Democrats vow to carry on despite r

[nyeinchan@xxxxxxxx]

(South China Morning Post) 15 November 1997
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS in Rangoon 
An 11-hour standoff between riot police and democracy leader Aung San Suu
Kyi did not deter the vice-chairman of her party from vowing yesterday
that they would continue to try to meet supporters.

"Despite all these restrictions we are determined to proceed with our
organisational work," said Tin Oo of the National League for Democracy
(NLD).

The military Government blocked Ms Aung San Suu Kyi from leaving her home
on Thursday for the second time in two weeks.

Police surrounded a car carrying Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and three members of
her party as it left her lakeside compound at 8.30 am heading for their
Hlaing township party office in Rangoon.

The military allowed her first foray to meet youth members about a month
ago, but blocked three subsequent attempts.

Traffic police, riot police and a detail of women officers encircled her
sedan and erected barbed wire barricades and spiked saw horses on
Thursday morning.

The Government's military intelligence officers requested Ms Aung San Suu
Kyi return to her house, but she refused. Hearing of the standoff, about
100 NLD members gathered at the party's main office nearby.

The NLD said the Government acted unlawfully in preventing a legal
political party from carrying out its work.

The Government responded by calling Ms Aung San Suu Kyi stubborn, and
saying "her act was an obvious confrontational and dishonest political
stunt".

Ms Aung San Suu Kyi stayed in her car with the windows rolled up,
snacking on bread, biscuits and milk as the women officers pulled out
chairs around noon after standing for hours in the sun.

At about 7 pm the Government cut power to the NLD office and supporters
dispersed.