US describes Burmese Constitution Process as ''Total Sham''

Washington, Sep 5 (UNI) The Bush administration has called the outline for a new Burmese constitution, announced by the country's military leadership yesterday, as a ''total sham''.

The document was produced by a national convention constituted by Burma's military government.

US State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey questioned the legitimacy of the entire process since the country's main opposition, the National League for Democracy, led by the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi had been kept out of the convention.

Casey said, ''the delegates to this convention were hand-picked by the regime. They haven't been allowed to engage in any open debate, and of course they also excluded the National League for Democracy, which is Burma's largest political party.'' ''It's also somewhat ironic that the conclusions of this supposed open political process coincide with a crackdown on citizens for peacefully protesting, and trying to exercise their freedom of expression," he said.

Aung San Suu Kyi's party won national elections in a landslide victory in 1990 but was barred by the military from taking power.

She has been under various forms of detention since then.

In a written statement, the US statement called for ''genuine, inclusive dialogue'' between the military junta and opposition groups, leading to a civilian, democratic government that respects human rights.

The statement said ''the results of this illegitimate convention clearly do not represent the will of the Burmese people, nor are they a step toward democracy.'' It added the international community, including the United States, repeatedly had called for a genuine and inclusive dialogue between the Burmese regime and the leaders of Burma's democracy movement and ethnic minority groups.

''Burma's ruling generals continue to resist such a dialogue and brutally suppress the movement for democracy and respect for human rights in Burma.'' The United States renewed its call for dialogue leading to a legitimate, civilian, democratic government that respects human rights.

''We call upon the Burmese regime to stop immediately the arrest and harassment of non-violent political activists, release all political prisoners, end its attacks on civilians in ethnic minority areas and other human rights abuses, and lift restrictions on humanitarian,'' it said.

UNI