5/12/07 US Condemns Myanmar Excluding Suu Kyi From Democracy Talks

US Condemns Myanmar Excluding Suu Kyi From Democracy Talks

By Paul Tighe

Dec 5 (Bloomberg)

Myanmar's exclusion of Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders from talks on drafting a new constitution shows the military's determination to hold onto power in the Southeast Asian nation, the U.S. government said.

"Senior General Than Shwe and his regime has no intention to begin a genuine, inclusive dialogue necessary for a democratic transition with these parties as called for by the international community", the State Department said in a statement issued in Washington yesterday.

The government's 54-member commission drafting the consitution is sufficient for the task, Information Minister General Kyaw Hsan said Dec. 3, according to the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper. "No assistance or advice from other persons is required".

Myanmar's military, which has ruled the country formerly known as Burma for 45 years, was condemned around the world for deploying soldiers Sept. 26 to crush the biggest anti-junta protests in almost 20 years. The U.S. and the United Nations led calls for the regime to start talks with the opposition, including Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest.

Suu Kyi, 62, the leader for the National League for Democracy, made clear in a Nov. 8 statement "she remains committed to meanful and time-bound talks with Burma's rulling generals" and welcomes a UN offer to assist with the discussions, the State Depatment said. "It is Than Shwe and his senior generals who are obstructing progress toward democratization in Burma."

National Convention

A National Convention, begun in 2004, completed its work on proposed democratic changes in September. The U.S. and the UN denounced the process for failing to include the NLD and ethnic groups.

The governement-appointed panel began its work on drafting the constitution this week Kyaw Hsan said Dec. 3 at the government's first news conference since crushing the anti-junta protests in September.

"The writing of the constitution may be delayed if there are disturbances and hindrances", the ministers told reporters in the capital, Naypyidaw, according to the New Light newspaper. "If there is cooperation in the democratisation process, and if there are no disturbances or hindrances, the writing of the constitution will be completed within a reasonable time."

Labor Minister U Aung Kyi told the news conference he held three meetings with Suu Kyi that will prepare the way for future discussions. He didn't elaborate.

Prisoners Released

Security forces detained 2,927 people, including 596 monks, during the protests and 80 people remain in detention with the rest released, the lobor minister said. Nine detainees have been sentenced, he said without giving any details.

The government said it freed 8,585 prisoners to mark the start of work this week by the panel known as the Commission for Drafting the State Constitution.

An estimated 1,800 political prisoners are still being held, the State Department said, renewing its call for the junta to free all political detainees "as a necessary condition for a genuine dialogue with democratic and ethnic groups on a transition to a civilian, democratic government in Burma."

The UN has said as many as 110 demonstrators may have been killed by security forces during the September protests. Opposition groups in Myanmar and outside the country, as well as "bogus monks" were behind the unrest, Kyaw Hsan said.

As many as 700 people arrested during and since the protests remain behind bars and another 1,150 political prisoners held before the uprising haven't been released, Amnesty International said last week.

The arreest of political activists and harassment of Buddhist monks by the Myanmar regime is "deeply troubling," the U.S. State Depatartment said last week.

At least 14 activists, including members of the NLD, have been detained since junta leaders met with UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari on Nov. 3-8 and pledged to stop such arrests, Amnesty said in its report.

To contact the reporter of this story: Paul Tighe in Sydney at ptighe@bloomberg.net