Myanmar govt says opposition illegal

Myanmar govt says opposition illegal

YANGON (Reuters): Myanmar's military government said on Friday the pro-democracy opposition led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was not a legal party, fueling concerns the regime may be planning a decisive crackdown to silence its opponents.

Landlords have also served Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) with an eviction notice to vacate its headquarters in Yangon, sparking fears for the future of the party despite a visit this week by UN special envoy Razali Ismail.

Diplomats said the government may have calculated that the long-term gains are worth the short-term international outrage.

A commentary in the New Light of Myanmar and Myanma Alin newspapers, regarded as official mouthpieces of the regime, derided Suu Kyi as a "democracy stunt actress" and the NLD as a "hut of democracy".