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News on India Papers (r)
>From : Federation of Trade Unions, Burma (West Burma)
Subject : News on Indian Papers
Suu Kyi presses on with meeting
The Hindu, May 26 1996. (New Delhi)
Yangon, May 25.
The Myanmarese democracy leader, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, forged
ahead with her planned Sunday Congress despite the arrests of 217 of
her supporters by military government.
Senior Myanmarese official, meanwhile, were busy trying to woo
potential foreign investors by promising stability and Myanmars
foreign minister told his Japanese counterpart that the detentions
would be brief.
Ms. Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel peace prize, told reporters that
most of the arrested were elected representatives of her National
League for Democracy party but added that in the last 24 hours non-
elected representatives from the partys youth wing had been detained
as well.
Ms. Suu Kyi, who was released from six years of house arrest last July,
also did not rule out the possibility that she and other top NLD
members might be arrested before Sunday.
She was speaking inside the compound of her home, where a huge
thatched meeting hall has been constructed to house 200-300 party
representatives and other guests invited to the Congress.
The Congress coincides with the sixth anniversary of the NLDs
landslide victory in a 1990 elections, even though two-third of those
elected were now under arrest.
The party never took power because the ruling State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC) did not recognize the result. (Reuter)
Junta adopts new tactics in battle with Suu Kyi
Road blocks, canceled trains, jailed supporters leave her powerless
The Asian Age, May 26 1996. (New Delhi)
Rangoon, May 25: When the military council that rules Burma freed
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi last July from six years of
house arrest, they told her no restrictions would be placed on her
activities.
That was not what happened. Instead, the generals and colonels have
adopted new methods, boxing in the charismatic woman known
simply as "The lady" by erecting roadblocks, canceling trains, and
jailing more than 200 of her followers this week to prevent a major
pro-democracy meeting, scheduled for this later week.
Ms Suu Kyi remains free for now but largely powerless. She seldom
goes far from the ramshackle lakeside compound where she spent six
years in confinement. Anytime a trip even hints of politics like visiting
Rangoons most sacred pagoda on a national holiday she finds soldiers
blocking the road or the train she is supposed to take canceled.
The military regime opens a small window of opportunity each week,
when up to 2,000 supporters gather at her house to hear her speak. Ms
Suu Kyi avoids confrontation on these occasions, but the poise and
courage she showed in staring down armed soldiers eight years ago
still come through.
So does her charm. Petite and attractive, Ms Suu Kyi is just beginning
to show her 50 years. Even hard-bitten journalists reports being
smitten during interviews as she articulates her views with understated
humour an wit.
Unfortunately for Ms Suu Kyi, her charm does not seem to affect the
military council, known by it acronym Slorc. The military has ruled
Burma since 1962, and few people remember life under civilian rule
that existed before the military regime took over.
Critics call the recent crackdown evidence of paranoia. Yet it also
seems to demonstrate that the military can attract foreign investment
even as it crushes the democratic opposition.
Ms. Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel peace prize for her non-violent
promotion of democracy, likened the arrest of her followers to the
regime lopping off branches of a tree to leave the trunk to die.
"Anything can happened in a country ruled by authoritarian regime,"
Ms Suu Kyi said. "I expect there will probably be more arrests. This
shows the Slorcs true colours."
Those colours are more subtle than they once were. In 1988, the
military regime gunned down hundreds of pro-democracy supporters
in Rangoon. In 1989, The Slorc placed Ms Suu Kyi under house
arrest.
In 1990, the regime allowed democratic elections, but ignored the
results when Ms Suu Kyis National League for Democracy captured
392 of 485 contested seats.
The news Slorc is more skilled at repression and smatter at gauging
how far it can go in its game of repression, as is evident by their
tactics
of indirect attack.
So it permits Ms Suu Kyi her freedom at least in name to appease
governments abroad and foreign business partners eager to do business
with Burma but concerned about their reputations and the human
rights violations that Burma is known for in the international
community.
Key meeting will go on, says Suu Kyi defiantly
The Asian Age, May 26 1996. (New Delhi)
Rangoon, May 25: A defiant Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi pledged to cheering supporters on Saturday that a key pro-
democracy meeting would press on despite a wave of detentions of
activists from her National League for Democracy.
Speaking to some 5,000 enthusiastic supporters waiting outside her
lakeside compound despite a drizzle, that charismatic opposition
leader said 256 NLD activists had been detained since Monday. The
detentions came ahead of a meeting of the candidates who won seats in
elections six years ago swept by the NLD but which were not honoured
by the ruling military junta.
The NLD has decided to hold this anniversary meeting and we will go
on with this meeting in one form or another. Ms Aung San Suu Kyi
said to enthusiastic applause. Expectations of a show down between
the Opposition and Junta have been high in the Burmese capital ahead
of the meeting on Sunday, an analysts said Ms Suu Kyis remark
showed "she had taken her gloves off." They said Ms Suu Kyis
speech, in which she said the opposition could not longer afford to
wait for the government to offer it an olive branch, was her most
defiant in recent months. We have done nothing for six years but now
we must reach our objectives and not sit down and wait for dialogue,
she said with the support of the people, we will much on towards our
goal of democracy, and that goal is not as far away as it seems to be,
she added. (AFP)
Media calls Suu Kyi a sorceress
Rangoon, May 25: Burmas official media on Saturday labeled
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi a sorceress who wanted to
destabilize the country.
"If the democracy sorceress and her gangsters succeed in their bid on
urban and rural tranquillity, peaceful pursuit of education, commercial
dealings, etc., all peaceful socialize of the people would spoilt," said
the commentary in state-run newspapers on the eve of a controversial
pro-democracy meeting. State-run newspapers in Burma are
considered to be the mouthpiece of the military government. The
commentary said a meeting elected representatives of Ms Suu Kyis
National League for Democracy party due to begin on Sunday was
meant to be a "coercive show of strength."
As a result, the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council
decided to call in representatives who had planned to attend the
meeting for questioning. The military authorities have already arrested
218 NLD activists to prevent the Sunday congress from proceeding,
according to opposition sources. The commentary said : "If the
government watched the situation with folded arms, it would not be
the government desiring national well being."
Commentary did not say how many people had been detained but said
it was necessary to keep stability in the country. "the design to mar
peace and stability of the state had come into view and the government
took up deterrence best suited to the state and the people to prevent
recurrence of anarchism, terrorism and disturbances as in 1988," it
said.
The Slorc assumed power in 1988 after brutally suppressing
democracy uprisings which in thousands died. (Reuter)
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