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Reuters : Myanmar doubles guards at



Myanmar doubles guards at Suu Kyis home 
01:28 a.m. Aug 07, 1998 Eastern 

YANGON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Tension between Myanmars military government and
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi mounted on Friday ahead of the 10-year
anniversary of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy activists. 

Witnesses said the number of government security guards at Suu Kyis
lakeside home in Yangon was doubled to about 15 on Friday morning, a day
after the daughter of Myanmars late national hero and founding father Aung
San had demanded the military leave the compound. 

``The guards refused to leave her house and instead they have deployed
eight more men on the property this morning,'' said one witness, who
declined to be identified. He said there had been six or seven guards
before the reinforcements arrived. 

A Yangon-based diplomat, who also visited the property on Friday morning,
said the government men arrived in two cars, parked in front of her house
and went into her compound. 

``They are stationed behind the main gate and apparently plan to be there
for sometime,'' the diplomat said. 

Guards have been posted in Suu Kyis compound since she was released from
six years of house arrest in 1995. 

At the time the Nobel laureate said she wanted the guards on the premises
to guarantee her safety, but her National League for Democracy party (NLD)
said on Thursday Suu Kyi had officially asked them to be removed. 

The NLD did not say why the guards had been asked to go but the request was
made shortly after a six-day car protest by Suu Kyi was forcibly ended by
government security men. 

A spokesman for the military-dominated ruling State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC) said on Thursday that the guards were in the grounds to
protect Suu Kyi. Government officials were unavailable for immediate
comment on Friday. 

``She is more than a politician. She is the daughter of our national hero
and there are some organisations that are out to create instability and the
government leaders dont want anything to happen to her,'' the SPDC
spokesman told Reuters. 

Suu Kyis father, who led the countrys independence struggle in the 1940s,
was assassinated in 1947. Burma gained independence from Britain the
following year. 

Although Suu Kyi was released from house arrest three years ago, her
movements are closely monitored and all her visitors must sign in with the
guards at the gate before meeting her. 

Suu Kyi has used her lack of freedom as a weapon against the government,
escaping from the militarys security cordon around her house three times in
recent weeks. 

In her latest foray on July 24, Suu Kyi and three others were en route to
meet with supporters in Pathein township, west of Yangon when she was
stopped by security officials at a bridge near Anyarsu Village about 65 km
(40 miles) from the capital. 

The officials told her to return to Yangon but she refused and began a
six-day sit-in which the authorities ended on July 29. The sit-in got
worldwide coverage and prompted criticism of the Myanmar government from
leading nations. 

Suu Kyi became ill during the protest but has vowed to venture out again to
meet supporters as soon as she is well. 

The confrontation over the guards comes on the eve of the 10-year
anniversary of an uprising of pro-democracy activists which was bloodily
suppressed on August 8, 1988. 

The opposition is expected to try to mark the anniversary and use it as a
platform to campaign for the government to convene a parliament of members
elected at a poll in May 1990. 

The NLD won the election by an overwhelming margin but the result was
ignored by the military government. 

Witnesses said the SPDC was continuing to allow supporters to enter Suu
Kyis lakeside residence but the identities of all visitors were rigorously
checked. 

``Yesterday more than 100 people were allowed to enter Suu Kyis
residence,'' said another diplomat.