Myanmar Accused of Starving Suu Kyi

[RANGOONP@xxxxxxx]

Myanmar Accused of Starving Suu Kyi

 .c The Associated Press 

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - U.S. diplomats and leaders of Aung San Suu Kyi's
political party have accused Myanmar's military government of lying when it
said it provided the Nobel laureate with water and food during her six-day
roadside standoff. 

``They willfully withheld food and water from her to endanger her health,'' a
U.S. Embassy spokesman in Yangon said today on condition of anonymity. ``The
Burmese authorities lied to the international community, they lied to the
diplomatic community.'' Myanmar is also known as Burma. 

After a six-day stalemate about 20 miles west of the capital, the military
government ordered police on Wednesday to restrain Suu Kyi, take the wheel of
her car and drive her back to Yangon against her will. 

Today, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner again tried to drive to Bassein to
meet members of her political party, but was blocked - as she has been on each
of her four attempts this month. 

Suu Kyi refused to return to Yangon today and the military refused to let her
proceed, accusing her of trying to foment unrest. 

In Sydney, Australia, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer emerged from a meeting
with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Defense Secretary William
Cohen to condemn Myanmar's crackdown on dissent. 

``Both Australia and the United States share the view that the treatment of
Aung San Suu Kyi over the last few days has been unacceptable,'' he said. 

Downer said the stifling of dissent could lead to social chaos. 

``We are now very concerned that the internal security environment in Burma
could deteriorate rapidly. That could, in turn, lead to a big increase in
refugee flows into Thailand and perhaps have broader regional implications. 

During the nearly weeklong standoff with Suu Kyi, the military government
spokesman issued several press releases accusing Western news agencies of
fabricating details about the impasse to exaggerate the danger to Suu Kyi. 

He claimed the military was supplying Suu Kyi with water and had food ready
for her if she needed it, but her own supplies had not run out. 

Leaders of Suu Kyi's political party, the National League for Democracy, and
diplomats in Yangon said the government lied. They said the military refused
to provide her with food or water and prevented her from purchasing it from a
nearby village. 

Government spokesman, Col. Hla Min, said at a press conference Wednesday
attended by diplomats that the military had decided to forcibly return Suu Kyi
to Yangon on the advice of her doctors. 

``We do not wish to see anyone's life wasted for no good reason,'' Hla Min
said. 

But members of Suu Kyi's party ridiculed that explanation. ``If they really
wanted to save her life, why didn't they let us bring her food and vitamins?''
said NLD Chairman Aung Shwe, one of several party leaders who attempted to
bring food to Suu Kyi during the tense standoff but was stopped by the
authorities. 

Aung Shwe vehemently denied that Suu Kyi's doctors had advised the government
to force her to return home. 

Furthermore, one of Suu Kyi's two personal physicians was prevented from
examining the democracy campaigner after police found she had hidden food in
her clothing to give to Suu Kyi, an NLD official said. 

The U.S. Embassy spokesman also said that authorities harassed Suu Kyi in
other ways, including videotaping her while she was bathing in the rain. 

AP-NY-07-31-98 0623EDT