BURMA/SUU KYI'S RETURN TO BURMA

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

World: Asia-Pacific

             Suu Kyi 'can return after UK
             visit' 

             Aung San Suu Kyi: Fears leaving Burma 

             The military government of Burma has said it sees "no
             difficulty" in prominent opposition leader Aung San Suu
             Kyi returning to the country after visiting her dying
             husband in the UK. 

             Ms Suu Kyi is believed to be unwilling to leave Burma,
             because of fears that she would not be allowed to come
             back. 


                                 This is the first time the
                                 authorities have expressly
                                 stated that they are not
                                 opposed to her return. 

                                 Her British husband, Michael
                                 Aris, was diagnosed as
                                 terminally ill with cancer
                                 several months ago and is
                                 anxious to see his wife
                                 before he dies. 

                                 A Burmese Government
                                 spokesman said her visit
             would be acceptable as long as it was not used for
             political purposes. 

             "The government of Myanmar [Burma] sees no difficulty
             for Ms Suu Kyi in returning back to Myanmar after her
             visit to see her husband, believing that the trip be purely
             humanitarian and one of a family affair in nature," he
             said. 

             'Pawn of Western imperialism'

             But the spokesman said that a military officer who
             delivered the message to Ms Suu Kyi had been cut short
             and she had not allowed him to finish the message. 

             The government will reportedly deliver a full statement on
             the decision later. 


                                 Aung San Suu Kyi - the
                                 daughter of the man who led
                                 Burma to independence - is
                                 the leader of the country's
                                 main opposition party, the
                                 National League for
                                 Democracy. 


                                 Although the NLD
                                 overwhelmingly won the 1990
                                 general elections, the
                                 country's military leaders
                                 ignored the results. 

                                 Ms Suu Kyi remains the
                                 military government's major
                                 political opponent, despite
                                 spending almost six years
                                 under house arrest. She was
                                 released in 1995. 

                                 The military authorities have
                                 often accused her of being a
                                 pawn of Western imperialism
             because of her marriage to a British citizen. 

             Mr Aris has made repeated applications to visit Burma -
             backed by appeals from the United States, Japan,
             Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the United Nations. 

             Burma is "reviewing" his visa request, but argues that it
             would be more sensible for Ms Suu Kyi to visit him.