YANGON - MYANMAR'S rulers have accused democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, in prison or under house arrest for 11 of the past 17 years, of evading taxes by not spending her Nobel Peace Prize money inside the country.
'She avoided paying taxes to the state by asking her family members abroad to spend all her cash awards provided by international organisations and honorariums,' said the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper in an editorial yesterday.
It said she was lucky to be under house arrest and not in jail after criticising the army and its attempts to write a new Constitution.
'It was very considerate of the government to put only restriction on her, instead of punishing her in accordance with law,' it added.
Ms Suu Kyi, 61, leads the National League for Democracy, which won a landslide election victory in 1990 but was not allowed to take power. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in October 1991.
The award is worth 10 million Swedish crowns (S$2.2 million).
REUTERS
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