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5/26/96 Democracy hopes alive



   By Deborah Charles 

    RANGOON, May 26 (Reuter) - Despite a widespread military crackdown on
pro-democracy activists, many Burmese who wait for hours in rain or shine to
see their heroine Aung San Suu Kyi are hopeful democracy will come to their
country. 

    Every weekend, thousands of citizens seek a place to sit outside the
front gates of Suu Kyi's University Avenue residence, hours before she begins
her regular speeches. 

    On Sunday, as rain fell, people began staking their claims to prime space
as early as 11:00 a.m -- five hours before Suu Kyi was due to speak. 

    Young and old, they come from all walks of life and say they listen to
Suu Kyi speak to foster their hopes that democracy will return to Burma. 

    ``We are believers of democracy. We believe we will be victorious because
we are right,'' said Khin Nyo, who arrived several hours before Suu Kyi's
Saturday speech to get a good seat before the first set of barbed wire road
blocks that stop the people from spilling into and blocking University
Avenue. 

    ``She answers our questions. She tells us not to make confrontation,'' he
added. ``We want to change our country peacefully, we don't want to make any
strikes or protests.'' 

    The government's brutal supression of a 1988 pro-democracy uprising is
still fresh in the minds of many. Thousands of people were killed or
imprisoned during the demonstrations. 

    Many people said this weekend's attendance at the speeches was
particularly important as a show of support for Suu Kyi and her National
League for Democracy (NLD) party. 

    ``I came here at 9:00 a.m.,'' a 65-year old woman said on Saturday when
about 5,000 people endured pouring rain to hear Suu Kyi speak. ``I had not
planned to come today but since I heard the government was trying to prevent
their meeting I purposely made sure I would come.'' 

    On Sunday, the NLD began a three-day party meeting which was originally
meant to unite party members elected in a 1990 election. But after the
military government detained most of the 300 representatives due to attend,
the meeting became a party conference to discuss policy. 

    The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 election, but never assumed
power because the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) refused to
recognise the results of the vote. 

    The weekend speeches at Suu Kyi's house are the only real show of public
support for the democracy movement in Burma, where it is forbidden to hold
public gatherings without approval. 

    Some Burmese people said they were afraid to attend Suu Kyi's weekly
meetings, or publicly support the party, because they feared military
reprisals. 

    ``I want to have democracy, but I am afraid to go to the speeches,'' one
man said. ``I do not want to go to jail. I have an old mother and an old
father. 

    ``But nobody likes this military government,'' he added, echoing the
opinions of many interviewed recently. ``They are very bad.'' 

    Many Burmese fear talking to foreigners, since the omni- present military
intelligence often picks people up for questioning if they are seen
conversing with a foreigner. 

    But those attending the weekend speeches, which are monitored by dozens
of camera-toting plain-clothes intelligence officers, do not show their fear.


    ``Long live Aung San Suu Kyi,'' the crowd chanted as she appeared at her
traditional speaking position, peering over the top of her front gate. 

02:58 05-26-96