SECRETARY-GENERAL BELIEVES NATIONAL CONVENTION TO DRAFT NEW CONSTITUTION FOR MYANMAR MUST BE ALL-INCLUSIVE

SECRETARY-GENERAL BELIEVES NATIONAL CONVENTION TO DRAFT NEW CONSTITUTION

FOR MYANMAR MUST BE ALL-INCLUSIVE

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General notes with interest the announcement by the Government of Myanmar that it will convene a National Convention to draft a new constitution on 17 May 2004.

The Secretary-General believes that for the National Convention to be credible, it should be all-inclusive.  He thus urges the Government of Myanmar to lift the remaining restrictions on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her senior colleagues in the National League for Democracy (NLD) as soon as possible, and allow the party to participate in the preparations for the reconvening of the National Convention, together with other political parties and ethnic nationality groups.  He further hopes that, in order to make themselves ready for the National Convention, all these representatives will be permitted to meet freely together and to conduct peaceful political activities.

The Secretary-General believes that the convening of a credible National Convention involving all political parties and ethnic groups would mark the beginning of a new phase in Myanmar’s political evolution and would result in positive responses from the international community.

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