Saturday, May 1, 2010

Rangoon civic body allows Suu Kyi to renovate home

 
Friday, 30 April 2010 22:17 Myint Maung

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Renovation of Aung San Suu Kyi’s house, on hold for about four months because her elder brother Aung San Oo filed a case to halt repairs, has been given the go ahead by the Rangoon civic body.

The Rangoon (Yangon) City Development Committee issued a written order to Htin Kyaw, her representative, allowing renovation of her home - No. 54, University Avenue, Rangoon yesterday.

“Bamboo fencing has been erected on the side of Inya Lake. We informed the security officials that work has started again. The roof is old and has cracked and needs to be replaced,” Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Nyan Win said.


Htin Kyaw and the construction engineers submitted an application to the special information police force to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, party sources said.

Roof tiles of Aung San Suu Kyi’s house were damaged when Cyclone Nargis lashed Burma in May 2008 so Rangoon municipal authorities allowed her to renovate between November 2009 to April 2010.

But, Aung San Oo, who claims inheritance of the house, objected to the renovation, which he says was without his permission to the Rangoon City Development Committee. As a result the renovation was halted on December 23, 2009. However, on April 6, 2010, the Rangoon Division Court rejected his lawsuit to stop house repairs.

When Aung San Suu Kyi’s mother, Khin Kyi, was ambassador to India in 1960, the Burmese Prime Minister U Nu gave her (Khin Kyi) the house, built during the British era. Aung San Suu Kyi has stayed in the house since 1988, when she returned from London.