AFP-Outlaw junta accuse opponents o

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Subject: AFP-Outlaw junta accuse opponents of "smear campaign"

Myanmar junta accuse opponents of "smear campaign"
BANGKOK, Aug 15 (AFP) - Myanmar's military, responding to reports of a
renewed crackdown on dissent, accused its opponents Sunday of mounting a
"smear campaign" against the junta ahead of the next meeting of the UN
General Assembly (UNGA).
Exiled Myanmar students over the weekend said some 120 pro-democracy
activists had been arrested in the past two weeks in an effort to quell a
planned pro-democracy uprising next month.

A statement from the junta did not specifically deny the arrests but said a
report from exiled student groups in neighbouring Thailand that a virtual
curfew was in place in the country's second city, Mandalay, was "totally
fabricated."

"The anti-government organisations have been stepping up the smear campaign
in time for the next UNGA and also to make a big issue out of their
numerically obsessed date 9 September to attract international attention,"
the junta statement said.

The UNGA meets from September to December every year.

The junta statement said there were no signs of unrest and citizens were
ignoring calls by activists at home and abroad to wear yellow as a sign of
support for civil unrest.

Myanmar's military rulers Friday said they had uncovered details and names
of those involved in a plan to instigate a massive uprising on September 9,
or 9/9/99.

Last Sunday was the 11th anniversary of the popular uprising on August 8,
1988, or 8/8/88, in which hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators were
gunned down and a junta took over from dictator General Ne Win.

Exiled pro-democracy activists based in Bangkok have made no secret of their
calls for a mass uprising against the junta next month, saying the Myanmar
people had an "appointment" with 9/9/99 to repeat the events of 1988 and end
the military's 37-year rule.

"There will be thousands more to take the place of those arrested," said
Khin Maung Win, of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front.

"The 9-9-99 date set by the people cannot be altered by simply arresting
people."

Military spokesman San Pwint said a total of four dissidents had been
arrested and interrogated about the planned unrest.

Three other people allegedly involved in the campaign were on the run, he
said.

Brigadier Kyaw Win, deputy director of military intelligence, warned the
National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi not to encourage people to take part in any uprising.

"Responsible persons in the NLD had warned their members not to be involved
in it in any way ... however the leadership is not in a position to know
everthing that is going on at the lower levels," he said.

"But if the NLD in exile and the NLD here begin to make concerted and
synchronised efforts once the 9999 movement accelerates ... then we'll have
to do something about it."

The NLD under Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory in 1990 polls, but
the military refused to hand over power.