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USDA in Tenessarim division



			USDA rally in Tenessarim Division	
	About 4,5000 of civilian from the four townships in Mergui
District rallied on December 27, 1995 to express unanimous support for the
successful conclusion of the National Convention, according to the Slorc
media. The rally was chaired by Ge. Ket Sein who is a Commander of
Southeast military Command and chairman of Mon State, Karen State and
tenessarim Division USDA (Union Solidarity and Development Association). 
The participants were mainly members of the USDA, state high school
students and teachers, as well as public service employees.  The rally was
held to show the support of a constitutional convention which has been
boycotted by the opposition but the people said most of them had been
forced to participated.
	 "All the students from my school were forced to joined the USDA. 
We would not pass the exam if we do not join the organization. I was in
the rally but I had no idea what was the reason for the rally. But the
authority ordered us to join this rally" Naw Esther, a high school student
from Palaw township recalled her experience. 
	The USDA was formed on 15, September 1993 by Slorc as a social
organization which establihed at village tract, wards, township, district
and division levels. Its central executive committee members are civilian
but its high position in state and division levels are assigned with the
high military officials. It is thus analyzed as an eventual political
power base for the military. Although Slorc is announced that USDA is only
a social organization and there is no political platform in its movement,
people inside Burma believe that in the name of USDA, Slorc is
strengthening its position by grassroots mobilizing to gain support for
military.
	Ko Myint Oo, a high school teacher from Mergui said The USDA
forced the people especially government service employees into supporting
the military and National Convention. It is much worse than the BSPPs
program such as Lanzin youth (a BSPP youth cell during its time). People
are threatened dismissals from jobs and schools, or failure of examination
in case of absence to the USDA rally. People in Mergui were ordered that
one person from each household must attend the rally or pay 100 kyat if
fail to do so. 
	There will be similar rallies in Tavoy district and Kaw Thaung
district in the future, according to the source inside Burma.
	In her weekly People Forum, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said in regarding
with USDA and forced participation, People can be coerced, and people
support can be paid but their genuine love and goodwill can not be paid
and threatened. She said one of her weekend public addresses outside her
house that the public had been coerced into attending the mass rally. 

	 
ABSDF News Agency
ABSDF (DAWN GWIN)