AP-Dow Jones: "Long Prison Terms Fo

[ider@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: AP-Dow Jones: "Long Prison Terms For Detainees"

Burma's Suu Kyi Predicts Long Prison Terms For Detainees
 
   RANGOON (AP-Dow Jones)--Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi
predicted Monday that the military regime would detain some of her jailed
supporters indefinitely and said her personal assistant had been thrown into a
prison notorious for torture. 
   Suu Kyi gave a tea for reporters and answered questions after the second day
of an opposition conference that the ruling junta had arrested at least 262
members of her National League for Democracy to prevent. 
   Among the detainees were 238 delegates to the conference, which was to unite
surviving opposition candidates who won 392 of 486 seats in parliamentary
elections May 27, 1990. The regime never honored the election results, and many
of the winning candidates already had been killed, jailed or driven into exile.
   'There are indications that the authorities are going to keep the elected
representatives for much longer than we thought ...,' Suu Kyi said. 'Some
delegates have had charges placed against them.' 
   The charges probably would stem from emergency powers laws, which give the
military authority to hold a detainee indefinitely for reasons of national
security, Suu Kyi said. 
   Suu Kyi said that it was 'almost certain' that Win Htein, her personal
assistant, and several members of the party's youth wing had been transferred
to the notorious Insein Prison near Rangoon. 
   (END) AP-DOW JONES NEWS 27-05-96
   1650GMT