Burma's Suu Kyi returns from European tour

Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has returned from a European tour where she was feted by world leaders and rock stars, but irked authorities at home by repeatedly referring to her country as Burma rather than Myanmar.

Suu Kyi, 67, arrived in Rangoon from Paris where she had met French President Francois Hollande on the last leg of a European tour that had taken her to Switzerland, Norway, Britain and Ireland.

She attended a U2 concert In Ireland led by rock star Bono, who has been a staunch supporter of the 1991 Nobel peace laureate.

Suu Kyi and 42 other members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) won parliament seats in an April 1 election. She will travel to the capital Naypyitaw on Wednesday to take up her legislative duties.

For years, Suu Kyi was reluctant to travel abroad for fear that authorities might deny her permission to return.

The daughter of independence hero Aung San spent 15 years under house arrest between 1989 to 2010.

After her final release on November 13, 2010, days after Burma's first general election in two decades, Suu Kyi's political fortunes took a turn for the better.

President Thein Sein opened a political dialogue with her that eventually led to her entry into mainstream politics.

There are still tensions between the government, which is packed with ex-military men, and Suu Kyi and her opposition party.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission ordered the NLD to stop referring to the nation as Burma, noting that the 2010 constitution declares the official name as The Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

The commission warned the NLD that it was obliged to follow the constitution as a registered political party. The charter was drafted by the former junta that ruled between 1988-2010.

In numerous speeches abroad, Suu Kyi referred to the country as Burma, its name prior to 1991, ignoring the regime's preferred name of Myanmar.

"There is no action prescribed under the constitution if someone uses the word 'Burma,'" NLD spokesman Nyan Win said.

Burma was originally an ancient name for the central part of the country, and is considered by some people to be more inclusive of the various ethnic groups, of which Burmans account for about 70 percent.

The name Burma was given to the country during the British colonial era of 1826-1948.

Photo: Getty Images