U.S. diplomat banned from meeting Suu Kyi<\/p>\n
YANGON (Reuter): Myanmar's military government yesterday
\nstopped a U.S. embassy official from meeting opposition leader
\nAung San Suu Kyi and labeled his attempt to visit her during the
\ncurrent unrest provocative.<\/p>\n
A government spokesman accused embassy charge d'affaires, Kent
\nWiedemann of interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs and
\ncreating unnecessary problems by trying to see the 1991 Nobel
\npeace laureate.<\/p>\n
"This is provocative. They should not interfere in our
\ninternal affairs," he told Reuters. "No other embassies do this.
\nIf they want to invite her to lunch, they should do it later when
\nthe situation is normal. Why create unnecessary problems?"<\/p>\n
Access to Suu Kyi's lakeside residence on University Avenue
\nhas been blocked by the ruling State Law and Order Restoration
\nCouncil (SLORC) during recent student unrest in Rangoon.<\/p>\n
The spokesman said the government had asked Suu Kyi to stay
\ninside her compound for her own safety while it maintained tight
\nsecurity in the capital after several thousand students launched
\nstreet protests last week.<\/p>\n
Wiedemann's car was stopped and turned back at two different
\npolice roadblocks near Suu Kyi's house, he added.<\/p>\n
A U.S. embassy spokeswoman, asked to react to the Myanmar
\ngovernment spokesman's statement, said: "We won't dignify that
\ncomment with our response, other than to firmly reject any such
\nassertions."<\/p>\n
An aide at Suu Kyi's house confirmed that she had had an
\nappointment with Wiedemann but he declined to say what the
\nmeeting was about.<\/p>\n
He noted, however, that it was not the first time that foreign
\ndiplomats seeking to see her had been turned back.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, the Myanmar spokesman said that the U.S.
\nembassy had tried to encourage the opposition leader to leave her
\ncompound, knowing that if she were stopped, it could be used as
\nan excuse by the United States to impose sanctions.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Senate in July passed legislation allowing U.S.
\nPresident Bill Clinton to impose economic sanctions if
\nrepressions in Myanmar worsened or if Suu Kyi was rearrested.<\/p>\n
Suu Kyi, daughter of Myanmar's assassinated independence hero
\nAung San, was released from six years' house arrest last year.<\/p>",
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