Reuters-Myanmar dissidents vow to c

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Subject: Reuters-Myanmar dissidents vow to continue campaign 

Myanmar dissidents vow to continue campaign
06:14 a.m. Sep 10, 1999 Eastern
BANGKOK, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Myanmar dissidents in exile vowed to keep up
their struggle for democracy on Friday even though an uprising they forecast
this week failed to materialise.

``Although the particularly tight security measures imposed by the military
at this time create additional challenges, the democracy movement vows to
continue our struggle against the illegitimate regime,'' the All Burma
Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) said in a statement.

``We will...continue to launch actions until the emergence of a countrywide
popular democracy movement.''

Myanmar's ruling military instituted a nationwide security clampdown to
prevent the uprising dissidents called for the numerically significant
``four-nines day'' -- Thursday, September 9, 1999.

A government spokesman told Reuters on Thursday that the whole country was
``peaceful and stable.''

He hoped that a lack of incidents would make the opposition realise that
``the overwhelming majority of people in Myanmar want peace, stability and
development, not chaos and anarchy.''

The ABSDF said small-scale protests occurred throughout the country, but the
government said the whole country was quiet.

The dissidents had hoped for a repeat of a nationwide uprising for democracy
in 1988 which saw millions take to the street to demand an end to
authoritarian rule.

Troops killed thousands to crush that uprising, creating a climate of fear
that survives today and which has prevented unrest despite widespread
anti-government sentiment.

Nine is considered a lucky number by some in Myanmar as well as in other
countries in Asia and the convergence of nines especially auspicious.

Dissidents chose the date after 8-8-88, which saw the start of a nationwide
pro-democracy uprising 11 years ago.

Nine it is also known to be the lucky number of Myanmar's ageing and
officially retired military strongman Ne Win and dissidents had been hoping
to turn it against him and his successors.

The ABSDF said the four-nines campaign had achieved a ``pre-emptive victory
because the authorities have been forced to react nervously to the actions
of our people.''

It said the fact so many people had been arrested recently showed the extent
of the anti-government mood.

The ABSDF says 500 people have been arrested in connection with the
four-nines movement. Diplomats estimate at least 100 have been held in
Yangon and others in the provinces while the government has said there were
fewer than 40 arrests.

While there was no confirmation of protests inside Myanmar on Thursday,
dissidents staged noisy demonstrations in several cities abroad, including
Canberra, where a group broke into the Myanmar embassy compound and tried to
haul down the national flag.