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Suu Kyi refuses to give up democrac
Subject: Suu Kyi refuses to give up democracy fight.
Suu Kyi refuses to give up democracy fight
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The Burmese opposition leader, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, has vowed not
to give up her struggle for democracy, saying Burma's people are "fed up"
with repression by the country's military junta, the State Law and Order
Restoration Council.
Defying Burmese Government attempts to gag her, Ms Suu Kyi
slipped by police barricades barring access to her home and told
reporters in her first public comments since last week's crackdown that
up to 800 democracy activists had been arrested.
Her estimate was sharply higher than that of the SLORC, which
said 559 of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party members and
supporters had been arrested since last Thursday.
The military Government said on official television late on
Wednesday it had released a total of 163 of those detained ahead of an
NLD congress planned for September 27-29.
Ms Suu Kyi, who joined in on an elaborate plan to meet about a
dozen reporters at a house just outside the police barricades blocking
access to her University Avenue home, said she was not downhearted about
the latest action taken by the SLORC.
The SLORC has ordered arrests and barred people from travelling
on University Avenue since early last Friday to prevent the party meeting
from taking place. It said the detentions were only temporary and claimed
the NLD was trying to create instability and incite riots with its gathering.
Ms Suu Kyi said the latest crackdown was not a surprise to the
party and said it would help boost the NLD's legitimacy.
"What has happened over the last week has been a great help to
us," a relaxed-looking Ms Suu Kyi said.
"People are fed up with this kind of stupid behaviour and the
international community agrees now the SLORC is getting worse, not better."
Ms Suu Kyi, who said she was housing 31 people in her compound
including eight NLD representatives who came to Rangoon to attend the
congress, vowed to hold another party congress without seeking permission
from the SLORC.
Meanwhile, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) admitted
yesterday that it is divided over Burma after the latest military
crackdown on the opposition but said there would be no immediate change
in the grouping's "constructive engagement policy".
Malaysia's Foreign Minister, Mr Adbullha Badawi, speaking as the
new chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee, said The Phillipines had
raised the possibility of seeking a review of the "comstructive
engagement" policy at the NOvember 30 ASEAN summit in Jakata.
"There has to be a consensus. We don't go by majority rule," Mr
Badawi told a news conference after opening the committee's first meeting
in Kuala Lumpur to prepare for Malaysia's 1997 ASEAN chairmanship.
Mr Badawin said ASEAN members had expressed concern over the
latest developments in Burma.
"We view with some concern on what is happening in Burma. But it
is a little bit too early to speculate," Mr Badawi said, commenting on
calls on ASEAN to proceed cautiously before admitting the military regime.
Earlier this week, it was reported that ASEAN foreign ministers
meeting at the United Nations had decided to delay Burma's admission to
the grouping. But Malaysia has said it still plans to admit Burma as a
full member when it hosts the ASEAN ministerial meeting in July next year.
[By correspondents in Rangoon and Kuala Lumpur, AP,Reuters, AFP,
4 October 1996].
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