BURMA DIGEST

                      A Campaign Journal for Human Rights of All Ethnic Nationalities in Burma          10.09.2006

 

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For the benefit of the country

choose the way of negotiation or else . . .

[Interview with NCUB Deputy Secretary (4), Min Hla Member of Parliament U Chit Tin]

 

_ Interview by Nay Thwin

_ English translation by Dr. San Oo Aung

 

Question… We know that U Chit Tin is the Member of Parliament for Min Hla constituency. May you let us know your Political experience?

Answer… Yes, I am glad and honoured to have a chance to tell you a brief of my Political experiences: _

  1. I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Min Hla Township, Magwe Division, as a representative of NLD in 1990.
  2. I passed my Matriculation in 1963.
  3. Then studied at Magwe College, where I started my political carrier with the 7th July Anniversary demonstrations.
  4. I was always struggling against the General Ne Win’s BSPP rule since then.
  5. During the (88) people’s uprising, I was active with the Magwe Lawyers association.
  6. After the 8888 activities, when the NLD was allowed to set up, we were pioneer organizers of Min Hla NLD.
  7. I was the Chairman of the Min Hla NLD.
  8. After the 1989 Martyr’s day marches, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was detained and I was promoted as the Organizing Secretary of Magwe Division.
  9. I was the Magwe Division Delegate during the Gandhi Meeting.

 

Question… After the Gandhi Meeting, U Chit Tin was arrested and sentenced with the charges of, ‘Setting up the Parallel Government’. Can you explain about that incident?

Answer… Political conditions at the Gandhi Meeting were not favourable to us and against our expectations.

  1. So NLD announced the 5/90 declaration.
  2. However, we thought that 5/90 was against Gandhi Decision.
  3. Therefore, I went to Mandalay to consult amongst the like-minded comrades.
  4. More than 40 MPs from Magwe Division, Mandalay Division, Sagaing Division, Irrawaddy Division and Rangoon Division gathered in Mandalay.
  5. We had a meeting at the house of U Ba Bwa from Amarapura Township.
  6. At the meeting, we decided that we were not satisfied and were against the 5/90 declaration.
  7. On the same day afternoon, we reached a decision to set up a Parallel Government.
  8. U Bo Hla Tint from Mandalay Division proposed to set up the Parallel Government in a Mandalay Monastery and to seek protection by the Forces or powers of Monks.
  9. U Hla Tun proposed to set up the Parallel Government in a Foreign Embassy. He promised to try to contact some Embassies.
  10. U Win Ko and I decided to go underground and try to set up a Government with 20-30 persons.
  11. If set up the Government at the Monastery, as advised by U Bo Hla Tint, we would just survived for a while only for the name sake and would easily crushed by the Myanmar Military.
  12. At the end of all those advises, at last we decided to set up a Parallel Government abroad.
  13. After that meeting, in November, our CEC members were arrested.
  14. I was arrested on 19 November and sent to Meikhtila, then to the notorious ‘Ye Kyi Aing’. I was interrogated there for about one month.
  15. Dr Sein Win announced the formation of the Parallel Government on 18 December and then only I was sent to Insein Prison.
  16. In April, Rangoon Military Tribunal sentenced us for 25 years with 122(1) ‘Rebellion against the country’.
  17. U Khin Maung Swe, U Sein Hla Oo and U Naing Naing were sentenced for (10) years with the charges of not reporting about the ‘Rebellion against the country’.
  18. In 1992, U Than Shwe announced the 5/92 and reduced the jail terms of the persons sentenced under the Criminal Procedure Code (411).

 

Question… Could you kindly tell us about your political activities together with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after you were released from the prison?

Answer… When I was released, I found out that: _

  • I was already expelled from NLD.
  • When I was in the prison SLORC announced my removal as a Member of Parliament. Also stated that I would be banned from contesting in future elections.
  • Because NLD had expelled all the party members including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who were in jail, we could not approach NLD.

Only after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released in 1996, I was invited for the May election Anniversary held at Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house. Once invited, I came down to Rangoon in advance before 27 May. Because of that, I escaped the arrest of the delegates for the meeting by SLORC’s Military Intelligent Agents, on 23 and 24 at the districts. I escaped because I was already in Rangoon and on the 25th, I arrived Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house.

In her house, 10 of the escapees: _

  1. U Soe Myint and I were from the Magwe Division,
  2. U Myint  Hlaing, U Hla Myint, U Tin Chaw were from the Irrawaddy Division,
  3. One person each from Myinmu and Sagaing Division.
  4. U Aye and U Thar Aung were from Pegu Division.
  5. Dr Myo Nyunt from Irrawaddy Division,
  6. Ko Aung Kyi Nyunt came from Mon Division.

Altogether, 10 of us in total. We stayed in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house and were active together in politics. In 1997, Town Ship and Division Organizing Committees were reorganized. All those expelled from NLD were reaccepted again. I was appointed the Deputy Chairman of Magwe Division. We all worked together for the party in Daw Aung San  Suu Kyi’s house for nearly 2 years.

 

Question… How do you escaped to the free world?

Answer…

  1. While active in politics inside Burma, U Aung Thein and I managed to get some communications with NCUB/MPU on this side of the free world. We were always in touch, discussed and were active in politics.
  2. While active like that, on one day, they searched U Aung Thein’s house and found the Satellite Phone. That happened on the Saturday, 25 May 2006. Once I got that news, I avoided going back to my house, hidden somewhere, to wait and see for 2-3 days.
  3. After 3 days, I got the news that U Aung Myo was arrested and I also arrived the border area of Burma.
  4. At 2 PM on the 1st April, I managed to cross over to this side of the border, free world.
  5. I am now working as the Standing Committee Member of the Members of the Burmese Parliament.
  6. At the last NCUB’s eighth meeting, I was elected as the delegate of the MPs and am now working as the Deputy Secretary (4) of the NCUB.
  7. In NCUB, I am working for the Information, Workers and Farmers Affairs portfolios.

 

Question… Could you kindly relate the experiences about the last month’s Cambodia Meeting.

Answer… On 23 August, I attended the AIPMC Meeting held in Cambodia.

We arrived Cambodia on the 24th. On the 25th seven NGOs in Cambodia held meetings and exchanged the ideas from 10 AM to 12. After that, they explained about their plans and the strength of the Cambodian NGOs. They also explained about the good relations and connections between their Government and NGOs. After that, they enquired the conditions back in Burma.

Regarding Burma: They wish to know about: _

1.       The conditions, effectiveness and efficiencies of the Civil Societies. 

2.       The conditions of HIV/AIDS and other diseases spreading in Burma.

3.       The progress of the ongoing Conference of drafting a new Constitution.

4.       International Human Rights Violations in Burma.

Cambodian MPs’ Burma Action Group’s Chairman Mr Sun Chai and the Chairman of AIPMC, Mr. Ibrahim from Malaysia gave the speeches. Dr San Aung, a Minister from NCGUB continued with another speech. AIPMC secretary read the letter sent by the New Zealand PM to this meeting.

There, Cambodian 3 parties and 26 MPs established the ‘Burma Action Party by the Cambodian MPs’. Here Cambodia is the sixth to establish like this in ASEAN and consisted with the highest numbers of MPs. Therefore, their support for Burma is great and satisfactory.

After that at 4-45, PM Cambodian PM Hun Sen allowed an audience to them, AIPMC Working Committee members, Daw San San and Dr San Aung from our delegation. I heard that the PM of Cambodia discussed about 2 hours and later they had about 2 hours of further conversation and discussions again.

 

Question… What is your opinion on the present Political Scenario of Burma?

Answer… My views on the present Burma Democracy are: _

  1. Present SPDC would just continue adamantly with their ‘Road Map’.
  2. Just recently, Burmese Ambassador to Philippines told that the Conference on drafting the new Constitution would finish in December.
  3. However, he could not say exactly when the remaining six steps would be ready or finished.
  4. We could conclude that SPDC just want to buy time only as usual.
  5. They keep on requesting to give more time since this Conference started in 93. It started in 1993 and now it is already 2006.
  6. There is never in the history of any country in any part of the world to hold a conference for that long.
  7. This is just playing a trick, buying time only or a very clear case of deliberate Procrastination.

 

Question… At the last Annual Conference, NCUB decided that it is important to have the people’s mass movement and decided to work for this. Could you explain to us, as you are one of the NCUB’s Secretaries?

Answer… This year, 2006 is the most important time for our political organizations.

  1. We have to struggle to get more International Pressure on Myanmar,
  2. So that UNSC could decide on a powerful, binding resolution on Myanmar.
  3. As NCUB and MPU are struggling, other organizations are also working hard on this same agenda.
  4. More important thing is the need for a struggling inside Burma.
  5. We are going to support as much as possible from abroad for the realization of that most important Mobilization of Peoples Power Movement inside Burma.
  6. Only the People’s power could dislodge and overthrow the SPDC Junta.

 

Question… What do you wish to add, to tell our readers?

Answer… If the SPDC refuse the negotiation way of solving our impasse, we wish to repeat the question of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s press conference words in 1996.

“There is a choice for SPDC, for the benefit of the country SPDC could choose the way of negotiation or else . . . wish to follow the path of destroying the whole country. Just there are two ways only for the SPDC to choose!”

 It is obvious what the SPDC has chosen.  Now the SPDC is avoiding our NLD and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s dialogue path and is stubbornly heading the way to the absolute annihilation of all.

 


 

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