Protests in DC against Burmese Regi

[RANGOONP@xxxxxxx]

Demonstration to Denounce the Burmese Regime's Arrest of 328 MPs

Immediate Release
09/08/98
A condemned demonstration against the Burmese military regime self-named
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) will be held in front of the SPDC's
embassy in Washington, DC at 5.30 PM on Thursday, September 10, 1998.

The SPDC has unlawfully arrested 303 members and MPs from National
League for Democracy (NLD) since Sunday, Sept. 6, 1998, and the brutal
crackdown
over the NLD is still going on. The reasons the SPDC has arrested the NLDs are
to
force the PMs and the leaders to sign on the consent of either self-
resignation from the NLD or opposition to People's Parliament called by the
NLD itself. 
A percentage of  those arrested are 'Elected' members of Parliament and of the
'Elected' government.

Therefore, we, National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB),
Democratic Burmese Students' Organization (USA), and Committee for
Restoration of Democracy in Burma (CRDB), Free Burma Coalition (FBC), Chin
National Front (CNF), and Burmese community urgently organize the
demonstration to condemn the SPDC's brutal crackdown. The demonstration is
also to show our
solidarity and unity to support the calls for  "People's Parliament," and to
urge
the heads of the SPDC to release all arrested MPs and leaders immediately.

"This arrest by the brutal SPDC over the elected MPs is not the solution
but part of the problem," a student leader Ko Yin Aye of DBSO said.

Similarly, the regime arrested more than 600 leaders from the NLD in May
1996 when the party was calling for the party's annual meeting. But all the
result that the regime at that time received was tons of international
pressures and economic sanctions by international community, including the
Unites
States of America, Canada, Japan and Australia.

"At this time, the regime has to pay more price than it had ever paid,"
U Bo Hla Tint said. Mr. Bo is an elected MP and currently holding an
international and North America campaign affair for the NCGUB. He again said,
"only
peaceful solution but an absent of the use of the force and solemnly counting
international opinions and the wills of the Burmese people will avoid further
violent
in Burma."

Mr. Bo refers to United Nations General Assembly (GNGA) forum that will
be gathered in the last week of September. And some Burma watchers hope the
UN may play a key role in Burma political situation. Secretary of State
Mrs. Albight, and foreign ministers from Australia and New Zeland in July
urged the UN Secretary Mr. Anan to directly intervene in Burma.

International observers firmly predicted that an explosion of social
unrest in Burma would soon be spoiled unless the regime entered dialogue with
the
oppositions.  And the international community has also encouraged the
regime to hold the dialogue with the NLD, and democratic forces, including Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi. But the regime ignored it and stepped up the arrest of the
NLD's Members of Parliament.

U Tin Maung Thaw, chairperson of the CRDB, cites as saying, "the SPDC
has to realize it is a moment of true for the people of Burma and for the
regime itself to stand side with the history and side with the people to serve
for the country." He also said, "only dialogue will solve decades long
political problems in Burma, and it will also entrust among ethnic brothers
and
sisters."

The demonstration will peacefully be ended at 6.30 PM. A numbers of speakers
will deliver the condemnation massages to the regime during the demonstration.


Place:			: Burmese Embassy,  2300 S Street NW.

Time & Date:		: At 5.30 to 6.30. PM,  Thursday, September 10, 1998

Contact persons:		: U Bo Hla Tint (202) 393-7342
			  U Tin Maung Thaw (703) 834-5670
			 Ko Yin Aye (301) 770-1499