An Analysis of the Announcements Issued by the National League for Democracy The National League for Democracy has issued many announcements alleging that the Government has been violating human rights in the country. It has been sending such announcements to foreign embassies and foreign broadcasting stations such as VOA, BBC, RFA, etc. These announcements were not issued with the honest aim of submitting constructive suggestions to the Government. The announcements are based on false news and utilized as tools to attack the Government politically by exaggerating the weaknesses of some local authorities in the execution of their duties in the remote areas. Most of the facts of the NLD announcements are found to be based, not on actual incidents after systematic inquiry, but on rumours and reports of some NLD members. The NLD is issuing such random announcements with no credibility. It sends these false reports to foreign governments through foreign embassies as well as to the world at large via powerful broadcasting stations. As a result, the Government’s admirable and noteworthy endeavours for developing the country have been greatly misunderstood by governments and the people of some nations, and our country has been wrongly assumed to be a nation with poor human rights norms and practices.
A careful scrutiny of the NLD announcements issued from 1-1- 99 to 10-9-99 will show that there were 54 announcements that accused the Government of detaining and arresting NLD members without any legal grounds; 10 announcements alleged that the Government was purchasing paddy at reduced prices by force; 37 announcements made unfounded accusations that the people were being forced to contribute labour; 2 announcements charged that factory workers were being oppressed and being deprived of their legal rights; 3 announcements charged that the Government was oppressing the public as a whole; 6 announcements accused the Government of confiscating land and relocating the inhabitants by force; 3 announcements stated that the Government was extorting money from the public; one announcement wrongfully reported that the Government was forcing farmers to cultivate crops in accordance with Government plans only and 5 announcements consisted of talks given by Daw Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo on certain anniversaries. Beginning from 1999, the NLD has been issuing announcements in increasing numbers. To counter their false allegations and slander, we have hereby compiled the actual events under the heading “The Truth” (Volume 1) in which we have made an honest appraisal to present the truth behind these announcements and to expose the fact that their real intent is to solely impugn and discredit the Government.