BBC-US condemns Burma arrests

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Wednesday, September 9, 1998 Published at 01:01 GMT 02:01 UK 

US condemns Burma arrests 

The United States has strongly condemned the arrest of more than 200
opposition activists in Burma. 

Speaking in Washington, State Department spokesman James Rubin said
arbitrary detentions were unjustifiable and would only worsen the political
crisis in Burma. 

He urged the military government to begin talks immediately with the
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and condemned calls in the
state-controlled Burmese media for her to be deported. 
Newspaper reports have accused the Nobel prize-winning opposition leader of
"brazenly violating the independent sovereign power of Myanmar" by
discussing its internal affairs with the US and British embassies. 

"We're looking at ways to ratchet up the pressure on the government of
Burma " Mr Rubin said. 

Political impasse 

"Resolution of the political impasse in Burma will require real substantive
dialogue with the democratic opposition, including Aung San Suu Kyi and
representatives of the ethnic groups." 

"Arbitrary detentions are unjustifiable and will only worsen rather than
solve the political crisis," he said. 

Last month, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said a "moment of
truth" was approaching for Burma's military rulers. 

Amongst those arrested by the Burmese authorities are more than 60 people
who were elected in 1990 to the Burmese parliament which the military never
allowed to sit. 

The arrests began after the opposition called for the elected parliament to
convene before the end of the month. 

In an official statement the Burmese government, known as the State Peace
and Development Counci,l said the party members had merely been invited for
a political discussion. 

But diplomats in the Burmese capital say the detentions meant that even if
the party went ahead with its vow, it would be able to assemble only a
small number of elected members of parliament.