Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Myanmar Warns Suu Kyi Ahead of Tour

By a WSJ Staff Reporter

Myanmar's government warned pro-democracy dissident Aung San Suu Kyi to curb her political activities, raising the odds of a hostile showdown in the weeks ahead as she plans a highly anticipated tour across the country as early as next month.

A commentary published Wednesday in the New Light of Myanmar newspaper, a government mouthpiece, accused her followers of planning to "exploit the public" during her upcoming tour and warned "there may be chaos and riots, as evidenced by previous incidents" if she follows through with the plan. On her last tour of the countryside, in 2003, her entourage was attacked by a pro-government mob that killed many of her followers, and Ms. Suu Kyi was quickly detained and placed under house arrest for the next seven years.

The commentary also criticized her political organization, the National League for Democracy, for continuing to "test the patience of the government" by conducting political activities even though it was disbanded by the government last year. "They should stop doing so to avert unnecessary consequences," the commentary said.

The warnings came a day after Ms. Suu Kyi and another party leader received a letter from the government accusing the NLD of violating the law with its recent activities and calling for an end to its political work, according to a person familiar with the letter. The letter said Ms. Suu Kyi and the other party leader could continue to do social work, but in that case would have to register their plans with the government.

A spokesman for the Myanmar government said he wasn't immediately able to comment.

The warnings come at a time of rising tensions across Myanmar, which has struggled to maintain order since wrapping up its first national election in two decades late last year. Candidates linked to the military won virtually all important government posts in a vote that was widely derided by Western observers as a sham.

Since then, violence has broken out several times along the country's borders with Thailand and China, where armed ethnic minority groups are seeking more autonomy from the central government. Skirmishes between Myanmar forces and ethnic Kachin soldiers have continued in recent days after breaking out near China earlier this month, according to dissidents familiar with the clashes, though the scale of the fighting remains unclear, since it is occurring in areas that are largely off-limits to foreign observers.

Authorities are also searching for the culprits behind a series of bomb blasts in recent weeks, including four that exploded in three Myanmar cities last Friday, wounding several people. The New Light of Myanmar Wednesday identified three suspects in the blasts. Separately, the Associated Press reported an explosion of unknown origin was heard in a town on Myanmar's main highway Wednesday and dissident media reported unrest elsewhere, including two buses set on fire, though those reports couldn't be independently confirmed.

Among the world's most famous dissidents, Ms. Suu Kyi has long been a thorn in the government's side, arguing for greater respect for human rights and democratic norms in a country ruled by a military junta or its proxies since 1962. She has kept up the pressure since her release from house arrest last November. On Tuesday, she made comparisons between Myanmar and the recent uprisings in the Middle East in radio recordings smuggled out of the country and broadcast by the BBC. Last week, she addressed U.S. lawmakers by video, urging them to support a commission of inquiry into allegations of human rights in the country including reports of forced labor and political prisoners.

Tensions are expected to rise further in the coming weeks, as Ms. Suu Kyi and her followers detail plans for her to travel outside of Yangon, Myanmar's main city. The proposed tour, which was first disclosed in late May, has put the government in a tight spot by forcing it to decide how far to let Ms. Suu Kyi go in rallying her supporters across the country.

Analysts believe officials are wary of allowing more political gatherings at a time when they want to project an image of peace and stability to attract more foreign investors following the election last year. They also appear to be annoyed that Ms. Suu Kyi's political organization has continued its work even though it refused to participate in the vote last year, resulting in its automatic dissolution under Myanmar law.

If she persists "I think there will be a limit to what she can do," says Aung Naing Oo, a Thailand-based political analyst. "If she steps out of what they consider to be in line, they'll do something" to stop her, he says.

But the government also wants to see an end to Western economic sanctions that have been in place for years, and U.S. officials have made it clear that Ms. Suu Kyi must be allowed to travel freely before they consider easing them. Some analysts have speculated the government might ultimately allow Ms. Suu Kyi to travel, but seek to impose other restrictions, such as closing NLD offices, or limiting her ability to hold meetings while on the road. In its commentary Wednesday, the New Light of Myanmar said the government wouldn't restrict Ms. Suu Kyi from traveling "as an ordinary public member" but emphasized she would be required to "honor the laws."

A senior NLD official said Wednesday Ms. Suu Kyi is considering starting her trip in late July.
—Celine Fernandez contributed to this article.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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