Suu Kyi Defiant Amid Deportation Ru

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Subject: Suu Kyi Defiant Amid Deportation Rumors 

Suu Kyi Defiant Amid Deportation Rumors
05:25 a.m. Dec 25, 1998 Eastern
YANGON, Myanmar (Reuters) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi took
a defiant stance amid rumors that Myanmar's ruling military government may
deport her and dissolve her National League for Democracy (NLD) party early
next month.

An NLD statement obtained by Reuters Friday quoted Suu Kyi as saying that
she had no intention of leaving Myanmar and the military government would
have problems finding a country to accept her as she held only Myanmar
citizenship.

``I have no intention at all to leave this country. Therefore if they want
to force me out of this country, they have to find a country,'' said the
Nobel peace laureate in the statement made at an NLD meeting this week.

Political analysts said rumors had circulated in Yangon this week that Suu
Kyi might be deported on Jan. 3.

Semi-government organizations have in the past two months organized anti-NLD
rallies in which they called for Suu Kyi's deportation and dissolution of
her party.

State-owned media have also made similar demands since mid- September when
the NLD launched its Committee Representing People's Parliament (CRPP).

The NLD statement quoted Suu Kyi as saying that the government, the State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC), would probably need to bribe a foreign
totalitarian state in order to induce it to accept her.

``The only way for the ruling government to deport me is to make a
give-and-take with a totalitarian state, by giving them a certain number of
tons of rice or so...they don't have a rocket to send me to the moon
either,'' she said.

Suu Kyi said: ``Which country will accept me? Myanmar is the only country
under the SPDC. They are accusing me of being a British citizen. That is not
true. I have a clear conscience. Britain is not bothered about it either.
Since I am not their citizen, they needn't accept me if they don't wish.''

Suu Kyi is married to Briton Michael Aris, an Oxford University academic.