KHN-A woman of true mettle

[tinkyi@xxxxxxx]

Korea Herald News
03-31-99 : Editorial; A woman of true mettle

Developments surrounding the death of Michael Aris, the husband of the
Myanmar opposition leader and a Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, in London
Saturday disturb many of us in South Korea who experienced similar human
rights abuses under our military governments in the not so distant past.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been under severe surveillance of the military
government of Myanmar ever since she returned home in 1988 to emerge as the
leader of the pro-democracy movement of her country. She led her party, the
National League for Democracy, to a sweeping victory in the 1990 elections
but has never been allowed to form a government. The authoritarian generals
in Yangon consider her their greatest threat and have jailed or held her
under virtual house arrest most of the time since she spearheaded the
pro-democracy movement. Again, in what should have been one of the most
crucial moments in her life, she was not allowed to be with the one person
who desperately needed her by his side. Her husband, a British professor of
Tibetan studies who taught at Oxford University, died in hospital with his
last wish unfulfilled ? to see his wife one last time. Before he died of
prostrate cancer which spread to his spine and lungs, Aris had repeatedly
asked for a visa to enter Myanmar for a final meeting with Suu Kyi.

However, the government of Myanmar denied his petition and instead tried to
persuade Suu Kyi to leave the country to visit her husband. She refused to
leave the country because she didn't believe the military would allow her to
return. After all, the military has already arrested hundreds of her
followers in an obvious attempt to destroy her party. International human
rights groups and governments of various countries urged the Myanmar
government to grant Aris a visa on humanitarian grounds. But all in vain.

Clearly, Suu Kyi, a charismatic political leader and daughter of Myanmar's
martyred independence hero, General Aung San, was caught in a prickly
dilemma: leaving the country to see her dying husband versus staying with
the people who needed her. She is said to have reminded anyone suggesting
that she go to Britain that many party members had died in prison without
being able to see their families.


Sympathy for Suu Kyi following the death of her husband is reportedly muted
in Myanmar due to fear of the military government. State-run media made no
mention of Aris's death; most people who know the news heard the
announcement on foreign radio broadcasts. Suu Kyi arranged for a memorial
service Friday at her home in Yangon with her family monks. But her sons,
who are both in London, may not be able to attend the service.

Circumstances surrounding Aris's death, as well as reports by human rights
groups on other cases of political oppression, attest to the gloomy
situation in the Southeast Asian country. We know that the mere presence of
Suu Kyi in the country poses an obstacle for the junta's efforts to
exterminate her party. So they regarded Aris's illness as a perfect
opportunity to get her to leave the country on her own accord. But things
didn't develop as the authoritarian rulers had expected. In a statement
issued shortly after she calmly received the news of her husband's death,
Suu Kyi said, "I feel so fortunate to have had such a wonderful husband who
always gave me the understanding I needed: Nothing can take that away from
me."

We admire the determination and courage that Aung San Suu Kyi has displayed
at this challenging time. We urge the rulers of her country to discard their
shameful policy that disregards the most basic humanitarian considerations
for a private family affair.