Burma Lifts Curfew, Ban on Assembly

Junta offers talks to jailed leader after Bush levies sanctions
By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 20, 2007 3:34 PM CDT
Burma Lifts Curfew, Ban on Assembly
Anti-Myanmar government protestors hold banners and placards during a demonstration against the Myanmar military junta in Sydney Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Despite a much-publicized "liberalization" since April, including the release of 277 political prisoners, martial law remains severe in Burma. In...   (Associated Press)

Burma is scrapping a curfew and a ban on assemblies of more than 5 people in Yangon, apparently assured that pro-democracy protests are dead. The junta also gave opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi a fresh invite for compromise talks, the AP reports. Both moves come after Bush imposed a new round of sanctions against Burma for its brutal crackdown on protesters. 

A state newspaper ran the compromise plea to Suu Kyi, who has been imprisoned for 12 of the past 18 years. "We are tired of watching a stalemate for a long time considering that we should not go on like this forever," the paper said. Burma claims to want democracy, but critics dismiss the junta's promises of a new constitution and free elections. (More Myanmar stories.)

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