Thursday, February 3, 2011

Lawmaker to introduce amnesty motion for Burmese exiles

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Thursday, 03 February 2011 20:56 Myo Thein

Mizzima – Thein Nyunt, a Lower House member of Parliament from Thingangyun Township in Rangoon Division, said on Thursday that he will introduce a motion in the national Parliament to grant amnesty to all Burmese citizens in exile.

Thein Nyunt told Mizzima that he would also introduce a motion to call for the lifting of economic sanctions imposed by Western countries.

A former official with the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a lawyer, Thein Nyunt is a former member of the National Democratic Force (NDF). The NDF expelled him from the party for disclosing internal financial matters to the media after winning his seat in the election.

Thein Nyunt said that the strength of the democratic forces in Parliament would be stronger and more effective if the NLD had contested in the election. He served in the NLD in the information department and represented Win Tin, a NLD leader, in his legal battles.

He blamed what he called Win Tin’s misguided strategy for the weak democratic representation in Parliament.

‘The weak position of democratic forces in the Parliament is because of the wrong strategy adopted by Win Tin and his associates’, he said, referring to the NLD decision to sit out the election rather than to field candidates.

Thein Nyunt also said that he would work to secure the release of leading democracy and human rights activists such as Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi.

Thein Nyunt’s lawyer’s license was revoked for two years on June 29, 2007. The Supreme Court at Naypyidaw reissued his license on January 28, 2011.

‘They revoked my license with a contempt of court charge and breach of code of professional conduct when I represented poor people from Thingangyun Ward 5(A)’, he said.

When he could not get back his license after completing more than two years time, he said he again raised the issue at the Supreme Court’s office on January 27, while he was visiting Naypyidaw for Parliament business.  He received his license back the next day.

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