Suu Kyi, Military Regime Trade: Bar

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Subject: Suu Kyi, Military Regime Trade: Barbs on National Day 


               Asia:Myanmar

               Suu Kyi, Military Regime Trade
               Barbs on National Day

               AP
               13-NOV-98

               YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San
Suu Kyi
               and the leader of the military regime that has frustrated
her drive to bring more
               democracy to Myanmar traded barbs Friday as each marked
National Day. 

               The holiday commemorates the first boycott by university
students 78 years ago
               against British colonial rule, a watershed in the
independence struggle of
               Myanmar, also known as Burma. 

               Sen. Gen. Than Shwe, chairman of the ruling State Peace and
Development
               Council, accused Suu Kyi and her party of trying to
undermine the country. 

               "It will be seen that, organizing on the pretexts of
democracy and human rights,
               they are violating numerous laws and perpetrating
instigations to create anarchy,"
               Than Shwe said in a statement published by official
newspapers. 

               Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition National League for
Democracy, told about
               300 supporters at party headquarters that the past 36 years
of military rule had
               lowered educational standards far below what they were
during the British
               period. 

               Party members cited her as saying that only the emergence of
a democratic
               system would guarantee a modern and advanced educational
system in the
               country. 

               Universities have been closed for two years following unrest
by students
               demanding more civil liberties. Students have traditionally
been a driving force
               for political change in the country. 

               They formed a large number of the estimated 3,000 people
killed nationwide
               when the military cracked down on months of protests. 

               Suu Kyi, 52, daughter of independence hero Aung San, was
propelled to the
               forefront of Myanmar's pro-democracy struggle by the unrest.
She has been
               under house arrest or other restrictions for the past decade. 

                 Copyright 1998& The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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