Burma’s military government stepped up its propaganda campaign against the country’s pro-democracy movement Sunday, alleging top activists planned terrorist acts and received money from Western nations.
The junta also charged that Htay Kywe, a prominent activist who escaped a security dragnet last month, was assisted in hiding by the embassy of a “powerful country.”
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| Protesters led by the 88 Generation Students group marching in Rangoon on Aug 19 |
The allegations came as the junta grapples with scattered but spirited protests against its economic policies.
Burma faces condemnation from much of the world community for its hard-line toward nonviolent dissent, particularly its rough handling of demonstrations that began Aug 19 to protest a hike in fuel prices and rise in the cost of consumer goods.
The protests took a more confrontational tone last week in northern Burma, when Buddhist monks—angry at being beaten up for protesting fuel prices—temporarily took government officials hostage and later smashed up a shop and a house belonging to junta supporters.
A news release issued by the junta’s Information Committee and published Sunday in state-run newspaper The New Light of Myanmar, charged that “internal and external pessimist and opposition groups are striving to create riots and disturbances” similar to the mass pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988.
The aim of the groups was “to gain power by a short cut,” it said.
The 1988 uprising was brutally crushed by the military.
The statement also implied that the United States was involved in the opposition groups’ plans. It cited funds that US organizations were said to have given to dissident groups.
It said “a world-famous organization of a powerful state provided US $100,000 under the heading of helping refugees,” but alleged the money was actually used for training courses in bomb-making and demolition.
The statement said Htay Kywe, a leader of the 88 Generation Students group who is still in hiding, was being helped by a foreign embassy.
“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, without providing further details.
About a dozen members of Htay Kywe’s group were rounded up shortly after organizing the first of the current round of protests.
They were being held on charges of trying to disrupt the country’s National Convention, which is setting guidelines for a new constitution. If convicted, they could each face up to 20 years in prison.
The convention completed its work on September 3 with guidelines that would keep the military heavily involved in administering the country, and bar detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi 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.
“We, the 88 Generation Students leaders, initiated these peaceful marches not only to protest against the hike in fuel prices, but to bring attention to the immense suffering of the people of Burma,” Htay Kywe said in his letter.
“Our goal has always been, and will remain, peaceful transition to a democratic society and national reconciliation through substantive dialogue that is also the objective of the United Nations,” he said.
The government’s statement said to ensure security it “will continue to take preventive measures against those malicious collaborated efforts to commit terrorist destructive acts by the internal and external terrorist groups.”
Burma faces condemnation from much of the world community for its hard-line toward nonviolent dissent, particularly its rough handling of demonstrations that began Aug 19 to protest a hike in fuel prices and rise in the cost of consumer goods.
The protests took a more confrontational tone last week in northern Burma, when Buddhist monks—angry at being beaten up for protesting fuel prices—temporarily took government officials hostage and later smashed up a shop and a house belonging to junta supporters.
A news release issued by the junta’s Information Committee and published Sunday in state-run newspaper The New Light of Myanmar, charged that “internal and external pessimist and opposition groups are striving to create riots and disturbances” similar to the mass pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988.
The aim of the groups was “to gain power by a short cut,” it said.
The 1988 uprising was brutally crushed by the military.
The statement also implied that the United States was involved in the opposition groups’ plans. It cited funds that US organizations were said to have given to dissident groups.
It said “a world-famous organization of a powerful state provided US $100,000 under the heading of helping refugees,” but alleged the money was actually used for training courses in bomb-making and demolition.
The statement said Htay Kywe, a leader of the 88 Generation Students group who is still in hiding, was being helped by a foreign embassy.
“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, without providing further details.
About a dozen members of Htay Kywe’s group were rounded up shortly after organizing the first of the current round of protests.
They were being held on charges of trying to disrupt the country’s National Convention, which is setting guidelines for a new constitution. If convicted, they could each face up to 20 years in prison.
The convention completed its work on September 3 with guidelines that would keep the military heavily involved in administering the country, and bar detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi 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.
“We, the 88 Generation Students leaders, initiated these peaceful marches not only to protest against the hike in fuel prices, but to bring attention to the immense suffering of the people of Burma,” Htay Kywe said in his letter.
“Our goal has always been, and will remain, peaceful transition to a democratic society and national reconciliation through substantive dialogue that is also the objective of the United Nations,” he said.
The government’s statement said to ensure security it “will continue to take preventive measures against those malicious collaborated efforts to commit terrorist destructive acts by the internal and external terrorist groups.”
