SLORC uses riot police to block par

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Subject: SLORC uses riot police to block party meeting.


		Slorc uses riot police to block party meeting
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BURMA'S military junta has successfully limited a large opposition party 
gathering planned at
democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house to mark the seventh anniversary 
of its unrecognised
victory in the 1990 election. 

The ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc), using armed 
riot police, cut off access
to Ms Suu Kyi's lakeside home at University Avenue and other possible 
locations for the planned
National League for Democracy (NLD) gathering. 

Only 10 executive committee members of the party were allowed into Ms Suu 
Kyi's house for the
meeting, a senior NLD source said. 

The NLD had planned to hold a gathering of several hundred party members 
and elected
parliamentarians at Ms Suu Kyi's house to mark the anniversary of its 
landslide 1990 election
victory, which was not recognised by the Slorc. 

The NLD source also said the junta had detained up to 316 party members 
nationwide since last
week, including about 50 members of parliament, to thwart the planned 
special gathering. 

A government spokesman said the NLD had not sought permission to hold 
such a large gathering.
``If they hold such a meeting at Suu Kyi's house, they will be stopped. 
Only the party's executive
committee members, family members and those living there can go in,'' he 
said. 

The Slorc also denied NLD charges that it had detained party members and 
asked the NLD to
prove its allegation. 

Witnesses said that security had been tightened with road-blocks near Ms 
Suu Kyi's home and
stringent checks made on those going to visit her. 

Some NLD members were stopped from entering Ms Suu Kyi's house and police 
were also
stationed near the home of another senior party leader U Tin Oo and the 
party's Rangoon head
office. 

But the NLD source said that most discussions for the party's planned 
special gathering had already
been completed on 26 May by party members who managed to meet in Rangoon. 

``Technically, the meeting on the occasion of the seventh anniversary was 
completed successfully
and we will continue with our struggle for democracy until we reach the 
goal even though the Slorc
tries all means to stop us,'' the source said. 

He added that a total of up to 500 party members had gathered in 
different groups last week to
discuss party reports on the economy, political situation and justice. 

Analysts said the latest development was a face-saving measure. 

A diplomat stationed in Rangoon said: ``The Slorc action was firm but 
they used kid gloves to stop
this meeting from going ahead to minimise any fallout.'' 

The US charge d'affaires, Kent Weideman, has protested to the government 
over the reported
detentions and attempts to stop opposition political activities. 

He said the Slorc's action to curb the gathering was intended to make 
things appear normal in the
run-up to a decision on whether Burma may join Asean. 

[The Hong Kong Standard, 28 May 1997].

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