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| Southeast Asia |
| Myanmar Brownshirts Block Suu Kyi Followers’ March |
| 2003-10-10 |
| Myanmar authorities stopped followers of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from paying their respects Friday at her Yangon home, where supporters say the Nobel laureate is being detained, an official of her National League for Democracy party said. About 30 party members were turned away from a checkpoint at an intersection near Suu Kyi’s lakeside residence on the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut marking the end of Buddhist lent. What, no ’spontaneous’ riot to beat the stuffing out of her followers? Thugs are slipping. Homage traditionally is paid to elders and teachers on the holiday. Most of Myanmar’s 42 million people are Buddhists. ``We were told by security officers at the checkpoint near the roadblocks that we will not be given permission (to proceed),’’ said Myint Aye, chairman of a local NLD office in Yangon. ``We were even accused of trying to create trouble. We are not here to make any trouble but to pay homage to our leader as it is our tradition.’’ You were creating trouble, and good for you. On Sunday, Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung told delegates at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Bali, Indonesia, that Suu Kyi was not in detention or house arrest but was recuperating from surgery. "She’s fine, really, those She has been home since Sept. 26, after spending a week in hospital for an operation for a gynecological condition. Before her hospitalization, she was held incommunicado at an undisclosed location by the military government. The junta first said Suu Kyi was being held for her own safety, but later said her detention was intended to safeguard public security. When the military announced her return home from hospital, it did not mention what restrictions she faced. However, her personal physician, Tin Myo Win, said she would be held under conditions of house arrest. Tin Myo Win visits Suu Kyi daily to check on her health. Junta had better pray she stays healthy. ``We are here because Win Aung said she is not under detention,’’ NLD party official Myint Aye told The Associated Press. Nope, except for those four-point restraints they slapped on her. |
| Posted by:Steve White |