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Aung San Suu Kyi: Burma No Differen



Subject: Aung San Suu Kyi: Burma No Different From East Timor

In her latest interview, NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi voiced strong support
and empathy for the people of East Timor.

Here is the transcript of the East Timor section of her interview. In other
sections of the interview, Daw Suu covers:
* The Burmese Embassy Seizure
* Concerns about the possibility of violence in Burma
* The US loan write-off
* The imprisonment of activists who wore yellow on 9999

These sections will be released in stages over the next few days.


" ...WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN BURMA IS NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN
EAST TIMOR"

Q: What are your concerns about the situation in East Timor?.

A: First of all, there are humanitarian concerns. We feel great sympathy
for the people of East Timor and their suffering. And secondly there are
political concerns. political concerns in relation not just to East Timor
but to our country, to the whole region and to the whole world. 

What happened in East Timor is very similar to what happened in Burma in
1990. World leaders have been talking about the way in which the
democratically expressed will of the people of East Timor has been
overturned by violence and intimidation. This is what happened in Burma. We
had free and fair elections in 1990 and the people voted for our party, the
National League for Democracy. But because the military regime did not want
to accept the results, they overturned it or they have been trying to
overturn. We have not allowed (them) to overturn it. They have been trying
to overturn it through violence and intimidation. 

They have arrested MPs, have forced them to resign, some have gone into
exile, there are MPs still in prison, huge batch of MPs were been taken
into detention last year because we formed the Committee Representing
People's Parliament. 

"USING SALAMI TACTICS"

In fact they are using "salami tactics", trying to slice away bit by bit
the results of the 1990 elections. Now in East Timor of course, the
people's militia and those who are against independence of East Timor have
tried to overturn the results of the elections and one fell swoop, and the
world became aware of it and would not stand for it. I think they should
understand that what has happened in Burma is no different from what has
happened in East Timor, only it has been implemented in a rather different
way so that it is less noticeable. So we feel a great sense of empathy for
the people of East Timor because we have suffered the same kind of wrongs
and also because as fellow human beings we don't like to see people to be
so ill-treated and so unjustly crushed in their own land.

Q: Do you see any similarities between the human rights crisis in East
Timor and Burma?

A: As I said earlier, great similarities indeed!

Q: East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao has publicly supported you and the
cause of democracy in Burma; would the NLD welcome an opportunity to work
with the East Timorese people?

"I FEEL AS THOUGH HE WERE A PERSONAL FRIEND"

A: Yes of course, we would welcome an opportunity to work with all those
who are fighting for freedom and for justice. And I have a great personal
admiration for Xanana Gusmao ... I think he's a very fine leader and it is
touching to see what great understanding there is between his people and
himself. ...I feel as though he were a personal friend, although of course
we've never met. We're very, very grateful for his words of support and I
hope that the time would come when we can all work together promote
democracy in Asia and the rest of the world. 

Q: Any specific way or method which you and Xanana may meet and come up
with something?

A: I think he'll have to come to visit me in Burma, he seems to be freer
than I am!


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