*EPF405 09/26/2002
Text: U.S. Urges Dialogue Between Burma's Rulers, Democracy Activists
(State Department September 26 statement) (340)

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher took the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the founding of Burma's National League for Democracy (NLD) on September 26 to call for dialogue between the NLD and Burma's military rulers.

"We reaffirm our support for the efforts of the National League for Democracy and other members of Burma's democracy movement to bring democracy and national reconciliation to their country," Boucher said.

The United States, he added, calls on that country's military rulers to "resume substantive talks with the League and to release all political prisoners unconditionally."

Following is the text of State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher's September 26 statement on Burma:

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesman September 26, 2002

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

Burma - Anniversary of the National League for Democracy

September 27 is the 14th anniversary of the establishment of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Burma. In 1990 the League, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won national parliamentary elections with 82 percent of the seats. But that parliament never took office. Ignoring the clear choice of the people of Burma, the military regime imprisoned many of the elected Members of Parliament and hundreds of members and supporters of opposition parties. Others fled the country.

Since 1990 Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has endured two lengthy periods of house arrest; her party's offices have been closed, and its activities extremely limited. In May 2002, she was released, and the National League for Democracy has reopened some of its offices across the country. We hoped these positive steps would signal a new move toward reconciliation on the part of the regime, but have been disappointed by lack of progress.

We reaffirm our support for the efforts of the National League for Democracy and other members of Burma's democracy movement to bring democracy and national reconciliation to their country. We commend their courage in continuing to work for dialogue despite many obstacles placed in their path. We once again call for the regime to resume substantive talks with the League and to release all political prisoners unconditionally.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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