NEWS - Secretary One trys any excus

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Myanmar Military Warns Opposition Against Unrest

            Reuters
            31-AUG-98

            YANGON, Aug 31 (Reuters)- Myanmar's military government
warned
            on Monday that the armed forces would not stand idly by if
the
            country's pro-democracy opposition tries to stir up unrest. 

            Commentaries in state-controlled newspapers said it was
impossible
            ``at this unsuitable time'' to call a parliament. National
League for
            Democracy (NLD)leader Aung San Suu Kyi told supporters at
the
            weekend that she would convene a ``People's Parliament'' in
            September in a direct challenge to the military government's
authority. 

            ``If the party cannot call (parliament), what will it do
next? Is the NLD
            going to make instigations for an outbreak of civil
strife?'' a
            commentary in the New Light of Myanmar asked. 

            ``Is it going to launch attacks with alien assistance to
grab power? Is
            the Tatmadaw (armed forces) going to stay idle if the NLD
starts
            aggressive campaigns or repulse attacks?'' it said. 

            The article referred back to mob violence during Myanmar's
1988
            uprising for democracy, which the military crushed, killing
thousands of
            people, according to opposition estimates. 

            The opposition has become increasingly assertive in recent
months in
            its campaign to try to force the government to recognise the
results of
            the country's last general election in 1990, which the NLD
won by a
            landslide. 

            Last week, college students staged their first street
protests since
            1996. 

            Government officials have said calling a parliament of those
elected in
            1990 would be illegal and state media have suggested the
opposition
            should be outlawed and Suu Kyi deported if the party
proceeds with its
            plans. 

            The military has never recognised the poll result and has
since
            arrested scores of opposition members. It has said a
constitution is
            needed before a parliament is called but the opposition
accuses the
            government of stalling. 

            On August 18, leaders of the government and opposition held
their first
            talks for more than a year but the NLD said a genuine
dialogue was
            not possible unless such talks included 1991 Nobel peace
laureate
            Suu Kyi, something the government has always resisted. 

            State newspapers have repeatedly attacked the opposition in
recent
            days. 

            Monday's articles accused Suu Kyi of following a
``destructive path''
            and said it was time for her to realise her wrongdoing. 

            In a speech quoted in local papers on Saturday, the
government's
            powerful Secretary One Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt
condemned
            the opposition as traitors motivated and supported by
foreign powers. 

            Articles in the same papers said power could not be handed
to the
            NLD and that Western-style democracy was an inappropriate
form of
            government for Myanmar.