SCMP : Aung San Suu Kyi hints at co

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

South China Morning Post
Monday  July 20  1998

Aung San Suu Kyi hints at convening parliament 

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Rangoon 
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi hinted that parliament may be convened
in defiance of the junta, in comments released yesterday as the country
marked the anniversary of the death of her revered father.

"This is not something I can answer now, but what I can tell you is we
consider it our responsibility to implement the will of the people," Ms
Aung San Suu Kyi said, when asked if her National League for Democracy
(NLD) would convene parliament.

The NLD chief also renewed a call for dialogue with the junta, saying the
party had a "transitional plan" to bring democracy to the strife-torn
country.

"It's a flexible plan," Ms Aung San Suu Kyi said, declining to go into more
detail but adding the NLD "have always said we don't want a zero-sum
solution".

The NLD-led opposition won 1990 polls by a landslide but the junta refused
to relinquish power. It also spurned opposition calls for dialogue.

Parliament has never met but the NLD has told the junta it must convene the
assembly by August 21 or face unspecified consequences.

Political tensions have escalated amid a series of politically sensitive
anniversaries in July and August marking events including military
crackdowns on pro-democracy demonstrators.

Yesterday was Martyrs' Day, anniversary of the 1947 killings of leader Aung
San, father of the current opposition leader, and his cabinet. Aung San is
revered by both the junta and the opposition.

The NLD leader dismissed junta suggestions she could be in danger from
unidentified plotters. "I don't think we could be in any more danger than
we have been for the last 10 years," she said.

"I'm as safe as anyone in Burma, which of course is not saying much if you
are under a dictatorial regime," the Nobel Peace Prize winner said, adding
she did not feel the danger was increasing.