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Reuters-Military-Ruled Myanmar Mark

Subject: Reuters-Military-Ruled Myanmar Marks Independence Divided 

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Military-Ruled Myanmar Marks Independence Divided=20
02:20 a.m. Jan 04, 2000 Eastern=20
YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar marked the 52nd anniversary of independence =
from Britain on Tuesday with its people divided.=20

The ruling generals marked independence day calling for a united stand =
against terrorists and neo-colonialists while dissidents urged another =
struggle for independence, this time from ``fascism'' and ``military =
serfdom.''=20

Officials estimated 15,700 people attended a flag raising ceremony =
organized by the generals of the governing State Peace and Development =
Council at People's Square in Yangon.=20

In an address prepared for the ceremony, SPDC head Senior General Than =
Shwe urged the population to take greater responsibility in safeguarding =
independence and sovereignty.=20

``It is imperative to oppose and remove with the people's might the =
destructive danger of the terrorist and destructive group...and =
neo-colonialists from abroad,'' he said.=20

The military uses the terms terrorists and destructionists to refer to =
ethnic groups fighting for greater autonomy and the pro-democracy =
opposition led by Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi of the =
National League for Democracy (NLD) party.=20

Elsewhere in the capital, one of Myanmar's surviving independence =
leaders appealed for talks between the generals and the opposition led =
by Suu Kyi.=20

The statement from Bohmu Aung, 90, said Myanmar was in political turmoil =
due to a failure to convene a People's Parliament elected in the last =
general election in 1990, which Suu Kyi's NLD won by a landslide.=20

``Even though armed fighting has lessened, political, economic and =
social difficulties are happening as national solidarity has not been =
built through national reconciliation by political means,'' it said.=20

Bohmu Aung was one of Myanmar's ``Thirty Comrades,'' the group which led =
the struggle for independence won in 1948. His statement was read at a =
ceremony attended by about 100 politicians, including Suu Kyi.=20

Dissident groups based on the Thai-Myanmar border issued statements =
slamming the military, which took direct power in 1988 by killing =
thousands to crush a pro-democracy uprising.=20

The National Council of the Union of Burma said Myanmar enjoyed less =
freedom now than during colonial rule.=20

``As the political, economic educational, (and) social freedoms have =
been totally controlled, the people, under the domestically bred =
military dictatorship, have been turned into military serfs.=20

``We would like to earnestly urge the entire nation to unitedly join =
hands with us in the struggle for liberation from military serfdom and =
for the second independence,'' the NCUB said.=20

``The system of fascism in Burma must be totally ended, if we are to =
reach the goal of democracy,'' it said.=20





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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT color=3D#800000><FONT=20
size=3D+1><STRONG>Military-Ruled Myanmar Marks Independence=20
Divided</STRONG></FONT> <BR></FONT>02:20 a.m. Jan 04, 2000 Eastern=20
<P>YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar marked the 52nd anniversary of =
independence from=20
Britain on Tuesday with its people divided.=20
<P>The ruling generals marked independence day calling for a united =
stand=20
against terrorists and neo-colonialists while dissidents urged another =
struggle=20
for independence, this time from ``fascism'' and ``military serfdom.''=20
<P>Officials estimated 15,700 people attended a flag raising ceremony =
organized=20
by the generals of the governing State Peace and Development Council at =
People's=20
Square in Yangon.=20
<P>In an address prepared for the ceremony, SPDC head Senior General =
Than Shwe=20
urged the population to take greater responsibility in safeguarding =
independence=20
and sovereignty.=20
<P>``It is imperative to oppose and remove with the people's might the=20
destructive danger of the terrorist and destructive group...and =
neo-colonialists=20
from abroad,'' he said.=20
<P>The military uses the terms terrorists and destructionists to refer =
to ethnic=20
groups fighting for greater autonomy and the pro-democracy opposition =
led by=20
Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for =
Democracy=20
(NLD) party.=20
<P>Elsewhere in the capital, one of Myanmar's surviving independence =
leaders=20
appealed for talks between the generals and the opposition led by Suu =
Kyi.=20
<P>The statement from Bohmu Aung, 90, said Myanmar was in political =
turmoil due=20
to a failure to convene a People's Parliament elected in the last =
general=20
election in 1990, which Suu Kyi's NLD won by a landslide.=20
<P>``Even though armed fighting has lessened, political, economic and =
social=20
difficulties are happening as national solidarity has not been built =
through=20
national reconciliation by political means,'' it said.=20
<P>Bohmu Aung was one of Myanmar's ``Thirty Comrades,'' the group which =
led the=20
struggle for independence won in 1948. His statement was read at a =
ceremony=20
attended by about 100 politicians, including Suu Kyi.=20
<P>Dissident groups based on the Thai-Myanmar border issued statements =
slamming=20
the military, which took direct power in 1988 by killing thousands to =
crush a=20
pro-democracy uprising.=20
<P>The National Council of the Union of Burma said Myanmar enjoyed less =
freedom=20
now than during colonial rule.=20
<P>``As the political, economic educational, (and) social freedoms have =
been=20
totally controlled, the people, under the domestically bred military=20
dictatorship, have been turned into military serfs.=20
<P>``We would like to earnestly urge the entire nation to unitedly join =
hands=20
with us in the struggle for liberation from military serfdom and for the =
second=20
independence,'' the NCUB said.=20
<P>``The system of fascism in Burma must be totally ended, if we are to =
reach=20
the goal of democracy,'' it said.=20
<P><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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