SLORC denounces US

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Burmese Gov't Denounces
                         U.S 

                         Monday, May 5, 1997 1:07 pm EDT 

                         BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- More than 65,000 government
                         supporters rallied over the weekend in Burma,
vowing to crush
                         democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and accusing the
United
                         States of bullying their country with economic
sanctions. 

                         Some 35,000 people demonstrated Sunday in Mandalay,
Burma's
                         second largest city, and another 30,000 Saturday in
Rangoon, the
                         capital, Burma's state-run newspapers reported
Monday . 

                         The demonstrations were held by the Union
Solidarity and
                         Development Association, a group controlled by
Burma's military
                         government. Membership in the group is often coerced. 

                         ``The United States government is bullying smaller
nations,'' Tin
                         Maung Oo, a Union official, was quoted as saying.
He praised the
                         Burmese government's social, political and economic
                         achievements. 

                         He also condemned the United States and Suu Kyi for
trying to
                         persuade the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
not to admit
                         Burma, also known as Myanmar, as it is expected to
do in July. 

                         Burma's military government is considered a pariah
by most
                         Western nations and is condemned regularly by the
United Nations
                         for human rights violations. 

                         President Clinton imposed economic sanctions on
Burma last
                         month because of its actions against the country's
democracy
                         movement, which is led by Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace
Prize laureate.

                         Suu Kyi, whose contacts with the outside world have
been
                         severely restricted since September, had been
calling for the
                         sanctions for months. 

                         Union members were part of a government-paid mob that
                         attacked Suu Kyi's motorcade with stick, chains and
crowbars in
                         November. Suu Kyi has compared them to Germany's Hitler
                         Youth. 

                         Suu Kyi remains popular with many Burmese while the
military
                         government is feared by most. 

                         More rallies are expected in other cities in the
coming days.