Throughout
the past week, Burma's new government has released a number of statements signifying
its attitude to commence the settlement course with ethnic armed-groups and political
opponents domestic and exile. Regrettably, those offers have been considered invalid.
According
to the speech delivered by President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma)
U Thein Sein at the first Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Union Parliament) second regular
session, he and his government has been gearing up to work with the
international community, the government's media highlighted on Monday.
For
instance, the president said, "Our government has inherited traditional foreign
policy which has never been harmful to international and regional stability and
security and it is maintaining friendly relations with global nations. What's more,
we are trying to stand tall as a dutiful member of the global family in
international and regional organizations. For this reason, we have officially
proposed to take the ASEAN chairmanship in 2014. We are extending the hand of
friendship to all global nations and all international organizations including
the ASEAN."
At the same time, Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Wunna Maung Lwin received Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Myanmar (Burma) Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana and party at the ministry in Naypyitaw on Monday. They discussed progress of Myanmar, improvement and protection of human rights.
The
UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Myanmar (Burma), Mr Quintana, has constantly
recommended the establishment of the UN-mandated Commission of Inquiry (UN-COI)
into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma. He also warns that "
failing to act on accountability in Myanmar will embolden the perpetrators of
international crimes and further postpone long-overdue justice.'
Former
UN Special Rapporteurs on Burma, Prof Paulo Sergio Pinheiro and Yozo Yokota
support it.
However,
Thein Sein emphasized that his new government was working for "citizen rights."
"We
are ready to co-operate with the international community," he added.
Thein
Sein concluded his speech by saying, "We know what happen to people and what people
want. And we are striving our best to fulfill their needs to the full extent.
To conclude my speech, I promise that our government as a democratically-elected
government will do our best for the interests of the people."
Thein
Sein told members of parliament that his government will pay attention to
oppositions' suggestions. He said the government has already prepared to talks on
peace with armed ethnic groups since the progress of the frontier areas is
dependent on stability.
But,
the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) has rejected an offer of new peace
talks from the President Thein Sein government which released a ceasefire
statement on August 18. The
government's offer was rejected because it did not include country-wide
political dialogue but only talks with each individual ethnic armed group,
quoting Salang Kaba Lar Nan, Joint General Secretary-2 of the KIO, Kachin News
Group said.
The KIO has experienced bi-lateral talk with the Burmese Socialist Programme Party, State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), and State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Every round of talks failed, Lar Nan said.
Until
now, peace negotiations have failed because the KIO desires to solve the country's
political problems based on the 1947 Panglong Agreement but the government is
intent on negotiations based on the 2008 constitution.
On
19 August, Thein Sein met key opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi for the first
in the highest level exchange of ideas between the Nobel laureate and the
authorities since her release from house arrest in November, after the controversial
election.
The
journalists were allowed to attend Monday's second Parliamentary session under
some limitations which was made by the current government. Burma's democratic
parliamentary system was stopped when late general Ne Win seized power in 1962.
Thein
Sein's government has set its sights on being allowed to hold the chairmanship
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2014, a year before the
country's next scheduled polls.
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