Dec 24, 2008 (DVB)-The Committee for Representing People’s Parliament during a monthly meeting yesterday called for unity in Burma.
"We need unity not only among political parties but also with the (ruling military junta) State Peace and Development Council," CRPP’s secretary Aye Thar Aung said.
"Trust is important in building unity and unity is essential if the SPDC is to build a modern nation. Only by enshrining democracy in the constitution would it be possible to achieve true national unity."
Aye Thar Aung is also secretary of the Arakan National League for Democracy and an ethnic people's representative in the CRPP.
The meeting was held at the National League for Democracy headquarters, and it was attended by all members including recently added NLD leaders Win Tin and Khin Maung Swe, except U Lwin and Loon Tin on grounds of ill health.
The CRPP was formed on 16 September, 1998 with an initial 10-member committee which was made up of nine NLD members, led by party chairman Aung Shwe, with Aye Thar Aung to represent the ethnic nationalities.
After initial successes, CRPP's activities were curtailed by further arrests, including of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and Aye Thar Aung, but after she was released in October 2001, it was strengthened with new members.
Nevertheless, it went into decline again, after Aung San Suu Kyi was rearrested in 2003, until recently when renowned journalist Win Tin was released in September after 19 years behind bars.
Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew
