NEWS- Myanmar Opposition Claims MP

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Myanmar Opposition Claims MP Jailed by Junta

               Reuters
               18-FEB-98

               YANGON, Feb 18 (Reuters) -
               Myanmar's (Burma's) main
               opposition party said the ruling
               military government had jailed an
               opposition parliamentarian for a
               township in northeastern Kayin state. 

               Three opposition members had also
               been detained in another township,
               the National League for Democracy
               (NLD) said in a statement late on
               Tuesday. 

               The MP, Nan Khin Htwe Myint, was
               arrested at Thaton Station in the
               southeastern Mon state on February
               10 while travelling to a political
               meeting. 

               She was given a two-year jail term in
               a closed trial and sent to a prison in
               Mon on February 11, the NLD said. 

               The MP had earlier had an argument
               with intelligence officers when they
               searched her belongings. 

               ``The authorities arrested her in
               Thaton on February 10 and
               sentenced her to two-year
               imprisonment under Section 353,
               charging her for disturbing public
               servants on duty. There was no
               witness and lawyer at her trial,'' the
               NLD said. 

               Three other party members from
               Pathein Township were detained by
               police after making a report that their
               party and the national flags hoisted at
               the local NLD office had been stolen
               on Union Day on February 12. 

               A government spokesman told
               Reuters that legal action had been
               taken against the NLD members. 

               ``It is learnt that legal action had
               been taken against these persons a
               week ago by the relevant township
               courts for the crime they had
               committed,'' he said without
               elaborating. 

               He also said that the NLD had
               released the news to coincide with
               the visit of the Chairman of the ruling
               State Peace and Development
               Council (SPDC), Senior General
               Than Shwe, to the Philippines and
               create embarrassment for the
               government. 

               Than Shwe left on Tuesday for a
               three-day visit to the Philippines
               where he was greeted by protests
               from those opposed to military rule in
               Myanmar. 

               The military junta and the NLD have
               been at odds over the government's
               curbing of NLD leader Aung San Suu
               Kyi's political activities and
               constraints on overall opposition
               activity, along with human rights
               issues. 

               The NLD swept to victory in an
               election in 1990 but the military
               ignored the result and has ruled
               Myanmar since.