The Myanmar authorities Saturday lifted a night-to-dawn curfew
25 days after it imposed on the biggest city of Yangon and the
second largest city of Mandalay, according to announcements of the
local administrative and police authorities in the evening.
The 60-day curfew started on September 25 and was cut shorter
for two times.
The lifting of the curfew was seen as being made following the
restoration to calm and normal of the situation in the two
cities.
The present withdrawal of the curfew came as Ibrahim Gambari,
Special Envoy of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, is
touring Asian nations to consult with regional partners about the
situation in Myanmar. His trip has covered Thailand, Malaysia and
Indonesia and is heading for India, China and Japan.
Based on Gambari's presentation to the UN Security Council
(UNSC) about the situation in Myanmar following his first urgent
mission to Myanmar from September 29 to October 2, a presidential
statement of the UNSC on the country was unanimously adopted on
October 11, calling for efforts to achieve an inclusive national
reconciliation in the nation.
During his previous four-day visit in Myanmar, Gambari conveyed
the message of Senior-General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC), to Aung San Suu Kyi, detained
general secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD). Than
Shwe's message offered to meet and talk personally and
conditionally with Aung San Suu Kyi.
As a follow-up, as proposed by Gambari, the Myanmar government
appointed on Oct. 8 Deputy Minister of Labor U Aung Kyi to act as
liaison minister to get link with Aung San Suu Kyi.
Meanwhile, The Myanmar authorities have so far released 2,550
people out of 2,927 detained for being involved in recent
demonstrations in the whole country.
Of them, 53 are from Yangon, bringing the total of the release
from the city to 2,147 out of 2,284, according to official report
which added that altogether 377 people in the country including 137
in Yangon are still under detention for interrogation.
More will be freed if considered, the authorities said.
Earlier official report said the authorities have also freed 398
monks out of 533 taken away by the government security forces for
interrogation during recent raids on some monasteries in Yangon
amid curfew order.
Starting September 18, some Buddhist monks and people took to
the streets to stage demonstrations in Yangon and other parts of
the country, demanding for bringing down commodity prices,
improving people's living conditions and seeking national
reconciliation.
The authorities termed the demonstrations as "unrest," accusing
internal and external anti-government forces as well as some
Western leading broadcasting stations of inciting the
"disturbances."
A compiled statistics based on the official figures show that a
total of nine protesters and a then visiting Japanese journalist
have been killed and 16 other civilians injured by shots fired by
the security forces, while 45 government security forces members
wounded during an action to disperse the crowds.
In the latest development, the ruling Myanmar SPDC formed a
state constitution drafting commission Thursday to pave way for
drafting a new state constitution which represents the third step
of the seven-step roadmap following the end of the National
Convention on Sept. 3. Detailed basic principles laid down in the
convention are set to be based for drafting the new
constitution.
The 54-member commission is chaired by Chief Justice U Aung Toe
and Attorney-General U Aye Maung as Vice-Chairman. The remaining
members mainly include two ministers -- Information Minister
Brigadier-General Kyaw Hsan and Cultural Minister Major-General
Khin Aung Myint and four legal experts.
According to the government roadmap announced in August 2003,
the new constitution draft is to be endorsed through a national
referendum, then a new general election will follow to produce
parliament representatives and form a new democratic
government.
(Xinhua News Agency October 21, 2007)
