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SPDC WARNS NLD TO STOP ISSUING STAT



Media Release
Date: January 7, 1998

                                    
            SPDC WARNS NLD TO STOP ISSUING STATEMENTS, CURB  
                      AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S ACTIVITIES
                                       
 

Burma's military regime, the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC), has warned the National League for Democracy (NLD) to
stop issuing statements and to curtail the activities of its
general secretary, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. 

The warning was made in a meeting held on December 12, 1997,
between the SPDC Minister of Home Affairs, Colonel Tin Hlaing,
and a five member delegation of the NLD.

In a statement issued on December 19, the NLD said that they were
only informed of the meeting a few hours before it took place. An
official of the Ministry came at about 1:30 p.m. on December 12
and verbally informed the NLD chairman about the meeting, which
was held at 4:00 p.m. later that day. 

"A five member delegation of the party went to meet the minister
bearing in mind the importance of developing smooth relations and
mutual understanding with the state authorities," the statement
said.   

"The Minister for Home Affairs primarily raised two issues: the
discontinuation of the NLD's regular practice of issuing
statements, which the NLD has published so many times, and
matters regarding official activities of the NLD, in particular
the organising activities of the general secretary of the party."

The statement added that the delegation did not include NLD
chairman U Aung Shwe, the two vice-chairmen, the party secretary
or General Secretary Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

In an announcement a few days after the meeting, the SPDC also
warned that if the NLD didn't stop its activities, the holding of
a dialogue and national reconciliation would be "further away
from reality" and that the NLD would be responsible for this. The
NLD rejected this accusation as totally unfounded.

"Although this form of intimidation is nothing new, this is
probably the first time NLD leaders were officially told to stop
activities," said ABSDF vice-chairman Moe Thee Zun. 

"In March and April 1989, as officials of the Democratic Party
for New Society (DPNS), we were summoned to meet with the now
ousted Generals Myo Nyunt and Tun Kyi in Rangoon and Mandalay. We
were ordered to stop our political activities as well as issuing
statements and papers," said Moe Thee Zun, the founder and former
chairman of the DPNS.   


All Burma Students' Democratic Front

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