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Myanmar government steps up propaganda drive

Myanmar's military junta stepped up its propaganda machine yesterday, calling foreign critics "liars" and filling state-controlled media with positive spin of the crushing blow it dealt to pro-democracy advocates.

Soldiers maintained a visible presence on the streets of Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, where an eerie quiet has returned after last week's deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

The lakeside home of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi remained heavily guarded, with about 200 riot police posted near her home, two dozen inside her compound and two patrol boats watching from the water.

Suu Kyi, the opposition leader, has spent nearly 12 of the last 18 years under house arrest.

With Internet access to the outside world blocked, state-controlled newspapers churned out the government's version of the country's crisis and filled pages with propaganda slogans, such as "We favor stability. We favor peace," and "We oppose unrest and violence."

Critics from the international community and foreign media were dismissed as "liars attempting to destroy the nation" -- one of many bold-faced slogans covering the New Light of Myanmar newspaper's back page yesterday.

Newspapers made no mention of Buddhist monks being detained for their role in protests or of soldiers dragging people from their homes in nighttime raids.

Instead, coverage was devoted to pro-government rallies that have been held in stadiums around the country in recent days, such as one in the southeastern town of Myiek that New Light of Myanmar said was attended by 36,000 people.

Critics say the rallies are shams filled with people ordered to attend by authorities.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday in New York that his special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, had delivered "the strongest possible message" to Myanmar's military leaders about their bloody crackdown on democracy activists, but added that he couldn't call his four-day trip "a success."

Gambari was to brief Ban yesterday. Ban is expected to discuss Myanmar with the Security Council today.

In Brussels, the EU agreed to expand sanctions against the junta. Diplomats said extra sanctions would include an expanded visa ban for members of the junta, a wider ban on investment and a ban on trade in metals, timber and gemstones. But the new measures do not include a specific ban on European oil and gas firms from doing business in Myanmar.
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