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BBC-Burma's ten years under the mil



Friday, September 18, 1998 Published at 00:40 GMT 01:40 UK 

Burma's ten years under the military 

On the tenth anniversary of the military coup in Burma, there are
indications of a split within the regime.

Friday marks the tenth anniversary in Burma of the military's seizure of
power crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations. 


BBC's Peter Biles: "they show no sign of relinquishing power"

The army has dominated politics in Burma since its independence. The
government is widely condemned for its serious human-rights abuses, but
over the last 10 years it has shown few signs of introducing greater
democracy. 

(The BBC's Michael Pan was in Rangoon)

 10 years ago . . .The army set up the State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC) and annulled the result of the 1990 elections which the
National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a huge margin. 

Burma's military leaders still refuse to negotiate with the opposition, and
the NLD says almost 800 of its activists have been arrested since May in a
continuing crackdown. 

'The army... shoots straight' 

Burma's pro-democracy movement exploded onto the streets in the summer of
1988 when protestors called a nation-wide strike to demand political
change. 

General Ne Win: "When the army shoots, it shoots straight"
Popular anger at the autocratic rule of General Ne Win had finally boiled
over after 26 years. 

Ne Win himself agreed to step down, but warned "when the army shoots, it
shoots straight." 

On 18 September 1988, the army made its move. Soldiers sprayed automatic
rifle fire into crowds of protestors. Other demonstrators were carried away
in trucks and never seen again. 

Human rights groups say more than 3,000 people were killed. 

Tumbling economy 

Ten years later, the army is still in power but the economy has taken a
dive. While official corruption flourishes, day-to-day life for most
ordinary Burmese has become a struggle for survival. 

Visitors to Burma say the resentment is palpable. 

But the army says the people see them as a benevolent force. 

Military spokesman Hla Min says that "for the man on the street in Myanmar
(Burma) they think that it's good, they have extra security on the streets
for them." 

Growing international pressure 

But pressure is growing on the military government. 

Pressure on the military regime is growingThe opposition leader, Nobel
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has mounted a series of challenges to the junta.


Members of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) which Burma
joined last year, have criticised the arrest and harassment of opposition
members. 

Internal conflicts 

But Aung San Suu Kyi remains free and there are growing signs of a
revitalised opposition to military rule, as in recent weeks, there have
been a series of small-scale protests by students in the capital Rangoon. 

Experts in Burmese politics say a simmering rivalry between the powerful
military intelligence wing and the rest of the army over how to deal with
the opposition has deepened in the past year. 

If that is true, they say, it could provide the opportunity Burma's
democratic opposition has been waiting so long for.