Myanmar junta attacks NLD over laws

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Subject: Myanmar junta attacks NLD over lawsuit

Myanmar junta attacks NLD over lawsuit 

YANGON: Myanmar's government accused Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition on
Friday of resorting to ``symbolic'' gestures after the party said it was
suing a leading junta member for criminal intimidation. 

The National League for Democracy (NLD) said on Thursday it had filed a
complaint against intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt. It
accused military intelligence of ``destroying'' the party and intimidating
its members into resigning. 

In a statement headlined, ``A little less playing politics, please,'' the
government accused the NLD of mounting a political sideshow while the rest
of the country tried to combat the regional economic crisis. ``We fear that
revolving around idealistic notions and resorting to whimsical and symbolic
gestures designed merely to attract attention will not benefit the people
of Myanmar,'' the statement said. 

The government was trying to build a ``stable, secure and prosperous''
nation and ``looked forward to the participation of all NLD members in
reaching this goal,'' it added but did not address the details of the
complaint. The NLD won a landslide election victory in Myanmar in 1990 and
since then has waged a long political campaign against the military
government which has refused to hand over power. 

The opposition accused the government in a statement received in Bangkok on
Thursday of criminal attempts to crush its operations. ``Despite the fact
that the National League for Democracy is a legally constituted political
party...engaged in legitimate political duties, the rulers...are illegally
interfering, preventing, destroying and extinguishing the party,'' said the
NLD statement. 

The complaint was filed late last month by NLD chairman Aung Shwe with
Myanmar chief justice Aung Toe under the Criminal Procedure code and the
Judiciary Law, said the statement smuggled out of Myanmar. Analysts say the
NLD has no chance of winning a hearing for its arguments. 

Myanmar's government has in recent months waged a concerted campaign
against the NLD. Thousands of party members have resigned, many after
spending time in military ``guest houses.'' 

The NLD accuses the military of coercing the members and of stage-managing
mass rallies held to denounce Aung San Suu Kyi's leadership. (AP) 

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