Reuters-opposition member dies in c

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Subject: Reuters-opposition member dies in custody

Myanmar opposition member dies in custody-military 
05:29 a.m. Oct 28, 1998 Eastern 

YANGON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A member of Myanmar's pro-democracy opposition died
of cancer last week while in custody, the military government said on
Wednesday. 

``The government of Myanmar regrets to report that U Aung Min, a member of the
National League for Democracy, passed away in a Defence Services Hospital in
Mandalay on October 21,'' it said in a statement. 

 It said Aung Min, 52, had suffered from cancer of the lymph glands which had
spread all over his body. 

The announcement of the death comes during a visit by U.N. Assistant
Secretary-General Alvaro de Soto, who was sent by Secretary-General Kofi Annan
to nudge the generals towards democracy. He arrived on Tuesday. 

Eight years ago, a senior member of the NLD, Maung Ko, died in custody during
a similarly high profile visit by U.N. official Sadako Ogata, now the U.N.
High Commissioner for Refugees, to check reports of human rights abuses. 

The military said Maung Ko commited suicide, but relatives said bruises on his
body showed he had been tortured to death. 

Myanmar and U.N. officials have kept up a war of words in recent months over
human rights, in particular the military's treatment of the NLD. 

The party says nearly 1,000 of its members have been detained since May, when
it resolved to seek a parliament in recognition of its landslide win in a 1990
election which the military has ignored. 

The government has said an indeterminate number of NLD mambers have been
``invited'' to discuss the party's plans at government guesthouses since early
last month. 

In its statement, it said it had released 15 on Wednesday, bringing the number
allowed home in the past few days to 114. 

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson called this month for
the freeing of Myanmar's political prisoners and urged the government to halt
``repression'' of the opposition. 

Human rights groups outside Myanmar accuse the generals of massive abuses,
including the use of forced labour, arbitrary detentions and summary
executions. Yangon denies the charges. 


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