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Burma frees arrested UN staff member

A United Nations staff member in Burma has been freed along with two of her family members and her driver, a day after being arrested during the junta's crackdown on anti-government protests.

Thirty-eight-year-old Mynt Ngwe Mon, who works with the UN Development Program, was picked up from her house in the middle of Wednesday night along with her husband, Than Tun, and brother-in-law Aung Kyaw Sint.

Her driver, Tin Win, was also detained later in the morning at her residence, a UN official said on condition of anonymity.

A Burmese doctor says there were raids on homes and monasteries in both the south and east of Rangoon during the night and early morning.

She says 200 to 300 people died during the crackdown last week.

The crackdown has continued despite a mission by UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari to persuade junta chief Than Shwe to relax his grip and open talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whom Mr Gambari met twice.

State television says Than Shwe told Mr Gambari he would talk to Ms Suu Kyi if she abandoned her "obstructive measures" and support for sanctions.

It said Than Shwe said Ms Suu Kyi, who has been in detention for 12 of the last 18 years, was also "confrontational" and for "utter devastation" without explaining what the last accusation meant.

Ms Suu Kyi has supported sanctions against Burma although many experts say they hurt the impoverished population far more than the generals.

The evening news broadcast also said that since the crackdown on peaceful protests led by monks began last week, 2,093 people had been arrested and 692 released after interrogators deemed them innocent.

The 692 people were released after signing a warning in which they promised not to join any future protests.

Witnesses say round ups of suspects continue in the middle of the night and at least some of them were held at a former government technical institute in northern Rangoon's Insein district. © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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