Military detains 559 supporters of Suu Kyi's party

Military detains 559 supporters of Suu Kyi's party

YANGON (Agencies): Myanmar's military government said yesterday it had detained 559 members or supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party since Thursday.

Officials of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) told a news conference that roadblocks on the road to Suu Kyi's house would remain in place until the government was sure the party had no plans to meet or create any disturbance.

Senior officials said it had detained the activists only temporarily to prevent unrest. They would be released shortly.

Senior Defense Ministry official Col. Kyaw Thein said 159 NLD members who were planning to attend a three-day party congress from Sept. 27-29 at Suu Kyi's home were brought in for questioning to prevent the gathering from taking place.

"Altogether, 159 persons...were detained. All of them were accommodated at guest houses. As I speak to you, some are now on their way back home," Kyaw Thein told reporters. He said police detained an additional 400 NLD supporters on Saturday night.

"We have got information from the people's police force that about 400 persons were taken in temporarily on the night of Sept. 27. This has been done in accord with the rules and procedures in a bid to prevent crime likely to harm law and peace and tranquility of the state," he said.

The government says the party meeting was meant to incite instability and cause riots. The NLD says the gathering was to celebrate the eighth anniversary of the founding of the party, which was born in 1988 after unprecedented protests against years of military rule.

The United States, Britain and international human rights groups have condemned the detentions and demanded the immediate release of detainees.

Suu Kyi's party also issued a statement to reporters this week calling for the SLORC to release the detainees and demanding an end to restrictions imposed on the party.

The road leading to Suu Kyi's University Avenue home has been blocked by heavily-armed security police and military intelligence officers since early last Friday.

Police originally said the roadblocks would be in place through last Sunday, but they were still there yesterday.

"So long as it is necessary for peace and tranquility the blockades will be there," said another senior Defense Ministry official, Col. Thein Swe.

Kyaw Thein and other officials at the news conference could not say when the roadblocks would be removed, saying this would depend on the circumstances.

Officials also claimed Suu Kyi had been trying to cause unrest and confrontation with the government since she was released from six years of house arrest in July 1995.

Meanwhile senior Gen. Than Shwe has opened a quarterly meeting of the ruling junta with a pledge to take any action necessary to preserve the union, the New Light of Myanmar reported yesterday.

The state-run daily quoted Than Shwe as saying the government was "handling the present situation mildly."

He was referring to the recent crackdown on Suu Kyi's NLD where more than 500 supporters were detained to keep them from a planned national party congress.

Than Shwe said the government was acting "as a prevention measure to ensure that it does become a big problem."

But he said, according to the newspaper, that "drastic action" would be taken if necessary, "in the interests of the nation and the people against attempts to destabilize the nation and divide the Tatmadaw (armed forces)."