AFP-US legislator to arrive in Bang

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

US legislator to arrive in Bangkok on Yangon rescue mission
Thu 13 Aug 98 - 14:13 GMT 

BANGKOK, Aug 13 (AFP) - A US congressman was due to arrive here late
Thursday on a mission to seek the release of six US nationals detained for
allegedly trying to incite unrest in neighbouring Myanmar, sources said.

Representative Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, departed after 

consulting with the family of one of the detained Americans, 19-year-old
Michele Keegan, whose hometown is in Smith's district, according to his
office in the United States.

Keegan was one of 18 foreigners arrested Sunday in the Myanmar capital,
Yangon, for passing out pro-democracy leaflets. The United States has
demanded the junta immediately release all the Americans.

Smith was expected to address a press conference here Friday, along with
relatives of some of the detainees.

Myanmar's ambassador to Washington, Tin Winn, earlier tried to discourage
Smith from making the trip, his office added.

Smith was travelling with aide Grover Joseph Rees and neither had obtained
a Myanmar visa, it said.

Sources close to the case said he was unlikely to be granted a visa at this
time.

State Department officials said Smith had contacted them about his trip but
added he was acting on his own, as a congressman, rather than as an
emissary of the administration of US President Bill Clinton.
The US embassy in Yangon earlier said Washington wanted a "prompt
resolution and release of those detained."

The group was rounded up Sunday while handing out pamphlets urging people
to remember the 10th anniversary of a bloody military crackdown on
pro-democracy demonstrators on August 8, 1988.

"We regard the passing out of leaflets as a normal and natural activity and
freedom of expression in our country," a US embassy spokesman said. "These
were simply benign statements."

Smith also planned to urge the junta to release the other 12 detained
foreigners -- two Filipinos, three Thais, three Malaysians, three
Indonesians and one Australian.

The junta has declined to comment on the possible outcome of the case
against the 10 men and eight women, who could be charged under three laws
providing for stiff prison terms.

The other detained US nationals are identified as Nisha Anand, Ajanette
Hamilton, Sapna Chhatpar, Joel Greer, and Tyler Giannini.