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Reuters-Myanmar generals unmoved as



Subject: Reuters-Myanmar generals unmoved as veterans urge talks 

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Myanmar generals unmoved as veterans urge talks=20
07:09 a.m. Dec 02, 1999 Eastern=20
YANGON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Veteran politicians in Myanmar called for =
national reconciliation talks on Thursday but the ruling military =
appeared to dash such hopes, attacking opponents as tools of =
``neo-colonialists.''=20

The veterans, led by one of the country's independence heroes, Bohmu =
Aung, marked Myanmar's National Day with a call for three-way talks =
between the military, opposition and ethnic minorities.=20

In a statement read out at a ceremony at the Yangon headquarters of the =
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), the group urged =
``practical discussions as soon as possible, discarding mistrust, =
suspicion and grudges.''=20

Bohmu Aung, 89, is one of the four surviving members of Myanmar's =
``Thirty Comrades'' who led the country's fight for independence from =
British colonial rule in the 1940s.=20

The military has rejected calls for three-way talks and efforts to =
encourage a dialogue between it and the NLD, which it has kept from =
power despite a landslide 1990 election win.=20

SENIOR GENERAL CONDEMNS NEO-COLONIALISTS=20

And in his national day message, Senior-General Than Shwe, chairman of =
the ruling military council, accused ``neo-colonialists'' and ``cohort =
negativist internal axehandles'' of trying to incite anarchy.=20

``The national people must with full patriotic and union spirits oppose, =
condemn and crush destructive acts of neo-colonialists and internal =
axe-handles subservient to external elements,'' he said in a statement =
published by state media.=20

The NLD ceremony was attended by about 350 people, led by party leader =
Aung San Suu Kyi.=20

NLD Vice Chairman Tin Oo called the closure of universities and colleges =
around the country since student protests in 1996 an immeasurable =
national loss.=20

``(They) have never been closed for such a long time like this, even =
while the country was a British colony,'' he said.=20

National Day coincided with a visit by former Japanese premier Ryutaro =
Hashimoto, who in a meeting with military leaders on Wednesday urged the =
reopening of universities and colleges as soon as possible.=20

Brigadier-General David Abel, a minister in Than Shwe's office, =
responding to questions by Japanese reporters, said 75 percent of =
classes had already restarted and arrangements were underway to reopen =
those remaining at the beginning of the new academic year starting next =
April.=20

Hashimoto, Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's senior foreign policy =
adviser, came to Myanmar to discuss a recent offer by Tokyo to resume =
aid if the generals move towards democracy.=20

His visit follows summit-level talks between Japanese Prime Minister =
Keizo Obuchi and Than Shwe in the Philippines on Sunday, the first =
between the countries in 15 years.=20

The tightly controlled state media has made no mention of Hashimoto's =
visit, which is officially described as ``private.''=20





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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT color=3D#ff0000><FONT =
size=3D+1><STRONG>Myanmar=20
generals unmoved as veterans urge talks</STRONG></FONT> <BR></FONT>07:09 =
a.m.=20
Dec 02, 1999 Eastern=20
<P>YANGON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Veteran politicians in Myanmar called for =
national=20
reconciliation talks on Thursday but the ruling military appeared to =
dash such=20
hopes, attacking opponents as tools of ``neo-colonialists.''=20
<P>The veterans, led by one of the country's independence heroes, Bohmu =
Aung,=20
marked Myanmar's National Day with a call for three-way talks between =
the=20
military, opposition and ethnic minorities.=20
<P>In a statement read out at a ceremony at the Yangon headquarters of =
the=20
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), the group urged =
``practical=20
discussions as soon as possible, discarding mistrust, suspicion and =
grudges.''=20
<P>Bohmu Aung, 89, is one of the four surviving members of Myanmar's =
``Thirty=20
Comrades'' who led the country's fight for independence from British =
colonial=20
rule in the 1940s.=20
<P>The military has rejected calls for three-way talks and efforts to =
encourage=20
a dialogue between it and the NLD, which it has kept from power despite =
a=20
landslide 1990 election win.=20
<P><STRONG>SENIOR GENERAL CONDEMNS NEO-COLONIALISTS</STRONG>=20
<P>And in his national day message, Senior-General Than Shwe, chairman =
of the=20
ruling military council, accused ``neo-colonialists'' and ``cohort =
negativist=20
internal axehandles'' of trying to incite anarchy.=20
<P>``The national people must with full patriotic and union spirits =
oppose,=20
condemn and crush destructive acts of neo-colonialists and internal =
axe-handles=20
subservient to external elements,'' he said in a statement published by =
state=20
media.=20
<P>The NLD ceremony was attended by about 350 people, led by party =
leader Aung=20
San Suu Kyi.=20
<P>NLD Vice Chairman Tin Oo called the closure of universities and =
colleges=20
around the country since student protests in 1996 an immeasurable =
national loss.=20

<P>``(They) have never been closed for such a long time like this, even =
while=20
the country was a British colony,'' he said.=20
<P>National Day coincided with a visit by former Japanese premier =
Ryutaro=20
Hashimoto, who in a meeting with military leaders on Wednesday urged the =

reopening of universities and colleges as soon as possible.=20
<P>Brigadier-General David Abel, a minister in Than Shwe's office, =
responding to=20
questions by Japanese reporters, said 75 percent of classes had already=20
restarted and arrangements were underway to reopen those remaining at =
the=20
beginning of the new academic year starting next April.=20
<P>Hashimoto, Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's senior foreign =
policy=20
adviser, came to Myanmar to discuss a recent offer by Tokyo to resume =
aid if the=20
generals move towards democracy.=20
<P>His visit follows summit-level talks between Japanese Prime Minister =
Keizo=20
Obuchi and Than Shwe in the Philippines on Sunday, the first between the =

countries in 15 years.=20
<P>The tightly controlled state media has made no mention of Hashimoto's =
visit,=20
which is officially described as ``private.''=20
<P><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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