Activists in Burma are urging the military-led government and all political parties to begin discussing ways to move the country toward democracy.
In a statement released Thursday, the "88 Generation Students" urged Burma's military leaders to create a political environment that allows "free, frank, and friendly" discussion.
The statement comes as Burma prepares to resume its final session on drafting a constitution.
The government says the convention will mark the beginning of a seven-step path toward democracy, ending with elections. No timetable has been set.
Critics consider the constitutional proceedings a sham because pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest and is barred from the meetings.
The 88 Generation Students are calling for cooperation from elected members of her party, the National League for Democracy, and ethnic parties that took part in Burma's 1990 elections.
Burma's first constitutional convention was held in 1993, but talks stalled in 1995 after the NLD walked out. NLD members claimed the meetings were being manipulated by the military.
Talks did not resume until 2004.
