Aung San Suu Kyi Meets Burmese Official in Rangoon

Posted July 25th, 2011 at 5:00 am (UTC-5)
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Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi visited a government guest house in Rangoon Monday for her first talks with a high-level government official since her release from house arrest in November.

Spokesmen for the Nobel Peace laureate's National League for Democracy said the meeting with Labor Minister Aung Kyi was arranged in the past few days, but they were not certain what topics might be covered.

Western governments and human rights groups have been urging Burma's new government to open a dialogue with opposition groups, including Aung San Suu Kyi. They are also seeking the release of more than 2,000 political prisoners.

The fate of the NLD may also be at issue. The party was forced to disband last year and has been ordered to cease all political activities.

Aung Kyi was in charge of relations between the military government and Aung San Suu Kyi before a new nominally civilian government took office this year. He became labor minister in the new government.

The NLD boycotted the elections that brought the new government to power because Aung San Suu Kyi was barred from being a candidate. As a result, it was ordered to disband.

The party won elections in 1990, but was never allowed to take power. Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 of the next 21 years under house arrest, winning her release days after the November election.