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Home of Burma's Suu Kyi Imperiled
Threat of Lawsuit Added to Charges Over U.S. Visitor
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 15, 2009

Burma's Nobel Peace Prize-winning democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi will
go on trial Monday amid signs that, one way or another, the country's
military rulers intend to force her to give up her home.

The trial stems from an incident involving a U.S. citizen, identified as
John Yettaw, who swam across Rangoon's picturesque Lake Inya last week to
reach Suu Kyi's lakefront bungalow and allegedly stayed there one or two
nights. On Thursday, she was taken to Rangoon's Insein prison on charges of
violating the terms of her detention by hosting a foreigner, which could
bring a three- to five-year prison term, according to Burmese opposition
officials. The charges came just days before Suu Kyi's six-year term under
house arrest is due to expire.

A little-known lawsuit filed by Suu Kyi's estranged older brother, a U.S.
citizen, poses another threat. In 2001, Aung San Oo demanded ownership of
half of the two-story house that had been the property of their mother. A
Burmese court suspended the case because foreigners may not own property in
Burma, but sources in Rangoon have indicated in recent weeks that the suit
may be revived. The courts in Burma are completely under the control of the
military junta.

Aung Lin Htut, the former deputy chief of mission for the Burmese Embassy in
Washington, said in a recent interview that the lawsuit was generated by the
Burmese government. The ambassador at the time, U Tin Win, received an order
from Rangoon to obtain San Oo's signature on the lawsuit in exchange for
promises of business opportunities for his wife, a Burmese national, and her
family, Lin Htut said.

read the rest at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/14/AR2009051400944.html?hpid=sec-world