Myanmar state media accuses Aung San Suu Kyi of tax evasion
Imagine the scenario: Than Shwe. Maung Aye and Thura Shwe Man- sitting in a conference room in Nay Pyi Daw - surrounded by their "yes" men. They have coffee, tea, biscuits and talk about last night's card game. And then Than Shwe goes "Listen, guys, we really need to make Daw Aung San Suu Kyi look bad to the Burmese people and foreigners. All the efforts that we have put in over the last 16 years doesn't seem to have work"
Thura Shwe Man: "I have something! Wait till you here this. I bet even that crazy Condi will think this is absurd. Then maybe she will back us.
Than Shwe: "What? It better be good, I have cancer, I need good news."
Thura Man Shwe: "We accuse her of tax evasion! I mean, when she won that stupid Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, her son had to accept her award for her and they never sent the money home. She should have spent the money on this golden land, instead of wasting it in the U.S"
Maung Aye & Than Shwe: Brilliant! Everyone will back us on this. Hahaha, no one will support her NOW after they hear this!
Than Shwe: "Well, Thura, you have proven yourself well. Maybe I will let you be in charge after I give up the throne." (Maung Aye pretends not to hear)
Maung Aye: "Oh, Oh, and at the same time, remind people that we have always been lenient on ASSK! We are very generous with her, after all."
Myanmar state media accuses Aung San Suu Kyi of tax evasion
ASSOCIATED PRESS
3:06 a.m. January 18, 2007
YANGON, Myanmar – State media on Thursday accused pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi of evading taxes by spending her money from the 1991 Nobel Peace prize and other awards overseas.
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 its Thursday 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 organizations 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 nonviolent efforts to achieve democracy. Among them were the 1991 Nobel Peace prize, for which she was awarded 6 million Swedish kronor, currently equivalent to about $856,000.
The newspaper also said that the junta has treated Suu Kyi leniently by putting her under house arrest and not sending her to prison.
“It was very considerate of the government to put only restrictions on her, instead of punishing her in accordance with (the) law,” the paper said.
Absolutely ludicrous. I guess Than Shwe and his underlings have been paying their taxes from the millions they earn each year. Or Thandar Shwe for that matter; I guess her $50 million in wedding gifts was taxed by the government.