Phyo Min Thein spent some 15 years behind bars for joining Myanmar's bloody 1988 uprising. Now the one-time student dissident is among those seeking to challenge the junta at the ballot box.

Together with fellow former student activists and ethnic leaders who were imprisoned for their political beliefs, the 41-year-old has formed the Union Democratic Party (UDP) to run in Myanmar's first elections in two decades.

"Our voice could be too small to reach parliament but it will not go away," Phyo Min Thein, the party's chairman, said in an interview with AFP.

Thousands of people died when soldiers opened fire on mass student demonstrations in Yangon in 1988.

Many of the protest leaders, known as the 88 Generation Students, were given long prison terms and some -- including Phyo Min Thein's brother-in-law -- are locked up today.

"When I was 18 or 19 years old, I believed that our country would be transformed into a democratic nation overnight. So I was actively involved in the pro-democracy movement," said Phyo Min Thein.

"I spent about 15 years in prison and have realised that my dreams have a long way to go."

Unlike Myanmar's best-known dissident -- detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- he has been allowed to participate in elections in the military-ruled country set for sometime this year.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the last polls in 1990 by a landslide but the military never allowed the party to take power and Suu Kyi has spent much of the past 20 years in jail or under house arrest.

She is barred from standing in the next polls because she is a serving prisoner.

UDP committee members have been travelling around the country to rally support and sign up the 1,000 members that each party must have in order to take part in the nationwide election.

Phyo Min Thein said he believed voters would support democratic forces although the newly registered parties are facing difficulties organising members in time for the vote.

"This election has many weak points," he said. "But we have to try for a free and fair election even if they (the military rulers) do not," he added.

Nearly 40 parties have so far been allowed to register for the elections -- rumoured to be planned for October or November -- despite widespread fears they are a sham aimed at shoring up the junta's half-century grip on power.

Among them is Prime Minister Thein Sein's Union Solidarity and Development Party, along with the 88 Generation Student Youths (Union of Myanmar), which includes some former students but is actually pro-government.

The NLD has opted to boycott the vote because of rules laid down by the junta that would have effectively forced it to expel Suu Kyi and other members in prison before it could participate.

As a result, the party was forcibly disbanded by the ruling generals.

A group of former NLD members has formed a new party, the National Democratic Force (NDF), to stand in the election -- a move that has put it at odds with Suu Kyi, who was opposed to participating in the polls.

Phyo Min Thein indicated he was ready to cooperate with other democracy parties and did not consider the NDF as rivals.

"The NDF is a party within our democratic community," he said. "We welcome their activity."

But democracy activists contesting the election admit they are at a disadvantage without an iconic figurehead like Suu Kyi, whose dedication to non-violence in pressing for change earned her a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has much influence over the people. People's interest in politics is quite low in this situation," Phyo Min Thein said, using a term of respect to refer to the detained opposition leader.

"Personally, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is like my mother in my political life. Her movement was our hope and boosted our spirit during our stays in prison." src: MSN News