Aung San Suu Kyi refuses to meet her doctor: Junta media

by Mungpi

Wednesday, 03 September 2008 21:25

New Delhi - Burma's state controlled media on Wednesday said detained opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has refused to meet her family doctor, Tin Myo Win, and the government's Liaison Minister appointed to mediate between her and junta supremo Than Shwe. The Myanma Ahlin daily on Wednesday said on the request of Aung San Suu Kyi, the government had arranged the third meeting, within two months, with her lawyer Kyi Win on Sunday. Though the government had also planned to send her family doctor on the same day and arrange another meeting with the Liaison Minister Aung Kyi on Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi had refused meeting both the doctor and the minister, the paper said. "The government had asked Kyi Win to inform Aung San Suu Kyi, of the planned meetings but Kyi Win after meeting her, brought back her reply that she will only meet her lawyer and is also not ready to meet her doctor," the paper said. The Nobel Peace Laureate's party spokesperson Nyan Win, who was briefed by Kyi Win after his meeting, told Mizzima that he had also heard that Aung San Suu Kyi would be visited by her lawyer on Sunday. "But due to some reason, Dr. Tin Myo Win did not visit her, and when we asked Kyi Win, he said he is not aware of it," Nyan Win said. Aung San Suu Kyi's personal lawyer Kyi Win was unreachable of Wednesday for comment. Nyan Win, the National League for Democracy's spokesperson, also said he was not aware of the government's arrangement for a meeting with the Liaison Minister Aung Kyi. Labor Minister Aung Kyi was appointed the Laison Minister in October last year after the United Nations pressured the government to kick-start the process of reconciliation following the junta's brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters in September. Nyan Win said, lawyer Kyi Win and Aung San Suu Kyi are in the process of preparing a lawsuit against her continued detention and during their last meeting Kyi Win had given her the petition letter to be approved. The Burmese democracy icon has been under some form of detention pr the other for more than 12 of the past 19 years. Her latest arrest was in May 2003 and though under the Burmese law, she cannot be detained continuously for more than five years, the junta in May extended her detention. Following Aung San Suu Kyi's abrupt refusal to meet visiting UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, a shocking but unconfirmed information that suggests the detained Burmese democracy icon is on a hunger strike, has been circulating both among the Burmese and international communities. While the information remains unconfirmed, Nyan Win said Aung San Suu Kyi has refused to receive her weekly food supplies since mid-August. Sources said, Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta had agreed on her food being sent to her on a weekly basis by her supporters. "We don't know if she is on hunger strike, but if it is true, we are really concerned about her health," Nyan Win said. Win Min, a Thailand based Burmese analyst, said the situation is getting complex as access to information is slow and uncertain so it is difficult to speculate on the intentions of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as well as the motive behind the news carried by the Junta's mouthpiece newspaper. "But definitely it is a matter of grave concern," Win Min said. Win Min also said, "it could be possible that the junta is trying to paint an unseemly picture of her [Aung San Suu Kyi] by saying that she refuses to meet the Liaison Minister for talks." But he added that it could also have other motives, as the information could not be verified. "What is certainly significant is Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's refusal to meet Gambari," he added. Win Min added that this clearly indicates Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's frustration with the UN envoy in particular and the junta's reluctance to kick-start a process of dialogue. Nyo Ohn Myint, foreign Affiars in-charge of the exiled NLD, however, told Mizzima in an earlier interview that Aung San Suu Kyi might be demanding negotiations on the junta's planned 2010 election, which is part of the junta's so-called roadmap to democracy. "It could be that she [Aung San Suu Kyi] wants the junta to discuss matters relating to the 2010 election," Nyo Ohn Myint said. He added that the junta should officially negotiate or discuss with the NLD the ensuing 2010 elections. The NLD, which won over 80 per cent of the parliamentary seats in the last general elections in 1990, has clung to the election results though the junta has denied it a chance to rule. However, the NLD has time and again reiterated the need for negotiation to solve the political deadlock, which the junta deliberately turns a deaf ear to. Gambari, during his last visit to Burma in August, failed to convince the NLD leaders that he had urged the government to conduct free and fair elections. "I think Gambari's role is more or less over," said Win Min, adding that he has not been able to change the junta's behaviour while the opposition including the NLD remains unconvinced of his process. "But I think Gambari might have chosen the moderate way, though not in favour of the junta, when he said he had urged for free and fair elections," Win Min said. < Prev   Next >