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Reuters-Myanmar NLD says no respons



Subject: Reuters-Myanmar NLD says no response on talks 

Myanmar NLD says no response on talks
04:33 a.m. Jul 10, 1999 Eastern
By Rajan Moses

YANGON, July 10 (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling military has yet to respond to
an offer by the main opposition party to begin a low-level dialogue, an
opposition leader said.

Tin Oo, vice chairman of the National League for Democracy, told Reuters the
military had said talks between the ruling State Peace and Development
Council and the opposition should start at a low level.

``We agree to that, but they haven't given us any response yet,'' he said in
an interview.

The government has insisted as a pre-condition to talks that the opposition
renounce a committee it established to represent a parliament elected in
Myanmar's last election.

The NLD won the 1990 poll, but the military ignored the result.

Asked if the committee would be dissolved to pave the way for dialogue, Tin
Oo said: ``No, it was formed to work for dialogue, so we can't dissolve
it.''

He also said that NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi would have to be included once
talks reached a summit level.

The generals have long refused to talk with Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace
laureate who has been their most formidable opponent since emerging as a
dissident leader at the height of a pro-democracy uprising crushed by troops
in 1988.

Tin Oo said the political situation remained in a stalemate but an eventual
dialogue involving the government, the opposition and ethnic minority groups
was inevitable. ``There will be a dialogue -- nobody can avoid it,'' he
said. ``It is the solution.

``We are very optimistic about getting back our (democratic) legitimacy with
the coming of the 21st century; we are not just waiting idly. The people are
also very much in need of a great change.''

Tin Oo said the visit by a fact-finding delegation from the European Union
last week was a positive step.

``They came to listen, to hear, and assess, but didn't offer anything or
come back with new initiatives. No substance has come out yet, but we
welcome this kind of movement.''

However, he said chances of former South African president Nelson Mandela
acting as a mediator in Myanmar appeared remote.

``The Mandela proposal has faded away,'' he said. ``But as long as somebody
proposes something for reconciliation, we would welcome it.''


Foreign Minister Win Aung poured cold-water over the idea of foreign
mediation when he told Reuters on Thursday Myanmar could solve its own
problems. He said Myanmar had received no mediation offer from Mandela.

A South African diplomat told Reuters last month Mandela would consider
mediation if formally asked by the opposition.

Tin Oo said the military continued to detain hundreds of NLD members,
including at least 60 who won seats in the election.

He rejected government allegations that the NLD backed the Karen National
Union, an insurgent group that has fought for decades for greater autonomy
from Yangon.

``We don't support the KNU -- we are sympathetic to them only,'' he said.
``We don't give any physical support to them; only moral support. Their
demands also should be solved at the table.''
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