Monday, September 17, 2012

Burma’s exiled government dissolved

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Monday, 17 September 2012 12:58 Nay Myo

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), Burma’s government in exile, has dissolved itself, saying the country no longer needs  an exile government.

Dr. Tint Swe, who served as the Minister for Information and Public Relations for NCGUB, said, “Now, MPs including Aung San Suu Kyi and students [student leaders] can go to foreign countries and talk about the situation in Burma.”

Dr. Tint Swe Photo: NCGUB

The group was dissolved because “we don’t want to block it [national reconciliation],” Tint Swe told Mizzima.

The NCGUB, formed by elected representatives of the 1990 general elections, was permanently dissolved on September 14, 2012, said a statement signed by Sein Win, who served as prime minister of the NCGUB. The 1990 elections were not recognized by the military junta which took power.

Following the 1990 general election in Burma, the now defunct State Law and Order Restoration Council led by Senior General Saw Maung refused to implement the electoral results. The elected representatives formed a parallel, exile government, and it served the interests of the nation for 21 years, said Tint Swe.

“To put it concisely, we achieved our aim that the UN made a resolution in 1994 to urge Burma to hold a tripartite dialogue amongst the democracy groups led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the [Burmese] army and ethnic groups. We set up DVB broadcasting station and we formed the NHEC (National Health and Education Committee) that secured millions in funding every year to support for education and healthcare of millions of Burmese refugees. We opened the Euro Burma Office, known as the EBO, in Brussels to give technological and financial aid obtained from the European Union to [people working for] ethnic affairs,” Tint Swe said.

The NCGUB was formed at the Karen National Union headquarters in Manerpalaw in September 1990 to work to end dictatorship in Burma, to implement the results of 1990-general elections, to seek domestic peace and to create a genuine democratic federal union in the country.

The NCGUB statement thanked all domestic and international organizations and parties that supported the NCGUB over the years.

Tint Swe, who was elected in the Pale Township constituency No. 2 (Sagaing Region) in the 1990 general-election, said, “I have a clear conscience for what I did in politics. We have a clear conscience that we did as much as we could under the mandate given by the people in 1990.”

Talking about his future activity as a former MP of the NLD, he told Mizzima, “I’ll make a decision based on how my party and constituency need me.”

Although the NCGUB was dissolved, the Members of Parliament Union – made up of representatives elected in the 1990-general elections – will continue to conduct political activities.

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