Announcement of Mon National Council on the SPDC’s Constitutional Referendum

February 19, 2008

Military Regime announced on February 9, 2008, that it is going to hold a referendum in May 2008 on the state constitution, made by SPDC, which would enshrines the legitimate power of Military to play a major role in party politic and to lead the country in the future.

Why SPDC tries so hard, after it had cracked down the uprising of Buddhist monks, to make such announcement; it is vividly clear that it wants to thwart the pressure of the Democratic Forces around the world and the will of Burmese people which demands an immediate change towards to a Democratic Society by through meaningful dialogue between SPDC and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mon National Council sees this Constitutional Referendum as a dirty trick played by SPDC which desperately tries to push Burmese people into a dilemma position where there is no choice for Burmese people except to dance along with the dirty tune played by it.

If Burmese people are going to cast their votes against the constitution which is made by SPDC , SPDC is quite happy with the result because it enables SPDC to take time, may be ten years or more, to reconvene the so called National Convention for rewriting a new constitution while SPDC is still on the throne of power, or if the Burmese people choose to cast their votes in favor of the constitution the outcome of that would mean that the Burmese people are willingly accepting and recognizing the legitimate power of Military to play a major role in their party politic and to lead their country in the future.

Mon National Council strongly condemns this constitutional referendum as a dirty trick of SPDC and MNC also would like to advise Mon People as well as all nationalities of Burma to demonstrate their objection by all means towards such kind of constitutional referendum immediately before SPDC could really carry out its dirty plan which would shove the nation into a catastrophe and at the same time to put more pressure upon the SPDC to respect the will of Burmese People which demand a meaningful tripartite dialogue.

Mon National Council strongly urges SPDC to abandon its dirty trick at once and to go into meaningful dialogue with sincere intention without any delay with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and democratic forces in order to make a real change and a concrete step which could lead to a democratic society.

Down with the SPDC’s dirty trick!

Min Aung Myint
Secretary (Human Rights Affairs)
Mon National Council