Burma Denies Arrests, NLD Says Numb

[ausgeo@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Burma Denies Arrests, NLD Says Number to Rise

Friday May 23 

Burma Denies Arrests, NLD Says Number to Rise

BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuter) - Burma's military junta on Friday denied it had 
arrested dozens of members of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for 
Democracy (NLD) party, but a senior opposition source said at least 60 people 
had been detained. 

"We have been informed that none of the members of the NLD has been arrested 
so far, but requested by the local authorities to refrain from taking the 
course of action which is geared to create chaos in the country," a senior 
government official said in a statement in English faxed to Reuters. 

NLD officials in Rangoon said Friday that at least 60 senior party members 
from the provinces were arrested by military authorities as they headed to the 
Burmese capital to attend a party meeting planned for May 27-28. 

Several dozen others were detained in their homes and told not go to Rangoon 
to attend the meeting. 

The NLD official said the numbers were expected to rise as the meeting date 
neared. About 300 top NLD members and party organizers have been invited to 
attend. 

The party gathering is planned to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the 
NLD's landslide 1990 electoral victory that was never recognized by the ruling 
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). 

The Burmese government statement questioned the NLD accusations of arrests. 

"It would be interesting to know if they (the NLD) could provide us with more 
substantial facts as which member has been arrested in which police station," 
it said. 

"Of course the NLD's intention is to try to get as much as their members 
arrested by trying to create a situation where the government has no choice 
but to take strong counter measures." 

It was "regretful" that the government was being blamed for trying to maintain 
law and order, the statement said. 

The SLORC has been globally condemned for the arrests. 

The NLD official said some senior NLD members and party organisers had managed 
to arrive in Rangoon, and said the party had already begun holding meetings to 
plan and discuss policy. 

The NLD has had few opportunities to gather in a large group since it won the 
1990 poll. The SLORC has cracked down on the elected members of parliament and 
party members ever since. 

"We hurriedly decided to take advantage of the fact that some members had 
arrived, and yesterday we held a preliminary seminar to discuss political 
business," the NLD official said. 

"Today we will do our best to gather again...at Daw Suu's house," he said. 
"But some people who have arrived in Rangoon have been followed by police and 
told if they do not return to their respective homes they are liable to be 
arrested." 

He said many opted to stay in Rangoon at undisclosed places. Some are staying 
in Suu Kyi's compound. She could not be reached for comment as her telephone 
line appeared to have been cut. 

The NLD official said those who had been arrested or detained in their homes 
were mainly from the provinces, and so far the senior NLD members in Rangoon 
had not been affected. 

"The members, MPs and organising committee members in Rangoon have not been 
touched by the SLORC for the time being," he said. "But I don't know if they 
will let us go in to her house on the 27th." 

Last year, 261 NLD members, mostly MPs, were arrested ahead of a similar party 
gathering. But the meeting took place anyway and Suu Kyi announced the NLD 
planned to revive and continue its efforts to bring democracy to Burma despite 
the crackdowns.