Suu Kyi advised medical rest

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has suspended all her domestic trips planned for up to the end of this month.

The temporary halt to Suu Kyi's planned tour followed a minor surgical operation performed on the big toes of her legs early this week at a private hospital in Yangon, Xinhua reported Sunday citing local media.

Despite a successful operation, Suu Kyi was medically advised to stay at rest as her legs are still found unfit to stand and walk on for long hours.

The suspension of originally-scheduled trips includes one to Maubin, southwestern Ayayawaddy region, where a public opinion rally on constitutional amendment has been planned by the National League for Democracy (NLD) for next weekend.

The NLD last held such a rally at Kawhmu in Yangon and Tharyawaddy in Bago region this month where most people supported statutory amendment.

Suu Kyi has said the existing 2008 constitution drives a wedge between the people and the army, affecting national reconciliation in the country.

"Without amendment, elections won't be free and fair," she warned.

"Only if the existing 2008 constitution is amended, can people in the country stay peacefully under the constitution," she said.

The NLD has been seeking public opinion on the constitutional amendment region-wide and state-wide since mid-October, and will submit the opinions to parliament's Constitutional Review Joint Committee by the end of this month for further review.

The 109-member Constitution Review Joint Committee, set up in July, has extended the deadline for submission of such advice and assessment to Dec 31.

The NLD itself also formed a Constitution Amendment Committee.

The existing 194-page, 15-chapter Republic of the Union of Myanmar Constitution-2008 was promulgated in May 2008 after a nationwide referendum.