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Myanmar Media Warn Deputy NLD Faces



Myanmar media warn deputy NLD leader faces arrest


YANGON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Myanmar's state media warned on Sunday that deputy
opposition leader Tin Oo faced possible arrest for trying to split the
country's powerful armed forces. 

A commentary in two state-owned Myanmar language newspapers said Tin Oo, vice
chairman of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), had been
involved in distributing leaflets aimed at sowing discord within the military.

``These days the NLD is sowing the seeds of discord among the Tatmadaw (armed
forces) by distributing the so called 'An appeal to the Tatmadaw men'...it is
quite clear that U Tin Oo masterminded these plots,'' it said. 

The commentary, by a newspaper columnist who normally echoed the military
government's views, said the deputy NLD chairman was privileged to have had
his jail term shortened to three years by the government after he pledged not
to breach laws. 

``His defiant violations of the laws, despite a full knowledge of them, can no
longer be forgiven or forgotten...state leaders out of pity released him on
March 15, 1995, to let him serve his remaining sentence outside on bail...he
is liable to the rest of his sentence for what he is doing now,'' the
commentary said. 

It was not clear from the commentary if the deputy of NLD leader Aung San Suu
Kyi would be arrested by the authorities. 

A phone call to Tin Oo's house in central Yangon was not answered. The deputy
NLD leader had served various jail terms since the 1970s mostly on charges of
plotting against Myanmar military governments. 

He was last convicted in 1992 and given a seven-year jail term for disrupting
peace and security but he was freed in 1995. 

The newspaper commentary said the offending written statements, calling on the
military to help the NLD convene parliament, were written by Tin Oo who was
also accused of getting them broadcast on foreign radio media last week. 

An exiled anti-military opposition front said on Sunday that 15 senior
military officers had been arrested early this month for planning to meet Aung
San Suu Kyi. 

The All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) said in a statement received
by Reuters that the arrested officers were accused by the ruling State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC) of deviating from official policy. 

``We know that these officers were planning to discuss the political situation
with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and their actions show the growing desire by
soldiers and officers alike for genuine political reform in Burma (Myanmar),''
said ABSDF vice chairman Moe Thee Zun. 

He said the arrests were not supported by the rank and file in the military. 

ABSDF, an exiled government based on the Thai-Myanmar border, said it was told
by military sources in Yangon that the 15 officers included six army colonels,
five air force colonels and three naval majors. 

04:59 09-13-98