Reuters-Suu Kyi road protest turns

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Suu Kyi road protest turns up Myanmar heat 
11:20 a.m. Aug 13, 1998 Eastern 

By Aung Hla Tun 

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi sat in a
minivan on a country road doing nothing on Thursday, but drew world
attention to her campaign for democracy and human rights. 

The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, a senior member of her National League
for Democracy (NLD) and two drivers were still in the vehicle on a small
wooden bridge over a creek near Anyarsu, 32 km (20 miles) west of Yangon by
late afternoon. 

The four were stopped there by police on Wednesday on their way to see
supporters in Pathein, 190 km (120 miles) west of the capital. The trip was
a repeat of a visit in late July that led to a similar six-day standoff
that was ended forcibly by government security men on July 29. 

``She has not spoken to anyone and has all the windows rolled up,'' said a
spokesman for the military government. ``I don't want to speculate on how
long she intends to stay there.'' 

The government had provided a medical team and security ``in case she and
her companions choose to stay by the roadside.'' 

The military have asked Suu Kyi and her companions to return to Yangon,
saying it is not safe on the road. 

But the NLD rejected this on Thursday, saying ``banning them from
travelling on the pretext of security is not logical.'' 

An NLD statement said Suu Kyi was making the trip ``to encourage the NLD
elected representatives.'' 

Suu Kyi's latest trip has intensified pressure on the country's military
rulers and drawn more attention to the NLD's demand that the government
convene a parliament by August 21 of members elected at polls in May 1990. 

The NLD swept those elections. But the military government ignored the
result and has rejected demands for democracy. 

A Japanese Foreign Ministry official told Reuters in Tokyo Japan was
closely watching Myanmar's treatment of Suu Kyi. 

``We are worried that things could escalate,'' he said. 

``The recent stand-off between Aung San Suu Kyi, in which her freedom to
travel was limited and she was forcibly taken back to her home, was a
violation of her freedom,'' he added. 

Eight nations, including Japan and the United States, began a concerted
action on Wednesday to press Myanmar to lift restrictions on Suu Kyi and
open a dialogue with the NLD. 

International pressure on the Myanmar military was stepped up Thursday as a
U.S. lawmaker headed for Asia to try to secure the release of 18 foreign
activists detained in Yangon on Sunday for distributing pro-democracy
leaflets. 

New Jersey Republican Representative Chris Smith, chairman of the House
Sub-Committee on International Operations and Human Rights, flew to Bangkok
vowing to ``make every effort'' to get into Myanmar and help secure their
release. 

``The purpose of my trip is to verify the safety and help secure the
release of all 18 detainees,'' he said. 

Myanmar has not said if it will prosecute the foreigners -- six Americans,
an Australian, three Thais, three Malaysians, three Indonesians and two
Filipinos -- or deport them. 

Government-run newspapers have accused the activists of being part of a
plot to destabilize the country and said the authorities would take
``necessary actions against them.'' 

The government says the legal process is being prolonged because ``a very
few (of the activists) are uncooperative.'' 

Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said Thailand would not press Myanmar
to release the detainees because it did not interfere in the affairs of
other countries. 

But he gave his moral support to the detainees, saying: 

``As a democratic country we also praise and support anyone who acts in
favour of democracy and human rights.'' 

The political deadlock in Myanmar hit the country's currency, the kyat,
which fell to record lows on Thursday of 384 to the dollar from its
previous low of 380 on Wednesday, dealers said. 

This is the fourth time Suu Kyi, daughter of independence hero Aung Sang,
has tried to visit supporters in recent weeks. 

Released from six years of house arrest in July 1995, Suu Kyi is severely
restricted in her movements by the military. 

She and her companions appear better prepared this time than on their trip
in July. Their van is full of food and water and the trip looks as if it is
well planned, local sources said. 

Suu Kyi became dehydrated during the trip in July and spent several days
recovering but vowed to leave again when she was well.