Media warning to Aung San Suu Kyi

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BURMA
Source:Sydney Morning Herald
Media warning to Aung San Suu Kyi
Date: 09/01/99



Rangoon: Burma's government-owned media has warned that the opposition
leader, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, could be put on trial for what it says are
anti-national activities.

The New Light of Burma newspaper said the leader of the National League for
Democracy (NLD) party had broken the law by divulging state secrets to
foreign nations, and kept in contact with outlawed expatriate and rebel
groups.

"She not only divulges secrets of the State to foreign nations but also
called for destruction of the State openly," the paper said.

"She is breaking the existing laws, keeping in contact with outlawed
expatriate group(s) that rebelled with arms and (the) Karen National Union
group, declared as (an) unlawful association," it added.

"Daw Suu Kyi is warned that action can be taken against her any time with
sufficient evidence according to law."

The article predicted that the NLD, which has been denied power by the
military junta despite winning elections in 1990, would break up if Ms Suu
Kyi was no longer in the party.

It said that Ms Suu Kyi, daughter of Burma's independence hero Aung San, had
been tolerated by the Government for so long because of her late father. But
she was taking advantage of that, which was causing some Burmese people to
demand her deportation.

Ms Suu Kyi, who was released from six years of house arrest in July 1995, is
prohibited from having regular contacts with foreign media.

She led the NLD to its landslide victory in the 1990 general election. The
military has detained and later released thousands of NLD activists and
curbed the party's activities as Ms Suu Kyi and the NLD grab world attention
with calls for greater democracy and freedom.

The NLD has set up a committee to press for the convening of a People's
Parliament comprising representatives elected in 1990.

Local media also reported that 7,168 NLD members had resigned from the party
since October after anti-NLD rallies organised by pro-government groups
across the nation.
But the NLD has dismissed such statements as government propaganda.

- Reuters