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Democracy still a feared word in My



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                Democracy still a feared word in Myanmar

>From NDTV, Star News TV, monitored in New Delhi
Monday, February 19, 2001 (Bangkok):

Democracy has been locked up along with Myanmar's most famous dissident.
The state is under martial law and its highest profile prisoner Aung San
Suu Kyi is hidden from the visitor's eye.The firm grip of the military
junta has ensured the stamping out in public of the country's movement
for democracy. The reluctance of people to voice their thoughts is
palpable. An ex MP from the NLD and a Suu Kyi supporter refused an
interview for fear of being sent back to prison. "The very presence of a
journalist is intimidating to people here. These people have grown up in
a country which now for many decades had been one in which everyone knew
that free speech was not allowed, which you could be directly and
possibly punished for engaging in free speech," said, Jayne Dullard.

For a city that is the seat of a military government, Yangon appears a
calm and peaceful city. Its hard to imagine that in one corner of the
city is the heavily guarded house of Suu Kyi where she has been held
under house arrest for the last five months. While negotiations are on,
no one knows whether they are just a front to relieve international
pressure or whether this time, the military really means business.

Artist Ma Thanegi, was one of Suu Kyi's closest aides who was released
from prison on a suspended sentence in 1992, today argues against Suu
Kyi's stand that sanctions against Myanmar must stay in place. "Its
totally untrue to say that investment only benefits the generals. They
are not people who need to worry about food on the table or rent for the
next month. Its people who really need jobs or who have to worry about
paying the rent, or food for this week," she said.However, whether
sanctions remain or not, Myanmar is still paying a heavy price for
dismantling democracy. And Suu Kyi must still hope that somewhere down
the line, the military will realise its own limitations.




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<center><b><font face="Arial Black"><font color="#000099"><font size=+2>Democracy
still a feared word in Myanmar</font></font></font></b></center>

<p><font size=+1>From NDTV, Star News TV, monitored in New Delhi</font>
<br><font size=+1>Monday, February 19, 2001 (Bangkok):</font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>Democracy has been locked up along
with Myanmar's most famous dissident. The state is under martial law and
its highest profile prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi is hidden from the visitor's
eye.The firm grip of the military junta has ensured the stamping out in
public of the country's movement for democracy. The reluctance of people
to voice their thoughts is palpable. An ex MP from the NLD and a Suu Kyi
supporter refused an interview for fear of being sent back to prison. "The
very presence of a journalist is intimidating to people here. These people
have grown up in a country which now for many decades had been one in which
everyone knew that free speech was not allowed, which you could be directly
and possibly punished for engaging in free speech," said, Jayne Dullard.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>For a city that is the seat of a
military government, Yangon appears a calm and peaceful city. Its hard
to imagine that in one corner of the city is the heavily guarded house
of Suu Kyi where she has been held under house arrest for the last five
months. While negotiations are on, no one knows whether they are just a
front to relieve international pressure or whether this time, the military
really means business.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>Artist Ma Thanegi, was one of Suu
Kyi's closest aides who was released from prison on a suspended sentence
in 1992, today argues against Suu Kyi's stand that sanctions against Myanmar
must stay in place. "Its totally untrue to say that investment only benefits
the generals. They are not people who need to worry about food on the table
or rent for the next month. Its people who really need jobs or who have
to worry about paying the rent, or food for this week," she said.However,
whether sanctions remain or not, Myanmar is still paying a heavy price
for dismantling democracy. And Suu Kyi must still hope that somewhere down
the line, the military will realise its own limitations.</font></font>
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