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Burmese junta jails Suu Kyi's cousi



Subject: Burmese junta jails Suu Kyi's cousins

Burmese junta jails Suu Kyi's cousins

18/8/97, THE ASIAN AGE (NEW DELHI)

Rangoon, Aug. 17: Burma's ruling junta announced on Sunday that a
special court had sentenced three cousins of pro-democracy Aung San Suu
Kyi to long prison terms for alleged involvement in a US-funded
terrorist conspiracy.

"Special court passes sentence for act of high treason and association
with unlawful organisations." blared the title of an information sheet
distributed by military authorities here which accused them of smuggling
money to Ms Sun Kyi.

Cho Aung Than, a cousin and formerly a close personal aide of the Nobel
Peace laureate, was sentenced along with his sister Nge Ma Ma Than and
her husband Myint Swe to terms of seven years under an emergency
provisions act. They were also given three years for unlawful
association. Their associate Myo Aung Thant was sentenced to life in
prison for high treason in addition to identical terms of seven and
three years.

Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the military's ruling
State Law and Order Restoration Council, presented the state's case
against the defendants to the media at a news conference here in June,
the statement said.

The sentences were passed on August 15.

The statement charged the group were involved in the smuggling at least
$85,000 to Ms Suu Kyi, who heads the National League for Democracy. They
were also accused of association with pro-democracy organisations in
exile.

The National Coalition Government of Union of Burma, led by another
cousin of the NLD leader, Sein Win, was formed by victorious candidates
who fled the country after 1990 parliamentary elections never ratify by
junta.

Ms Sun Kyi's NLD look more than 80 per cent of the seats in the only
free elections to have been held since the military took power in 1962.
The current junta was formed after a bloody crackdown on nationwide
pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988.

SLORC has accused the NCGUB the ethnic Karen National Union and the
Federation of Trade Unions of Burma of terrorist activities including a
bombing in April at the house of Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General
Tin Oo, which killed his daughter.
Representatives of the organisations have dismissed the accusations,
saying they were part of the junta's campaign of repression against
Pro-democracy forces. (AFP)