Myanmar Says Constitution Talks to Restart Soon

Myanmar Says Constitution Talks to Restart Soon
Sat Oct 23, 2004 04:35 AM ET

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's military junta has confirmed a
constitution-forming National Convention will restart at the end of the
rainy season in November, despite political turmoil sparked by the
purge of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt.

In comments carried in state media on Saturday, the regime's fifth
most powerful leader, Lt.-General Thein Sein, said Yangon would press
ahead with the seven-step "roadmap to democracy" unveiled by the ousted
Prime Minister last year.

Thein Sein was addressing a meeting on Friday of the National
Convention Convening Commission in his capacity as its chairman.

He said the seven-step roadmap, which is supposed to chart a return to
civilian rule after more than 40 years of army diktat, would not change
as it was laid down by the government -- the State Peace and
Development Council -- not by any one individual.

"With a view to ensuring the emergence of a peaceful, developed and
discipline-flourishing democratic nation, the State Peace and
Development Council will continue to implement the processes of the
roadmap, step by step, without any changes," he said.

As previously announced, he said the National Convention, which is the
first step of the roadmap, would be resumed in the 'open season' --
referring to the end of the southeast Asian nation's rainy season,
normally in November.

Khin Nyunt, who was also head of military intelligence, was ousted on
Tuesday in a purge in which army hard-liners under junta strongman
Senior General Than Shwe consolidated their grip on power.

The junta announced late on Friday that it had abolished the National
Intelligence Bureau, an umbrella group headed by Khin Nyunt since 1984.

"As a modern, developed and discipline-flourishing democratic nation
is being built in Myanmar today, it was found that the National
Intelligence Bureau Law is no longer necessary," the junta said in an
statement carried by state broadcast media.

Sources in Yangon said other senior officials from NIB agencies and
military intelligence had been removed in the wake of Khin Nyunt's
ouster.

Analysts and diplomats say some of the former Burma's many ethnic
rebel groups, who are included in the National Convention, might have
taken fright at the upheaval since Khin Nyunt and his aides were
instrumental in their cease-fire talks.

Peace talks with the largest of the armed rebel groups, the Karen
National Union, were suspended amid the political tension.

It is not clear whether the 1,000-strong National Convention can
restart if rebel groups stay away. The opposition National League for
Democracy, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Auu Kyi, who is still under
house arrest, is boycotting the convention. (Editing by Darren
Schuettler, editing by Clarence Fernandez; Reuters Messaging:
edward.cropley.reuters.com@reuters.net, +66 2648 9722))

© Copyright Reuters 2004. All rights reserved.

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