Myanmar Detains 300 PMs

[RANGOONP@xxxxxxx]

Opposition: Myanmar Detains 300


 .c The Associated Press 

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Myanmar's military government has arrested 303 members
of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's political party in recent days, the
party said Wednesday. 

Among those arrested in the crackdown that began Sunday were 129 members of
parliament, said Tin Oo, vice chairman of Suu Kyi's National League for
Democracy. 

The party has been seeking to convene a parliament that was elected in 1990
but never allowed by the military to meet. 

``The National League for Democracy calls for the unconditional release of its
members and strongly condemns the arbitrary arrests by the authorities,'' the
party said. 

Party leaders asked for a meeting with generals from the ruling military
council to discuss the arrests, the party said in a statement. There was no
response from the government. 

Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in the 1990 vote. The military had
warned the party that convening Parliament on its own would result in arrests.

Since May, 187 elected members of parliament plus 334 other National League
for Democracy members have been imprisoned by the military, the party said. 

Several Western governments, including the United States, and international
human rights groups have issued sharp condemnations of the crackdown in
Myanmar, also known as Burma. 

Tin Oo said the military had also arrested members of political parties
representing some ethnic groups. 

Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since the arrests began. The military has
sharply restricted her movements. 

A commentary in state-run newspapers, meanwhile, suggested that Suu Kyi had
been conspiring with Western countries to create disturbances and should be
deported for allegedly concealing she is a British citizen. 

Personal attacks on Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize and was under
house arrest from 1989 to 1995, are common in the state press but in recent
weeks there has been more mention than usual of deporting her. 

AP-NY-09-09-98 1826EDT