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Reuters Suu Kyi, Myanmar junta begi



Subject: Reuters Suu Kyi, Myanmar junta begin new millennium with old battle

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Tuesday, January 4 8:09 PM SGT=20
Suu Kyi, Myanmar junta begin new millennium with old battle
YANGON, Jan 4 (AFP) -=20
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday urged Myanmar's generals =
not to cling to power in the face of the country's worsening condition =
during a speech marking the 52nd anniversary of independence from =
Britain.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) leader's speech to 500 party =
faithful followed a verbal lashing from the junta at a rally earlier in =
the day branding her a "terrorist", an exchange observers said set the =
tone of "business as usual" for the new millennium.

"Do not cling to power just for your own interests," Aung San Suu Kyi =
said, adding the freedoms and human rights enjoyed by the people of =
Myanmar had deteriorated since colonial times.

Using ammunition provided by a recent controversial World Bank report, =
the NLD also issued an 11-page declaration lambasting the ruling =
military for driving the economy into the ground and closing =
universities.

The junta earlier branded the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi "terrorists" and =
"traitors" and called on the people to destroy them.

More than 15,000 members of government-sponsored associations gathered =
in Yangon's People's Park to listen to the Independence Day message from =
junta chairman General Than Shwe.

"It is imperative to oppose and remove with the people's might the =
destructive danger of the terrorist and destructive group heading for =
utter devastation," said the message read by Yangon's military commander =
and run in all state media.

In the speech, read out following a flag-hoisting ceremony, Than Shwe =
also called for people "to oppose the neocolonialists from abroad" who =
were assisting "internal national traitors."

Although Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD were not named, the =
language used was that typically reserved for them by the junta which =
has repeatedly accused them of having foreign backing.

It also echoed language used by the Nobel peace prize winner and =
daughter of independence hero General Aung San in a message delivered =
after her release from house arrest by the junta in 1995, observers =
said.

The NLD, which won 1990 elections but were never allowed to take power, =
was scheduled to release a message at a meeting attended by Aung San Suu =
Kyi later Tuesday.

"Since the messages and declarations read out at the two mass rallies =
severely criticised each other, it all indicates the fact the struggle =
for power will continue unabated as before," one observer and Yangon =
resident said.

The exiled "government" of Myanmar said earlier in a statement issued in =
neighbouring Thailand that colonial rule by Britain, which ended on =
January 4, 1948, had been preferable to that of the military.

The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) said the =
country had been in a state of "civil war" since independence on January =
4, 1948, and called for talks with the military.

The NCGUB lamented the military's takeover of power in 1962 saying it =
did nothing to restore peace and stability and urged people to rise up =
against the junta.

In 1962 General Ne Win led a military coup against an elected government =
and formed his own secretive and idiosyncratic regime which sealed =
Myanmar off from the rest of the world.

He was toppled when outrage over both a currency shake-up which =
demonetized small bills and the impoverishment of the country through 26 =
years of isolation led to nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in =
1988.

A new junta subsequently brutally suppressed the uprising and organised =
national elections in 1990, which were won overwhelmingly by the NLD.

The junta refused to hand over power and is blamed for widespread human =
rights violations. Many of the opposition members elected were =
imprisoned or fled abroad.


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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><B>Tuesday, January 4</B> 8:09 PM SGT=20
<H2>Suu Kyi, Myanmar junta begin new millennium with old =
battle</H2>YANGON, Jan=20
4 (AFP) -=20
<P>Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday urged Myanmar's =
generals not to=20
cling to power in the face of the country's worsening condition during a =
speech=20
marking the 52nd anniversary of independence from Britain.</P>
<P>The National League for Democracy (NLD) leader's speech to 500 party =
faithful=20
followed a verbal lashing from the junta at a rally earlier in the day =
branding=20
her a "terrorist", an exchange observers said set the tone of "business =
as=20
usual" for the new millennium.</P>
<P>"Do not cling to power just for your own interests," Aung San Suu Kyi =
said,=20
adding the freedoms and human rights enjoyed by the people of Myanmar =
had=20
deteriorated since colonial times.</P>
<P>Using ammunition provided by a recent controversial World Bank =
report, the=20
NLD also issued an 11-page declaration lambasting the ruling military =
for=20
driving the economy into the ground and closing universities.</P>
<P>The junta earlier branded the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi "terrorists" =
and=20
"traitors" and called on the people to destroy them.</P>
<P>More than 15,000 members of government-sponsored associations =
gathered in=20
Yangon's People's Park to listen to the Independence Day message from =
junta=20
chairman General Than Shwe.</P>
<P>"It is imperative to oppose and remove with the people's might the=20
destructive danger of the terrorist and destructive group heading for =
utter=20
devastation," said the message read by Yangon's military commander and =
run in=20
all state media.</P>
<P>In the speech, read out following a flag-hoisting ceremony, Than Shwe =
also=20
called for people "to oppose the neocolonialists from abroad" who were =
assisting=20
"internal national traitors."</P>
<P>Although Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD were not named, =
the=20
language used was that typically reserved for them by the junta which =
has=20
repeatedly accused them of having foreign backing.</P>
<P>It also echoed language used by the Nobel peace prize winner and =
daughter of=20
independence hero General Aung San in a message delivered after her =
release from=20
house arrest by the junta in 1995, observers said.</P>
<P>The NLD, which won 1990 elections but were never allowed to take =
power, was=20
scheduled to release a message at a meeting attended by Aung San Suu Kyi =
later=20
Tuesday.</P>
<P>"Since the messages and declarations read out at the two mass rallies =

severely criticised each other, it all indicates the fact the struggle =
for power=20
will continue unabated as before," one observer and Yangon resident =
said.</P>
<P>The exiled "government" of Myanmar said earlier in a statement issued =
in=20
neighbouring Thailand that colonial rule by Britain, which ended on =
January 4,=20
1948, had been preferable to that of the military.</P>
<P>The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) said =
the=20
country had been in a state of "civil war" since independence on January =
4,=20
1948, and called for talks with the military.</P>
<P>The NCGUB lamented the military's takeover of power in 1962 saying it =
did=20
nothing to restore peace and stability and urged people to rise up =
against the=20
junta.</P>
<P>In 1962 General Ne Win led a military coup against an elected =
government and=20
formed his own secretive and idiosyncratic regime which sealed Myanmar =
off from=20
the rest of the world.</P>
<P>He was toppled when outrage over both a currency shake-up which =
demonetized=20
small bills and the impoverishment of the country through 26 years of =
isolation=20
led to nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988.</P>
<P>A new junta subsequently brutally suppressed the uprising and =
organised=20
national elections in 1990, which were won overwhelmingly by the =
NLD.</P>
<P>The junta refused to hand over power and is blamed for widespread =
human=20
rights violations. Many of the opposition members elected were =
imprisoned or=20
fled abroad.</P>
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