[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
DASSK's speech on 26-4-99 (translat
- Subject: DASSK's speech on 26-4-99 (translat
- From: nldburma@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 20:09:00
Subject: DASSK's speech on 26-4-99 (translation)
National League for Democracy
No:(97/B), West Shwegondine Road
Bahan Township, Bahan
Excerpts from speech made by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the
National League for Democracy on (26-4-99) (translation)
The question is "What is the political ideology of the present government?"
Since it is a military dictatorship there is no political ideology. Only
politicians will have political ideologies. A military dictatorship is
militaristic and will govern the country from a military point of view. This
is how I see it.
We who have faith in democracy believe that one cannot govern successfully
from a militaristic standpoint. This is not said out of disrespect for the
Tatmadaw. It is not because we want to belittle the role of the military.
The Tatmadaw has a role. Military rule should be confined to the military.
It is not appropriate for them to take over the governing of the whole
country. The laws that are applicable to the battlefield should not be
applied for governing the whole country. Military rules and regulations are
designed for victory on the battlefield. Everything has its proper place and
its proper role. If the Tatmadaw will perform its proper duties with dignity
and honesty in its proper place there is no reason for us to find it
unacceptable. We will all respect them. We will cooperate with them. But in
governance, there must be political ideologies and political principles.
Everyone knows that we want a democratic system, which is one of many
political systems. The people have already indicated their preference for
democracy as evidenced in the results of the 1990 general elections. Even
before independence was gained, my father declared that democracy is the
only system suitable for an independent country. Why is this a fact. A
country is truly independent when its entire people truly enjoy freedom. No
way can a country be said to be independent if its people are denied all
their rights and have no security or freedom. What do we need then for this
sort of country where people have no freedom or security and no personal
rights? We need democracy. We have been saying this over and over again.
Democracy is not the perfect system. We humans too are not perfect. No
political system is perfect. But learned political leaders have claimed
that human beings are so equipped that they deserve democracy. The system
has its weaknesses. These weaknesses of man can be controlled by a
democratic system. It exercises control over those who govern the country.
Government is composed of people not angels. So there are controls in the
democratic system, which act as a check on the people who govern the
country. On the other hand it is because of the strength of the people that
the democratic system endures. Democracy will work if we embrace it and
systematically put it into practice. These are the observations of a
political exponent and something that I can accept.
I have said this very often before. Only a democratic system provides for
controls over a government. The people can set boundaries for the
government. For people to have the ability to prevent governments acting
beyond the jurisdiction prescribed for them and trespassing on their rights
it is necessary that democracy be established and flourish.
Some have said that Burma is not fit for democracy. Others claim that
democracy is not appropriate for the east. These comments are made and
spoken by people who do not want to adhere to democratic principles because
they want to withhold democracy from us. We are all human beings. Are we
inferior to other people? Should we have less freedom than others? Those
kind of comments amount to denigrating us. What do they mean when they say
that democracy is for the western countries only?
Really, those people who make such statements place the westerners in a high
position and downgrade their own people. Doesn't it amount to saying "As for
us, we are not good enough, but they are good enough?"
That is completely unacceptable to us. Our people have the necessary
qualifications for democracy. Yes, we have the qualifications but some of
these qualifications are dormant. We can accept that position. Why? It
cannot be denied that the environment and experiences effect people's
characters. When people are subjected to great pressure and restrictions
and are continuously terrorised, it does not mean that they have no courage.
According to the prevailing circumstances, fear engulfs them. Courage and
Fear are like two sides of a coin. One cannot exist without the other.
Courage does not exist when there is nothing to be afraid of. Some claim
that they know no fear - (It is only the foolish that don't know fear. They
are not the ones who are truly brave). Genuine courage is when you can
overcome fear.
We repeatedly tell you to build up your courage, nurture it, and let it
grow. When we ask you not to be afraid, we do not mean that the principle of
fear must be ignored. We are human beings and we must acknowledge that fear
does exist. But we want to be able to overcome that fear and not let fear
overcome us. This is what we mean. We ask you to overcome that fear and do
whatever has to be done. Why do we want that democratic system? Because
under a democratic system the people have many opportunities to overcome
those fears. But we first need to conquer that fear to obtain that
democracy.
I'm talking about how we have to be struggling and resisting all the time.
To obtain our goal, we will have to go screaming and kicking all the way.
Only when we reach our goal that screaming and kicking will be less severe
and things will settle down. The present government does not conform to any
political system. There is no need to be wondering about the system. A
military system is military dictatorship. There is no denying this fact.
The Tatmadaw was not created to govern a country. Its duty is to defend the
people. It has been created for the defense of the country. I know very well
the objectives my father had when he created the Tatmadaw. He has clearly
stated them in his speeches. It was not created for political purposes.
Therefore the Tatmadaw must be a-political. We have to accept this notion.
Even if some may have political leanings, it must not be displayed. The
country suffers when they interfere in politics. We do not want them to do
things that damage the country. This is not because we have no love for the
Tatmadaw. We have repeatedly claimed that our love for the Tatmadaw is
constant. For example, the parent who tells a child who hasn't got a
singing voice and can never hit the right notes that he should try to become
a renowned singer is not one who has genuine love for the child. On the
other hand, a sincere parent would lovingly advise such a child to restrict
his singing to the bathroom just for the pleasure of it but that it would
not be proper for him to perform on the stage.
So with complete love and good feeling our advice is that "It is not proper
for the Tatmadaw to take up politics." This is also said out of love and
good feeling for the people and the Tatmadaw. We ask that you refrain from
activities that are not appropriate and proper. If you have gone down the
wrong path we ask you to halt now. Who has said that since you have done it
once, you must keep on doing it? According to our religious teachings, when
we find that something we had done is wrong and inappropriate we can stop
and turn around. We have no intentions of pointing a finger and recalling
the things of the past. Because the Tatmadaw is actively involved in
politics and in the administration and in government we are saying that it
is not what they should be doing. There will be no need for us to mention
these things if the Tatmadaw carried out its own duties as it should and
plays the role it was meant to play. We do not have the inclination or
desire to "chew the cud". Only cows do that - not human beings.
We do not want to repeat over and over again what has happened in the past.
We are talking about the present. I believe that we need to establish
democracy so that we can overcome all the problems that the country is now
facing. The Tatmadaw members need to help us. I would like the Tatmadaw to
join with us in establishing genuine democracy. Once the Tatmadaw proclaims
a certain political ideology it becomes tainted. It becomes biased. It
should be pure with a single and upright objective, which is to defend the
people. This is what I want to say.
Rangoon
13 May 1999
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com