Burma's military government issued a strident denunciation of the country's pro-democracy movement Sunday, alleging that top activists planned terrorist acts and received money from Western nations.
The junta also charged that prominent activist Htay Kywe, who escaped a security dragnet last month, was helped to hide by the embassy of a "powerful country"—an apparent reference to the United States, one of the regime's harshest critics.
The junta often uses indirect ways to refer to countries with which it has disputes to avoid diplomatic tangles. It did not elaborate on its assertion of embassy assistance, and the US Embassy could not be reached Sunday for comment.
The allegations come as the junta grapples with scattered but spirited protests against its economic policies.
Scores of people have been detained for taking part in the demonstrations, which have been broken up by pro-government toughs directed by security forces.
The military government is facing worldwide condemnation for its hard-line handling of the protests, which began August 19 over sharp price hikes for fuel and consumer goods.
The protests took a more confrontational tone last week in northern Burma, when Buddhist monks—angry at being beaten up for protesting the economic conditions—temporarily took officials hostage and later smashed a shop and a house belonging to junta supporters.
The junta's Information Committee charged that "internal and external pessimist and opposition groups are striving to create riots and disturbances" similar to mass pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988. It also blamed the groups for past bombings.
The groups' aim is "to gain power by a short cut," it said in a statement published Sunday in the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
The 1988 uprising was brutally crushed by the military, which has refused to yield power after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy political party won 1990 general elections.
The government statement also implied that the US was involved in the opposition groups' plans.
It said an unspecified private American group had delivered US $30,000 last year to Htay Kywe through a Western embassy in Rangoon.
Separately, it said the US National Endowment for Democracy was attempting to cause unrest by donating US $2.9 million for operations in Burma.
The NED is a private, nonprofit organization funded chiefly by the US government to promote democratic institutions around the world by providing cash grants to private groups.
The junta also charged that "a world-famous organization of a powerful state provided US $100,000 under the heading of helping refugees," and alleged that the money was really used for training in bomb-making and demolition. Many religious and humanitarian agencies provide aid to hundreds of thousands of Burmese refugees in neighboring Thailand.
The statement said Htay Kywe, who is in hiding, was being helped by an unspecified foreign embassy. He is a leader of the 88 Generation Students, a group that has been spearheading nonviolent activities against the junta in the past year.
"Htay Kywe is still at large, as he had been hidden at a secure place by an embassy of a powerful country," the statement said.
About a dozen members of Htay Kywe's group were rounded up shortly after organizing the first of the latest round of protests.
They were held on charges of trying to disrupt Burma's National Convention, which set guidelines for a new constitution. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.
The convention completed its work on September 3 with guidelines that would retain a major role for the military in running the country, and would bar Suu Kyi, who has long been under house arrest, from holding political office.
Htay Kywe has issued several statements from hiding, including a September 6 letter urging the UN Security Council to take up the Burma issue—a course of action Washington has endorsed.
The government said in its statement that it "will continue to take preventive measures against those malicious collaborated efforts to commit terrorist destructive acts."
The junta also charged that prominent activist Htay Kywe, who escaped a security dragnet last month, was helped to hide by the embassy of a "powerful country"—an apparent reference to the United States, one of the regime's harshest critics.
The junta often uses indirect ways to refer to countries with which it has disputes to avoid diplomatic tangles. It did not elaborate on its assertion of embassy assistance, and the US Embassy could not be reached Sunday for comment.
The allegations come as the junta grapples with scattered but spirited protests against its economic policies.
Scores of people have been detained for taking part in the demonstrations, which have been broken up by pro-government toughs directed by security forces.
The military government is facing worldwide condemnation for its hard-line handling of the protests, which began August 19 over sharp price hikes for fuel and consumer goods.
The protests took a more confrontational tone last week in northern Burma, when Buddhist monks—angry at being beaten up for protesting the economic conditions—temporarily took officials hostage and later smashed a shop and a house belonging to junta supporters.
The junta's Information Committee charged that "internal and external pessimist and opposition groups are striving to create riots and disturbances" similar to mass pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988. It also blamed the groups for past bombings.
The groups' aim is "to gain power by a short cut," it said in a statement published Sunday in the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
The 1988 uprising was brutally crushed by the military, which has refused to yield power after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy political party won 1990 general elections.
The government statement also implied that the US was involved in the opposition groups' plans.
It said an unspecified private American group had delivered US $30,000 last year to Htay Kywe through a Western embassy in Rangoon.
Separately, it said the US National Endowment for Democracy was attempting to cause unrest by donating US $2.9 million for operations in Burma.
The NED is a private, nonprofit organization funded chiefly by the US government to promote democratic institutions around the world by providing cash grants to private groups.
The junta also charged that "a world-famous organization of a powerful state provided US $100,000 under the heading of helping refugees," and alleged that the money was really used for training in bomb-making and demolition. Many religious and humanitarian agencies provide aid to hundreds of thousands of Burmese refugees in neighboring Thailand.
The statement said Htay Kywe, who is in hiding, was being helped by an unspecified foreign embassy. He is a leader of the 88 Generation Students, a group that has been spearheading nonviolent activities against the junta in the past year.
"Htay Kywe is still at large, as he had been hidden at a secure place by an embassy of a powerful country," the statement said.
About a dozen members of Htay Kywe's group were rounded up shortly after organizing the first of the latest round of protests.
They were held on charges of trying to disrupt Burma's National Convention, which set guidelines for a new constitution. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.
The convention completed its work on September 3 with guidelines that would retain a major role for the military in running the country, and would bar Suu Kyi, who has long been under house arrest, from holding political office.
Htay Kywe has issued several statements from hiding, including a September 6 letter urging the UN Security Council to take up the Burma issue—a course of action Washington has endorsed.
The government said in its statement that it "will continue to take preventive measures against those malicious collaborated efforts to commit terrorist destructive acts."
