AP news_17.10.96: NLD in the blocka

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Subject: AP news_17.10.96: NLD in the blockades

	ASIA: BURMESE OPPOSITION MEETS DESPITE BLOCKADES
BURMA
   RANGOON, Oct 17 Reuter - Members of Burmese opposition leader 
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party are 
meeting this week despite blockades set up by the military 
government, an NLD source said today.
	   He said Suu Kyi and other top NLD officials have been meeting 
groups of elected party representatives and senior party members to 
define policy.
	   "We tried in vain to hold a party congress twice," the NLD 
source said. He said gatherings of several dozen NLD members 
planned for Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week were meant to 
be a substitute for a larger party congress.
	   The meetings were held at the homes of senior NLD officials 
since Suu Kyi's house -- the normal venue for gatherings -- was 
inaccessible because of the barriers. 
	   The military set up roadblocks on streets leading to her house 
on Saturday to prevent her regular weekend speeches to supporters 
and has still not removed them.
	   Last month the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council 
(SLORC) thwarted plans to hold a NLD party congress.
	   The military government said the planned September 27-29 
congress was aimed at creating unrest. It arrested at least 573 NLD 
activists and blocked roads leading to Suu Kyi's house, where the 
meeting was due to have been held. The detained people have since 
been released in stages.
	   It was the second time the SLORC had prevented the NLD from 
holding a congress. The first was in May, when the SLORC arrested 
more than 260 NLD activists to prevent the meeting.
	   The NLD held a meeting of party representatives and vowed to 
increase its efforts to bring democracy to Burma. Since the meeting 
was not made up of elected NLD representatives, no major policy 
decisions were taken.
	   The NLD source, who was at one of this week's meetings, said 
people attending included many politicians elected as NLD 
representatives in the 1990 election, won overwhelmingly by the NLD 
but never recognised by the SLORC.
	   He said the politicians discussed reorganisation of the NLD, 
which has been suffering over the past year in the face of 
increased intimidation by the SLORC.
	   NLD members at the gatherings agreed to allow party members who 
had resigned from the NLD for various reasons to rejoin.
	   After the May government crackdown, many NLD representatives who 
had been detained announced when they were freed that they were 
resigning from the party. Suu Kyi said many of them had been forced 
to resign by the SLORC.
	   The meetings this week also granted the NLD's executive 
committee the authority to do whatever wasnecessary to achieve 
democracy. Suu Kyi told reporters earlier this month the NLD had 
requested talks with the SLORC, but got a negative response.
	   REUTER   ts
	ASIA: REGIME PUTS UP BARRICADES AT SUU KYI'S HOUSE
BURMA SUUKYI
   RANGOON, Oct 19 AP - Barricades blocked streets to the home of 
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi today for the fourth straight 
weekend - a move the military said was aimed at preventing unrest.
	   The blockade appeared likely to again stop gatherings today and 
tomorrow outside Suu Kyi's home on University Avenue, where she 
usually addresses thousands of supporters on the need for democracy 
in Burma.
	   Before they were stopped, the weekend rallies were virtually the 
only public dissent allowed by the ruling State Law and Order 
Restoration Council, or SLORC.
	   The authorities have given no indication when they might resume.
	   Official newspapers, which reflect the views of the government, 
said today the roadblocks first went up to prevent a three-day 
congress of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy scheduled to 
begin on September 27.
	   The barricades remained in place for 11 days. Authorities 
temporarily detained at least 573 of her supporters, whom the 
regime describes as "ax-handles" used by Western powers to 
subjugate Burma.
	   The barriers briefly came down but went back up on October 11 to 
prevent Suu Kyi, the 1991 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, from 
again trying to hold the meeting.
	   "In an attempt to revive the abortive congress, the ax-handles 
are planning to incite unrest by taking advantage of the crowd 
which gathers in front of the house on Saturdays and Sundays," 
commentary in state-run newspapers said.
	   The author, who used the pseudonym "Courage", said 27 people who 
refused to disperse at the barricades last weekend were arrested, 
questioned and released "at places far away from the restricted 
area".
	   Suu Kyi briefly left her home last week to meet leaders of her 
National League for Democracy at a colleague's house.
	   They agreed to renew efforts to open a dialogue with the regime. 
All previous such requests have been ignored.
	   Newspapers in Bangkok, Thailand, meanwhile reported that the 
seven-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations would delay 
Burma's full membership on technical grounds, a diplomatic blow to 
the regime's hopes for accelerated membership.
	   Pilloried by the West for human-rights violations, the regime 
has sought to join ASEAN as quickly as possible, seeking diplomatic 
protection and a trading partner.
	   ASEAN has generally refused to criticise what it sees as Burma's 
internal affairs.
	   The decision to delay Burma's membership took place yesterday at 
a meeting of senior ASEAN officials meeting in Kuala Lumpur, 
Malaysia.
	   Malaysia and Indonesia recently expressed support to bring in 
Burma as a full member next year.
	   But the Philippines broke ranks after the recent crackdown and 
the decision reached yesterday signals dissension in ASEAN's ranks 
over Burma.
	   The Nation newspaper in Bangkok quoted one ASEAN delegate as 
saying that the agreement to slow Burma's candidacy was "a 
political decision based on technical considerations".
	   ASEAN comprises Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the 
Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei.
	   Cambodia and Laos, like Burma, are observers aspiring to full 
membership.
	   AP br