Burma generals 'sign Aung San Suu Kyi release order'

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

Reports are coming out of Burma saying the military authorities have signed an order authorising the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Nobel laureate has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years, and her house arrest term expires on Saturday.

There has been increased police activity outside her house in Rangoon, but as yet no official confirmation.

=snip=

The BBC is banned from reporting in Burma but correspondent Alastair Leithead is monitoring developments from the capital of neighbouring Thailand, Bangkok. He says a number of sources inside Burma have told the BBC that documents authorising Ms Suu Kyi's release have been signed. Officials have reportedly visited her home in University Avenue in Rangoon, Burma's biggest city, to deliver them.

Hundreds of her supporters, who have been publicly counting down the days to the end of her current term of house arrest, have gathered at the headquarters of her political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), in anticipation of her release. Some wore t-shirts saying: "We stand with you."

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11740798

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Aung San Suu Kyi's seriously dilapidated lakeside house in Rangoon


(Original article that was posted in the OP - it's been moved down as, according to other reports, at the moment it could just be a rumor)

Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi freed from 15 years of house arrest

Myanmar's military rulers on Friday freed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from 15 years of house arrest.

Suu Kyi had been freed and was heading to her party headquarters in Yangon, an MP of her National League for Democracy (NLD) said.

He said thousands of NLD supporters were waiting at the party office to greet Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her resistance to the Myanmarese junta.

Suu Kyi is the daughter of Aung San, the country's independence hero. She studied philosophy, politics and economics at the Oxford University. She returned to her country in 1988 and was put under house arrest the next year as the junta declared martial law.

More: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/119690/India/suu-kyi-freed-from-house-arrest.html

[eridani]

1. Any clues as to why now? n/t

[Turborama]

2. The term of her house arrest ends tomorrow.

The Guardian are doing a good live blog on this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/12/burma-aung-san-suu-kyi-release

[HillbillyBob]

3. Her term may end, but when military dictatorships are in control

She may be moved to somewhere 'secret' or worse.
I hope this is a change for the better for her.

[pinboy3niner]

6. Probably to further divide the democracy movement

When Suu Kyi's party decided to boycott the elections, some members splintered off to form a new party and run candidates. The speculation in the press has been that the government would only release her on time if they thought that would contribute to the divisions. That speculation was reported in the stories linked here:

Aung San Suu Kyi loses court battle
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9534271

[Posteritatis]

4. If they don't re-arrest her the day after on some pretense I'll be pleasantly surprised. (nt)

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Good news - so long as they let her STAY free

By rights, of course, she ought to be the president, and they ought to be nowhere.

[24601]

8. I wouldn't fly in any small planes if I were her. n/t