SCMP-Afraid Junta urges dissidents

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Subject: SCMP-Afraid Junta urges dissidents to contribute, not protest

South China Morning Post
Monday, August 23, 1999
BURMA

Junta urges dissidents to contribute, not protest
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Rangoon

The ruling junta appealed yesterday to opponents calling for an uprising to
topple military rule next month to stop their activities and make a
"meaningful and positive" contribution.
The junta lashed dissidents for waging a campaign of "disinformation" to
create civil unrest on September 9 - or 9/9/99 - calling them "numerically
obsessed".

"The Government encourages all the anti-government forces to become
responsible members of the Burmese community and engage as constructive
forces," its statement said.

Efforts to incite unrest were "frivolous and will not only hamper [the
nation's] development but also delay its progress", it said.

The junta accused dissident groups of spreading false reports regarding
government involvement in religious persecution, drug trafficking, mass
arrests and repression of democratic forces in the country.

The appeal came a day after local newspapers quoted deputy leader of the
military, General Maung Aye, as threatening to "annihilate" opponents
calling for an uprising next month.

The junta has accused the National League for Democracy (NLD) - led by Nobel
peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi - of working with activists at home and
abroad to incite an uprising to overthrow the military, which has ruled
since the 1960s.

August 8 this year marked the 11th anniversary of 8/8/88, an uprising in
which hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators were gunned down by the army
and a junta took power from former strongman General Ne Win.

That anniversary passed peacefully, but opposition groups have said Burma's
people have an "appointment" with September 9 to repeat the events of 1988
and end the military's 37-year domination.

The junta on Saturday claimed people were largely ignoring calls by
dissidents and exiled students for a mass uprising next month, but warned of
firm action should unrest occur.

Spokesman Hla Min said there was little sign demonstrations planned for
September 9 would even happen.

"It's pleasantly quiet here, you don't see extra security on the road," he
said.

"Unfortunately those [dissident] groups on the Thai border are trying to
make things look as if everything is ready to blow up, but nothing is ready
to blow up."

A Rangoon resident said there were no signs of tightened security.

Diplomats in Rangoon said the capital was secure and, in the unlikely event
that an uprising was to occur, it could only take place outside the capital.

Mr Hla Min insisted most people in Burma were ignoring the "four-nines"
movement.

"People are fed up with all this nonsense," he said. "On the ninth they will
create here and there small things, but no major disturbances."

Despite its claims that there was support for the uprising, the military
confirmed earlier it had arrested 37 suspected dissidents in recent weeks in
connection with the planned unrest.

The Thailand-based All Burma Students' Democratic Front said 150 people had
been detained in the past month, including members of the NLD, which won
1990 elections but has been denied power by the military.