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Pro-government Myanmar rally condemns ``terrorists''
07:45 a.m. Oct 15, 1999 Eastern
YANGON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - About 15,000 people gathered for a pro-government
rally in the Myanmar capital on Friday to condemn what they called
``terrorists and terrorism'' in an apparent response to a siege this month
of the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok.

Witnesses said the demonstration, which lasted a little over an hour, was
made up of 22 semi-government organisations from various parts of Myanmar.

It coincided with a visit to Myanmar of assistant U.N. secretary-general for
political affairs Alvaro de Soto who has held meetings with the government
and opposition in a bid to promote dialogue.

Rally organisers proposed a motion, approved unanimously by the largely
subdued crowd, that ``we firmly support the efforts carried out by the
government for the prevalence of peace and development.''

Myanmar's military government has been embarrassed by the 25-hour siege of
its embassy in the Thai capital on October 1-2, which ended when five armed
Myanmar dissidents freed their 89 hostages and escaped in a Thai government
helicopter.

Although condemned by the official Myanmar opposition, the bloodless
publicity stunt gave the pro-democracy activists' cause a huge boost by
highlighting their demands for the convening of a parliament elected in
1990.

The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel peace prize winner
Aung San Suu Kyi, won that poll by an overwhelming margin but the ruling
generals have never allowed it to govern.

Relations with neighbouring Thailand were damaged by the siege and by
Thailand's refusal to condemn the action.

Thai Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart said after the siege that his
government didn't consider them terrorists but ``student activists who fight
for democracy.''

Yangon accused Thailand of glorifying the ``terrorists.''

The NLD issued a statement accusing the Myanmar military intelligence
services of organising Friday's rally.

Local sources told Reuters a similar rally might also take place in
Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, but gave no further details.

In the past the Myanmar government has used similar rallies to put pressure
on the opposition. It engineered a series of rallies in 19 Myanmar cities in
1998 to condemn the NLD and Suu Kyi during a period of pro-democracy
activism, diplomats said.

De Soto was due to meet the powerful Secretary-One of Myanmar's ruling State
Peace and Development Council Khin Nyunt and other government officials on
Friday.