NEWS-Myanmar Junta,Opposition Hold

[Philip.Mccracken@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Myanmar Junta,Opposition Hold Separate Rallies

               Reuters
               12-FEB-98

               YANGON, Feb 12 (Reuters) -
               Myanmar's (Burma) ruling military
               junta and the main opposition party
               led by Aung San Suu Kyi on
               Thursday held separate rallies to
               mark Union Day and expressed
               divergent political views. 

               Union Day marks the signing of the
               ``Panglong Agreement'' on February
               12, 1947, which paved the way for
               Myanmar's independence from over
               100 years of British colonial rule on
               January 4, 1948. 

               Suu Kyi, leader of the National
               League for Democracy (NLD) party,
               charged the ruling State Peace and
               Development Council (SPDC) with
               abusing human rights and said it was
               the government's duty to guarantee
               and protect people's rights. 

               But Prime Minister and SPDC
               Chairman Senior General Than
               Shwe concentrated on development
               and sought cooperation between the
               military, the government and the
               various ethnic races of Myanmar to
               achieve the objective. 

               Over 500 opposition activists
               attended the opposition rally held at
               Suu Kyi's lakeside residence. The
               rally was not interrupted by the
               military, which checked those
               entering the venue. 

               The government rally at Peoples
               Square in the capital saw about
               15,000 participants, mainly from
               government agencies. 

               ``The cause of the Union, the cause
               of the national races, and the cause
               of democracy and human rights are
               inseparable,'' Suu Kyi told her
               supporters. 

               ``Human rights are not to be laid
               down by the government. But are
               things to be guaranteed and
               protected by the government,'' she
               said, urging the Myanmar people to
               work collectively for the emergence
               of a genuine democratic state. 

               The NLD again issued a declaration
               saying that political, economic and
               social problems in Myanmar could
               only be resolved if the two sides held
               talks. 

               The NLD and the military are at
               political odds over attempts by the
               junta to curb the party's and Suu Kyi's
               political activities and its intimidation
               of opposition activists by detaining
               them at will and releasing them later. 

               Suu Kyi's NLD won a landslide victory
               in a 1990 election but the military,
               which has ruled with an iron fist since
               1988, has ignored the result and
               refused to hand over power. 

               The SPDC has offered to hold talks
               with the NLD, but refused to include
               Suu Kyi in any dialogue. The NLD
               has rejected such an offer. 

               In his message, Than Shwe urged
               the people to safeguard Myanmar's
               sovereignty and independence. 

               ``The three nation-building forces,
               namely the national peoples, the
               armed forces and the government,
               join hands in implementing in earnest
               the basic objectives laid down by the
               government to bring about marked
               and rapid development in political,
               economic and social spheres,'' said
               Than Shwe in his speech. 

               He said the formulation of a new
               national constitution was essential for
               Myanmar's nation-building in future. 

               A National Convention of
               government-appointed
               representatives is working on the
               drafting of a new constitution but the
               body has not convened for about two
               years.