Burma marks 60th Independence Day anniversary

The ruling State Peace and Development Council held an official state flag-hoisting ceremony at the City Hall of the capital Naypyitaw, about 400 kilometers north of Yangon, in the morning with thousands of people attending.

In Rangoon, the former capital, about 300 supporters of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy gathered at the party headquarters in the afternoon for a ceremony.

At the official ceremony in Naypyitaw, senior junta leader Lt. Gen. Tin Aung Myint Oo read out a message from the junta's top leader Sr. Gen. Than Shwe calling for the people's cooperation in building ''a discipline-flourishing democratic state.''

The message also called for cooperation in realizing what the junta calls its seven-step road map to democracy, which is currently in its third stage, the drafting of a constitution that is later to be adopted by referendum.

The road map, which was declared by the government in August 2003, envisages eventual formation of a democratic government by parliamentarians elected in future general election.

At the NLD's ceremony in Yangon, senior party member Hla Pe read out a message reiterating the party's call for the release of Suu Kyi along with Tin Oo, the party's vice chairman, and all other political prisoners including leaders of ethnic parties.

The NLD statement also urged the junta to hold a ''substantive political dialogue'' with the part ''to find solutions for the present and future interests of the people.''

The NLD won the country's last general election, held 18 years ago, by a landslide. But the junta refused to honor the results.

Just before the ceremony at the NLD office started, about a dozen youth members wearing prison uniforms staged a silent protest at the party entrance, in which they stood with their arms raised for for about 10 minutes.

Some party members shouted slogans calling for the release of Suu Kyi during the ceremony.

Burma gained its independence on Jan. 4, 1948, after 124 years as a British colony. In the 60 years since independence, Myanmar has been ruled by a civilian government for only 14 years.

Civilian leader U Nu headed Myanmar from 1948 until the late Gen. Ne Win seized power on March 2, 1962, and introduced a ''tradition'' of military governments to the country then known as Burma.//Kyodo News - January 4, 2008