Third NLD congress coming soon, Wit

[nin@xxxxxx]

Subject: Third NLD congress coming soon, Within three months

	Opposition Party Plans Third Attempt to Hold Congress
	-----------------------------------------------------

	RANGOON, Burma (AP) _ Burma's main opposition group will try to	
	hold a party congress within three months, although the military
	government has blocked two previous attempts this year, sources
	close to the group said Wednesday.
   
	The decision to try to convene the congress, as well as to
	reorganize the party nationwide, was taken at a meeting Wednesday
	of the National League for Democracy's central executive committee,
	said the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity.
   
	Seventy party members, including the group's leader, Nobel Peace
	Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, attended the strategy-planning
	session, held at the house of another top party executive, Tin Oo.
   
	A party congress scheduled at Mrs. Kyi's house Sept. 27-29 was
	scuttled when the authorities blocked the road to her lakeside
	residence and prevented all but senior party members from passing.
	Hundreds of party supporters were also detained, but released the
	next week.
   
	The roadblocks were removed Oct. 8 but put back in place on Oct.
	11. Because her supporters have been unable to come to her house _
	the de facto party headquarters _ Suu Kyi has been holding meetings
	at the homes of Tin Oo and another close lieutenant, Kyi Maung.
	Both men's houses are under tight surveillance.
   
	The roadblocks also have prevented Suu Kyi from giving her
	customary weekend speeches to followers outside her home.
   	Before Wednesday's meeting, Suu Kyi visited her party's newly
	reopened Rangoon Division office, about three kilometers (two
	miles) from her home.
   
	The office was reopened Tuesday night and its signboard hoisted
	back up after the government's election commission advised the
	landlord he was free to honor his commitment to his political
	tenants. The office had been forced to close on Sept. 27 by the
	owner, who removed the party signboard. The league then filed a
	complaint with the election commission that the landlord had
	closed the office under pressure from the authorities.
   
	The commission investigated and heard testimony from the owner,
	Tun Kyaing, that he had closed the office on his own accord because
	he feared the presence of party members would bring trouble, said a
	commission member. The commission also was told that although the
	lease on the building expired in August, Tun Kyaing had verbally
	agreed to extend it to the end of the year.
   
	The commission advised the landlord he could allow the office to
	reopen and operate until the end of the year, and raise the
	signboard if he so wished.

161446 Oct GMT