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Burmese regime warns of conflict.
Burmese regime warns of conflict.
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Burma's militray leaders today threatened tougher action agaist
political dissent as they continued to round up supporters of the
democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in definace of international
protests.
A commentary in the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper
accused Ms Suu Kyi of plotting to destabilise the country and warned
of a confrontation similar to that of 1988, when the armed forces
killed an estimated 3000 protesters.
"We cannot afford a fire from trash to spread to a large
building. The Government and the people shall in no way allow the
nation to plunge into hellish tragedies," the commentary said.
Ms Suu Kyi told a news conference late today that she would not
be intimidated by the crackdown and was determined to go ahead with
plans for a conference of party on Sunday.
"They (the regime) have lost their nerve because they know they
don't have the support of the people," she said.
Ms Suu Kyi said the arrests had been expected and she was
expecting more over the next few days.
The latest arrest included Ms Suu Kyi's press secretary, the
veteran journalist Mr Aye Win. Authorities detained her private
secreatry and several other key party workers.
Australia has joined the United Sates, Japan and Britain in
denouncing the crackdown.
But Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council vowed
to continue its effort to block the Nobel peace laureate from staging
the meeting.
Diplomats said other National League for Democracy supporters had
avoided detention by agreeing not to attend Sunday's meeting.
The planned meeting will mark the sixth anniversary of national
elections that the league won in a landslide vote. The military barred
the party from taking power and jailed most of its leaders and elected
MPs.
The regime today accused Ms Suu Kyi of abusing "the good-will and
magnanimity" of their decision to release her from six years of house
arrest last July.
"A group of persons of NLD has hatched a plot and is moving about
stealhily in a bid to destabilise the country which has achieved
stablity," said the official commentray carried in all state-run
newspapers.
"They are about to shatter the stability and peace of the state
in the next few days with their preparations to create uproarious
opposition under the pretext of observing the anniversary of the
election."
It said the league's leaders were "irrational, egoistic and
power-crazy" and must be stopped.
But the authorities denied that the detainees had been arrested
and said they were only being "called in for questioning".
"Far from being tortured they are being treated well in dignity
and with respect. It is a timely reminder for them before they are
misled," the commentary said.
[Picture: Defiant mood:San Lwin, a National League for Democracy
supporter, holds an ole election poster of Ms Suu Kyi, who is
determined to go ahead with plans for a conference of party leaders
on Sunday.]
(By MARK BAKER, South-East Asia correspondent, Rangoon, Thursday)
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