Suu Kyi falls ill during Swiss press conference

Aung San Suu Kyi moments before becoming ill at a press confernce in the Swiss capital of Bern and throwing up. Credit: AP Photo/Keystone, Martial Trezzini

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi fell ill at a press conference in Switzerland today, leading to her throwing up in the full glare of cameras.

Shortly before, the Nobel peace laureate said she was exhausted after a long trip from Asia to Europe.

the 66-year-old looked pale as she took questions alongside Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter in the Swiss capital of Bern.

But after a few minutes, Ms Suu Kyi motioned to an aide who rushed to her side. She then bent over, seemingly in pain and threw up before being escorted out of the room by officials.

A spokesman for the Swiss Foreign Ministry said Suu Kyi recovered enough to briefly attend a reception with Government officials but then retired to her room.

Ms Suu Kyi visited the United Nations in Geneva on the first stop of hertwo-week tour of Europe earlier today.

Duringher trip around Europe, she is expected to highlight how her country has changedand what still needs to be done before it can be called a 'proper' democracy.

Shewill also address both houses of Britain's Parliament, receive an honorarydoctorate from Oxford University and attend a U2 concert in Dublin,

Ms Suu Kyi will also deliver in Oslo the acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991.

After her speech to the UN labour office, Ms Suu kyi said: "I'vebeen so exhausted preparing for the trip that I've had no time to think abouthow I'm going to feel about Oslo, but perhaps this evening I'll sit back andthink about it.