INFORMATION SHEET No. A -0020

[OKKAR66127@xxxxxxx]

                        INFORMATION SHEET No. A -0020
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No. A -0020				                                        Date. 12-2-97

	In Myanmar, any organization which wishes to celebrate 
commemorative days are required to request permission from the 
respective administrative authorities and provide information on the 
ceremonial program, the estimate number of people invited to 
attend, as well as the time and venue, in accordance with the 
prescribed rules.

	Therefore, political parties desirous of holding the Union Day 
Ceremony had, in adherence with existing rules asked for the 
required permission and submitted the requisite details. All these 
parties had therefore received permission to conduct the 
ceremonies.

	The National League for Democracy notified the regional 
administrative authorities that its township party branch office would 
be holding a commemorative ceremony for the Union Day at Mrs. 
Aris' No. 54 University Avenue compound. The administrative 
authorities informed the township NLD party organizer to resubmit 
their request since the ceremony was obviously not going to be held 
by township level but by NLD Headquarters and also to cooperate 
by providing the requisite details as well.

	The NLD party ignored the injunction and rallied a mass of 
people and held the commemoration ceremony at NO. 54 
University Avenue at 1000 hrs. on the 12th Feb. 1997.

	This ceremony at Mrs. Aris' residence was attended by some 
diplomats, foreign correspondents and party members. Although, no 
proper official request was submitted to the authorities concerned 
the authorities avoided an intentional confrontation by allowing the 
ceremony to proceed.

	As the number of people exceeded 900 and because the 
latecomers appeared to consist of riff-raff, further entry into the 
compound had to be barred for the sake of security it is learnt.

Source: Myanmar Authority Concerned.

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