Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi marks six months in detention

Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi marked six months in detention with Myanmar's military rulers showing no hint of when she may be freed. The Nobel peace laureate was detained on May 30 after a pro-junta mob attacked the convoy she was travelling in while touring northern Myanmar to drum up support for her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The party's top eight decision-makers -- men in their 70s and 80s -- were also thrown into detention after the bloody clashes, the details of which remain murky but are feared to have left dozens dead. The unrest triggered a nationwide shutdown of NLD offices, many of which had only just been reopened following Aung San Suu Kyi's release from the second stint of house arrest during her tumultuous political career in May 2002. The charismatic 58-year-old leader was initially held in secret detention until being hospitalised for gynaecological surgery in September, after which she was shifted to her famed lakeside villa on University Avenue. Five of the eight top NLD members were freed by the junta last week without fanfare and without being granted permission to see their leader. Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi marked six months in detention with Myanmar's military rulers showing no hint of when she may be freed. The Nobel peace laureate was detained on May 30 after a pro-junta mob attacked the convoy she was travelling in while touring northern Myanmar to drum up support for her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The party's top eight decision-makers -- men in their 70s and 80s -- were also thrown into detention after the bloody clashes, the details of which remain murky but are feared to have left dozens dead. The unrest triggered a nationwide shutdown of NLD offices, many of which had only just been reopened following Aung San Suu Kyi's release from the second stint of house arrest during her tumultuous political career in May 2002. The charismatic 58-year-old leader was initially held in secret detention until being hospitalised for gynaecological surgery in September, after which she was shifted to her famed lakeside villa on University Avenue. Five of the eight top NLD members were freed by the junta last week without fanfare and without being granted permission to see their leader.

Posted by flow Frazao on November 30, 2003 at 09:07 PM | Permalink