BBC-Burma's military frees senior o

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Wednesday, September 16, 1998 Published at 17:25 GMT 18:25 UK 

Burma's military frees senior opposition member 


The military authorities in Burma say they have released a senior member of
the opposition, Thakin Khin Nyunt, who was detained last week. 

A military spokesman said Thakin Khin Nyunt had been released on Monday and
he was now at home with his family in good health. 

The spokesman said other members of the opposition National League for
Democracy would be released provided the party's leadership showed
cooperation and goodwill. 

He warned the NLD against trying to convene parliament, saying such a move
could lead to political chaos. 

The NLD says almost eight-hundred of its activists have been arrested since
May (-- over three-hundred of those in the past week) . (The opposition in
Burma has vowed to convene by the end of September the parliament which was
elected in 1990 but never allowed to sit. 

The military has forbidden parliament from meeting until the country has a
constitution: a committee drawing up a constitution has not met since
1996.) 



>From the newsroom of the BBC World Service