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.