Reuters-Myanmar Appeals To Guerrill

[tinkyi@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Reuters-Myanmar Appeals To Guerrilla Groups For Cease-fire 

Myanmar Appeals To Guerrilla Groups For Cease-fire
01:08 a.m. Mar 27, 1999 Eastern
YANGON (Reuters) - Military-ruled Myanmar marked Armed Forces Day Saturday
with an appeal to guerrilla groups fighting the government from the jungles
to make peace.

Prime Minister and Senior General Than Shwe made the call in a speech at a
parade to mark the occasion without naming the resistance groups that have
yet to sign cease-fire pacts with the government.

But his call appeared directed at the Karen National Union (KNU) guerrillas,
the last major rebel group still fighting Yangon for greater autonomy for
eastern Karen state.

The KNU, operating from the Thai-Myanmar border, is the oldest
anti-government resistance force, having been founded in 1949. Its leader
General Bo Mya and the ruling military have tried many times but failed to
agree to a truce.

``We hope that they will, like the 17 groups before them who foster good
will for the country and the people, join hands with the Tatmadaw (military)
soon,'' Than Shwe said.

The ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has already made peace
with most anti-government groups representing various ethnic groups in far
flung areas of the country.

Armed Forces Day marks the army's launch of a national anti-fascist movement
against the occupying Japanese military on March 27, 1945. The army
commander at that time, General Aung San, became the country's independence
hero in 1948.

But Myanmar's main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), led by
his daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, said in a statement that genuine democracy
must prevail first to foster unity and good ties between the people and the
military.

The NLD says the SPDC has curbed its activities, stepped up its pressure on
party members and detained about 150 of its members of parliament elected in
the 1990 general election, which the military refused to recognize.

``The success of the anti-fascist revolution, which was a major achievement
in the nation's struggle for independence, was due to the unity between the
political forces and the entire people,'' it said.

``It is seriously necessary for the entire nation to carry out unitedly for
the emergence of the Union of Myanmar where genuine democracy and human
rights prevail, holding hands together, bearing the historical lesson given

by the anti-fascist revolution in mind,'' it added.

The SPDC said Friday that it would allow Suu Kyi to return home after
visiting her dying husband Michael Aris in Britain, in a move aimed at
countering her worries that she might not be allowed back into the country
if she left.

The SPDC said Friday it would let Suu Kyi visit her dying husband Michael
Aris in Britain and then return home, a move aimed at countering her worries
that she might not be allowed back into the country if she left.

Suu Kyi rejected the offer, the government said.

Analysts said she refused because she was afraid the military would not keep
its word about her return and might rout her party when she was away.