Statement (r)

[dawn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

For Immediate Release: September 26, 1997


NLD Congress to Proceed Despite Threats of Violence

Bangkok, Friday: - Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National
League for Democracy (NLD) declared that the NLD Congress will proceed in
Rangoon on September 27 despite threats of Slorc-orchestrated violence.

About 150 township NLD leaders including elected MPs have gathered in
Rangoon to attend the 2-day meeting which is scheduled to begin tomorrow.
Today, Slorc troops blocked people from entering in or leaving the compound
of Daw Suu's house, the venue of the meeting.

The military regime has ordered guest houses and hotels to deny
accommodation to the members of the NLD.  

Slorc has stationed USDA members armed with batons at Hledan and Kokkine
intersections near the compound.  The Union Solidarity and Development
Association is notorious for assaulting pro-democracy activists including Ms
Suu Kyi.  NLD members have been warned that the USDA members plan to storm
into the venue and beat up participants in order to disrupt the Congress.
The Congress will mark the anniversary of the NLD, which was formed on
September 27, 1988.

In other news received from Rangoon, Slorc has sealed off Ah Myin Thit (New
Vision) library which is located on Zayyarthiri Street, Hledan, Kamayut,
near the Rangoon University compound and arrested seven students from the
Rangoon Institute of Technology three weeks ago.  Slorc continues to detain
them and it is not known where they are being kept.  The students have been
identified as Soe Htun, Thein Myint, Moe Kyaw, Khin Maung Win, Myo Yan Naung
Thein and two others.

ENDS

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