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BBC-Burma 'reviews' Suu Kyi request



Thursday, March 18, 1999 Published at 13:25 GMT
World: Asia-Pacific

Burma 'reviews' Suu Kyi request

Aung San Suu Kyi's husband has often been denied visits to Burma

The Burmese Government says it is reviewing a visa request from the dying
British husband of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but said it would be
more sensible for her to visit him.
It was confirmed on Thursday that Michael Aris is seriously ill with
prostate cancer.

A statement from the Burmese Government said: "The government of Myanmar
suggests that Ms Suu Kyi, who is in perfect health, travel to England to
respond to her husband's dying wish to see her. She has so far refused to
go."

Correspondents say Aung San Suu Kyi is unlikely to wish to leave the country
for fear the military government would prevent her from returning.

The government said it would provide Ms Suu Kyi "all possible assistance" to
join her husband. But it did not say if she would be allowed to return if
she did so.

The statement went on to say that considering Dr Aris's medical condition, a
trip to Burma would be "both irresponsible and inhumane."

Visa requests turned down

Previous visa requests in the past three years by Dr Aris to be allowed into
Burma have been turned down.

Since Mr Aris' diagnosis a few months ago there have been numerous appeals
to the Burmese Government to grant a visa on humanitarian grounds. These
have come from Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the United Nations,
among others.

His family say he is anxious to visit his wife before he dies.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the man who led Burma to independence, is
the leader of the country's main opposition party, the National League for
Democracy.

Although the NLD overwhelmingly won the 1990 general elections, the generals
ignored the results.

Since Aung San Suu Kyi was released in 1995 after almost six years of house
arrest, she has remained the military rulers' major political opponent.

The military authorities have often accused Aung San Suu Kyi of being a pawn
of Western imperialism because of her marriage to a British citizen.

Sources close to the family say they hope Michael Aris's illness will be
treated as a family matter with compassion and not used for political
purposes.