THERE IS cause for alarm in a country already in the throes of political, social and economic turmoil, ruled as it is by a clutch of ruthless military dictators who cannot look beyond their silver lined pockets. Reports suggest that Noble Peace Laureate and Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest in Yangon for over 12 of 18 years she has been in the country, has stopped receiving weekly supplies of food brought to her by party activists and that she might well be on hunger strike.

The major Opposition party the National League for Democracy (NLD) party general secretary, Suu Kyi created a stir last week when she refused to meet the United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari during his six-day visit to Myanmar in pursuit of his mission to bring the obdurate junta, the Opposition political parties and ethnic groups to the negotiating table to kick start national reconciliation and reforms and pave the way for ushering in democracy in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

The special envoy waited outside the residence of Suu Kyi on August 20 but he could not meet her. In another attempt, UN officials from Yangon waited for Suu Kyi in front of her residence on August 22 with little luck. Speculation is rife in the Myanmar media in exile that Suu Kyi is disappointed with the manner in which Gambari is handing his sensitive mission and the way in which he is being led up the garden path by the crafty generals ensconced in the new jungle capital, Nay Pyi Taw in central Myanmar.

She is said to have also made an issue of the fact that the special envoy was made to meet junior ministers and officials of the regime in Yangon and kept at arms length by the junta brass, which made it a matter of protocol for Opposition leader Suu Kyi not to meet Gambari. Without having met the top generals, Gambari was in no position to have meaningful talks with her or offer her anything from the side of the military leadership.

In the midst of the botched up diplomacy, comes news that she has said no to receiving weekly supplies of food since last week.

The National League for Democracy – Liberated Area in exile was quoted as saying in the media that she was last sent food supplies on August 15. Ever since then she has been refusing to accept fresh supplies. The supplies are arranged for by members of her party's youth wing. She supposedly told them not to bring her food supplies the following week, which was to be on August 22, and they perforce had to comply with their leader's directive.

While the National League for Democracy – Liberated Area felt that she could be on hunger strike demanding talks with the regime on the general elections slated for 2010 and more, NLD leaders in Yangon told the media in exile that they were not aware of such a development. The NLD leaders have no direct communication with their detained leader. But rumours have been doing the rounds in Yangon that she had begun a hunger strike.