Thursday, May 14, 2009

The very definition of an unwelcome house guest

by Bri Roozen

Or at least, he should have been unwelcome.  In Myanmar, the democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and will stand trial on Monday.  On what grounds?  She had a visitor.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for the last 13 years on the grounds that she is a democrat.  She was detained shortly before her party won the 1989 general elections, which the ruling military refused to recognize.  Through the last 18 years, she has spent 13 of it locked away under armed guard day and night, with only her housekeeper and the housekeeper's daughter as company.  This changed, however, as a Missouri took it upon himself to swim five miles across a lake (that is illegal to swim in) to stay overnight at her home (it is also illegal to have overnight foreign guests).  

At this point, Aung San Suu Kyi is preparing to stand trial against what her lawyer claims to be a clever play by the government, as her house arrest is quickly expiring.  I know we've all heard of bad houseguests, but this one takes the cake.  Let's cross out fingers for their fate in the hands of the oppressive Myanmar regime.

No comments: