Myanmar democracy leader Suu Kyi meets diplomats

YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s junta leader allowed detained Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi a rare meeting with Western diplomats Friday to discuss sanctions imposed against the military-ruled country.

The Nobel Prize winner, who remains under house arrest, was driven to a government guesthouse to meet with diplomats of the United States, Great Britain and Australia, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The meeting lasted about one hour. After it concluded, Suu Kyi was driven back to her lakeside residence, where she has spent 14 of the last 20 years under house arrest.

Suu Kyi sent a letter to junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe on Sept. 26, stating her willingness to cooperate with the military government to have the sanctions lifted and seeking permission to meet with Western diplomats in order to understand positions of governments that imposed the sanctions.

The 64-year-old democracy icon had previously welcomed sanctions as a way to pressure the junta to achieve political reconciliation with the pro-democracy movement. Suu Kyi’s opposition party has insisted on concessions from the government if they are to work together, particularly the freeing of political prisoners.

Suu Kyi requested meetings with diplomats from the U.S., European Union and Australia and said she needed to meet her party to understand their position on sanctions.

After the letter, Myanmar Relations Minister Aung Kyi met with Suu Kyi twice within a week. The second meeting took place Wednesday.

British Ambassador Andrew Heyn described Friday’s meeting as a “fact-finding mission” by Suu Kyi.

“Her objective is to try to get a clear picture of sanctions, what sanctions are and the impact of sanctions,” the ambassador told reporters.

Heyn said that on behalf of the EU, he had expressed “the readiness of respective (EU) governments to respond positively to any concrete steps toward political reconciliation and genuine democracy.”

“It was great honor to meet her,” Heyn added, noting it was the first time a British ambassador had been allowed to meet with Suu Kyi since 2003.

Heyn described Suu Kyi, who has suffered from various illnesses in recent years, as “very healthy and very engaged.”

A statement from the Australian government said Canberra would support further dialogue between the opposing parties in Myanmar, also known as Burma, and expressed “hope that her (Suu Kyi’s) sacrifice would, in time, lead to a better Burma.”

The spokesman for her National League for Democracy, Nyan Win, said Friday that he hoped the junta would also agree to her second request in the letter — a meeting with her opposition party’s members.

Last week, a court rejected Suu Kyi’s appeal against the extension of her widely condemned house arrest.

The court ruling upheld her August conviction for breaking the terms of her house arrest by briefly sheltering an uninvited American at her home earlier this year. She was sentenced to an additional 18 months of house arrest — which means she cannot participate in elections scheduled for next year, the first in Myanmar in two decades.

Suu Kyi’s legal team said they plan to appeal to the Supreme Court within 60 days.