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BURMA DEADLOCKED 2 YRS AFTER SUU KY
- Subject: BURMA DEADLOCKED 2 YRS AFTER SUU KY
- From: moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 08 Jul 1997 22:01:00
Subject: BURMA DEADLOCKED 2 YRS AFTER SUU KYI'S RELEASE
Burma deadlocked two years after Suu Kyi's release
05:12 a.m. Jul 08, 1997 Eastern
By Deborah Charles
BANGKOK, July 8 (Reuter) - When Burmese opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from six years of house arrest in 1995,
she greeted the world with optimism and with calls for dialogue
between the ruling generals and her pro-democracy movement.
But two years on, the Nobel Peace laureate is a virtual prisoner in
her own house and has seen her family only a handful of times.
Hopes of dialogue with the military appear little more than a
pipedream, diplomats said on Tuesday.
``There was a bit of a moment of hope at first,'' said one
Rangoon-based diplomat. ``But not now.''
``After her release things were a bit happy for a while; she could give
weekend talks and hold meetings. The first year was not so bad, but
the second year was very bad.''
Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel prize for her non-violent
campaign to bring democracy to Burma, was released from six
years of house arrest on July 10, 1995.
The day after her release an upbeat Suu Kyi told a news conference
the government needed dialogue with the democracy movement or
face ``utter devastation.'' She made similar comments to supporters
in weekend rallies outside her residence.
She urged all nations to be tough on Burma until it improved its
human rights record and recognised the democracy movement.
While she was under house arrest, her National League for
Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide victory in a 1990 election
but the result was never recognised by the governing State Law and
Order Restoration Council (SLORC).
``When she was released, everybody expected something to
happen,'' said another Rangoon-based diplomat, referring to the
political situation in Burma.
``But up until now nothing has changed. And almost every day now
the Burmese newspapers carry negative articles against her and the
NLD. It's not getting any better.''
A senior Burmese official summed up the government's attitude,
which appears to be toughening, towards Suu Kyi.
``Since her day of release the NLD party has got itself into a lot of
mess and now is even in a more serious situation,'' he told Reuters
from Rangoon.
Over the past year, Suu Kyi and her party have faced several
crackdowns by the government which on various occasions has
rounded up thousands of NLD supporters and party members and
detained them for varying lengths of time.
The NLD has been unable to function as a normal political party
because the government has also banned most large gatherings of the
party and blocked off access to Suu Kyi's house which serves as her
party headquarters.
In an effort to marginalise Suu Kyi the authorities have cut off her
phone line and closely monitored her visitors and movements.
Suu Kyi's husband, British academic Michael Aris, and her two sons
have only been permitted to visit Burma a few times since 1995.
She does not visit them for fear she will not be able to return.
SLORC officials have refused to negotiate with Suu Kyi, saying she
missed her opportunity when she pulled her party out of a National
Convention which is drafting guidelines for a new constitution.
Suu Kyi withdrew NLD representatives from the mostly
hand-picked convention in November 1995, saying it did not
represent the will of the people.
The government recently stepped up its accusations that the NLD is
involved in terrorist activities.
Top generals have made several statements lately warning it would
take action against ``destructive elements'' such as Suu Kyi and the
NLD if they did not mend their ways.
``Her instigation of civil unrest and and encouragement of terrorism is
something that adversely affects the nation's stability and
development,'' the Burmese official said. ``It could be said that she
wasted no energy and time during these last two years.''
^REUTER@