NEWS - More Lies, More Coercison of

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

Subject: NEWS - More Lies, More Coercison of the NLD by Burmese Dictatorship

NOTICE: Again violations of the SPDC's own election laws. Also these
resignations weren't done formally through the NLD leaders as well as
not accepted by the NLD.


Myanmar Claims More Opposition Members Quit Nld

            Reuters
            09-DEC-98

            YANGON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Myanmar's state-owned media
            reported on Wednesday that 493 more members of the
            opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) had quit
            the party, bringing the total number of resignations since
            September to 2,689. 

            The Myanma News Agency (MNA) reported that the
            members had quit on their own volition and had said they no
            longer wished to participate in the activities of the NLD,
led
            by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. 

            NLD leaders have repeatedly said they do not recognise or
            acknowledge the reported resignations and have charged
            the military government with applying pressure on members
            to resign. 

            The NLD's poor relations with the government took a further
            dive in September when it demanded the convening of a
            parliament of representatives elected in an abortive 1990
            general election. 

            The NLD swept that poll but the military refused to
recognise
            the results. Since then the two sides have been at political
            loggerheads. 

            The number of township NLD executive committees that had
            dissolved themselves "and are no longer willing to take part
            in the party politics being pursued by the NLD" since
            September now totalled 23, the MNA reported. 

            MNA also reported that another NLD elected representative,
            Sai Tun Aung, for the Mongyaung Township constituency in
            northern Shan state, had resigned with effect from
            December 8. 

            This brings to 55 the number of NLD elected representatives
            that have resigned so far, official records show. There are
            also several more NLD members of parliament who have fled
            the country. 

            In the 1990 polls, the NLD won 392 of 485 seats contested. 

            The military government has detained hundreds of NLD
            members since September to try to make them change their
            minds about involvement with the NLD, despite protests from
            the party.