Burma’s Atty. Gen. Named to Top Post : Yale Graduate, First Civilian Leader in 26 Years, Urges Reforms

Burma’s attorney general, Maung Maung, today was named president and chairman of Burma’s ruling party. The Yale-educated lawyer, the nation’s first civilian leader in 26 years, immediately called for reforms.

But student leaders rejected the choice of Maung Maung, who is seen as a figurehead for the military, and called for a nationwide strike to press for an end to one-party rule, said a Western diplomat in Rangoon, the capital.

Students led bloody street demonstrations Aug. 8-12 that ended the 17-day-old rule of Maung Maung’s hard-line predecessor, Sein Lwin.

Burma’s official Radio Rangoon said Maung Maung, 63, was selected during emergency meetings of the central committee of the Burma Socialist Program Party and of the People’s Assembly, Burma’s Parliament.

In a radio speech, Maung Maung later urged the party central committee to fulfill the people’s aspirations “as soon as possible and as much as possible.”

‘Consultation ... Weakened’

“We need to review ourselves” because the violent demonstrations showed that “consultation with the people became weakened,” he said.

He said the “severe storm” of protests hit the nation while “fundamental economic and political reforms” were being debated.

Maung Maung said it has been almost a year since former party Chairman Ne Win spoke of the need for economic reform. He said that some youths have been deprived of opportunities to study and that efforts are being made at educational reforms.

The Western diplomat said by telephone from Rangoon: “Students have called for a nationwide strike on Monday. They’re agitating for abolition of one-party rule. The more militant (student) leaders are disappointed.”

He said students called for the strike in leaflets circulated during a peaceful rally in front of Rangoon General Hospital. Japan’s Kyodo News Service, reporting from Rangoon, said 15,000 people took part in the rally.

Marching in Mandalay

Kyodo also said 100,000 people marched in the northern city of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, in the second straight day of mass pro-democracy demonstrations. Kyodo said provincial government workers walked off their jobs to join the demonstration. The city’s population is 600,000.

Maung Maung is one of only two civilians in the top ranks of the government hierarchy.

His selection was a surprise. Most Burma watchers had predicted that the new party boss would be chosen from among the clique of active and retired top military officers who supported former leader Ne Win’s system of rigid socialist economics, strict military control and international isolation.

Maung Maung is considered a relative moderate and is thought more acceptable than other figures to Burmese who took to the streets in waves in the last two weeks to topple Sein Lwin and press demands for an end to a quarter of a century of military dominated, authoritarian rule.

The government said 95 people were killed last week in battles between security forces and anti-government demonstrators, but diplomats said thousands may have been killed.