U.S. diplomat banned from meeting Suu Kyi

U.S. diplomat banned from meeting Suu Kyi

YANGON (Reuter): Myanmar's military government yesterday stopped a U.S. embassy official from meeting opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and labeled his attempt to visit her during the current unrest provocative.

A government spokesman accused embassy charge d'affaires, Kent Wiedemann of interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs and creating unnecessary problems by trying to see the 1991 Nobel peace laureate.

"This is provocative. They should not interfere in our internal affairs," he told Reuters. "No other embassies do this. If they want to invite her to lunch, they should do it later when the situation is normal. Why create unnecessary problems?"

Access to Suu Kyi's lakeside residence on University Avenue has been blocked by the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) during recent student unrest in Rangoon.

The spokesman said the government had asked Suu Kyi to stay inside her compound for her own safety while it maintained tight security in the capital after several thousand students launched street protests last week.

Wiedemann's car was stopped and turned back at two different police roadblocks near Suu Kyi's house, he added.

A U.S. embassy spokeswoman, asked to react to the Myanmar government spokesman's statement, said: "We won't dignify that comment with our response, other than to firmly reject any such assertions."

An aide at Suu Kyi's house confirmed that she had had an appointment with Wiedemann but he declined to say what the meeting was about.

He noted, however, that it was not the first time that foreign diplomats seeking to see her had been turned back.

Earlier this week, the Myanmar spokesman said that the U.S. embassy had tried to encourage the opposition leader to leave her compound, knowing that if she were stopped, it could be used as an excuse by the United States to impose sanctions.

The U.S. Senate in July passed legislation allowing U.S. President Bill Clinton to impose economic sanctions if repressions in Myanmar worsened or if Suu Kyi was rearrested.

Suu Kyi, daughter of Myanmar's assassinated independence hero Aung San, was released from six years' house arrest last year.