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BURMA/POLITICS...VOA NEWS
- Subject: BURMA/POLITICS...VOA NEWS
- From: moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 10:25:00
DATE=10/28/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-221802
TITLE=BURMA / POLITICS (L ONLY)
BYLINE=DAVID BUTLER
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: BURMESE RIOT POLICE TODAY (TUESDAY) DISRUPTED A MEETING
BETWEEN DEMOCRACY LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND YOUNG SUPPORTERS,
IN A SUBURB NORTH OF THE CAPITAL, RANGOON. AS DAVID BUTLER
REPORTS FROM OUR SOUTHEAST ASIA BUREAU IN BANGKOK, THE CLASH
COMES DESPITE THE GENERALLY MORE CONCILIATORY ATTITUDE BURMA'S
RULING MILITARY HAS RECENTLY BEEN TAKING TOWARD AUNG SAN SUU KYI
AND HER FOLLOWERS.
TEXT: AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND TWO LEADING OFFICIALS OF HER NATIONAL
LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY PARTY -- THE N-L-D -- HAD PLANNED TO MEET
WITH PARTY FOLLOWERS IN MAYANGON TOWNSHIP, JUST ONE KILOMETER
NORTH OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S HOME.
WHEN AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S MOTORCADE STOPPED AT A POLICE CHECKPOINT
NEAR THE SUBURBAN OFFICE, ABOUT A DOZEN OF HER FOLLOWERS RUSHED
HER WHITE SEDAN.
RIOT POLICE ENCIRCLED THE ENTHUSIASTIC YOUNG PEOPLE AND HERDED
THEM AWAY.
REPORTERS ACCOMPANYING AUNG SAN SUU KYI WERE ALSO RESTRAINED BY
THE BATON-WIELDING RIOT POLICE AND SO DID NOT SEE THE RESULT OF
THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN POLICE AND THE YOUNG N-L-D ACTIVISTS.
THE YOUNG ACTIVISTS WERE LATER RELEASED AND AUNG SAN SUU KYI HELD
A BRIEF MEETING WITH HER FOLLOWERS IN THE MAYANGON OFFICE.
LATE LAST MONTH THE N-L-D WAS ALLOWED TO CONVENE ITS FIRST
UNINTERRUPTED PARTY CONGRESS, SINCE AUNG SAN SUU KYI WAS RELEASED
FROM HOUSE ARREST MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO. THE CONGRESS WAS HELD
AT HER COMPOUND IN A UNIVERSITY DISTRICT IN NORTHERN RANGOON.
A WEEK AGO, THE 1991 NOBEL LAUREATE MET WITH YOUNG SUPPORTERS AT
ANOTHER N-L-D PARTY OFFICE IN THE NORTHERN SUBURBS OF THE
CAPITAL.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI SAID THEN THAT SHE PLANNED TO VISIT PARTY
OFFICES THROUGHOUT BURMA TO STRENGTHEN THE YOUTH WING OF HER
PARTY.
ALSO LAST WEEK, PHILIPPINES FOREIGN MINISTER DOMINGO SIAZON --
WHO WAS TRAVELING WITH PRESIDENT FERDINAND RAMOS -- MET WITH
AUNG SAN SUU KYI AT HER RANGOON HOME.
BURMESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DENIED THE MEETING TOOK PLACE, BUT
DIPLOMATS IN RANGOON CONFIRMED THAT IT DID.
THE DIPLOMATS AND OTHER ANALYSTS SAY THE RECENT CONCILIATORY
GESTURES TOWARDS AUNG SAN SUU KYI BY THE RULING MILITARY COUNCIL
ARE A RESULT OF QUIET PRESSURE FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS, WHICH BURMA JOINED IN
JULY.
THE SAME ANALYSTS SAY IT IS TOO EARLY TO JUDGE WHETHER TUESDAY'S
CONFRONTATION MARKED A CHANGE IN POLICY TOWARD THE LEADING
OPPOSITION PERSONALITY, BY THE RULING STATE LAW AND ORDER
RESTORATION COUNCIL . (SIGNED)
NEB/DB/FC
28-Oct-97 4:10 AM EST (0910 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.