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Myanmar tensions rise after opposit



Myanmar tensions rise after opposition vow to form government

       Sat 22 Aug 98 - 06:08 GMT 

       YANGON, Aug 22 (AFP) - Political tensions escalated in Myanmar Saturday
after the opposition declared it would
       form its own government despite stern opposition from the country's
junta.

       There was no immediate response from the junta to the announcement from
the leading opposition National League
       for Democracy (NLD) party of Aung San Suu Kyi but foreign diplomats
said the military rulers could not allow the
       new parliament to be convened.

       "You'd have the NLD dominating the parliament and issuing announcements
effectively as the government of
       Burma," said one western envoy, using the former official name for
Myanmar.

       The NLD statement late Friday came as a leading dissident group called
for a nationwide uprising against the junta
       when it failed to meet an opposition deadline to convene the parliament
elected in 1990 but necer allowed to sit.

       "The National League for Democracy (NLD) will be convening a parliament
soon," a party statement said.

       The statement did not say when it would be formed or where it would
sit, but most elected members of parliament
       are believed to be active. A number have died since the polls, and
others have quit their parties or left Myanmar.

       The Thailand-based All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), one of
the biggest and most influential of
       opposition groups, said the junta had ignored the will of the people
and the international community by failing to
       hand over power to pro-democracy forces.

       "We therefore call on the people to begin an uprising, starting August
21, to bring democracy and human rights to
       Burma," the ABSDF said in a statement, using the former official name
for Myanmar.

       "We believe that there is no reason to continue to ask the military for
democracy and that the only way forward is
       through a people's movement."

       The NLD, which led the opposition to a landslide victory in 1990 polls
but has never been allowed to take power,
       had demanded the junta convene parliament by Friday or face unspecified
consequences.

       "The parliament has been invested with powers. As representatives of
the people they must take on these
       responsibilities," the NLD said.

       "Given the prevailing situation today the parliamentarians have the
responsibility to draft a future constitution along
       democratic lines.

       "By failing to fulfil their obligations of convening this parliament
the authorities have ignored the desire of the
       people but they have rescinded on their promises made earlier," the
statement said.

       "The National League for Democracy has a responsibility to convene
parliament," it said.

       Aung San Suu Kyi was camped out on a bridge 25 kilometres (15 miles)
from Yangon on Saturday for an 11th
       consecutive day after being blocked from travelling to meet provincial
supporters as the junta ignored her protest
       and her deadline for convening the parliament, foreign diplomats said.

       The ABSDF also gave its full backing to Aung San Suu Kyi in her
standoff and expressed concern about her health.

       Yangon was quiet Saturday and residents said many were staying home out
of apprehension unrest would erupt.

       Markets have been abuzz with rumours that unrest will erupt if the
junta failed to convene parliament by the Friday
       deadline.

       Truckloads of troops have been deployed late at night at strategic
locations this week in what residents said was an
       apparent bid to discourage any form of protest.

       Black-market foreign exchange trade has been brought to an effective as
the kyat currency languishes at new lows
       because of the tension and the Asian economic crisis.

                                                                              
          ©AFP 1998




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