BBC-Suu Kyi makes rare public appea

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Subject: BBC-Suu Kyi makes rare public appearance 

Monday, July 19, 1999 Published at 11:45 GMT 12:45 UK

World: Asia-Pacific

Suu Kyi makes rare public appearance

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made a rare public appearance
in the capital, Rangoon, to commemorate the anniversary of the assassination
of her father, the hero of the country's independence struggle.

In the only event of the year where Miss Suu Kyi is allowed to take part in
official ceremonies, she arrived at the concrete Martyrs Mausoleum at the
foot of Rangoon's gilded Shwedagon Pagoda in a black sedan.

The mausoleum was built in honour of Gen Aung San, who was murdered in 1947,
along with most of his cabinet.

Miss Suu Kyi bowed in front of her father's tomb and set down three baskets
of purple and white orchids.

Reports say the mausoleum was closed to the public during her visit.

She later arrived at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy,
where she was welcomed by 400 supporters.

She made no speech, but Tin Oo, the party vice-chairman, read a nine-page
statement urging the military government to engage in dialogue.

'Traitor'

For the third consecutive year, official newspapers conspicuously abandoned
a tradition of marking the holiday, known as Martyrs Day, with a special
page on the life of Gen Aung San.

Instead, newspapers controlled by the military regime have used the holiday
to criticise Miss Suu Kyi, describing her as a traitor.

The New Light of Myanmar, which regularly demonises Aung San Suu Kyi in its
pages, called on her party, the National League for Democracy, to dump her,
saying she had sold sold herself and the country to foreigners.
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