Junta arrests four over ``four nine

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Subject: Junta arrests four over ``four nines'' conspiracy 

Myanmar arrests four over ``four nines'' conspiracy
05:53 a.m. Aug 13, 1999 Eastern
YANGON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government said on Friday it
had exposed a conspiracy to incite unrest next month and arrested four
activists.

``We have arrested four persons in connection with activities being carried
out to instigate ``four-nines-day'' disturbances on September 9, 1999,''
said Lieutenant-Colonel San Pwint, spokesman for the Directorate of Defence
Services Intelligence (DDSI).

Myanmar dissidents in exile have been calling for mass protests to mark
``four nines day'' -- September 9, 1999. The day was chosen for its
numerical significance following ``four-eights day'' -- August 8, 1988 --
which is taken to mark the start of a nationwide pro-democracy uprising
crushed by the army that year.

Nine is considered an auspicious number by some in Myanmar.

San Pwint said those arrested included two members of the All Burma Students
Democratic Front (ABSDF), a dissident group in exile, and two of the
National League for Democracy (NLD), the main opposition party.

He said Sein Aye, general secretary of ABSDF northern headquarters, and Than
Zaw, a sergeant in the group, were arrested near the town of Muse on the
Chinese border on June 10.

San Pwint said several anti-government groups, including the ABSDF, the
Karen National Union guerrillas and a pro-democracy government in exile,
were involved in the conspiracy along with underground members of the
now-defunct Burma Communist Party.

He said the conspirators had contacts with members of the NLD, which has
publicly stated its opposition to a repetition of mass street protests seen
during 1988.

Asked if the government planned steps against the party, Brigadier-General
Kyaw Win, deputy director of the DDSI, said the NLD leadership had told
members not to take part in disturbances.

``However, we don't think the responsible leaders know the involvement of
some low ranking members,'' he said.

``It's a bit early to say what exact measures we are going take, although we
have exposed some indirect relationships between NLD and these activities.
We still need to wait and see.''

Myanmar dissidents say the military, which does not tolerate street
protests, recently launched a crackdown that has involved detention of
dozens of activists.

Earlier this month, a commentary in official newspapers accused NLD leader
Aung San Suu Kyi of ``brazenly spoiling peace'' and reiterated a call for
legal action against her.

Suu Kyi's party, which emerged during the 1988 uprising, won Myanmar's last
election in 1990 by a landslide, but the military ignored the result and has
attempted to silence the party through a long campaign of arrests and
intimidation.
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Myanmar dissidents say military arrests four
05:25 a.m. Aug 12, 1999 Eastern
BANGKOK, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Myanmar dissidents said on Thursday the military
government had arrested four more political activists in a central town as
part of a crackdown to prevent unrest on anniversaries of a 1988
pro-democracy uprising.

The National Council of the Union of Burma, an umbrella group of dissidents
based on the Thai-Myanmar border, said the four -- three students aged
between 18 and 20 and a trader aged 23 -- were arrested by the military
intelligence in Pegu on August 2.

``According to residents of Pegu several arrests have taken place in Pegu
lately,'' it said in a statement. ``The crackdown seems to be the result of
the fear of the military of a repetition of the countrywide demonstrations
in 1988.''

Pegu is about 80 km (50 miles) north of Yangon and was a centre of
anti-government activism during the 1988 uprising.

The statement said the authorities appeared concerned about the possibility
of plans to mark the 11th anniversary of the killing of 15 students and
demonstrators in Pegu on August 6, 1988.

The statement added that ``according to some sources,'' another 40 activists
from the Pegu area had been detained recently, including members of the main
opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), and were being
held in a military compound.

They included the former chairman of the Pegu township NLD and an NLD MP who
were later released, it said.

A government spokesman could not be reached for comment.

The dissident statement said the crackdown followed the detention of 19
people in Pegu in July in connection with anti-government activity.

Myanmar dissidents in exile have been calling for mass protests to mark
``four nines day'' -- September 9, 1999.

The government has responded by stepping up attacks against the opposition
in the state press in recent weeks. Earlier this month a commentary in
official newspapers accused NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi of ``brazenly
spoiling peace'' and reiterated a call for legal action against her.

Suu Kyi's party won Myanmar's last election in 1990 by a landslide, but the
military ignored the result and has attempted to silence the party through a
long campaign of arrests and intimidation.
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