BBC-Suu Kyi stopped again

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Wednesday, August 12, 1998 Published at 12:36 GMT 13:36 UK 
Suu Kyi stopped again 

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stopped again by the
military authorities while trying to travel outside the Burmese capital,
Rangoon. 
She was stopped on Wednesday at the same roadblock where last month she
spent six days in her car in a stand-off protest after the authorities
refused to allow her to travel to visit her supporters. 
In her latest attempt to travel, Ms Suu Kyi, head of the National League
for Democracy, drove out of her closely-guarded compound in the northern
suburbs of Rangoon in mid-morning. 
Accompanied by a driver and a senior member of her NLD party, she was
travelling in a van this time, to allow her more comfort in the event of
another long stand-off at the roadblock. 
Our correspondent says such a stand-off is likely, and that Ms Suu Kyi's
aim is to embarrass a regime that finds itself under mounting domestic and
international pressure. 
Wednesday's journey was Ms Suu Kyi's fourth attempt in two months to travel
outside Rangoon. 
Last month she suffered severe dehydration when her car was blocked by
troops for six days on a bridge outside the capital. 
Her protest ended when soldiers escorted her back to the capital. The
authorities said they had ended the protest for the sake of Ms Suu Kyi's
own health, but also accused her of carrying out a publicity stunt. 
The opposition leader has vowed that she will continue to defy the
restrictions placed on her movements by the government. The restrictions
were widely condemned by the international community. 
The Burmese Government maintains there are no formal restrictions on Ms Suu
Kyi. 
Tension has risen between the military and the NLD since Ms Suu Kyi called
for a meeting of a parliament in August consisting of candidates elected in
the May 1990 elections. 
The NLD won the elections but the military ignored the results and has
refused to convene parliament. 

UN visit rejected 

On Tuesday, the Burmese authorities rejected a proposed visit by an
emissary of the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan. 
The UN had intended the emissary to mediate between the Burmese authorities
and the NLD. 
The authorities did however allow diplomatic officials to visit some of the
18 foreigners detained in Rangoon on Sunday after distributing leaflets
marking the 10th anniversary of the suppression of pro-democracy
demonstrations. 
Our correspondent says that the potential diplomatic complications might
deter the authorities from charging the foreigners.