Burmese junta cracks down on Suu Kyi’s party

(DVB)–Three members of the National League for Democracy were arrested last week on unspecified charges while another elderly member had his property vandalised by men armed with slingshots.

Members of the NLD, whose leader Aung San Suu Kyi is currently on trial for alleged breach of house arrest conditions, suffer frequent harassment and intimidation from Burmese authorities.

The two cases, both of which occurred last Friday, coincided with a police raid on the house of Thi Han, an NLD youth member involved in a photo campaign to raise public awareness of the Suu Kyi trial.

“Some government officials showed up, claiming they need to check for [unregistered] guests at his house on evening of June 12,” said fellow NLD member Win Naing.

“They said they had some information about his house and searched thoroughly before leaving without finding anything.”

Meanwhile, a teashop owned by the financial director of the NLD in Mandalay division was damaged when unknown men fired slingshot pellets.

“They came in the deep of night on June 12…and broke some florescence light sticks in the teashop,” said 60-year-old Ko Ko Gyi, who was also involved in the photo campaign.

“We found out that the pellets they used were made hard by baking them in the fire – this shows that the attack was well-prepared.”

He added that he had filed a complaint with local authorities but would not be notifying police.

“I’m not going to bother opening a case with the police as we all know who is backing the attackers,” he said.

Two prominent NLD members called to testify in Suu Kyi’s defence were disqualified by the court last month for reasons unknown.

According to the Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP), around 450 NLD members are currently serving jail sentences in Burma.

Reports emerged last week that five political prisoners, including an NLD member, were transferred to solitary confinement after prison authorities got wind that they were planning a protest against Suu Kyi’s trial.

Reporting by Yee May Aung