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AFP-Armed thieves brands Suu Kyi a

Subject: AFP-Armed thieves brands Suu Kyi a "terrorist" on Independence Day

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Tuesday, January 4 2:50 PM SGT=20
Myanmar junta brands Suu Kyi a "terrorist" on Independence Day
YANGON, Jan 4 (AFP) -=20
Myanmar's ruling military Tuesday lashed out at the opposition party of =
Aung San Suu Kyi at a ceremony marking the 52nd anniversary of =
independence, branding them "terrorists" and calling on the people to =
destroy them.

More than 15,000 members of government-sponsored associations gathered =
in Yangon's People's Park to listen to the Independence Day message from =
junta chairman General Than Shwe.

"It is imperative to oppose and remove with the people's might the =
destructive danger of the terrorist and destructive group heading for =
utter devastation," said the message read by Yangon's military commander =
and run in all state media.

In the speech, read out following a flag-hoisting ceremony, Than Shwe =
also called for people "to oppose the neocolonialists from abroad" who =
were assisting "internal national traitors."

Although Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for =
Democracy (NLD) were not named, the language used was that typically =
reserved for them by the junta which has repeatedly accused them of =
having foreign backing.

It also echoed language used by the Nobel peace prize winner and =
daughter of independence hero General Aung San in a message delivered =
after her release from house arrest by the junta in 1995, observers =
said.

The NLD, which won 1990 elections but were never allowed to take power, =
were scheduled to release a message at a meeting attended by Aung San =
Suu Kyi later Tuesday.

The exiled "government" of Myanmar said earlier in a statement issued in =
neighbouring Thailand that colonial rule by Britain had been preferable =
to that of the military.

The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) said the =
country had been in a state of "civil war" since independence on January =
4, 1948, and called for talks with the military.

"The deprivation of freedom under the State Peace and Development =
Council is much worse than the deprivation of liberty under the rule of =
the foreign power," the statement said using the junta's official name.

The NCGUB lamented the military's takeover of power in 1962 saying it =
did nothing to restore peace and stability and urged people to rise up =
against the junta.

"On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of independence, we would like =
to earnestly urge the entire nation to unitedly join hands with us in =
the struggle for liberation from the military serfdom and for the second =
independence."

In 1962 General Ne Win led a military coup against an elected government =
and formed his own secretive and idiosyncratic regime which sealed =
Myanmar off from the rest of the world.

He was toppled when outrage over both a currency shake-up which =
demonetized small bills and the impoverishment of the country through 26 =
years of isolation led to nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in =
1988.

A new junta subsequently brutally suppressed the uprising and organised =
national elections in 1990, which were won overwhelmingly by the NLD.

The junta refused to hand over power and is blamed for widespread human =
rights violations. Many of the opposition members elected were =
imprisoned or fled abroad.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Tuesday, January 4</B> 2:50 PM SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Myanmar junta brands Suu Kyi a "terrorist" on =
Independence=20
Day</FONT></H2>YANGON, Jan 4 (AFP) -=20
<P>Myanmar's ruling military Tuesday lashed out at the opposition party =
of Aung=20
San Suu Kyi at a ceremony marking the 52nd anniversary of independence, =
branding=20
them "terrorists" and calling on the people to destroy them.</P>
<P>More than 15,000 members of government-sponsored associations =
gathered in=20
Yangon's People's Park to listen to the Independence Day message from =
junta=20
chairman General Than Shwe.</P>
<P>"It is imperative to oppose and remove with the people's might the=20
destructive danger of the terrorist and destructive group heading for =
utter=20
devastation," said the message read by Yangon's military commander and =
run in=20
all state media.</P>
<P>In the speech, read out following a flag-hoisting ceremony, Than Shwe =
also=20
called for people "to oppose the neocolonialists from abroad" who were =
assisting=20
"internal national traitors."</P>
<P>Although Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for=20
Democracy (NLD) were not named, the language used was that typically =
reserved=20
for them by the junta which has repeatedly accused them of having =
foreign=20
backing.</P>
<P>It also echoed language used by the Nobel peace prize winner and =
daughter of=20
independence hero General Aung San in a message delivered after her =
release from=20
house arrest by the junta in 1995, observers said.</P>
<P>The NLD, which won 1990 elections but were never allowed to take =
power, were=20
scheduled to release a message at a meeting attended by Aung San Suu Kyi =
later=20
Tuesday.</P>
<P>The exiled "government" of Myanmar said earlier in a statement issued =
in=20
neighbouring Thailand that colonial rule by Britain had been preferable =
to that=20
of the military.</P>
<P>The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) said =
the=20
country had been in a state of "civil war" since independence on January =
4,=20
1948, and called for talks with the military.</P>
<P>"The deprivation of freedom under the State Peace and Development =
Council is=20
much worse than the deprivation of liberty under the rule of the foreign =
power,"=20
the statement said using the junta's official name.</P>
<P>The NCGUB lamented the military's takeover of power in 1962 saying it =
did=20
nothing to restore peace and stability and urged people to rise up =
against the=20
junta.</P>
<P>"On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of independence, we would =
like to=20
earnestly urge the entire nation to unitedly join hands with us in the =
struggle=20
for liberation from the military serfdom and for the second =
independence."</P>
<P>In 1962 General Ne Win led a military coup against an elected =
government and=20
formed his own secretive and idiosyncratic regime which sealed Myanmar =
off from=20
the rest of the world.</P>
<P>He was toppled when outrage over both a currency shake-up which =
demonetized=20
small bills and the impoverishment of the country through 26 years of =
isolation=20
led to nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988.</P>
<P>A new junta subsequently brutally suppressed the uprising and =
organised=20
national elections in 1990, which were won overwhelmingly by the =
NLD.</P>
<P>The junta refused to hand over power and is blamed for widespread =
human=20
rights violations. Many of the opposition members elected were =
imprisoned or=20
fled abroad.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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