14.01.2007
India Burma Cooperation for Democracy
_ By Dr. Tint Swe
Indian MP Memorandum for Burma
On 11th January 2007 two NLD Members of Parliament residing in India visited the official residence of Shri Vijay Krishna who is MP from RJD party, which is of the ruling UPA government. Along with them was Shri S Bhadoria, General Secretary of the South Asian Forum for People's Initiative (SAFPI), which has been with Burmese pro-democracy movement for a couple of years.
The Indian MP from Lok Sabha agreed to seek signatures from Indian Parliamentarians for a memorandum to be sent to UN Security Council. The memo asks for an obligatory resolution on Burma by UNSC.
The same action was taken in Nepal by NCGUB and SAFPI in December last year. On 15-12-06, the Speaker of the House passed a motion in Nepal parliament in support of democratic transformation in Burma and demanded for immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Shri Vijay Krishna also agreed to take initiative to form Burmese Parliamentary Caucus of the SAARC.
On the same day, the NLD headquarters in Rangoon issued a special statement 1/01/07, which said, "Hence, the National League for Democracy requests all the members of the United Nations Security Council support the proposed draft resolution."
Subash Chandra Bose Award latest update
Subash Chandra Bose Award presentation on the reported date by Burmese radios will not take place. MP Biswas who is the president of the All India Forward Bloc explained me yesterday that because of BBC, he was contacted by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He told his party has not issued any communiqué.
The party/Foundation will be giving the award for the first time because of good relationships between Aung San and Subash Chandra Bose. He said the event would be unique and political to express strong support to Burmese pro-democracy movement by the people of India. He wanted NLD headquarters' official acceptance or something like that. So far NLD has not been contacted.
I explained him how the previous awards for her were received. I suggested him to make it high profile. He agreed. The brochure will display portraits of General Aung San, Subash Chandra Bose and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi with their brief profiles.
So it needs to seek green light from NLD, to find a suitable person to receive the award on her behalf and go-ahead from MEA. Therefore it will take time and on the set date 23/26 January, only official announcement could be made in Calcutta.
MEA is obviously reluctant. When Nehru Award for International Understanding (1993) was conferred to Dora Than Aye at President office in 1995, the Golden Bird joint military operation was being carried out against anti-India insurgents. Then the operation was called off by SPDC. MEA don't want history repeats itself.
.
Your Comments here_ can use win-Burmese fonts; but not symbols (:/\<>!|{]~#$)
Quote of the year:
Last week's English article
.