Junta frees Myanmar five

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Myanmar's military junta has freed five more opposition lawmakers in the latest move that eases pressure on the country's pro-democracy movement.

The five elected representatives of the National League for Democracy party had been kept in government guest houses since 1998, and had been allowed to leave the facilities infrequently, only on weekends.

"We have heard about the releases but those people haven't reported to the party headquarters yet," NLD secretary U Lwin told reporters.

He identified the five as Win Naing, Pike Chone, Nyan Win, Phein Lwin and Aung Soe Myint.

The releases are apparently the outcome of secret talks between NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the military government, which started last October in a bid to restart the democratic process in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Suu Kyi, however, has been kept confined to her lakeside residence since September 22 when she tried to defy a travel ban.

Party chairman Aung Shwe and vice chairman Tin Oo also remain under virtual house arrest.

The junta had released eight more elected NLD lawmakers last Thursday. U Lwin said 22 more remain confined in guest houses.

The current group of generals ruling Myanmar seized power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy movement with a bloody crackdown that killed hundreds.

The junta called general elections in 1990 but refused to recognize the overwhelming victory of the National League for Democracy, and never allowed a new Parliament to convene.

Authorities detained hundreds of elected representatives, mostly from the NLD, in 1998 following its announcement that it intended to unilaterally convene a parliament.

Junta leaders had said they would be released when they renounced their intention to convene an alternative parliament.

A group of 84 NLD members were released from Insein Prison in January and 16 more were released in March.

Last week, the junta also gave permission to the NLD to reopen 18 branch offices among the 40 NLD offices in Yangon division.