Reuters-Myanmar capital calm on opp

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Myanmar capital calm on opposition deadline day 
01:37 a.m. Aug 21, 1998 Eastern 

By Aung Hla Tun 

YANGON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - An opposition deadline for covening Myanmar's
parliament arrived peacefully on Friday with no sign of the military
government giving way. 

Residents said the capital was calm, with no increased security presence. 

About 20 miles (32 km) southwest of the capital, charismatic opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi began a tenth day of a roadside protest that
diplomats say has highlighted a lack of basic freedoms and her party's
demand for a parliament. 

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy said the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize
winner remained in good spirits and would hold out until the government
released 97 detained party members, even though she was showing slight
signs of jaundice and her blood pressure was a little low. 

``She will come back to Rangoon (Yangon) if her will is accomplished -- all
members arrested throughout the country, arrested or detained since May 27
must be released,'' NLD vice chairman Tin Oo said from Yangon in a
telephone interview with Reuters in Bangkok. 

On Thursday, a government spokesman responded to the NLD demand for
parliament by saying: ``Calling for a parliament in the absence of a
constitution is like forcing a bald person to dye his hair.'' 

The NLD won Myanmar's last general election eight years ago by a landslide
but the military ignored the result, claiming a constitution was needed
before a parliament could be formed. 

Tin Oo vowed the NLD would keep up its campaign. 

``After August 21 we have the right to carry out our programme,'' he said.
``We have to do it ourselves. I cannot tell you what we are going to do, we
cannot tell our plans, but it is our right to carry on after August 21, our
right.'' 

Asked if the plans included open street protest, he said: ``I cannot say
that. I cannot say what were are going to do.'' 

Asked about Suu Kyi's health after the long protest, he said: ``You know
normally even a man could not stand this and she has already stayed at the
place there today for 10 days. 

``There's a slight trace of jaundice syndrome and the blood pressure's a
bit low, even though her spirit is very high.'' 

On Thursday, the NLD said Suu Kyi would have to abandon her protest if her
health deteriorated. 

Suu Kyi and three supporters have been stuck in a minivan on a small bridge
at the village of Anyarsu since August 12, having been denied permission to
travel to the west of the country and in turn refusing government demands
to return to Yangon. 

Government and NLD leaders held talks on Tuesday for the first time in a
year but the opposition party stressed afterwards that the meeting did not
constitute ``dialogue,'' which could not take place without Suu Kyi. 

In Bangkok, Myanmar students among a group of about 100 who have been
camped out outside the Myanmar embassy since August 3 said they planned to
change their sit-in protest to a hunger strike on Saturday. 

``From tomorrow at least 30 students will begin a hunger strike,'' Zaw
Wint, a spokesman for the group said. 

He said there was no time frame set for hunger strike, ``It up to the
political situation in Burma (Myanmar),'' he said.