US urges Burma to grant Suu Kyi req

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Subject: US urges Burma to grant Suu Kyi request 

US urges Burma to grant Suu Kyi request

Aung San Suu Kyi's husband has often been denied visits to Burma

The United States has urged the Burmese authorities to grant a visitor's
visa to the British husband of the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi,
Michael Aris.
Burma says it is reviewing his visa request, but expressed surprise that Dr
Aris, who is seriously ill with cancer, should consider making the trip. It
argues that it would be more sensible for her to visit him.




A statement from the Burmese Government said: "The government of Myanmar
suggests that Ms Suu Kyi, who is in perfect health, travel to England to
respond to her husband's dying wish to see her. She has so far refused to
go."

Correspondents say Aung San Suu Kyi is unlikely to wish to leave the country
for fear the military government would prevent her from returning.



Fergal Keane reports: "He has played a key background role"
The government said it would provide Ms Suu Kyi "all possible assistance" to
join her husband. But it did not say if she would be allowed to return if
she did so.

The statement went on to say that considering Dr Aris's medical condition, a
trip to Burma would be "both irresponsible and inhumane."

Visa requests turned down

Previous visa requests in the past three years by Dr Aris to be allowed into
Burma have been turned down.



Suu Kyi and Michael Aris together in 1973
Since Mr Aris' diagnosis a few months ago there have been numerous appeals
to the Burmese Government to grant a visa on humanitarian grounds. These
have come from Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the United Nations,
among others.

His family say he is anxious to visit his wife before he dies.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the man who led Burma to independence, is
the leader of the country's main opposition party, the National League for
Democracy.



Larry Jagan, a South East Asia analyst: "They have refused to allow him to
go for four years"
Although the NLD overwhelmingly won the 1990 general elections, the generals
ignored the results.

Since Aung San Suu Kyi was released in 1995 after almost six years of house
arrest, she has remained the military rulers' major political opponent.

The military authorities have often accused Aung San Suu Kyi of being a pawn
of Western imperialism because of her marriage to a British citizen.


Sources close to the family say they hope Michael Aris's illness will be
treated as a family matter with compassion and not used for political
purposes.