Suu Kyi seeking gain from consul death: Media

Suu Kyi seeking gain from consul death: Media

YANGON (Reuter): Myanmar's state newspapers accused democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday of trying to gain politically
from the death in prison last month of a former honorary consul
for a number of European countries.

James Leander Nichols, an unaccredited representative for
Denmark, Finland, Norway and Switzerland, died in prison on June
22. Differing accounts say he died of a heart attack or stroke.

He was arrested in April and sentenced to three years in jail
for operating home telephones and fax machines without
permission.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper described as a "stunt" Suu
Kyi's attendance at Nichols' funeral on June 28 and said she
"created a situation merely to assemble a crowd...in order to
make political gain".

"The wit and scheme of the West Maidawgyi (Suu Kyi) is so good
that she can derive benefit out of a funeral," it said, using a
sarcastic term to refer to the 50-year-old Nobel Peace Prize
winner.

"The person who wants to make political gain out of a corpse
is really foolish."

Diplomats and opposition sources believe Nichols was jailed
because of his close links with Suu Kyi and her National League
for Democracy (NLD) party.

The New Light of Myanmar, calling Nichols a "bad-hat" who
lived a decadent life-style and supported Suu Kyi generously,
said he died of natural causes.

"No one can prevent death when a person meets his fate. No
ambassadors of any kind can plead with death...It is also
necessary to understand that the United Nations cannot use a veto
power to stop his death," it said.

The newspaper said Nichols had been treated well in prison and
enjoyed "luxury", publishing a detailed list of the food he had
been brought.

"There were even persons who fanned him and massaged him and
he had nothing to worry about small errands and no one punched
him, because the bundle brought to him by those visiting him was
rather big," the paper said.

The newspaper gave an account of how Nichols collapsed in his
prison cell and was taken to the prison hospital and later to
Yangon General Hospital where he died.

A member of Nichols' family said on Tuesday a memorial service
was still being arranged but no date had yet been fixed.

Suu Kyi was released from prolonged house arrest one year ago
today.

Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Amnuay Viravan said on Monday
that Southeast Asia's policy of constructive engagement with
Myanmar would not be abandoned even though it may not have
produced expected results,

Amnuay said Myanmar's southeast Asian neighbors needed to
redouble their efforts to exert a constructive influence on
Myanmar. "We believe that although ASEAN's constructive policy
may be viewed by many to have not produced the kind of results
that most people expect, it only means that we have to redouble
our efforts, make it more constructive," he told the Foreign
Correspondents Club of Thailand on Monday.

"Certainly we are not entertaining the question of
disengaging, or isolating our neighbors," he said.

The seven-member ASEAN has been criticized by Myanmar's
opposition for focusing on boosting business links with Yangon
while failing to nudge it towards dialogue on political reform
and reconciliation with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar is expected to become an official ASEAN observer at
this month's ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting in Jakarta and is
likely to become a full member of the grouping by the end of the
decade.