Nov 12, 2007 (DVB), Detained National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to meet members of her party on Friday, according to Burmese state media.
The meeting lasted from 1.30pm to 2.30pm and was attended by NLD chairman U Aung Shwe, secretary U Lwin, Central Executive Committee member U Nyunt Wai and U Nyan Win, spokesperson for the NLD.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also met government minister for relations Aung Kyi on Friday for the second time.
NLD spokesperson Nyan Win, who attended the meeting, said that discussions focused on the four preconditions for talks set out by the junta, and on the issues that need to be brought up in any negotiations with the regime.
Nyan Win said that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD leaders who were present at the meeting were positive about the prospect of talks.
"We believe that the other side is also willing to have a dialogue, so we will continue the process," he said.
"We were not pessimistic or wanting to blame others. Our main purpose is to continue doing what we can."
Nyan Win also stressed the need to include ethnic nationality parties and other organisations in any discussions to ensure that the interests of all groups were taken into account.
This follows the release of a statement by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, her first since her house arrest was renewed in 2003, in which she called for constructive dialogue.
Burmese opposition groups have responded to the statement from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, which was read on Thursday by United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari.
The Myanmar Development Committee, a group established by Ko Htin Kyaw, one of the instigators of the August protests over fuel price rises, welcomed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's statement.
"The Myanmar Development Committee would like to urge all the ethnic and political organizations to support and believe in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s statement as we do," the group said.
"We would like to urge all the people, monks, soldiers, government employees and ethnic armed-groups to join Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in her movement."
The Myanmar Development Committee also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners. including 88 generation students, commodity protesters and monks.
The 88 generation students also said they supported Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's statement, and pledged to support efforts towards dialogue.
"We welcome Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s message; that she stands ready to cooperate with the Government in order to make this process of dialogue a success, as a constructive approach to the national reconciliation," the group said in a statement.
"A meaningful and timebound dialogue between senior general Than Shwe and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is needed to start immediately to outcome stability and development and to solve all the problems in our country," they said.
"We vow to fully join hands and conduct constructive engagement with all concerned parties to bring about the dialogue which is needed for national reconciliation."
Reporting by DVB
