YANGON – MYANMAR authorities have summoned members of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy party to rebuke them for provoking ‘unrest’ over a statement critical of her trial, state media reported on Saturday.
Four senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) met officials for 30 minutes late on Friday after comments by the party’s youth wing were leaked to the website of a prominent blogger, the New Light of Myanmar said.
‘Though NLD has rights for freedom of speech, the announcement… has harmed peace and stability and prevalence of law and order in the country and disturbed the trial proceedings of a court,’ the paper reported in English. ‘That can mislead the people into misunderstanding the government, incite activities that may harm the public respect for the government, and cause unrest,’ it said.
Ms Suu Kyi faces up to five years in jail on charges of breaching the conditions of her house arrest after a bizarre incident in which an American man, Mr John Yettaw, swam to her lakeside home in May.
The NLD’s youth members had circulated an internal document criticising the trial for being largely held behind closed doors and highlighted international condemnation of the proceedings.
But the comments ended up on the ‘Niknayman’ website, which is blocked in Myanmar as it is run by a well-known activist, and the New Light said this constituted a breach of the country’s publishing laws.
The paper said the statement had falsely accused authorities of not allowing public reporting of the trial.
Local journalists and two Chinese reporters have been allowed in court along with diplomats to cover two of the ten days of hearings so far.
The four NLD members ordered to meet with officials Friday were Than Tun, Nyunt Wai, Hla Pe and Soe Myint. They signed a document to acknowledge a formal warning by the authorities.
Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. Ms Suu Kyi’s party won 1990 polls but was never allowed to take office. She has been imprisoned for 13 of the past 19 years. — AFP
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