緬甸反對黨停止抵制議會

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her opposition National League for Democracy party have ended their week-long boycott of parliament, after accepting oath-of-office language that calls on her party to "safeguard" the constitution. The Nobel laureate and 42 other NLD colleagues will enter Burma's parliament for the first time Wednesday. They had objected to the words "safeguard the constitution," arguing the language was crafted by a military junta that ruled the country for decades and jailed thousands of democracy activists.

The tactical retreat came Monday, as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the Burmese parliament, in a show of support for democratic reforms initiated by the new, nominally-civilian government that took office last year. Mr. Ban, speaking in the administrative capital, Naypyitaw, hailed what he called the "vision, leadership and courage" of President Thein Sein, whose post-election initiatives include clearing the way for Aung San Suu Kyi and her party's successful run for office April 1.緬甸民主運動領導人昂山素季和她所在的反對黨全國民主聯盟停止一個星期來抵制議會的行動。他們接受了議員就職誓詞中要求其政黨“捍衛”憲法的說法。這位諾貝爾和平獎得主和全國民主聯盟的另外42位議員星期三將參加緬甸議會。他們曾抵制“捍衛憲法”的說法。他們爭辯說，這一說法是軍政府製造出來的。軍政府統治緬甸幾十年，囚禁了成千上萬的民主活動人士。

全國民主聯盟的戰術性退卻發生在星期一。當天，聯合國祕書長潘基文在緬甸議會講話，表示支持緬甸新的名義上的文官政府去年上臺後發起的民主改革。潘基文在緬甸行政首都內比都發表這一講話時讚揚緬甸總統吳登盛的“眼光、領導能力和勇氣”。吳登盛當選後發起的改革措施包括爲昂山素季及其政黨成功參加4月1日的議會選舉掃清道路。