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Myanmar lifts security restrictions on Suu Kyi |
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September 15, 2000
YANGON (AP) - Myanmar's military government Thursday lifted security restrictions on democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and eight other opposition leaders who had been confined to their homes for the last two weeks. A government statement said the opposition members "are no longer required to stay at their respective residences" and have been allowed to resume "their daily activities as usual." Tin Oo, vice chairman of the opposition National League for Democracy, visited Suu Kyi's residence after being allowed to leave his home at 12.30 p.m. (0600 GMT), a member of Tin Oo's family said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Soon after the restrictions were lifted, U.S. charge d'affaires Priscilla Clapp went to Suu Kyi's residence. The NLD leader told Clapp that she and other party members were in good health, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said. He quoted Suu Kyi as saying that the NLD has been told that it is free to resume party work. "They are back in business to the extent they can do business in this country," he said. Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy work, had apparently not left her home Thursday as she was busy taking visitors. The restrictions on Suu Kyi and other NLD members had drawn vehement international criticism, mainly by the United States and Britain. They accused the regime of blatantly violating the Myanmar democracy leader's political rights. The government justified the restrictions by saying it was investigating what the party's suspected links with terrorists. The government also described Suu Kyi as a traitor collaborating with western nations to destabilize Myanmar, which has been ruled by the military since 1962. Also Thursday, NLD chairman Aung Shwe met with Secretary-One Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, the third-ranking general in the ruling State Peace and Development Council Khin Nyunt. "We have had a fruitful meeting," Khin Nyunt was quoted as saying in the government statement. He said: "We have very much appreciated the NLD's understanding of the government's fundamental obligation and responsibility to protect the rights of all its citizens to a safe, secure and stable environment and to safeguard the national security during the nation's transition to democracy." Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win, who also attended the meeting, was quoted as describing it as "frank, cordial and fruitful." No further details were available of this rare meeting between the NLD and the regime, which has refused to honor the party's sweeping 1990 general election victory. It also put Suu Kyi under house arrest between 1989 and 1995. During their confinement this month, the leaders were not allowed any visitors, and they had not been seen in public. Their phone lines were also cut. The NLD headquarters in Yangon was raided on Sept. 1 and shut. On Thursday, security officers posted outside the headquarters were removed. Officers were also withdrawn from before the houses of Tin Oo and party treasurer Nyunt Wai. Tin Oo's home telephone was also restored. Suu Kyi's latest confrontation with the government began when she was stopped by security forces Aug. 24 as she tried to travel out of Yangon with 14 party colleagues for party work. The police wanted her and the others to go back to Yangon. They refused and camped in the open beside their vehicles for nine days before being forced to return on Sept. 1. Suu Kyi and eight top NLD leaders were confined to their homes from then on under virtual house arrest. British and U.S. diplomats who had tried to visit Suu Kyi during the past two weeks were told by Myanmar not to try to make contact with her. Thursday's government statement said the government appreciated the cooperation of the senior NLD members for staying at home as requested during the course of the investigation and regretted "the inconvenience caused to those involved." |