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U.S Concerns Myanmar ARRESTED



U.S. looks to ``ratchet up'' pressure on Myanmar

By David Storey

WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday it was
seeking ways to increase pressure on Myanmar following the arrest of more than
200 opposition activists in the last few days. 

``We're looking at this issue with great concern. We're looking at ways to
ratchet up the pressure on the government of Burma (Myanmar),'' State
Department spokesman James Rubin said. 

Washington already maintains strict sanctions on the southeast Asian state and
has urged other regional states to follow suit, although they have been
reluctant to do so. 

Rubin condemned calls in the military government's official media for
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be deported. 
 ``A decision to deport Aung San Suu Kyi would only ratchet up the
international response,'' he told a regular news briefing. 

The physically slight but steely Suu Kyi, daughter of national hero Aung San
who led the struggle to throw off British rule after the Second World War, won
the Nobel Peace prize in 1991 for her fight for democratic rights. 

An article in two official newspapers argued that she should be deported
because she was intent on destabilising Myanmar and because her marriage to a
British academic made her a foreigner. 

Rubin said: ``Resolution of the political impasse in Burma will require real
substantive dialogue with the democratic opposition, including Aung San Suu
Kyi and representatives of the ethnic groups.'' 

He added: ``Arbitrary detentions are unjustifiable and will only worsen rather
than solve the political crisis.'' 

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy said on Tuesday 200 of its members
have been detained since the weekend, including 63 elected members of
parliament. 

The crackdown coincides with plans by the NLD to convene a ``People's
Parliament'' later this month in recognition of its landslide win in the last
general election eight years ago. 

Although the military arranged for the election, it ignored the result and
maintained its grip on power when the opposition party won an overwhelming
victory. 

The United States has repeatedly pressed the military authorities, who
ruthlessly crushed a popular uprising for democracy 10 years ago, to engage in
a dialogue with the opposition. 

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who warned in July of a political
``explosion'' in Myanmar that could undermine regional stability, last month
said a ``moment of truth'' was approaching for the military rulers. 

In May 1997 the United States imposed unilateral sanctions on Myanmar, barring
any new investment but allowing existing projects to go ahead. 

Last Friday the World Bank cut financial ties to Myanmar, saying it would not
consider giving the government any more money because it had failed to make
repayments on past loans. 

Rubin harshly criticised the detention of opposition figures. ``I gather that
when they were rounding people up in the middle of the night, they said
publicly their rationale was just to have a dialogue with these leaders. 

``They were rounding up people in their 70s and 80s at 3:00 a.m. in the
morning, 4:00 a.m. in the morning. So clearly, they are -- the government
there is not approaching this problem in anything resembling a constructive
way,'' he said.