EBO BURMA NEWS, 7 JULY 2003

News Summary:

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1. Little hope for Suu Kyi's release

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Little hope for Suu Kyi's release

The Australian

July 07, 2003

By Kimina Lyall, Southeast Asia correspondent

BURMA'S military regime has published a character attack on democracy leader

Aung San Suu Kyi purportedly written by a close member of her circle which blames

her "rash judgments followed by blind action" for the breakdown of reconciliation t

alks between her party and the ruling generals.

The article, in the state newspaper The New Light of Myanmar, was published with

pictures of the Nobel peace prize laureate dining with military leader Than Shwe

and was said to be written by National League for Democracy member Maung Yin

Hmaing.

While some diplomats said the article did not augur well for hopes of the early

release of Ms Suu Kyi, who has been held in an undisclosed location since May 30,

some Burma analysts said it was a sign the junta was on the defensive over

continuing international criticism of her detention.

It comes after two witnesses to the May 30 violence, which led to her detention

and left an estimated 90 NLD members missing, arrived in Bangkok and gave

detailed descriptions of the violence.

Burma's generals, who call the country Myanmar, are also reeling from a decision

by Japan to freeze new aid until Ms Suu Kyi is released.

One of the undated pictures showing the two leaders shaking hands was

captioned: Exchanging Clear Smiles and Shaking Trustful Hands.

Another described a "family dinner" hosted by General Than Shwe for

Ms Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders.

But the substance of the article was designed to demonstrate that Ms Suu Kyi

was losing the support of her own party.

"The way she considers the NLD as if she owns it, and acts as sole proprietor

of the organisation, is certainly not in tune with the desires of the rest of NLD

party members," wrote Maung Yin Hmaing, who at one point in the article said

he was "not on close terms with her" but at another described himself as

"a member of the inner circle with access to her compound".

"Auntie Suu is a wilful and hard-headed person, liable to rash judgments followed

by blind action, in her relations with the present Government. Nevertheless,

whatever the provocation, responsible leaders of the present Government,

preferring to act with forbearance, and on the basis of give and take, have

always chosen to take action in moderation," he said.

He described a situation where Ms Suu Kyi "flew into a rage" after meeting

a Government representative. "We of course as usual had to make ourselves

scarce to cower in corners here and there to escape her wrath. Otherwise we

would bear the brunt of her anger," he said.

In a bizarre conclusion typical of the junta's propaganda machine, Maung Yin

Hmaing, whose name is not familiar to Burma's exiled activists, claimed

Ms Suu Kyi protested at an NLD photographer taking video footage of her

during a particular journey. He said it was unusual for her to object to

being photographed.

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