Military working towards peace dialog with Suu Kyi

Military working towards peace dialog with Suu Kyi

YANGON (Reuter): Myanmar's military government said yesterday it was doing all it could to move towards dialog with pro- democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"Realizing dialog is needed for genuine reconciliation, cordial relations are being established for peace," a newspaper commentary said.

But the commentary in Myanmarese-language newspapers said the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) wanted the opposition to show some flexibility if talks were to take place.

"We know the SLORC is doing this from their side. We think the other side should have a flexible, constructive spirit which is needed for dialog, instead of dogmatic destructive spirits," the commentary said.

Since her release last July from six years of house arrest, Suu Kyi has been calling on the SLORC to hold talks with her National League for Democracy (NLD) party and ethnic groups to find a peaceful way to bring democracy to troubled nation.

The SLORC has never accepted her requests, instead repeatedly lashing out at the Nobel Peace Prize winner and the NLD in written and verbal attacks for being "lackeys" and "goons" of imperialists who want to rule Myanmar.

Other state-run media said in commentaries that foreigners should not meddle in Myanmarese affairs.

"Those outside the country, who are sabotaging peace, are on notice to keep their hands off Myanmar (Burma)," the New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.

"We desire democracy. Who doesn't?" it said. "But it shall not be transplanted democracy that is made to measure according to foreign designs, with the kind of flaws and weaknesses that can lead to a breakup of the Union."

"A couple of agents of those who would like to see (the government) kowtow to them just recently finished a tour of the region during which they did some arm twisting to get our friends to toe the line. To no avail," it said.

The commentary was apparently referring to a recent Asian tour of two U.S. envoys sent to try to draw a coordinated response to recent increased tension between Myanmar's military government and the opposition.

In Tokyo, Myanmar's embassy told Japan yesterday that the SLORC had no intention of arresting Suu Kyi, according to a Japanese government spokesman.

"The Myanmar embassy in Tokyo said the government is not considering arresting Aung Sang Suu Kyi or taking any other measures, such as preparing an arrest warrant," Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama told a news conference.

Japan's Mainichi Shimbun, quoting unidentified sources in Tokyo, reported earlier yesterday the arrest of Suu Kyi was possible and could take place by the end of this week.

Suu Kyi, who yesterday turned 51, said in response to the Japanese daily's report that she did not fear arrest, adding that such a move would damage the military government more than her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).

"You can't participate in politics in Burma (Myanmar) if you fear arrest," Suu Kyi was quoted as saying in the evening edition of the newspaper.

"A dictatorial government arrests anybody, anytime...But the damage will be on the militaristic government, rather than on the NLD," she said.