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Reuters-FOCUS-Suu Kyi in new stando



FOCUS-Suu Kyi in new standoff with Myanmar govt 
08:26 a.m. Aug 12, 1998 Eastern 

By Aung Hla Tun 
YANGON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
ratcheted up the pressure on the military government on Wednesday by
setting out on another road trip to visit supporters in the west of the
country. 
Sources close to Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) said the
1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner slipped out of her closely guarded lakeside
home in Yangon at about 10.15 a.m. (0345 GMT) and drove towards Pathein
township, about 190 km (120 miles) west of Yangon. 
At least two NLD vehicles, including a light minibus, were halted close to
the village of Anyarsu, around 27 km (17 miles) west of Yangon and not far
from where Suu Kyi was stopped on a similar trip in July, one witness said.

That venture developed into a six-day standoff on a bridge and was ended
forcibly on July 29 when she was overpowered by security men and taken back
to the capital. 
Suu Kyi became severely dehydrated during the standoff and spent several
days recuperating, diplomats said. She had promised to venture out again
when she was fully recovered. 
``She was stopped on the same road about four miles further on,'' said one
local source. He said the NLD cars appeared to be well-prepared this time
with plenty of dried rations and water. 
``Aung San Suu Kyi of the NLD and central executive member U Hla Pe left
for Pathein by cars at 10.15 a.m. this morning to encourage the NLD elected
representatives against whom action has been taken by the government,'' the
NLD said in a statement. 
Suu Kyi travelled with the same people on her July trip. 
The government has stepped up action against the NLD since the party set an
ultimatum in June for the government to convene a parliament by August 21
of members elected at polls in 1990. 
The NLD won those elections by a large margin but the result was ignored by
the military government, which has rejected demands for democracy, saying
the time is not ripe.. 
This is the fourth time Suu Kyi has left home in an attempt to visit
supporters in recent weeks. Released from six years of house arrest in July
1995, Suu Kyi is severely restricted in her movements by the military and
her visitors are monitored. 
The fate of 18 foreign activists detained in Myanmar on Sunday for
distributing pro-democracy leaflets remained unclear on Wednesday, with
diplomats saying the detainees were well but had not been told if they
would be charged or deported. 
The detainees included six Americans, an Australian, three Thais, three
Malaysians, three Indonesians and two Filipinos. 
Government-run newspapers have accused the activists of being part of a
plot to destabilise the country and said the authorities would take
``necessary actions against them.'' 
A government statement said the legal process was being prolonged because
``a few of them are not fully cooperating.'' 
But it added: ``The Myanmar government will exercise utmost restraint in
dealing with the misguided individuals.'' 
An American diplomat in Yangon said the U.S. government wanted its
nationals given their liberty as soon as possible. 
``We are urging their prompt release,'' the diplomat said. 
Philippine President Joseph Estrada pressed Myanmar to respect the rights
of the two Filipino detainees. 
``I also enjoin the concerned authorities to release them accordingly as
warranted by the situation,'' Estrada said. 
The Myanmar military came under more external pressure on Wednesday with a
coordinated appeal from eight leading nations for the government to open a
dialogue with Suu Kyi. 
A Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman told Reuters in Tokyo the embassies
of Japan, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea and the
United States were to make representations to Myanmar. 
The appeal called for substantive dialogue with Suu Kyi and her supporters
and criticised the government's infringement of her freedom of travel and
association.