BANGKOK -- Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not go to England for the funeral of her late husband, Michael Aris, despite a government offer to allow her to return to Myanmar, a confidant said on Monday.
Suu Kyi was worried she may not be allowed to return and has already begun performing Buddhist rites for her late husband in Yangon, said Tin Oo, vice president of her National League for Democracy party."Even though she is a devout Buddhist, she is definitely not leaving Yangon to perform rites for her husband there. She is performing Buddhist rites for him here. On the seventh day on Friday she will hold a major ceremony in her house," he told Reuters in a telephone interview from Yangon.
Suu Kyi herself was unavailable for comment as her telephone is inaccessible from abroad.
But the NLD issued a statement late on Monday criticizing the military government for agreeing to allow her to go to her husband's funeral but placing some restrictions on her at the same time.
"It was restricted that her visit was meant only for carrying out social and family affairs and nothing to do with politics," it said.
"It is entirely improper to restrict such a world famous Nobel Prize laureate and democracy leader. Issuing the announcement mentioning the offer to travel even after the secretary (Suu Kyi) had said she would not go is insincere," it added.
Aris, an Oxford academic, died on his 53rd birthday on Saturday of prostate cancer.
On Friday, the government said it would allow Suu Kyi to return to Yangon if she went to England to see her terminally ill husband provided she did not politicize the visit. But Suu Kyi had rejected the offer, the government said.
Analysts noted she had rejected the offer because she feared the military might not honor its pledge and might take action against her NLD party if she was absent.
On Sunday, the government again offered her assistance to go to England for the funeral, but this time did not repeat its guarantee she could return after the trip.
Suu Kyi on Saturday paid a warm tribute to her late husband in a statement to Yangon diplomats.
"I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful husband who has always given me the understanding I needed." the statement said.