Aung San Oo
Encyclopedia
Aung San Oo is the elder brother of Burmese democracy
champion and Nobel Peace Prize
winner Aung San Suu Kyi
; the two are the only surviving children of Burmese independence leader Aung San
. Aung San Oo is an engineer
. Aung San Oo has been described by the Burmese Lawyers' Council and the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
as a potential surrogate of the junta in an attempt to humiliate Aung San Suu Kyi and place her in an untenable position. Time magazine reports that, according to Burmese exiles and observers in Rangoon, the junta used the alleged surrogacy of Aung San Oo and his lawsuit as an act of spite against the Burmese Democracy leader.
. In 2000, Oo brought legal action against Suu Kyi in the Rangoon High Court demanding a half-share in the family home, where she had been held under intermittent house arrest from 1989 to 2010. There was widespread speculation among observers at the time that Aung San Oo would then sell his half-share to the junta, but the High Court ruled against Oo, much to the surprise of the same observers, who had assumed that it would bring down whatever verdict was preferred by the junta. The Burmese Lawyers' Council describes the lawsuit as an attempt by the junta to publicly humiliate the leader of the Democratic opposition of Burma. The Burmese Government in exile
claims that had Aung San Oo won his case, he would have put Aung San Suu Kyi in an extremely precarious position. In the Time article it is also reported that the junta may have used this legal manoeuver to "back Aung San Suu Kyi into a corner", despite advice to the contrary by the visiting former Japan
ese Prime Minister
Ryutaro Hashimoto
the year before the lawsuit.
Since 2005 Aung San Oo has been constructing a large mansion on a prime location within the exclusive Archaeological Zone in Bagan
. Oo himself, as a U.S. citizen, cannot legally hold property in Burma (it was on this basis that the Rangoon High Court dismissed his claim for a half-share in the house in Rangoon), but his wife's family is understood to be acting as proxy on his behalf. His wife, Daw Lei Lei Nwe Thein, is rumored to harbor political ambitions for Oo through his connections with the junta, although, as is usual in Burma, there is no independent source to confirm these rumours.
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
champion and Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
; the two are the only surviving children of Burmese independence leader Aung San
Aung San
Bogyoke Aung San ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw....
. Aung San Oo is an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. Aung San Oo has been described by the Burmese Lawyers' Council and the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma is an administration claimed to be the government in exile of Burma. It has its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, United States...
as a potential surrogate of the junta in an attempt to humiliate Aung San Suu Kyi and place her in an untenable position. Time magazine reports that, according to Burmese exiles and observers in Rangoon, the junta used the alleged surrogacy of Aung San Oo and his lawsuit as an act of spite against the Burmese Democracy leader.
The lawsuit
Aung San Oo is estranged from his sister; While Suu Kyi has become the leader of the Burmese democracy movement, Oo is close to the ruling military juntaMilitary junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
. In 2000, Oo brought legal action against Suu Kyi in the Rangoon High Court demanding a half-share in the family home, where she had been held under intermittent house arrest from 1989 to 2010. There was widespread speculation among observers at the time that Aung San Oo would then sell his half-share to the junta, but the High Court ruled against Oo, much to the surprise of the same observers, who had assumed that it would bring down whatever verdict was preferred by the junta. The Burmese Lawyers' Council describes the lawsuit as an attempt by the junta to publicly humiliate the leader of the Democratic opposition of Burma. The Burmese Government in exile
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma is an administration claimed to be the government in exile of Burma. It has its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, United States...
claims that had Aung San Oo won his case, he would have put Aung San Suu Kyi in an extremely precarious position. In the Time article it is also reported that the junta may have used this legal manoeuver to "back Aung San Suu Kyi into a corner", despite advice to the contrary by the visiting former Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Ryutaro Hashimoto
Ryutaro Hashimoto
was a Japanese politician who served as the 82nd and 83rd Prime Minister of Japan from January 11, 1996 to July 30, 1998. He was the leader of one of the largest factions within the ruling LDP through most of the 1990s and remained a powerful back-room player in Japanese politics until scandal...
the year before the lawsuit.
The mansion
Bagan
Bagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
. Oo himself, as a U.S. citizen, cannot legally hold property in Burma (it was on this basis that the Rangoon High Court dismissed his claim for a half-share in the house in Rangoon), but his wife's family is understood to be acting as proxy on his behalf. His wife, Daw Lei Lei Nwe Thein, is rumored to harbor political ambitions for Oo through his connections with the junta, although, as is usual in Burma, there is no independent source to confirm these rumours.