Monday, August 10, 2009

Aung San Suu Kyi’s home to be renovated

 
by Myint Maung
Monday, 10 August 2009 22:01

New Delhi (Mizzima) –Aung San Suu Kyi’s home is going to be renovated even as the pro-democracy icon is facing trial for allegedly violating her house arrest term.

Her lawyer Nyan Win told Mizzima on Monday that Aung San Suu Kyi had given instructions to consult architects for the renovation of the villa located on Rangoon’s University Avenue.

“Yes, we are going to repair and renovate her [Aung San Suu Kyi] residence but it’s the architect is still working on the design. It will be approved by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi before the work starts,” Nyan Win said.

He added that the detained Nobel Peace Laureate wanted her house to be renovated but said details of which part to be repaired and renovated is still unknown.

Roof tiles of Aung San Suu Kyi’s house were replaced after the devastating Cyclone Nargis lashed Rangoon in early May 2008.

Last month, two higher grade pleaders Cho The Mei and Wei Wei Aung put up a notice in the classified column on the July 24th issue of the government owned newspaper ‘The Mirrior’, stating that a plot of land attached to Aung San Suu Kyi’s house in University Avenue, has been sold.

The notice also said, objections on the plot of land, if any, can be made within a week of the notice, failing which the sales would be considered final and no later objections or complaints can be made.

The plot of land is part of a whole estate where Aung San Suu Kyi’s house is also located and has not yet been sold off separately. Selling the plot of land would mean that the estate would be divided.

Nyan Win said, an objection letter ‘as per the instruction of the client [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi]’ was sent to the two women higher grade pleaders on July 30. But there has been no reply from them.

The plot of land was sold in the name of Khin Maung Aye, who is an adopted son of the late Thakin Than Tun and Daw Khin Gyi. Daw Khin Gyi and Aung San Suu Kyi’s mother the late Daw Khin Kyi were sisters, making Khin Maung Aye and Aung San Suu Kyi to be cousin brothers.

The estate where house number 54 in the University Avenue locates had been own by Aung San Suu Kyi’s parents and their relatives and have never been sold off separately by plots. There are several other houses on the estate along with the house number 54.

Khin Maung Aye is a retired army officer and a writer.

Earlier, Aung San Suu Kyi’s elder brother Aung San Oo filed a lawsuit against her over ownership of parts of the plot.