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Reuters-Myanmar general sees Suu Ky



Subject: Reuters-Myanmar general sees Suu Kyi as ``younger sister'' 

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Myanmar general sees Suu Kyi as ``younger sister''=20
06:53 a.m. Dec 08, 1999 Eastern=20
BANGKOK, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Myanmar's powerful intelligence chief said in =
a rare interview he bears no personal grudge towards opposition leader =
Aung San Suu Kyi and sees her as a ``younger sister,'' but wishes she =
would abandon confrontation.=20

Interviewed by Asiaweek magazine in Manila this week, Lieutenant General =
Khin Nyunt also denied that Yangon's much-criticised military was =
holding political prisoners and said democracy would come sooner if the =
West lifted sanctions.=20

The interview will appear in the next edition of Asiaweek on sale from =
Dec 10. Asiaweek issued a news release on the interview on Wednesday.=20

Asked if he personally disliked Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate who =
has been tf Defence Services Intelligence. Officially number three in =
the military government, he is widely thought to be its most powerful =
figure.=20

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won Myanmar's last election in =
1990 by a huge margin but the military never allowed it to govern and =
has since tried to silence the party through arrests and intimidation, =
including forced resignations.=20

PARTY ``DISSATISFIED'' WITH SUU KYI=20

Asked if Suu Kyi would ever be allowed to lead the country, Khin Nyunt =
replied: ``Even among her own party members, even the hardcore members, =
they are resigning from the party because they are dissatisfied at the =
way that she is running the party...more and more are supporting the =
government.''=20

Khin Nyunt repeated government denials when asked about reports of =
800-1,000 political prisoners being hled in the country.=20

``Let me put the record straight. There are no political prisoners in =
our country. We do not put people in prison because of their political =
beliefs...That is an exaggerated number.''=20

Asked why the government refused to let Suu Kyi travel outside Yangon, =
Khin Nyunt said there were constant threats from terrorist groups that =
could endanger her life.=20

``This we would not want to happen. So we are requesting her to stay in =
Yangon for the time being.''=20

He defended the government's economic and political record, saying it =
had switched from a socialist system to a market-orientated one and =
carried out unprecedented infrastructure development. It had also led =
the country out of isolation to join the Association of Southeast Asian =
Nations.=20

To the suggestion it had failed politically, he said: ``That's not true. =
We have changed the political system from a one-party state to a =
multi-party system. Please remember it was only during our time that =
political parties were allowed to be formed.''=20

Khin Nyunt declined to criticise Ne Win, architect of Myanmar's =
authoritarianism who headed the failed 1962-1988 socialist =
administration and is still considered a power behind the scenes.=20

``It's not our policy to pass judgement on previous administrations. =
Whatever they did during their time, they tried to do it with the =
interests of the national at heart. There is no linkage between the =
previous government and the present one.''=20





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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D+1><STRONG>Myanmar general =
sees Suu Kyi=20
as ``younger sister''</STRONG></FONT> <BR>06:53 a.m. Dec 08, 1999 =
Eastern=20
<P>BANGKOK, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Myanmar's powerful intelligence chief said =
in a=20
rare interview he bears no personal grudge towards opposition leader =
Aung San=20
Suu Kyi and sees her as a ``younger sister,'' but wishes she would =
abandon=20
confrontation.=20
<P>Interviewed by Asiaweek magazine in Manila this week, Lieutenant =
General Khin=20
Nyunt also denied that Yangon's much-criticised military was holding =
political=20
prisoners and said democracy would come sooner if the West lifted =
sanctions.=20
<P>The interview will appear in the next edition of Asiaweek on sale =
from Dec=20
10. Asiaweek issued a news release on the interview on Wednesday.=20
<P>Asked if he personally disliked Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate who =
has=20
been tf Defence Services Intelligence. Officially number three in the =
military=20
government, he is widely thought to be its most powerful figure.=20
<P>Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won Myanmar's last election =
in 1990=20
by a huge margin but the military never allowed it to govern and has =
since tried=20
to silence the party through arrests and intimidation, including forced=20
resignations.=20
<P>PARTY ``DISSATISFIED'' WITH SUU KYI=20
<P>Asked if Suu Kyi would ever be allowed to lead the country, Khin =
Nyunt=20
replied: ``Even among her own party members, even the hardcore members, =
they are=20
resigning from the party because they are dissatisfied at the way that =
she is=20
running the party...more and more are supporting the government.''=20
<P>Khin Nyunt repeated government denials when asked about reports of =
800-1,000=20
political prisoners being hled in the country.=20
<P>``Let me put the record straight. There are no political prisoners in =
our=20
country. We do not put people in prison because of their political=20
beliefs...That is an exaggerated number.''=20
<P>Asked why the government refused to let Suu Kyi travel outside =
Yangon, Khin=20
Nyunt said there were constant threats from terrorist groups that could =
endanger=20
her life.=20
<P>``This we would not want to happen. So we are requesting her to stay =
in=20
Yangon for the time being.''=20
<P>He defended the government's economic and political record, saying it =
had=20
switched from a socialist system to a market-orientated one and carried =
out=20
unprecedented infrastructure development. It had also led the country =
out of=20
isolation to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.=20
<P>To the suggestion it had failed politically, he said: ``That's not =
true. We=20
have changed the political system from a one-party state to a =
multi-party=20
system. Please remember it was only during our time that political =
parties were=20
allowed to be formed.''=20
<P>Khin Nyunt declined to criticise Ne Win, architect of Myanmar's=20
authoritarianism who headed the failed 1962-1988 socialist =
administration and is=20
still considered a power behind the scenes.=20
<P>``It's not our policy to pass judgement on previous administrations. =
Whatever=20
they did during their time, they tried to do it with the interests of =
the=20
national at heart. There is no linkage between the previous government =
and the=20
present one.''=20
<P><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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