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Aung San Suu Kyi Calls For Dialogue



RANGOON, Sept 27 (Reuter) - Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi called
on Saturday for dialogue with the ruling military junta as her National
League for Democracy Party (NLD) opened a key two-day special meeting without
incident. 

The meeting marks the ninth anniversary of the party's founding, and was held
with the blessing of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC)-- in sharp contrast to a year ago. 

The military government thwarted a similar meeting planned by the NLD on
September 28 and 29 last year by detaining over 400 delegates in different
regions to prevent them from attending. 

In May this year, regional authorities prevented about 100 NLD delegates from
attending a meeting to mark the seventh anniversary of the general election
held in 1990, which the party swept but the ruling military never recognised.


Political analysts and diplomats said the SLORC allowed the meeting to take
place this time because it did not want to provoke western criticism by
creating any incidents. 

``The NLD is trying to create something out of this meeting, but I don't
think the SLORC will allow itself to be provoked by the opposition and create
trouble,'' said one Asian diplomat. 

Burmese Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw is attending the U.N. General Assembly and
the SLORC did not want to tarnish its image at this critical time, the
analysts said. 

Burma's presence at a meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum next
year in London is uncertain because it was not included in the pioneer
meeting held in Bangkok last year. 

Some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are
lobbying for Burma, which joined the Asian regional grouping this year, to
attend the ASEM session. 

Analysts said this may be another reason why Burma may be taking a softer
line on the opposition. 

On Saturday, Suu Kyi told about 700 delegates who gathered in a makeshift
tent in the compound of her lakeside residence in Rangoon that dialogue with
the military government would be successful if it was based on ``sincerity
and mutual respect.'' 

``NLD is ready to hold meaningful dialogue with the government based on
sincerity, mutual respect and intention to work for the benefit of the
people,'' she said. 

``We believe the dialogue will succeed without fail if it is based on these
principles,'' she added, in renewing her call for discussions. 

The NLD has been at loggerheads with the SLORC over human rights abuses,
repression and the military's curbs on its political activities. 

Earlier this month, a meeting sought by the SLORC's powerful Secretary One
Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt with senior NLD leaders failed to take place
because the NLD insisted Suu Kyi should be present. 

The SLORC does not recognise Suu Kyi's opposition role and did not invite her
to the proposed meeting. 

The military on Saturday conducted tight security checks of delegates at
checkpoints along University Avenue where Suu Kyi resides. 

There were no incidents, although the SLORC had originally limited the number
of participants to the meeting to 300 and more than double the number turned
up. 

The two-day meeting will review the party's activities and lay down future
plans and policies