Suu Kyi, Tax Rebel

Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has accused the Myanmar dictatorship of mudering its own people, forcibly relocating minorities, and holding the nation hostage. In retaliation, the government regularly accuses Suu Kyi of parking violations. But this , I think, is new:

State media on Thursday accused pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi of evading taxes by spending her money from the 1991 Nobel Peace prize and other awards overseas.

Suu Kyi, the country's opposition leader, has been in prison or under house arrest for 11 of the last 17 years.

Explains the always interesting state-controlled New Light of Myanmar:

She avoided paying taxes to the State by asking her family members abroad to spend all her cash awards provided by international organizations and honorariums presented for her works she had created abroad instead of spending the money in the country…

It was very considerate of the government to put only restriction on her, instead of punishing her in accordance with law.

Comments

[Guy Montag]

Sounds more like she is in the State of New York, commiting the 'crime' of buying clothing in New Jersey.

[Charlie]

She needs a Swiss bank account.

[MikeP]

The Nobel Prize
Pays quite a fee
Spend it
At home
Aung San Suu Kyi
Burma-Shave

[MikeP]

The preceding represents neither my opinion nor that of the Myanmar-Shave company.

[VM]

MikeP:

awesomest.post.evar.

fuckin' rocks! yoo da man!

[Patrick]

Sounds more like she is in the State of New York, commiting the 'crime' of buying clothing in New Jersey.

I don't recall any customs checkpoint on the PATH train during my last trip to and from NJ. Perhaps it's only suckers who take the Lincoln Tunnel who get "caught"?

[Warren]

Well since she won all that money complaining bout the excesses of her government, it would be rude of them not to make a token gesture. It's just their way of saying 'Congratulations'.

[matt]

She's under house arrest. How much shopping do they expect her to do? Furthermore, Burma isn't exactly a retail mecca.

[Richard]

This is an attempt by the regime to justify keeping her under house arrest and avoid giving into pressure of international voices to free her as another year of her house arrest begins. The junta is simply thinking ahead here.