缅甸民主运动领导人昂山素季和她所在的反对党全国民主联盟停止一个星期来抵制议会的行动。他们接受了议员就职誓词中要求其政党“捍卫”宪法的说法。 这位诺贝尔和平奖得主和全国民主联盟的另外42位议员星期三将参加缅甸议会。他们曾抵制“捍卫宪法”的说法。他们争辩说，这一说法是军政府制造出来的。军 政府统治缅甸几十年，囚禁了成千上万的民主活动人士。
全国民主联盟的战术性退却发生在星期一。当天，联合国秘书长潘基文在缅甸议会讲话， 表示支持缅甸新的名义上的文官政府去年上台后发起的民主改革。潘基文在缅甸行政首都内比都发表这一讲话时赞扬缅甸总统吴登盛的“眼光、领导能力和勇气”。 吴登盛当选后发起的改革措施包括为昂山素季及其政党成功参加4月1日的议会选举扫清道路。
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.