Myanmar frees six NLD members on pa

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Myanmar frees six NLD members on party anniversary 
05:00 a.m. Sep 27, 1998 Eastern 

YANGON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government on Sunday said it
had released six opposition members, bringing to 13 the number of National
League for Democracy (NLD) supporters released in the last few days. 

But the NLD, which marked its 10th birthday on Sunday, said hundreds of its
faithful continued to remain in detention. 

In a statement, the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) said the
six oppositionmembers had returned home at the end of last week after a
successful ``exchange of views.'' 

``View exchanges between the government and other NLD members are
continuing,'' the statement said. 

``The government expects more of the NLD members to return home after more
view exchanges successfully conclude in coming weeks,'' it added. 

The NLD on Thursday said the number of its members detained by the military in
a crackdown begun last month had risen to 921. It urged the government not to
detain more of its members. 

The government said all opposition detainees were being held in a ``cordial
atmosphere'' in ``government guesthouses.'' 

It also released photographs on the Internet which it said showed the freed
opposition members embracing their grandchildren upon returning to their
families. 

The detention of opposition members has boosted tension in Myanmar as the NLD,
led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has stepped up anti-government
campaigning in recent months. 

The opposition has set up a 10-member committee to act for a parliament
elected in 1990. The NLD swept that poll but the results were never recognised
by the military. 

The SPDC says the opposition tactics have put the NLD on a collision course
with the authorities. Sunday's government statement said more than 22,000
people had congregated in Myanmar's second city, Mandalay, on Saturday to
denounce the NLD. 

The NLD on Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of its formation in a low-key
way. 

Party sources said Suu Kyi had offered breakfast to Buddhist monks at her
residence in Yangon as she regularly did on the 27th day of each month to
commemorate her mother's death on December 27, 1989. 

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