SCMP-Defiant junta warns it will no

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

 South China Morning Post
Tuesday  September 1  1998

Defiant junta warns it will not be overthrown 

ASSOCIATED PRESS in Rangoon 
The military regime declared yesterday that the opposition led by Nobel
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi could not rule the country without a partnership
with the armed forces.

The army, which has ruled Burma since 1962, would not tolerate any attempt
by Ms Aung San Suu Kyi to instigate civil unrest to bring about an end to
military government, commentaries in official newspapers warned.

The warnings come amid a renewed campaign by Ms Aung San Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy to put pressure on the Government to allow a
parliament elected in 1990 to convene.

The opposition overwhelmingly won the election, but the military - known as
the Tatmadaw - refused to relinquish power.

"It is not the right time to convene a parliament. If the parliament cannot
be convened, will the NLD incite civil strife with the assistance of alien
nations?" the commentaries said.

"Will the Tatmadaw tolerate such attempts? It should not be forgotten that
the welfare of the people is the most important thing," they said.

"The public is inseparable from the Tatmadaw and so is the Government from
the Tatmadaw."

The commentaries claimed that Burma's people regarded Ms Aung San Suu Kyi,
53, as a troublemaker and urged her to change her "negative attitude".

The Government has occasionally met other party officials, but steadfastly
refuses to speak to Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, viewing her as a tool of Western
powers whom they feel are bent on re-colonising Burma.

Diplomats briefed by the Government last week expressed scepticism that
recent meetings were a stepping-stone to a real dialogue, noting that
threats of prison and a ban of the NLD were made.