REUTERS_7/12.6.96: SLORC TERRORIZE

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Subject: REUTERS_7/12.6.96: SLORC TERRORIZE HOSTAGE-MPs TO QUIT POLITICS.

	ASIA: TWO MORE BURMA DEMOCRACY POLITICIANS QUIT PARTY
BURMA (CARRIED EARLIER)
   RANGOON, June 12 Reuter - Two more elected representatives of 
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) have 
resigned from the opposition party, bringing the total of recent 
resignations to seven, Burmese official media said today.
	   Sein Maung and Han Tha Myint, both NLD members elected as 
representatives in a 1990 general election, submitted their 
resignations saying they no longer wanted a role in party politics, 
state-run newspapers said.
	   The newspapers said the resignations were accepted by the 
Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission, which was in 
charge of the 1990 election that the NLD won by a landslide.
	   The ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), 
which took power in 1988 after crushing pro-democracy 
demonstrations, called the election but never recognised the 
results and the NLD, which won 392 of 485 seats in contention, was 
never allowed to take power.
	   The resignations come following weeks of rumours that many NLD 
members may step down.
	   More than 250 NLD members, most of them elected representatives, 
were arrested in mid-May in a crackdown on democracy politicians 
ahead of a controversial party congress.
	   The SLORC said it had not arrested the NLD members, but only 
detained them for questioning to avoid "anarchy" that might have 
resulted from the congress.
	   The government released the politicians after about 10 days of 
detention.
	   Opposition leader Suu Kyi said afterwards some of them had been 
forced to sign letters promising they would quit the party.
	   But she told a crowd gathered outside her house soon after the 
May 26-29 party congress the NLD would not hold the members to any 
resignations signed while they were in detention.
	   Opposition sources said some NLD representatives had talked 
about stepping down because they did not agree with the tougher 
stance the party was taking.
	   After the party congress, Suu Kyi said the NLD would step up the 
momentum in its efforts for democracy. Among other projects, the 
party planned to write an alternative constitution to the one being 
drawn up by a SLORC-appointed convention.
	   Since then, the SLORC has passed a new law prohibiting anyone or 
any organisation from writing an alternative constitution.
	   Separately, the government continued its attack on Suu Kyi in 
state-run newspapers, urging her in a commentary to go back to 
England and leave the fight for democracy.
	   "It is time Ma Suu came to understand the attitude and the real 
desire of the Myanmar (Burmese) public," a commentary said, 
referring to Suu Kyi in a disrespectful manner.
	   "If so she should abandon the existing ways of her being under 
foreign influence to cause disintegration of the State and to 
return peacefully to her family in London."
	   "Ma Suu please go back. Democracy does not mean power."
	   Suu Kyi is married to British academic Michael Aris, and they 
have two sons. Aris and the sons live in England, where Suu Kyi 
lived for several decades before returning to Burma in 1988 to care 
for her ailing mother.
	   REUTER ts
	ASIA: BURMESE PRESS ANNOUNCES RESIGNATIONS OF OPPSN ACTIVISTS
BURMA RESIGN
   RANGOON, June 7 AFP - Burma's official press said today that 
four members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy 
(NLD) have resigned from elected posts after a warning that the 
opposition party could be banned.
	   The New Light of Myanmar announced that the four NLD members 
elected as MPs in abortive 1990 elections had stepped down from 
their posts, but gave no reasons for the resignations.
	   A total of 238 NLD candidates elected in 1990 were among 262 
party activists picked up by the military authorities ahead of a 
meeting at Aung San Suu Kyi's house on May 26 to mark the sixth 
anniversary of the polls.
	   One analyst here said this number of resignations was expected 
to increase, "obviously as a result of their recent questioning."
	   The authorities have released more than 150 of the NLD's elected 
candidates so far, many of whom have signed pledges to end their 
ties with the party, with other more stubborn party members being 
held on in detention.
	   However, Aung San Suu Kyi said last week that any such pledges 
or statements were considered to have been signed under duress and 
as such would not be recognized by the party.
	   The official press warned yesterday that the NLD could banned 
and its members jailed if they went through with plans to frame a 
new constitution.
	   The threat was followed up with the announcement that an order 
had been issued giving the Home Ministry power to ban any 
organization holding unlawful gatherings and arrest its members.
	   NLD officials have said the twice-weekly public gatherings 
outside Aung San Suu Kyi's residence on suburban University Avenue 
would go ahead this weekend despite the threats and the stockpiling 
of barbed wire outside her gate.
	   University Avenue was quiet this morning, but analysts said that 
they expected the road to be shut down ahead of the meeting which 
was scheduled to take place in the afternoon.
	   AFP