Husband of Myanmar opposition leade

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Subject: Husband of Myanmar opposition leader dies 

Husband of Myanmar opposition leader dies
07:47 a.m. Mar 27, 1999 Eastern
LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - Michael Aris, the husband of Myanmar opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, died in a London hospital on Saturday, Britain's
Press Association news agency reported.

Its brief story gave no further details. Aris, 52, had been suffering from
advanced prostate cancer.

There was no immediate confirmation of the report from Suu Kyi, who was
believed to be at her home in the Myanmar capital Yangon. The offices of her
National League for Democracy (NLD) were closed for a national holiday.

Earlier in the day, however, the Nobel peace laureate released the following
statement through diplomats in Yangon:

``On behalf of my sons, Alexander and Kim, as well as on my own behalf, I
want to thank all those around the world who have supported my husband
during his illness and have given me and my family love and sympathy.

``I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful husband who has always given me
the understanding I needed. Nothing can take that away from me.''

On Friday, Myanmar's military government said that it had offered to allow
Suu Kyi to visit her dying husband but that she had rejected the plan.

The government said that it had told her she could return home after the
trip but that its offer was conditional on her not using the visit for
political purposes.

Suu Kyi and her supporters had feared that, if she went to England to see
Aris, the military might block her return.

The opposition says the military has long sought a pretext to get Suu Kyi,
the biggest thorn in its side, out of Myanmar.


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