for 12 of the past 18 years, and the regime. His initial efforts seemed promising. After his first mission in the aftermath of the crackdown, the junta appointed a liaison officer to meet Aung San Suu Kyi while military supremo Senior General Than Shwe made a heavily conditioned offer to meet her himself. But Than Shwe shunned Gambari on his last visit here, and no meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi has taken place. Even the talks with the liaison officer have dragged, with Aung San Suu Kyi saying in January that she was "not satisfied" with their progress. The junta has so far not scheduled any talks between Gambari and Aung San Suu Kyi for this trip. Even his departure date has not been settled, although diplomats expect him to leave Sunday.
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