Myanmar rulers lash out at West, foreign media for stoking protest

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YANGON, OCT 11 (AP): Myanmar's ruling military lashed out at Western powers and foreign media Thursday for fomenting recent protests that were put down in a brutal crackdown with thousands of people detained.
The state-owned New Light of Myanmar newspaper described protesters, who continue to be hunted down in raids across the country, as "stooges of foreign countries putting on a play written by their foreign masters."
In now a daily staple of the government press, the newspaper said some 30,000 people gathered at a sports ground in the remote Chin State Wednesday to support the regime's national convention and forthcoming constitution.
It signaled out "big powers" and radio stations - the British Broadcasting Corp., Voice of America and Radio Free Asia - as behind the demonstrations, which were brutally put down by the junta to vehement condemnation by nations around the world. The ruling council's top leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, offered to meet Suu Kyi following a visit early this month by UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari. And both Suu Kyi's political party and the military have taken some conciliatory steps.
But no mention of talks was made Wednesday while the official press stressed the regime was bent on following its own timetable to a so-called "roadmap to democracy," which includes a draft constitution and referendum to be followed by elections at an unspecified date.
Critics describe such a scenario as a sham to hoodwink world opinion and silence domestic opposition.
The top US diplomat in Yangon said the international attention being showered on Myanmar will pressure its rulers to open the country and reconcile with pro-democracy advocates. "That the international community is paying more attention is hopeful," said Shari Villarosa. "Hopefully this will help mobilise pressure not only from the United States but from all the countries in the region."