Mizzima News

New Delhi - Burma's military rulers have since Sunday removed barbwire barricades and reduced security around the Rangoon home of detained opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, according to her party's spokesperson.

Nyan Win, spokesperson of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, said all barriers on the University Avenue Street, where the party leader's house is located, have been removed, along with the soldiers deployed to guard the street.

"As far as we can see, there are no more barricades and no soldiers in uniform," Nyan Win said. But he added that there were about two to three plainclothes security personnel still standing guard in front of Aung San Suu Kyi's house.

The Burmese democracy icon has spent 13 of the past 19 years in solitary confinement, mostly in her lakeside residence. Authorities had placed tight security around her house, cordoning off her estate with barbwire barricades on both sides of University Avenue.

Usually, University Avenue is blocked with barbwire wooden horses and uniformed soldiers standing guard at both the barricades blocking off the section of the road that passes in front of the Noble Peace Laureate's house in Rangoon.

"But now all vehicles and passers-by can go freely down the street," Nyan Win said.

Nyan Win, however, failed to speculate on the reason for the sudden change of security in front of the party leader's home, saying, "I am afraid, I cannot give any comment on the move."

But Nyo Ohn Myint, in-charge of the foreign affairs committee of the NLD in exile, said it could be in response to renewed pressure coming from the Asia-Europe Meeting, which recently concluded in Beijing.

"It is too early to welcome the changes. We will have to wait and see of what follows," said Nyo Ohn Myint. But he speculated that it could be the result of pressure from the Asia-European Meeting.

Asian and European leaders, who were meeting in Beijing for the 7th ASEM summit, on Saturday urged Burma's military rulers to implement an all inclusive political reform by starting with the release of political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to lift restrictions on political parties.

Nyo Ohn Myint said ASEM's call is the result of Beijing's growing frustrations over the junta's performance and that "the Burmese military government seems to be taking it seriously."

He added that Burma's military junta seems to be in a tight corner. "In any case, the ease of restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi does not indicate the junta's willingness to implement a process of genuine political reform."

With a history of breaking promises and never fulfilling pledges, the junta's actions rarely translate into substantive changes, Nyo Ohn Myint said.