News on India Papers (r)

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>From : Federation of Trade Unions, Burma (West Burma)
Subject : News on Indian Papers
 
Suu Kyi presses on with meeting
The Hindu, May 26 1996. (New Delhi)
Yangon, May 25.
 
The Myanmarese democracy leader, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, forged 
ahead with her planned Sunday Congress despite the arrests of 217 of 
her supporters by military government.
 
Senior Myanmarese official, meanwhile, were busy trying to woo 
potential foreign investors by promising stability and Myanmars 
foreign minister told his Japanese counterpart that the detentions 
would be brief.
 
Ms. Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel peace prize, told reporters that 
most of the arrested were elected representatives of her National 
League for Democracy party but added that in the last 24 hours non-
elected representatives from the partys youth wing had been detained 
as well.
 
Ms. Suu Kyi, who was released from six years of house arrest last July, 
also did not rule out the possibility that she and other top NLD 
members might be arrested before Sunday.
 
She was speaking inside the compound of her home, where a huge 
thatched meeting hall has been constructed to house 200-300 party 
representatives and other guests invited to the Congress.
 
The Congress coincides with the sixth anniversary of the NLDs 
landslide victory in a 1990 elections, even though two-third of those 
elected were now under arrest.
The party never took power because the ruling State Law and Order 
Restoration Council (SLORC) did not recognize the result. (Reuter)
 
 
Junta adopts new tactics in battle with Suu Kyi 
Road blocks, canceled trains, jailed supporters leave her powerless
The Asian Age, May 26 1996. (New Delhi)
 
Rangoon, May 25: When the military council that rules Burma freed 
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi last July from six years of 
house arrest, they told her no restrictions would be placed on her 
activities.
 
That was not what happened. Instead, the generals and colonels have 
adopted new methods, boxing in the charismatic woman known 
simply as "The lady" by erecting roadblocks, canceling trains, and 
jailing more than 200 of her followers this week to prevent a major 
pro-democracy meeting, scheduled for this later week.
 
Ms Suu Kyi remains free for now but largely powerless. She seldom 
goes far from the ramshackle lakeside compound where she spent six 
years in confinement. Anytime a trip even hints of politics like visiting 
Rangoons most sacred pagoda on a national holiday she finds soldiers 
blocking the road or the train she is supposed to take canceled.
 
The military regime opens a small window of opportunity each week, 
when up to 2,000 supporters gather at her house to hear her speak. Ms 
Suu Kyi avoids confrontation on these occasions, but the poise and 
courage she showed in staring down armed soldiers eight years ago 
still come through.
 
So does her charm. Petite and attractive, Ms Suu Kyi is just beginning 
to show her 50 years. Even hard-bitten journalists reports being 
smitten during interviews as she articulates her views with understated 
humour an wit.
 
Unfortunately for Ms Suu Kyi, her charm does not seem to affect the 
military council, known by it acronym Slorc. The military has ruled 
Burma since 1962, and few people remember life under civilian rule 
that existed before the military regime took over.
 
Critics call the recent crackdown evidence of paranoia. Yet it also 
seems to demonstrate that the military can attract foreign investment 
even as it crushes the democratic opposition.
 
Ms. Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel peace prize for her non-violent 
promotion of democracy, likened the arrest of her followers to the 
regime lopping off branches of a tree to leave the trunk to die.
 
"Anything can happened in a country ruled by authoritarian regime," 
Ms Suu Kyi said. "I expect there will probably be more arrests. This 
shows the Slorcs true colours."
 
Those colours are more subtle than they once were. In 1988, the 
military regime gunned down hundreds of pro-democracy supporters 
in Rangoon. In 1989, The Slorc placed Ms Suu Kyi under house 
arrest.
 
In 1990, the regime allowed democratic elections, but ignored the 
results when Ms Suu Kyis National League for Democracy captured 
392 of 485 contested seats.
 
The news Slorc is more skilled at repression and smatter at gauging 
how far it can go in its game of repression, as is evident by their 
tactics 
of indirect attack.
 
So it permits Ms Suu Kyi her freedom at least in name to appease 
governments abroad and foreign business partners eager to do business 
with Burma but concerned about their reputations and the human 
rights violations that Burma is known for in the international 
community.
 
Key meeting will go on, says Suu Kyi defiantly
The Asian Age, May 26 1996. (New Delhi)
 
Rangoon, May 25: A defiant Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu 
Kyi pledged to cheering supporters on Saturday that a key pro-
democracy meeting would press on despite a wave of detentions of 
activists from her National League for Democracy.
 
Speaking to some 5,000 enthusiastic supporters waiting outside her 
lakeside compound despite a drizzle, that charismatic opposition 
leader said 256 NLD activists had been detained since Monday. The 
detentions came ahead of a meeting of the candidates who won seats in 
elections six years ago swept by the NLD but which were not honoured 
by the ruling military junta.
 
The NLD has decided to hold this anniversary meeting and we will go 
on with this meeting in one form or another. Ms Aung San Suu Kyi 
said to enthusiastic applause. Expectations of a show down between 
the Opposition and Junta have been high in the Burmese capital ahead 
of the meeting on Sunday, an analysts said Ms Suu Kyis remark 
showed "she had taken her gloves off." They said Ms Suu Kyis 
speech, in which she said the opposition could not longer afford to 
wait for the government to offer it an olive branch, was her most 
defiant in recent months. We have done nothing for six years but now 
we must reach our objectives and not sit down and wait for dialogue, 
she said with the support of the people, we will much on towards our 
goal of democracy, and that goal is not as far away as it seems to be, 
she added. (AFP)
 
Media calls Suu Kyi a sorceress
 
Rangoon, May 25: Burmas official media on Saturday labeled 
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi a sorceress who wanted to 
destabilize the country.
 
"If the democracy sorceress and her gangsters succeed in their bid on 
urban and rural tranquillity, peaceful pursuit of education, commercial 
dealings, etc., all peaceful socialize of the people would spoilt," said 
the commentary in state-run newspapers on the eve of a controversial 
pro-democracy meeting. State-run newspapers in Burma are 
considered to be the mouthpiece of the military government. The 
commentary said a meeting elected representatives of Ms Suu Kyis 
National League for Democracy party due to begin on Sunday was 
meant to be a "coercive show of strength."
 
As a result, the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council 
decided to call in representatives who had planned to attend the 
meeting for questioning. The military authorities have already arrested 
218 NLD activists to prevent the Sunday congress from proceeding, 
according to opposition sources. The commentary said : "If the 
government watched the situation with folded arms, it would not be 
the government desiring national well being."
 
Commentary did not say how many people had been detained but said 
it was necessary to keep stability in the country. "the design to mar 
peace and stability of the state had come into view and the government 
took up deterrence best suited to the state and the people to prevent 
recurrence of anarchism, terrorism and disturbances as in 1988," it 
said. 
 
The Slorc assumed power in 1988 after brutally suppressing 
democracy uprisings which in thousands died. (Reuter)
 
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