Yangon, February 12 -- In his message to the people on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of Union Day today, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council ( SPDC ) Senior General Than Shwe hailed the sessions of the hluttaws ( parliaments ) being held as the “legislative organs, which are forming administrative bodies for building a modern, developed democratic nation.”

The Union Day, one of the most important days in Myanmar’s history, marks the signing of famous Penglong Agreement by the architect of the country’s Independence General Aung San and leaders of ethnic national races 64 years today for demanding Independence from the British in unity.

Claiming that the people of all national races in Myanmar now have equal rights, Than Shwe said they now have the right to elect and the right to stand for elections.

“The democracy system introduced to Myanmar is still in its infancy,” Than Shwe said urging the entire national people to safeguard the newly introduced democracy system from all forms of disruptions.

The military supremo also warned the people to be on alert against clandestine schemes, which could be hatched by power craving groups to drive a wedge among national races to destroy national unity.

Than Shwe also reminded the people the importance of non-disintegration of the Union and called on them to defend the national unity with all their might.

Than Shwe’s speech also dwelt at length on the way the colonialists had sown the seeds of misunderstanding between Myanmar and ethnic national races residing in border areas as part of their divide-and-rule policy before Myanmar attained Independence.

Than Shwe’s message was read out to the mass rally in Nay Pyi Taw by Secretary ( 1 ) of the SPDC Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo ( Ex-Army General ).

Despite being disbanded by the military government, the National League for Democracy ( NLD ) held a rival mass meeting at the NLD head office in Yangon this afternoon during which two-page NLD message for the people was read out by a leader of the NLD.

In contrast to Than Shwe’s message, the two-page NLD message depicted the present conditions of the country as those where ethnic nationalities enjoy no rights what-so-ever.

“The aims of Penglong agreement have disappeared, democratic rights have been lost together with the rights of nationalities,” said the NLD message.

“If we want to build a stable, peaceful, prosperous and truly democratic Union, the solidarity among all the nationalities is imperative. To achieve such solidarity, resolute determination must be made to render all nationalities of the Union justice and fairness in social relations, economy and politics together with the freedom of thoughts, expression, belief and livelihood as well as the equality of status and opportunity,” said the NLD message adding that only then a new peaceful, peaceful and genuine democratic Union would be emerged.

The NLD message reiterated the NLD’s oft- repeated demand for meaningful dialogue with the military junta for implementing national reconciliation.

In her short but strong-worded speech at the above-mentioned meeting, democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi stressed the need to widen the political forum of the democratic groups.

Aung San Suu Kyi warned the military government to stop putting pressure on democratic groups and ethnic nationalities by saying that “so long as the political forum for democratic groups and those of ethnic nationalities is forced to make narrow, there will never be national unity.

Source: http://www.bdcburma.org/NewsDetails.asp?id=797