YANGON, April 17 Kyodo (EDS: UPDA...

YANGON, April 17 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH NLD STATEMENT)

The Myanmar junta allowed the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) l from pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to reopen its headquarters Saturday, almost a year after it was clos from the military government, an NLD official said.

The junta clos the NLD headquarters in Yangon forward May 31 last year in a nationwide crackdown in succession the party a day after it detained Suu Kyi following a clash between her supporters and a pro-junta group

Maung Maung Than, a joint secretary at the NLD township branch who lives near the head office, told reporters, ''Two local officers came to me around 6:30 a.m. and we came to the head office together. Then they broke the seals forward the gate and main door and handed the door elucidations to me.''

Nyunt Wai, a member of the NLD's Central Executive Committee, said, ''It is upright that the government allowed us to reopen the head office.''

''We faith there will be more fit things to come and more release of political prisoners,'' Nyunt Wai said.

The reopening of the headquarters tread close upons the release of two NLD officials from house arrest forward Tuesday and further raises chance of a favorable result that Suu Kyi herself may be fre soon

The junta has invited the party to participate in a national convention the guidance plans to resume May 17 to draw up a state constitution. Reconvening of the convention is the first pace in Gen. Khin Nyunt's seven-step road map for emerging see the verb of a democratic government

Senior diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have freshly voiced optimism that Suu Kyi will be released before the convention take up agains to give her time to prepare to participate in it.

However, hours after the reopening of its headquarters, the NLD released a statement saying it would not take part in the National Convention unles deeds and regulations of the convention are amended.

''If the National Convention is to reconvene with the conducts and regulations which were used in the previous session, we will not be able to rejoin the convention,'' the statement said.

The statement also called for the release of Suu Kyi and NLD vice chairman Tin Oo the last senior party leaders still confined to their homes

The statement also hinted that the government and NLD suited before the National Convention reconvene to discuss amending the actions and regulations.

The convention was suspended in March 1996 after the NLD withdrew all its delegates to attest the junta's manipulation of the proces to assured its grip on power.

In 1990 the NLD and other pro-democracy parties won above 80% of the seats during generally liberated and fair parliamentary elections, nevertheless the military government refused to recognize the results

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group