NEWS - Aung San Suu Kyi slams milit

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

Subject: NEWS - Aung San Suu Kyi slams military crackdown ahead of September 9

Myanmar-politics
   Aung San Suu Kyi slams military crackdown ahead of September 9
   
   YANGON, Aug 24 (AFP) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has
given 
support to dissidents campaigning for a mass uprising next month, and
warned 
the ruling military junta is using the so-called 'four nines movement'
as a 
pretext to tighten its grip.
   "I think they are using it as an excuse for cracking down," she said
in an 
interview with AFP late Monday.
   "The authorities should not try to find victims for what will arise
out of 
their shortcomings," she added.
   The junta has lashed out at dissidents for waging a campaign of 
"disinformation" to create civil unrest on September 9 -- or 9/9/99.
   Aung San Suu Kyi said her National League for Democracy (NLD) had not 
masterminded the 'four nines campaign, but said she would not abandon 
dissidents calling for a general uprising on September 9.
   "This is not a campaign that we started but our policy has always
been very 
clear on such things -- we will never disown any of our allies who have
fought 
for democracy," she said.
   The Nobel Peace laureate would not say whether she expected the mass 
uprising to go ahead, but warned the people's desire for democracy could
not 
be suppressed forever.
   "What we are sure of is that the people are generally discontent and
it 
would not surprise me if there is discontent in some form or other, but
when 
it will come out we cannot predict," she said.
   "If there is a general uprising it will be because of the discontent
of the 
people, because of the hardships that our people are having to face."
   The military junta has confirmed it has arrested 37 people in
connection 
with the 'four nines' movement, but said there was no support for a mass 
uprising and the planned unrest was destined to fail.
   August 8 this year marked the 11th anniversary of an uprising in
which 
hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators were gunned down by the army and
a 
junta took power from strongman General Ne Win.
   That anniversary passed peacefully, but dissident groups have said 
Myanmar's people have an "appointment" with September 9 to repeat the
events 
of 1988 and end the military's 37-year domination of politics.
   Aung San Suu Kyi has been locked in a bitter political struggle with 
Myanmar's military rulers since she led the NLD to an overwhelming
victory in 
1990 elections.
   The junta ignored the results and embarked on a campaign of
intimidation 
and arrest of NLD members and supporters.
   agr-gw/tw