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BURMA ANNIVERSARY [VOA]




DATE=1/4/99

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-243736

TITLE=BURMA ANNIVERSARY (L)

BYLINE=RON CORBEN

DATELINE=BANGKOK 

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 


INTRO: BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT HAS OBSERVED THE COUNTRY'S 

INDEPENDENCE DAY BY RESTATING ITS CRITICISM OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI 

AND HER PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.  RON CORBEN REPORTS FROM BANGKOK,

THE CRITICISM COMES WITH INCREASED GOVERNMENT PRESSURE ON THE 

MOVEMENT.


TEXT:  BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT, IN OFFICIAL COMMENTS MARKING 

THE COUNTRY'S 51ST YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN, ATTACKED 

OPPOSITION LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND ACCUSED FOREIGN POWERS OF 

NEO-COLONIALISM.


THE GOVERNMENT SENIOR GENERAL, THAN SHWE, SAID BURMA'S CITIZENS 

WERE UNITED AGAINST WHAT HE CALLED AXE-HANDLES -- A TERM THAT 

MEANS AN AGENT OF A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT.  // OPT // THAN SHWE, 

CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNING MILITARY COUNCIL, HAD HIS STATEMENT 

READ AT AN OFFICIAL FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY.  // END OPT //  


AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS REGULARLY ACCUSED BY THE MILITARY AS ALIGNING

HERSELF WITH WESTERN POWERS BECAUSE OF HER REPEATED CALLS FOR 

HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN BURMA.   


THE OPPOSITION ALSO MARKED INDEPENDENCE DAY.  MRS. SUU KYI'S 

SUPPORTERS FROM THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY, OR N-L-D, 

HANDED OUT RICE TO RANGOON'S POOR TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE STATE OG THE
ECONOMY!AFTER NECRMY FOUW EEGAEES OF MIMITARY RUOE.  

// OPT // THE COUNTRY ALSO FACES A RANGE OF PUNITIVE RESTRICTIONS

ON TRADE AND COMMERCE BY THE UNITED STATES, THE EUROPEAN UNION 

AND OTHERS.  // END OPT // 


MRS. SUU KYI, DAUGHTER OF INDEPENDENCE LEADER, GENERAL AUNG SAN, 

OBSERVED THE ANNIVERSARY WITH PARTY MEMBERS AT PRIVATE CEREMONIES

AT THE N-L-D HEADQUARTERS IN RANGOON.    


THE CEREMONIES COME AS MORE MEMBERS OF THE N-L-D RESIGNED FROM 

THE PARTY IN RECENT WEEKS.  AS MANY AS 900 PARTY MEMBERS HAVE 

BEEN DETAINED BY THE MILITARY SINCE SEPTEMBER. NEARLY 500 HAVE 

BEEN RELEASED, BUT ONLY AFTER RESIGNING FROM THE PARTY OR SIGNING

PLEDGES TO AVOID INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.   


BURMESE OPPOSITION POLITICIANS LIVING IN EXILE ACCUSED THE 

MILITARY GOVERNMENT OF OPPRESSION AND MORAL, ECONOMIC AND 

POLITICAL BANKRUPTCY.    


// OPT // THE NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT FOR THE UNION OF 

BURMA, IN A STATEMENT RELEASED IN BANGKOK, CALLED FOR THE 

ESTABLISHMENT OF DEMOCRACY, ETHNIC EQUALITY, AND A PEACEFUL AND 


PROSPEROUS NATION.  // END OPT //  


THE MILITARY BEGAN A CRACKDOWN ON AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S NATIONAL 

LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY LAST YEAR AFTER THE PARTY CALLED FOR THE 

CONVENING OF PARLIAMENT ELECTED IN 1990.    


THE N-L-D SCORED AN OVERWHELMING VICTORY IN THE POLLS -- BUT THE 

MILITARY HAS REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE THE RESULTS.   


NEB/RC/LTD/JO


04-Jan-99 8:47 AM EST (1347 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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