Bangkok Post (9-4-99)

[mandalay@xxxxxxxxxx]

<bold>Junta to buy hi-tech arms

</bold>

	Burma's junta chief Senior General Than she has vowed to acquire new
state-of-art weaponry to ensure the armed forces can measure up to any
potential enemy,state media said yesterday.

	Than She's call,made in a speech at the Defence Services Academy on
Wednesday, follows the announcement of a budget guaranteeing 34 percent
of government spending on the military.

	"with a view to seeing that our Tatmadaw(military)is able to measure up
to armies around the world, tatmadaw men here must keep striving to be
well versed in high technology," he was reported as saying in the
<bold>New light of Myanmar</bold>.

	"High technology or state-of-the-art weaponry and other modernization
can be acquired," he said, adding that measures were already being taken
to "nurture highly proficient human resources".

	No hint was given as to where new weapons might come from.

	<bold>*</bold> About 12,000 people attended a pro-junta rally demanding
that support be withdrawn for a National League for Democracy member of
parliament, state media reported yesterday.

	Those at the rally denounced U Lwin who was democratically elected in
1990 polls.

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