Feb 12, 2009 (DVB), Malaysian police forced the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur to accept a statement from opposition activists during a demonstration outside the embassy on 11 February, one of the activists said.

The statement was jointly issued by the National League for Democracy headquarters and seven ethnic national parties in Burma, and demanded the release of all political prisoners in the country.

The demonstration was organised by the NLD-Liberated Area (Malaysia branch), according to the group’s chairman Kyaw Kyaw.

"As soon as we reached the embassy, they closed the door and barred those who had come to pay their tax from entering it," Kyaw Kyaw said.

"I went to give them the statement myself. They did not give any reaction and told me that they were too busy to receive the statement," he said.

Kyaw Kyaw said he had then reported the matter to the police.

"The police told them they couldn’t do that and said that someone had to come out and accept it," he said.

"A chauffeur called Ko Min Aung came to accept the statement from me."

The demonstration was in support of Union Day, which falls on 12 February, marking the signing of the Panglong Treaty between the Burmans led by general Aung San and ethnic national groups in 1947.

"We protested because since 1962 successive military dictatorships have hijacked the Panglong Treaty and divided and ruled us Burmans and ethnic groups," Kyaw Kyaw said.

"[We also wanted to show] support for the statement which was issued on the eighth of this month inside Burma."

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw