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Arrests



211204 :BC-BURMA-ARRESTS-SUUKYI URGENT
 Burma's Suu Kyi says meeting on despite arrests
    BANGKOK, May 21 (Reuter) - Burma's democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi said on Tuesday she would hold a congress of her
National League for Democracy (NLD) party despite the arrest of
44 party representatives who were due to attend.
    "Yes, of course," she told Reuters by telephone from Rangoon
when asked if she would still hold the meeting, which is due to
begin on Sunday.
    "To date we know that 46 people have been arrested, 44
elected representatives and two wives who were arrested because
their husbands were not at home," she said.
    The planned NLD congress is being held to mark the sixth
anniversary of the 1990 election in which the party won more
than 80 percent of the seats but was denied power by the ruling
military.
    "I think it's because they know we have the support of the
people and they're not confident in their own position," Suu Kyi
said when asked if she knew the reason behind the arrests, which
began in the provinces on Monday.
    The ruling military body, the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC), has yet to officially announce any
arrests but earlier on Tuesday issued a stiff warning against
"destructionist groups" and "traitors" endangering the stability
of the state.