Yangon: Senior officials of the party of
Myanmar`s detained pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi have
filed a protest with the junta, accusing a breakaway faction
of using a party logo similar to theirs.
Nyan Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi`s National League for
Democracy, said 15 senior NLD members signed the protest
letter and sent it to the junta-appointed Union Election
Commission yesterday.
The letter says the National Democratic Force, a new
party formed by the breakaway NLD faction, uses a picture of
"Kha-mauk," the traditional conical bamboo hat, as its logo
without permission from the NLD.
"The use of Khamauk as symbol by another political party
could cause confusion and misunderstanding," Nyan Win said.
The NLD used the "Kha-mauk" as party logo in 1990 when it
contested the country`s last multiparty elections, at which
the NLD won by a landslide but was prevented by the junta from
coming to power.
Khin Maung Swe, the NDF leader, rejected the NLD`s
accusation, saying it has no exclusive right to the logo which
has not been patented.
The military government has said it will hold the first
general election in two decades later this year but it has not
yet to disclose the exact date.
A total of 43 political parties applied for registration
to contest the elections, as required by a new junta-approved
election law. The election commission approved registration
for 33 of them, including five that took part in the 1990
elections.
PTI
