BBC-Burma students hold sit-in prot

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Wednesday, September 2, 1998 Published at 07:30 GMT 08:30 UK 

Burma students hold sit-in protest 

Up to 400 students are reported to have staged a sit-in protest in Burma's
capital Rangoon as groups opposed to the military government step up
action. 

The demonstration at the Institute of Technology comes after last month's
street protest against authorities, the first that Burma has seen in two
years. 

The Associated Press news agency reported that there had been no signs of
police attempting to break up the sit-in but senior teaching staff were
seen negotiating with the students. 

Last month police detained a number of students after breaking up a
pro-democracy rally held by up to 1,000 students. 

The demonstration followed the end of a 13-day roadside protest by the
opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, against the military government's
restrictions on her movements. 

Tension has been growing in Burma after the military government refused to
rule out imprisoning the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, if she goes
ahead with plans to convene a people's parliament. 

Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent long periods under house arrest, said
members of her National League for Democracy were prepared to go to go to
jail in their attempts to restore civilian rule in Burma. 

Last month, Lt-General Khin Nyunt, one of the government's most senior
officers, described the NLD as "obstructionists with evil intentions". 

And speaking to the BBC, a government spokesman said that the authorities
would do "whatever was necessary to maintain national security".