[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Democracy session barred in Burma



Subject: Democracy session barred in Burma  28/5

Democracy session barred in Burma  28/5

           Police block
        roads to homes
           of Suu Kyi 

        ASSOCIATED PRESS 
                                 RANGOON, Burma ? Armed riot police blocked
                         roads leading to the homes of pro-democracy leader Aung
                         San Suu Kyi and her deputies today to prevent
supporters
                         from commemorating their 1990 election victory.
                                 Police also used barbed wire barricades to
seal the
                         office of the National League for Democracy, the
party that
                         Suu Kyi leads. The opposition party won 82 percent
of the
                         seats in a Parliament that the military regime
refused to
                         convene. 

     
                                 Suu Kyi said in statement smuggled out of her
                         compound that it was ?the desire of the people to
see the
                         convening of the Parliament,? elected in 1990.
                                 ?Political and economic problems could not
be solved
                         through harassment and repression of members,? of her
                         party, she said.
                                 At least 316 members of Suu Kyi?s party who had
                         planned to attend today?s commemoration have been
                         arrested by Burma?s military government, the
party?s vice
                         chairman, Tin Oo, said Monday. Troops surrounded his
                         home this morning.
                                 More than 200 other party members from across
                         Burma came to Rangoon in hopes of participating in the
                         congress at Suu Kyi?s lakeside compound, a party member
                         said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
                                 All were turned back this morning by police and
                         plainclothes intelligence officers as they tried to
approach
                         their leaders? homes. No new arrests were reported.
                                 Ten members of the party?s executive
committee had
                         already arrived at Suu Kyi?s compound before it was
sealed
                         off.
                                 In a statement received today in Bangkok,
Thailand,
                         the Burmese government accused Suu Kyi of staging the
                         ?so-called election anniversary meeting? to
?fabricate and
                         exploit? the situation for propaganda purposes.
                                 Suu Kyi won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her
                         efforts to bring democracy to military-ruled Burma. In
                         1995, she was released from six years of house
arrest for
                         her political activities.