CAR ATTACK: MORE DETAILS (BBC)

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             ATTACK ON SUU KYI: MORE DETAILS FROM BBC
 
 
In its news bulletin of 18.00 GMT, BBC World Service radio
gave more details of today's attack on Aung San Suu Kyi and
colleagues:
 
"In Burma, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has accused the
military authorities of being involved in an attack on her and
other senior opposition figures in the capital Rangoon.
Eyewitness reports say stones were thrown at the cars in which
they were traveling, and a man wielding a knife attacked the
vehicle carrying Aung San Suu Kyi. She said that the aim was
clearly to injure her and her colleagues, or even to kill
them, and that Burmese security forces stood nearby and did
nothing. With the details, here is our Southeast Asia
correspondent, Ian Simpson:
 
"Aung San Suu Kyi was being driven to a meeting with her
supporters when her car was stopped by an armed crowd.
According to eyewitnesses they used stones and crowbars to
break windscreens and windows. Aung San Suu Kyi herself was
not hurt, but her party's deputy Chairman was injured by
flying glass. The attack appears to have been orchestrated by
the Burmese military authorities, using a proxy group of
civilians they set up to support their policies and, as now,
to provide crowds when needed. Witnesses said there were at
least 2,000 of what they called the "thugs" in the area,
although they did not all take part in the attack. Aung San
Suu Kyi was driven through the crowd and managed to have a
short meeting with her supporters. She warned them to be quiet
and disciplined, and urged them to disperse quickly. After a
few minutes they left. On the way back to her house another
crowd again attacked the cars and this time witnesses say one
man tried to stab her through the broken window of her car.
Later Aung San Suu Kyi said "They're either trying to scare us
or kill us", and accused the government of using fascist
techniques against her. Independent reports say the crowd
gathered in part of the road that has been closed off by
police and military roadblocks. The only way they could have
got there was with official permission. Aung San Suu Kyi said
she will continue meeting with her supporters wherever she
can, but with this attack the authorities have signaled that
their patience with her is running out".
 
9/11/96
 
BPF Monitoring Service, Geneva