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Top Burmese officials meet members



Subject: Top Burmese officials meet members of Suu Kyi's party

Top Burmese Officials Meet Members of Suu Kyi's Party
Rangoon, July 17:
Burmese strong general Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt met the chairman of opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party on Thursday
but the gathering does not signal the start of the political dialogue
between the two, government and NLD officials said.
 
The meeting between secretary one of the ruling State Law and Order
Restoration council and NLD chairman Aung Shwe and two other senior
members was the first between top military rulers and the opposition since
Aung San Suu Kyi was released from six years of house arrest in July 1995.
 
NLD officials said the meeting was to explain to the SLORC that the party
and Ms. Suu Kyi was not involved in terrorist activities and that they had
not received foreign financial assistance from some western countries as
alleged by the junta last month.
 
In June, Gen. Khin Nyunt ad accused the NLD of accepting $85,200 from two
convert US agents earlier this year. He has also link the NLD and exiled
opposition groups to recent bombing in Rangoon. The NLD has denied the
charges.
"Yes, they (NLD leaders) went to talk and explain their opposition to the
officials. But this was not a dialogue with the Slorc. Without Suu Kyi
included any talks would not be a dialogue," said NLD's vice chairman.
"But we welcome talks. We would also welcome any dialogue with the Slorc
if it is in genuine spirit of reconciliation," the chairman said.
 
It was not immediately clear why Ms. Suu Kyi was absent from the meeting.
A Slorc's spokesman said the discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere
and they centered on the current political and some other situation in the
country.
 
When asked if he would call this the start of the dialogue between two
sides, the spokesman said: "I won't term it that way."
 
The Slorc had detained and later released thousands of NLD members and
curbed the party's political activities. An NLD statement issued after the
meeting said that Lt. Khin Nyunt had advised the NLD and Ms. Suu Kyi not
to create unnecessary unrest or disturbances and not to confront the Slorc
or obstruct its activities.
 
"Aung Shwe explained to Khin Nyunt that the NLd does not accept foreign
assistance on principle. Aung Shwe also suggested to Khin Nyunt it would
be good for him to meet Suu Kyi," the statement said.
 
A local political analyst welcomed the meeting between the two sides and
said it was a positive development. "It shows that there may still be hope
for dialogue. Slorc is ready to sit at the table with the NLD but not Suu
Kyi," the analyst added.
 
Meanwhile, an association of Burmese monks, announced the number killed in
repression and admit that an important Buddha image was vandalised.
 
The association accused the junta, in a statement on Thursday, of having
arrested over 400 Buddhist monks, mostly in Rangoon.


Chan