FOUR NLD MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ARRE

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Media Release
Date: August 12, 1998

                                    
                 FOUR NLD MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ARRESTED

Burma's State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has detained
four more Members of Parliament (MP) from the National League for
Democracy (NLD) for defying restrictions on their movement,
according to sources in Rangoon.

The four were arrested in their home towns in Magwe and Irrawaddy
Divisions for defying an Order restricting their movements and
requiring them to report twice a day to the authorities. 

The four arrests bring the number of NLD MPs known to have been
detained since mid-June this year to 83. 

On August 3, two MPs from Magwe Division - U Bo Htway (Nat Mauk 1
Constituency) and U Tha Aung (Myothit 1 Constituency) - were
arrested for disobeying the restrictions. The same day an MP in
Irrawaddy Division - U Tin Win (Kyaik Latt Constituency) - was
arrested for the same reason. 

Meanwhile, on August 10, another MP from Magwe Division - U Kyi
Lwin (Ngape Constituency) - was arrested for disobeying the same
restrictions. The travel restrictions are contained in the
provisions of the 1961 Restriction and Bond Act, which is
intended to restrict the movements of criminals.

Although the SPDC detained the four MPs for disobeying the
Restriction and Bond Act, sources say the four are to be charged
under Section 5(j) of the 1950 Emergency Provision Act. Under
this law, the MPs can be handed down longer prison sentences.
Under the Restriction and Bond Act, violators can only be
detained for a very short period. 

The SPDC began to impose the travel restrictions on MPs under the
Restriction and Bond Act immediately after the NLD demanded in
June that the parliament of the 1990 election be convened by
August 21. Many NLD MPs have defied the restrictions since party
Chairman U Aung Shwe sent them a letter on July 14 urging them to
disobey the Order and to not let themselves be degraded by
reporting daily to the authorities.

Meanwhile, a source in Rangoon says military authorities last
week used intimidation to force a further two MPs from Pegu
Division - U Aye (Thegone Constituency) and U Aye Myint
(Gyobinggauk Constituency) - to resign from parliament.    

All Burma Students' Democratic Front 

For more information please call 01-253 9082, 01-654 4984.