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Bangkok Post News (281298)



Deportation rumours just a publicity stunt, says government
Malaysian MP fears stain on Asean's image

Burma's military government yesterday dismissed rumours that it might
deport opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying they represented attempts
by her party to create news headlines.
A Burmese government statement said Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
(NLD) should join the ruling military and other countries in finding ways
of riding out the Asian economic crisis, rather than trying to seek publicity.
"We hope the NLD will contribute in a positive and meaningful way to
achieve a better, fuller life ? and take a more responsible, constructive
cooperation rather than resorting to whimsical and symbolic gestures
designed merely to attract attention and create seasonal sensational
headlines." It said.
Mrs Suu Kyi said on Friday she had no intention of leaving Burma amid
rumours in Rangoon that she might be expelled from the country and the NLD
dissolved after New Year.
The Nobel peace laureate said the government would have problems finding a
country to accept her as she held only Burma's citizenship.
Burma's official media have in recent months questioned whether Mrs Suu Kyi
is still entitled to Burmese nationality, on the grounds that she had
married a British man, academic Michael Aris.
Semi-government organisations have in the past two months organised
anti-NLD rallies in which they called for Mrs Suu Kyi's deportation and
dissolution of her party.
State-owned media have also made similar demands since mid-September when
the NLD launched its Committee Representing People's Parliament.
The government statement yesterday said it was not an appropriate time for
Mrs Suu Kyi and the NLD to engage in sensational politics while most Asian
countries still struggle to recover from the economic turmoil.
"The Government of Myanmar is working hard to develop Myanmar and guide it
through the current regional economic crisis. Much work remains ahead of
us. The regional economic crisis is not improving and this is no time for
playing politics," it said.
The NLD statement quoted Mrs Suu Kyi as saying this week that the ruling
government, called the State Peace and Development Council, would probably
need to bribe a foreign totalitarian state with Burma's commodities in
order to induce it to accept her.
"The only way for the ruling government to deport me is to make a
give-and-take with a totalitarian state, by giving them a certain number of
tones of rice or so ? they don't have a rock to send me to the moon
either," she said.
Burma would face international criticism if it deports Mrs Suu Kyi, a
Malaysian opposition figure said yesterday.
Lim Kit Siang, the secretary general of the Democratic Action Party, urged
the Asean regional trading group to urge Burma not to deport the opposition
or dissolve the NLD.
Mr Lim said reports circulating in Rangoon said that Mrs Suu Kyi might be
deported on January 3.
The opposition leader said it was regrettable that Rangoon's recent
admission into the nine-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations had
not led to progress in democratisation in Burma, but to reverse.
Mr Lim called on Asean governments to demand an assurance from Burma's
military government that it would not use coercive action to deport Mrs Suu
Kyi or break up her party.
He said that such an action would not only be a futher stain on Burma's
image, but also a mark on Asean's international reputation and standing.
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