Burma to free Suu Kyi from house arrest

Australian Broadcasting Company ^ | April 03 2004 | Reuters

[knighthawk]

Burma democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi will be freed from house arrest and her National League for Democracy (NLD) invited to a constitutional conference next month, Burma's foreign minister has told NHK television.

"Original members who attended, including the NLD, will be invited," Foreign Minister Win Aung told Japan's NHK television in Bangkok, where he was due to meet his Thai counterpart.

Asked if Ms Suu Kyi would be released before the May 17 start of the conference, Win Mr Aung said, "yes".

He added it was too early to give a precise date.

The military government, under pressure to show it is sincere about its "road map to democracy" announced with few details last August, set the date for the constitutional meeting last week.

But it made no mention of Ms Suu Kyi, the Nobel peace laureate who remains under house arrest at her Rangoon home or her party, which has had its offices shut since clashes between opposition and government supporters a year ago.

Rangoon faced calls last week from United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, the United States and human rights groups, to allow Ms Suu Kyi and her party to participate in the conference.

The conference was suspended in 1996 after the NLD walked out, accusing the military of manipulating the process to stay in power.

The NLD won general elections in 1990, but the government rejected the results.

There had been speculation Ms Suu Kyi may be freed in mid-April following a recent visit to Rangoon by UN special envoy Razali Ismail.

[knighthawk]

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[nuconvert]

We'll see how long she stays "free" this time.