Reuters-Dialogue would avert Myanma

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Subject: Reuters-Dialogue would avert Myanmar rising - ethnic leader 

Dialogue would avert Myanmar rising - ethnic leader
05:03 a.m. Aug 26, 1999 Eastern
BANGKOK, Aug 26 (Reuters) - The leader of an ethnic rebel group called on
Myanmar's military government on Thursday to enter a dialogue with the
opposition to avert a national uprising called for next month.

General Bo Mya, leader of the Karen National Union guerrillas, said in an
open letter to Senior General Than Shwe, head of Yangon's ruling State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC), that all political forces in the country had
stated a desire for democracy.

``I strongly ask that those three political forces in Burmese politics that
are willing to work for the development of a democratic country -- the NLD,
the SPDC and the ethnic groups -- should initiate a genuine dialogue
immediately in order to achieve the democracy that people want,'' it said.

The military, which came to power in 1988 by crushing a pro-democracy
uprising, has long resisted a dialogue with the National League for
Democracy, Myanmar's main opposition party.

While it says it is willing to enter talks with the NLD if the party makes
concessions, it does not want three-party talks including ethnic rebel
groups, that have battled for decades for greater autonomy.

Bo Mya, whose KNU is one of a handful of ethnic forces still fighting
Yangon's powerful military, said Myanmar's myriad economic and political
problems made an uprising ``very much a possibility.''

``If you cannot solve these problems you will find widespread opposition of
the people,'' his letter said.

Bo Mya signed the letter as president of the National Council of the Union
of Burma, an umbrella group of dissidents based on the Thai-Myanmar border.

Dissidents in exile have been urging another uprising for democracy on the
so called ``four nines day'' -- September 9, 1999.

They chose the day for its numerical significance after ``four eights
day'' -- August 8, 1988 -- when the student-led pro-democracy revolt began
in Myanmar 11 years ago.

The military killed thousands crushing that revolt and says it has detained
36 dissidents in a recent crackdown to prevent a repetition next month.
Dissidents groups say more than 150 have been detained.