Myanmar opposition leader accused of tax evasion

MYANMAR’S state media accused pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday of evading taxes by spending her money from the 1991 Nobel Peace prize and other awards overseas.

Ms Suu Kyi, the country’s opposition leader, has been in prison or under house arrest for 11 of the last 17 years.

Myanmar’s military junta regularly calls her a threat to national unity and says she and her party are trying to undermine the government by collaborating with foreign powers.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper carried another accusation in yesterday’s edition. Commentaries in the state-run press often reflect the viewpoint of the country’s military government.

“She avoided paying taxes to the State by asking her family members abroad to spend all her cash awards provided by international organisations and honorariums presented for her works she had created abroad, instead of spending the money in the country,” the newspaper wrote.

Suu Kyi was married to a British academic, Michael Aris, who died of cancer in Britain in 1999. Her two grown sons live abroad.

The junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement led by Suu Kyi. In 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide election victory.

She has been given nearly 100 awards and honorary titles for her non-violent efforts to achieve democracy. Among them were the 1991 Nobel Peace prize, for which she was awarded about $856,000 (€660,000).

The newspaper also said that the junta has treated Suu Kyi leniently by putting her under house arrest.