AFP-Aung San Suu Kyi can sit in dur

[kyawkyaw@xxxxxxx]

Aung San Suu Kyi can sit in during talks with junta: Philippine source

       Tue 01 Sep 98 - 04:27 GMT 

       MANILA, Sept 1 (AFP) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
will be allowed to sit in during talks
       between her National League for Democracyand the country's ruling
junta, Philippine diplomatic sources said here
       Tuesday.

       The sources quoted the Philippine embassy in Myanmar as saying the
junta had bowed to demands by the NLD that
       Aung San Suu Kyi should be allowed to attend confidence-building talks.

       However, the sources did not say when these talks would be held or
what issues would be been discussed.

       On August 18, NLD chairman Aung Shwe met for nearly an hour with
junta intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin
       Nyunt, widely seen as number two in the military heirarchy.

       The ruling junta had extended such invitations for talks to the NLD
but had always specifically excluded party
       secretary general Aung San Suu Kyi and other key members.

       The NLD won the majority of the seats in a parliamentary election in
1990 but the ruling junta refused to hand over
       power. The NLD however has since threatened to convene parliament in
September despite government warnings
       that such a move would be illegal.

       The Philippines, which is a fellow member of ASEAN with Myanmar, has
taken an interest in political developments
       in that country and has been monitoring developments there.

       ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, also includes
Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore,
       Thailand and Vietnam.