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Suu Kyi condemns junta role in viol
Subject: Suu Kyi condemns junta role in violence
The Hindu: Suu Kyi condemns junta role in violence
Nov.19; Political and diplomatic circles here wonder why Myanmar's State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) should keep alive "unnecessary
controversies" at this stage concerning the democracy activist, Ms. Aung
San Suu Kyi.
There are puzzled both by Ms. Suu Kyi's sudden outburst of defiance, and
the attack on her convoy last week. They noted," When the U.S. and the
European Union themselves are convinced that sanctions will not work, we
do not know why Ms. Suu Kyi insisting on sanctions, even if they have
only a limited impact".
In recent interviews and appeals to and through visiting European
parliamentarians, Ms. Suu Kyi has called for sanctions against Myanmar
and argued that they do have some impact. She wanted to know why
foreigners want to pump in investments if they are only lining the
pockets of an influential elite .
In her regular "letters from Burma" column that appears in "the Nation
"daily here, The Nobel Laureate has described the sequence of events
leading to the assault on her convoy last week.
She writes: "The blue van slipped through unscathed but the mob started
attacking our car with stones, iron bars and other lethal instruments
under the instructions of a man who had looked in through the front
windshield to check who was inside. In an instant, the beck windshield
had shattered but fortunately, the sunscreen film held the pieces
together and prevented splinters from scattering over us".
Ms. Suu Kyi says, "the most striking feature of the whole episode was
that taken place within an area which had been cordoned off by members of
the security forces, who stood by doing nothing to prevent the attacks.
Neither did they make any attempt to arrest the perpetrators of the
violence. On the contrary, after our cars had driven away, the mob
settled down across the road and remained there for several hours under
the one imagines benevolent eyes of the security personnel".
She notes "This is in glaring contrast to the zeal with which supporters
of the National League for Democracy are arrested and condemned to
substantial prison sentences for trivial matters. What price law and
order in a country where injustice and anarchy are condoned by those who
hold official responsibility for protesting citizens from acts of violence?"
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EU calls for probe
In Brussels yesterday, in a statement issued by its Irish presidency, the
European Union called for a 'full and thorough' inquiry into the attack
on Ms. Suu Kyi by a mob of 200 men. "Those responsible should be brought
to justice," the statement said.
The EU appeals to the government of Myanmar to exercise maximum restraint
and to guarantee safety, liberty and free expression to all those
undertaking normal political activities in support of democracy," The EU
statement follows an National League for Democracy appeal on Sunday for
the creation of a board of inquiry to look into the attack.