Narinjara News, 30 March, 2023

The United States, Britain, Japan, and other countries haveexpressed their concern about thedissolution of National League for Democracy (NLD) and other 39 political parties, by the MilitaryCouncil-controlled Election Commission. The parties were dissolved because they failed to meet the registration deadlinefor the upcoming election.

“ Weare seriously concerned that the exclusion of the NLD from the politicalprocess will make it even moredifficult to improve the situation. Japan strongly urges Myanmar to immediately release NLD officials,including Suu Kyi (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi), and to show a path toward a peaceful resolution of the issue in amanner that includes all partiesconcerned”, Japan’sforeign ministry said in a statement.

Tun Myint, a senior NLD official, told Myanmar Now that onlythe people can decide whether ornot a party should exist, as their existence depends entirely on popular support.

“Registering with the election commission, or whateverreason it is done, is in essencegiving credence to the repression and killings by the terrorist militarycouncil against the wishes of thepeople, and siding with them thereby becoming one of their lackeys,” the NUG said in itsstatement.

Japan has also urged the Military Council to halt aggressiveattacks on civilians, which haveescalated since the extension of the state of emergency in early February ofthis year.

Britain’sforeign office criticized the dissolution of the NLD and other parties as an ‘assault on the rights and freedoms’ ofMyanmar people.

“The Myanmar military regime’s decision to dissolve 40political parties, including AungSan Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, is a further assault on the rights and freedoms of the Myanmarpeople”, the office stated.

Britain also condemnedthe Military Council’s politically motivated actions and use of increasingly brutal tactics to sow fear and repress opposition.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel alsosaid that “Any election withoutthe participation of all stakeholders in Burma (Myanmar) would not be, and cannot be considered free or fair”.

In addition, he pointed out that organizing an electionunder the auspices of the Military Councilwhen there is widespread opposition to their rule, could further exacerbate the prevailing instability across thecountry.

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