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NDF expects stronger results in by-election The Myanmar Times - 3-9 October 2011 The National Democratic Force is preparing to contest about half of the 48 by-elections to take place later this year, co-founder U Khin Maung Swe said last week. “We’re preparing to enter the by-elections but still don’t know when it will it be. Mostly we will compete in Yangon Region,” he said. “We expect to perform better [than in the November 2010 election] because the Union Election Commission Chairman U Tin Aye said the by-elections would be free and fair and we also have more time to prepare.” Open Letter from "Friends of Democracy" Group to President Thein Sein
Official Position No. 28/2011 - 20 May 2011 Text of an Open Letter from eleven political parties (including four which have no elected representatives - Nos 3, 5, 9 and 11) calling for the release of political prisoners and permission for exiled dissidents to return to Myanmar. "Politics outside the Parliament must exist" The Irrawaddy - 9 May 2011 Interview with Dr Myat Nyana Soe, elected representative for the NDF in the Amyotha Hluttaw. "Politics outside the Parliament must exist. As I mentioned above, the parliamentary politics at the stage of testing the ground and there are few [democratic] politicians inside the parliament. Due to that, there will be two kinds of political groups for the time being. President U Thein Sein has shown his willingness to cooperate not only with the political parties sitting in the parliament but also with other political groups outside the framework. I think we need to change the situation gradually." Note by Network Myanmar: In his inaugural address to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (the Assembly of the Union) on 30 March 2011, President Thein Sein said: "Moreover, it is still necessary to show our genuine goodwill towards those who have not accepted the constitution because of being skeptical about the seven-step Road Map in order that they can discard theirsuspicions and play a part in the nation building tasks." Prisoners of conscience are reported to have been "fascinated or impressed" by Thein Sein's speech, but doubtful that the new government will bring any democratic changes. The Opposition finds its feet The Australian - 19 March 2011 Elizabeth Hughes meets the National Democratic Force which is increasingly seen as the tolerated political Opposition in Myanmar. NDF announcement on sanctions NDF Press Release - 5 February 2011 The National Democratic Force explains its position on sanctions and highlights the extent to which they have affected the prosperity of the people. Burmese original at this link. Note by Network Myanmar: The NDF was set up by a group of NLD members unhappy with the NLD decision not to contest the November 2010 elections. They now have 8 seats in the Lower House, 4 in the Upper House and 4 in State/Region Assemblies. NDF supports lifting of all non-targeted sanctions Mizzima - 20 January 2011 The National Democratic Force (NDF) party says that all non-targeted economic sanctions on trade and investment should be lifted by the international community because they harm the livelihood of ordinary Burmese.Three types of sanctions are found in Burma’, NDF leader Khin Maung Swe said. ‘They are targeted sanctions, trade embargos and investment sanctions. Targeted sanctions are the freezing of assets owned by a targeted individual or organisation. However, trade embargos and investment sanctions affect average people’. The last two sanction categories in reality hinder the development of human rights and democratic change in Burma, he said, because they hamper and delay social and civic growth in the country. ‘We cannot say they do not affect the common people. When trade embargos were imposed on Burma, the garment and textile industry were seriously affected, and it had a direct impact on the economy of our country. Non-targeted sanctions are one of the reasons for our poor economic growth, and they do not take into consideration the negative impact on ordinary people’, he said. Another political party, the Democratic Party (Myanmar), led by veteran politician Thu Wei, advocates the end to all categories of economic sanctions.The lifting of targeted sanctions against military leaders and their business associates could increase the chances that all political prisoners would be released, Thu Wei said. ‘I think it would be better if all these sanctions were lifted’, he said, adding that this month he sent letters of appeal to various embassies in Rangoon. Note by Network Myanmar: Defining sanctions is crucial to any analysis. If the Western moratorium on development aid through the IMF, ADB and World Bank is included, then less than 10% of Western sanctions applied are in fact "targeted". All other sanctions are generalised, that is, not specifically targeted. See Network Myanmar briefing presented to Suu Kyi. The NDF leadership is mainly composed of former senior officials of the National League for Democracy. Agence France-Presse reporting of Khin Maung Swe's comments. Dr Than Nyein re-elected as party chairman Mizzima - 10 January 2011 NDF glad to meet Suu Kyi socially Mizzima - 31 December 2010 Opposition parties trade harsh words NDF urges participation in vote Deutsche Presse-Agentur - 27 September 2010
National Democratic Force leader U Khin Maung Swe told about 250 gathered at a NDF ceremony Monday that 'people who neglect to vote in the forthcoming election are committing a political crime.' The NDF leader urged voters to 'clean the government.'
Burmese Perspectives - 22 September 2010
Derek Tonkin analyses the significance of the dissolution of the National League for Democracy. Myanmar Times - 6-12 September 2010
Dr Than Nyein discusses the fortunes of the NDF in the forthcoming elections.
Myanmar opposition widens reach before polls Agence France-Presse - 19 August 2010
Watched by plain-clothes police and military intelligence personnel, about 100 people attended the inaugural ceremony of the National Democratic Front in Mandalay where members cut a ribbon and released balloons. "We cannot avoid the coming election, whether we assume it is fair or not," NDF chairman Than Nyein said in a speech.
Agence France-Presse - 11 July 2010
Former members of the National League for Democracy have secured their registration for the elections, but now need to complete membership formalities.
Reuters - 3 July 2010
The National Democratic Force and former members of the NLD disagree over the NDF's right to use a bamboo hat as their symbol.
Associated Press (Yangon) - 27 May 2010
The Independent - 19 May 2010
Andrew Buncombe reports that Ms Suu Kyi has reacted with surprising anger to the decision of her former colleagues to form a breakaway party and contest the upcoming polls. Though the decision to boycott the polls was technically unanimous, the day after the formal dissolution of the National League for Democracy (NLD), several members announced they were setting up a new party, the National Democratic Force.....
Note by Network Myanmar: Reports of the crucial meeting on 29 March 2010 confirm that a substantial minority disagreed with the dissolution of the NLD, but out of respect for Ms Suu Kyi, who supported a boycott, decided not to contest the decision (and indeed were not even allowed to speak). The NDF however remain in a conciliatory mood, reassert that they support NLD ideals and would be delighted to welcome Ms Suu Kyi into their ranks when she is no longer under restricted residence, if she is so minded. The sharp criticisms of the NDF appear to have come only from the hard-liners in the former NLD and is not reciprocated.
Reuters - 15 May 2010
Ms. Suu Kyi has criticised a breakaway faction of her now-defunct political party, her lawyer Nyan Win has said, after (supposedly) renegade former members set up a party of their own to contest this year’s election. Mr. Suu Kyi called the splinter group “undemocratic”. Her own party did not register its candidacy by 7 May, saying unjust election laws barred many of its senior figures from running. “Aung San Suu Kyi said that the minority going against the decision unanimously reached by the majority is against democratic practice,” said Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Nyan Win, one of the few people allowed to visit her.
Note by Network Myanmar: Nyan Win has taken on the role of oracle at the shrine of Ms Suu Kyi at 54 University Avenue, but some have expressed scepticism that Ms Suu Kyi's utterances are reported accurately. It is in any case difficult to understand how a decision reached by a majority can be described as "unanimous". In the past, party discipline in the NLD was very strict, but now that the NLD is defunct as a political party, Ms. Suu Kyi's writ no longer runs to the extent of disciplining those former NLD members who have minds of their own and wish to pursue the political struggle through other channels.
Associated Press - 7 May 2010
Khin Maung Swe, a former political prisoner, has said that he had earlier suggested the idea of forming what he called a "lifeboat party" to enable the League to circumvent the dissolution. "The idea was not accepted," he said, but the faction decided to form one anyway. Swe said the new party would register with the Election Commission this month. While existing parties had to reregister by May 6, new parties are given more time. Roughly 80 percent of the new party's membership would be from Suu Kyi's former party, he said. "We are going to continue our unending democratic struggle within the legal framework," said Than Nyein, expected to serve as the new party's chairman.
Voice of America News - 6 May 2010
Reports from VoA and other news agencies suggest that former members of the National League for Democracy have decided in principle to apply for the registration of a new political party, based generally on NLD policies and ideals, to be called the National Democratic Force. Reports suggest that at least one fifth of the members of the present NLD Central Committee have agreed to promote the new party which would not include Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in any capacity.
Note by Network Myanmar: This news is not unexpected, but it remains to be seen whether the new party will satisfy registration requirements. The supposed "unanimity" of the NLD's decision last month not to apply for re-registration of the NLD was generally seen as reflecting respect for Suu Kyi's personal opposition to registration, though the reality is that a substantial minority of the NLD did not support the decision.
The New York Times - 6 May 2010
Seth Mydans notes that the party’s dissolution was in effect an act of defiance in advance of a Parliamentary election which it has denounced as undemocratic. By refusing to register for the polls, it automatically disqualified itself as a political party.
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