NEWS - Myanmar junta launches Inter

[TheTruth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

NOTE: Does anyone want to go to Thomas Winn's house/office in
Laurel,Maryland to demonstrate?  He is the www.myanmar.com's
administrator.

Myanmar junta launches Internet offensive on NLD arrest accusations

       Thu 10 Sep 98 - 13:05 GMT 

       BANGKOK, Sept 10 (AFP) - Myanmar's military government took to
the Internet on Thursday in an offensive against international
       condemnation of its detention of hundreds of pro-democracy
opposition members.

       In an apparent move to ward of criticism, the junta posted
pictures on its website of the detained National League for Democracy
       (NLD) members eating and lounging around at various "government
guesthouses."

       "Here are some photos of the NLD members who have been invited by
the government to ask for their cooperation to help maintain
       the current peace, stability and development of the nation," the
webpage said.

       Captions to the four photos included "Invited guests enjoying
watching TV" and "Invited guests enjoying lunch," showing several
       people around a table laden with bowls of rice and other dishes.

       The pictures and text published on the junta's website can be
found at -- http://www.myanmar.com/nld/nld.htm -- and carries English,
       German, French and Japanese translations.

       Myanmar's opposition said Wednesday the military had arrested 108
more of its members, bringing the number detained since
       Sunday to 328, as international condemnation of the detentions
increased.

       The NLD headed by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said in a
statement some 521 party members, including 187 members
       of parliament elected in 1990 polls, had been arrested since May
this year following the commemoration of the eighth anniversary of
       elections there.

       The NLD-led opposition won the polls in a landslide, but the
junta has refused to handover power and rejected repeated calls for a
       parliament to be convened.

       Observers in Yangon have said the arrests appear to be a
pre-emptive strike following the NLD's announcement it intends
unilaterally
       to convene by the end of September the parliament elected in
1990.

       The junta said in a statement Tuesday the party members had
merely been invited for a political discussion, were being housed in
       government guest houes and had not been arrested. 

       But the US embassy in Yangon said military officials had admitted
they were being detained to thwart the convening of parliament.

       Overseas criticism of the arrests intensified late Wednesday. The
United States said it "deplores in the strongest of terms" the
       detentions while Britain said it "wholly condemns" the arrests.

       London also urged its EU partners to adopt its positions of
discouraging tourism, trade or investment in Myanmar.

       Germany condemned "the fresh wave of repression and intimidation"
by the junta while Japan called for the detainees to be freed.

       Diplomats in Yangon on Thursday said the opposition figures
detained by the junta were being treated reasonably well and were in
       no apparent danger.

       Before being held at government guesthouses in recent days they
had been allowed to gather clothes, toiletries and any necessary
       medication, added the diplomats, including envoys from western
states vigorously opposed to the junta.