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Third NLD congress coming soon, Wit
- Subject: Third NLD congress coming soon, Wit
- From: nin@xxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 18:50:00
Subject: Third NLD congress coming soon, Within three months
Opposition Party Plans Third Attempt to Hold Congress
-----------------------------------------------------
RANGOON, Burma (AP) _ Burma's main opposition group will try to
hold a party congress within three months, although the military
government has blocked two previous attempts this year, sources
close to the group said Wednesday.
The decision to try to convene the congress, as well as to
reorganize the party nationwide, was taken at a meeting Wednesday
of the National League for Democracy's central executive committee,
said the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Seventy party members, including the group's leader, Nobel Peace
Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, attended the strategy-planning
session, held at the house of another top party executive, Tin Oo.
A party congress scheduled at Mrs. Kyi's house Sept. 27-29 was
scuttled when the authorities blocked the road to her lakeside
residence and prevented all but senior party members from passing.
Hundreds of party supporters were also detained, but released the
next week.
The roadblocks were removed Oct. 8 but put back in place on Oct.
11. Because her supporters have been unable to come to her house _
the de facto party headquarters _ Suu Kyi has been holding meetings
at the homes of Tin Oo and another close lieutenant, Kyi Maung.
Both men's houses are under tight surveillance.
The roadblocks also have prevented Suu Kyi from giving her
customary weekend speeches to followers outside her home.
Before Wednesday's meeting, Suu Kyi visited her party's newly
reopened Rangoon Division office, about three kilometers (two
miles) from her home.
The office was reopened Tuesday night and its signboard hoisted
back up after the government's election commission advised the
landlord he was free to honor his commitment to his political
tenants. The office had been forced to close on Sept. 27 by the
owner, who removed the party signboard. The league then filed a
complaint with the election commission that the landlord had
closed the office under pressure from the authorities.
The commission investigated and heard testimony from the owner,
Tun Kyaing, that he had closed the office on his own accord because
he feared the presence of party members would bring trouble, said a
commission member. The commission also was told that although the
lease on the building expired in August, Tun Kyaing had verbally
agreed to extend it to the end of the year.
The commission advised the landlord he could allow the office to
reopen and operate until the end of the year, and raise the
signboard if he so wished.
161446 Oct GMT