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BURMA ANNIVERSARY [VOA]
- Subject: BURMA ANNIVERSARY [VOA]
- From: moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 06:57:00
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
.