Burma: New Show of Force in Streets
One day after the pro-democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, met with a government liaison officer, hundreds of police returned to the streets in a show of force aiming at dissuading new anti-government rallies.
Below is an article published by Al Jazeera:
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The reappearance of heavy security in the former capital comes a day after a meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained pro-democracy leader, and government liaison minister, Aung Kyi.
The police deployment was apparently aimed at preventing new anti-government rallies a month after the country's biggest show of dissent in almost two decades.
The eastern gate of
Police and pro-government groups also took up positions near the Sule Pagoda in the heart of the city and other key sites.
In the wake of the crackdown
State television broadcast footage of the meeting, but reported no details of their discussion, believed to be the first meeting between the opposition leader and the government in many months.
Aung Kyi, a retired general, was appointed by
But
"The diplomatic community may see it as a positive step, but for me I think it is just window dressing," Zaw Min, a Thailand-based member of the Democratic Party for a New Society, told Al Jazeera.
The talks came as Ibrahim Gambari, the United Nations secretary-general's envoy to
On Friday, on the final stage of his tour, Gambari arrived in
He is scheduled to meet Yasuo Fukuda, the Japanese prime minister, and Masahiko Komura, the foreign minister, a UN spokeswoman said.
Following the bloody crackdown on demonstrations last month,