extracts from address of Daw Aung S

[nldburma@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: extracts from address of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on 29-1-99

National Leagur for Democracy
No:(97/B), West Shwegondine Road
Bahan Township, Bahan

Extracts from address by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of 
the National League for Democracy, on 29-1-99

xxxxx Now, the military authorities are claiming that they are working 
towards democracy- this must be a fantasy.   xxxxx How can authorities 
who are so afraid to grant basic democratic rights to people build or 
construct democracy. The fact is that the present military authorities 
are in great fear of people power. Their minds seem to be set on the 
idea that only by keeping the people crushed and subjugated they can 
exist. Such people can never construct democracy.   xxxxx   If they 
had the guts, instead of saying that they are constructing democracy 
they would be saying " we will never give you democracy'".

In one of his speeches, my father said that people who claim that they 
have taken over power for love of their people and love of their 
country will earn no respect. They would gain some respect if they 
just said outright that it was for love of power. The National League 
for Democracy has never claimed that we are motivated by love of 
country or love for our people. We are motivated by our desire for 
human rights and democracy. Why do we want democracy and human rights 
because we want the people to reach a human standard that is equal to 
international norms. We don't go about flaunting the idea of love for 
country or love for our people.   xxxxx

Realistically, what we need is how many of our countrymen and women 
are starving. How many children are suffering from diseases due to 
malnutrition. How many mothers and babies have died at time of 
delivery. How many children have been denied primary education. How 
many have been denied access to any education. How many people have 
died because our hospitals have no medicines. We do not want to know 
about beautifying the landscape or the condition of the jungles, the 
rivers etc.

xxxxx   There is no need to think that saying certain things will 
create good impressions. 
xxxxx   Our country will not prosper through constructing an imaginary 
world.   xxxxx  There is much criticism about the democratic forces 
and our National League for Democracy. If I have to give an example, 
it is said that I am destructive and causing ruin to the country. 
These utterances give the authorities such a bad reputation. Do they 
not understand this? Can they not overthrow our "destructive 

activities" with their "righteous operations"? The ones who wield 
authorities are in control of the entire administrative machinery, all 
the weaponry, all the country's resources and treasurers. How can this 
mighty group with so much power in their hands defend a country if 
they are still threatening to destroy and decimate a defenceless 
organisation that they have been everlastingly crushing and 
persecuting?

xxxxx    Acting as if they believe in democracy and treating this 
country like a plaything, building a fantasy world is the cause of all 
our problems. We can not continue in this way. That is why I am 
constantly reminding you that our problems will not be automatically 
solved once democracy is restored. Don't imagine this. Once democracy 
is restored we will still struggling for the preservation of 
democracy. We must build a strong and enduring foundation. After 
laying a foundation to build a house, manpower, money and expertise 
are required. A house built without architectural knowledge is not the 
same as that built with architectural knowledge and expertise. In 
addition, it is essential that we be honest and compassionate among 
ourselves.

xxxxx   We must all lay this foundation correctly. Then we must build 
that house with a continuous flow of material which involves many many 
things. As I have stated earlier, we will need money. Without money, 
materials can not be purchased. We need to be able to evaluate the 
goods. Having money only will not do. We need to know their value. 
Therefore knowledge of such things is essential. We must have friends 
who can advise us about these values. We can not be isolated and stand 
alone in this world. We need good friends. Even with good friends, 
money, human and material resources and knowledge, this generation can 
not erect and complete this building. Our children and their children 
have to keep on building for a strong and durable structure.

xxxx   We can not obtain a strong and durable structure easily. We can 
not drift along in any imaginary world. There will have to be great 
sacrifices, tremendous hard work and effort .   xxxxx   We will have 
to wrestle with all our might to catch up with those countries that 
are ahead of us.   xxxxx    Look at the two countries that lost the 
war - Germany and Japan. How they suffered and sacrificed the war. We 
have read about the hardship they went through. Because they made 
those sacrifices, they are the two leading countries in the world 
today. Similarly we will have to go through the same process. If you 
can suffer, you can gain. What is valuable can not be obtained without 
effort. Don't depend on assistance (without strings attached) from 
here to there. There is no such thing as "without strings attached". 
Strings get attached automatically. We, believers in Buddhism, know 
well all about this. Every circumstance has a reason and an effect and 
one's deed predetermines one's future.   xxxxx   Don't take everything 
that you can get or everything that is given to you. Benefit will only 
be derived if you use everything you get honestly. Our country will 
suffer if we spend easily what is easily got. The giving will not 

continue.   xxxxx

This is why we can not go on living in a fantasy world. For the 
members of the NLD,  there is no time for dwelling in fantasies. What 
with having to run, and struggle and getting prison visitation 
permits, and obtaining information about who has been arrested -- 
there is no time for fantasy. Later on when democracy is granted, 
there will be no time to drifting into the fantasy world. Drifting 
will not benefit our country. But there is one thing and that is we 
must always have hope. There is a difference between having hope and 
dreaming. It is not wrong to have hope but you have to work towards 
achieving that hope. Just sitting down and dreaming will not do. Have 
one vision and struggle to achieve it. Our vision is that we will have 
genuine and a full measure of democracy and the full measure of human 
rights for which we will struggle on. A fantasy world is not what we 
want and that is not what we are building.   xxxxx 


Rangoon
6 April 1999


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