Reuters-Myanmar military urges oppo

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Subject: Reuters-Myanmar military urges opposition to be ``sensible'' 

Myanmar military urges opposition to be ``sensible''
07:51 a.m. Jul 14, 1999 Eastern
YANGON, July 14 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military on Wednesday responded to an
opposition call for dialogue by urging it instead to dissolve a panel of
lawmakers the generals refuse to accept.

The ruling State Peace and Development Council asked the opposition National
League for Democracy to be ``more pragmatic and sensible.''

It was ``unfortunate'' that the NLD tried to win attention through symbolic
gestures rather than contributions to national goals, it said.

``The government wishes the NLD to act in a more pragmatic and sensible way
so that a positive and meaningful interaction can be resumed without any
interruption again,'' the ruling council said in a statement.

``The government believes the process could be managed with the NLD's
retraction of the committee which it says will act as an interim
parliament.''

It said the government viewed the existence of such a committee with ``great
concern.''

The government and the NLD found no common ground when they last held talks
in August. They teetered towards crisis when the NLD later announced the
formation of a panel to represent a parliament of members elected in the
country's last election.

The NLD won the poll by a landslide but the military ignored the result.

Last year's talks broke down over the military's persistent refusal to
parley with NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner
who is its most formidable opponent.

Last week, NLD vice chairman Tin Oo told Reuters in Yangon the military had
not responded to its offer to start talks at a low level.

Asked if the committee would be dissolved to pave the way for dialogue, Tin
Oo said: ``No, it was formed to work for dialogue, so we can't dissolve
it.''

He also said that Suu Kyi would have to be included once any talks reached a
summit level.

Last week a delegation from the European Union visited Myanmar with the aim
of reviving a dialogue with the generals and encouraging a rapprochment
between them and the NLD.

However, Foreign Minister Win Aung poured cold water over the idea of
foreign mediation when he told Reuters on Thursday that Myanmar could solve
its own problems.
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