Muslems Attacked on Eve of Military

[waterly@xxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Muslems Attacked on Eve of Military Day

  RANGOON, March 26 (Reuter) - Several isolated incidents of vandalism
against Moslem property were reported around Rangoon on Wednesday, as
religious tension simmered on the eve of a key Burmese military celebration,
diplomats said on Wednesday. 

    ``They are small scale, sporadic incidents,'' said one diplomat. ``It is
simmering...just pops up in various places. But it's not like wide scale
unrest.'' 

    Security remained heavy in the capital as growing numbers of armed
troops manned checkpoints and stood guard at various key religious and
military sites ahead of Armed Forces Day on Thursday, witnesses said. 

    One diplomat said he had confirmed reports that three houses belonging
to Moslems in a Rangoon suburb had been vandalised, and monks were reported
to have thrown stones at a mosque and a teashop in another Moslem district
in the Rangoon area. 

    Diplomats said the military feared possible terrorist attacks by ethnic
insurgents who might take advantage of the fact that all top military brass
would be in the capital at one time for the celebrations. 

    Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, whose house has been blocked off
to the public by the military government for months, also announced plans to
hold an alternative celebration on Thursday at her residence for up to 1,500
invited guests. 

    Diplomats and opposition sources said they doubted the government would
allow the celebration to take place at Suu Kyi's house, which doubles as
headquarters for her National League for Democracy (NLD). 

    ``So far everything is going smoothly,'' one senior NLD official told
Reuters. ``But we don't know what will happen tomorrow. We have invited
about 1,400 to 1,500 NLD members and supporters, and press and embassies
have also been invited.'' 

    The last event held at Suu Kyi's house -- which served as her prison
during six years of house arrest -- was in honour of Union Day in February,
when she called for talks between the government, ethnic groups and
pro-democracy forces to try to build national reconciliation. 

    Government officials were not immediately available to comment on the
NLD's celebration or on latest reports of vandalism of Moslem property by
Buddhist monks. 

    There were also reports of unrest at a Buddhist monastery where monks
were said to have thrown bricks and stones at riot police standing guard
outside. 

    The religious troubles began about 11 days ago in Burma's second city
Mandalay after Buddhist monks attacked several mosques and protested in the
streets. 

    The government says the unrest began following reports that a Buddhist
girl had been molested by a Moslem. But other sources said it was sparked by
reports that an important Buddha image in Mandalay had been damaged. 

    The government said on Tuesday the attacks were politically motivated by
elements bent on destabilising the nation. 

02:42 03-26-97