BBC : Aung San Suu Kyi feels the he

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Tuesday, July 28, 1998 Published at 13:49 GMT 14:49 UK 

World: Asia-Pacific

Aung San Suu Kyi feels the heat 

There is growing concern over the welfare of Burma's pro-democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent four nights and five days in sweltering
heat in her car at a military checkpoint 20 miles outside Rangoon. 

Foreign governments - including the American Secretary of State, Madeleine
Albright - say they hold the Burmese military responsible for Aung San Suu
Kyi's welfare. 

The British Foreign Office minister, Derek Fatchett, told the Burmese
representative at a conference in Manila that the ban infringed her basic
rights and was doing further serious harm to the country's reputation. 

He demanded that foreign ambassadors in Burma should be granted immediate
access to Aung San Suu Kyi, and the government should open a dialogue with
her and with the National League for Democracy. 

Trapped for five days 

Ms Suu Kyi, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was stopped at the
checkpoint on Friday as she was going to meet political supporters. 

According to local people, Ms Suu Kyi has run out of food and water. 

The government accuses her of a publicity stuntOfficials from her National
League for Democracy Party (NLD) say they fear she will collapse from heat
exhaustion. 

A military ambulance is on hand, and she has been seen by her doctor. The
military authorities say they are willing to provided fresh supplies but
she hasn't requested them yet. 

Although the Burmese military authorities say there is no formal
restriction on Aung San Suu Kyi, it is the third time she has been stopped
while trying to visit party workers outside Rangoon. 

Time for dialogue 

The NLD says Ms Suu Kyi is determined to stay where she is until the
military allow her to travel freely outside Rangoon. 

The BBC Burma specialist, Larry Jagan, says Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to
reinforce a message to the military that it is time to start genuine
dialogue with the opposition. 

Government statements released in Rangoon accuse the opposition leader of a
publicity stunt, of fermenting social unrest and of being in collusion with
western governments to overthrow the military regime. 

Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues categorically deny this and party
workers say the main message is that the only way to resolve Burma's
political impasse is for the military to start a genuine dialogue with the
opposition. 

Tension has risen between the military and the NLD since Ms Suu Kyi called
for a meeting of a parliament in August consisting of candidates elected in
the May 1990 elections. 

The NLD swept the elections but the military ignored the results and has
refused to convene parliament.