NLD meeting under surveillance by junta
by Myint Maung
New Delhi (Mizzima) – A pre-meeting for NLD’s plenary meeting, scheduled for Tuesday was held today at the NLD Head Office in Bahan Township of Rangoon amidst close scrutiny by the authorities and security personnel deployed around the office.
The security personnel were deployed today around the NLD HQ, as the pre-meeting was being held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the meeting was attended by Members of Parliament elected in 1990, Organizing Committee members of States and Divisions, Youth and Women wing leaders, totalling 148 all together.
"There are many plain-clothes security personnel in Kyaukse prayer hall in front of our Head Office, but we did not see USDA members and Swan Arrshin, who used to be deployed near our office earlier. We did not see them this time around our office. There are about 30 security personnel deployed near our office. I cannot say if there are many more in hiding," NLD party spokesperson Nyan Win said.
Riot police and traffic police arrived near the office on motorcycles and cars and made video recordings and took photographs.
"There are many security personnel stationed in a school in Link Road, behind our office. There are about 4-5 cars and 20 motorcycles in front of our office too. People arriving on motorcycles made video recordings, and gathered information,” a party youth, who attended the meeting, told Mizzima.
The youth said, several more security personnel were seen in the prayer hall on Oak Street and at least 200 personnel are seen in each places.
Reportedly, the security personnel were deployed also in Tamwe Township, which is contiguous with Bahan Township.
"The bus stop near Tamwe Mosque was crowded and many cars came and converged near this mosque. According to my estimate, the strength of security in both plain-clothes and uniform was about 15. They walked to and fro between the mosque and the triangular shaped junction," he said.
"Most of our party members had to go to our office through Tamwe. So they deployed these security personnel at this bus stop," he added.
The delegates discussed politics, situation of organizational matters and the constitution in today's pre-meeting.
“We discussed, criticized and summed-up the paper prepared by the party HQ on three topics namely politics, organizational matters and the Constitution. We negotiated on these topics and will review them tomorrow again,” Nyan Win said.
“There are about 100 delegates in Rangoon now, having come from their respective localities to attend this meeting. Some delegates will arrive at the time the meeting starts. But, they are very few in number. Most of the delegates have arrived here,” he added.
The meeting is due to be held tomorrow at the party headquarters. It is the 4th All States and Divisions Units plenary meeting of the 1990 election winning party-- NLD.
