11.   Opposition lawmakers feared it could be used to stifle political dissent.

12.   Opposition leaders and human rights groups accused the government of fabricating the charges to stifle dissent.

13.   President Fidel Ramos said the measures are needed to combat a rise in international terrorism, but critics say they could also be used to stifle dissent.

14.   Ramos says the measures are needed to combat a rise in international terrorism, but critics say they could also be used to stifle dissent.

15.   Aliev is widely popular, but he has recently stifled dissent in the Caucasus Mountains nation.

16.   Although Dudayev stifled internal dissent, he could not snuff it out.

17.   But Akayev has increasingly stifled dissent in recent years.

18.   But in recent years he has increasingly stifled dissent.

19.   But no group has ever been targeted, partly due to criticism from Communists and others that the law could be used by the government to stifle dissent.

20.   But he said he believed SWAPO had resisted the temptation to stifle dissent.