Myanmar needs peace, stability for democratization

www.chinaview.cn 2009-10-04 10:59:41

YANGON, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar official media said on Sunday that the country needs peace and stability for a successful holding of the upcoming multi-party general election next year, the 5th step of its democratization process under a seven-step roadmap.
"Myanmar is now in democratic transition. The new constitution has been approved. Multi-party general election will be held next year and a new government will be formed by a Hluttaw (parliament) in accord with the constitution," said the New Light of Myanmar in its editorial.
Holding that sanctions pose a barrier to the economic and social development of the people of developing countries, the editorial said some powerful nations have been resorting to economic sanctions to influence the political and economic systems of those countries.
"They can not only adversely affect people from different backgrounds but also make a form of violence," the editorial commented.
The editorial complained that sanctions are being employed to pressure Myanmar politically.
Dealing with climate change across the world which brings about natural disaster as well as many other issues which the world is facing such as food crisis, energy security, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorist attacks and pandemic disease, the editorial stressed the need for global nations to make cooperative efforts to overcome these problems and challenges.
"Although many countries, large and small, are facing the financial and economic crisis, the small developing countries have been the hardest-hit," the editorial said, calling on the developed countries to increase their overseas development aid to the developing countries.
For over a decade, the United States and some European Union countries have imposed various sanctions including economic sanction on Myanmar out of political reasons.
Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein demanded at the recent U.N. General Assembly in New York an end to economic sanctions, saying that sanctions are being employed as a political tool against Myanmar and such acts must be stopped.
Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under 18-month house confinement, proposed in a letter dated Sept. 25 to Senior-GeneralThan Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), to cooperate with the government in seeking ways of removing Western sanctions on Myanmar and also asking in her letter to meet and discuss with U.S. and European Union countries' diplomats as well as Australian's on the issue.
In response to Aung San Suu Kyi's letter, the government arranged a meeting between Liaison Minister U Aung Kyi and her on Saturday for further talks.