Court orders Suu Kyi suit parties to submit arguments May 30

0 Comments | Asian Political News, May 21, 2001

YANGON, May 14 Kyodo

Arguments in a lawsuit filed by Aung San Suu Kyi's brother to acquire half the estate where the Myanmar democracy leader lives must be filed with the court on May 30, the judge in the case ruled Monday.

The plaintiff and defendant were both represented by attorneys and did not appear in court themselves.

Soe Thein said lawyers for Suu Kyi and her brother Aung San Oo are to make submissions on four issues at that time.

The first issue is whether Aung San Oo, living permanently in a foreign country, can file the suit for administration and eventual ownership of their parents' estate.

The second is whether Han Toe, a new legal representative of Aung San Oo, can proceed using the notice of suit originally signed and filed by Kyaw Zay-ya, his former legal representative.

An earlier complaint by Aung San Oo for partition of the estate, filed by Kyaw Zay-ya in September last year was dismissed in January because of a procedural error.

The third issue is whether the time limit has passed to re-launch the suit and the final issue is whether it is lawful for the plaintiff to re-launch a lawsuit that had earlier been dismissed by the court.

Aung San Oo, who lives in the United States, wants half the estate where Suu Kyi lives in an upscale part of Yangon.

The estate was originally owned by the siblings' father, then their mother. Suu Kyi, who is under virtual house arrest on estate, has lived there since returning to Myanmar in March 1998 to care for her ailing mother. She inherited the land and buildings when her mother died in December 1988.