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BURMA RELATED NEWS - MAY
06, 2002.
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HEADLINES
----------------------------------------------------------------- AP - Myanmar Frees Opposition Leader
Reuters - Japan welcomes Suu Kyi release in Myanmar,
mulls aid
Reuters - Release of Myanmar's Suu Kyi earns guarded
praise
AFP - Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi freed
from house arrest
Reuters - Myanmar's Suu Kyi says no restrictions on
movement
Reuters - Myanmar releases Suu Kyi, observers
cautious
Reuters - U.N. envoy Razali praises Suu Kyi's
release
Reuters - Myanmar's freed Suu Kyi vows to pursue
democracy fight
The Seattle Times - Myanmar quietly frees activist
AP - U.N. envoy denies Myanmar business deal
compromised his role
Reuters - Thailand says Suu Kyi
release good for S.E. Asia
Reuters - Suu Kyi release seen
boosting ASEAN-EU ties-Manila
Reuters - U.N. rights chief
applauds Suu Kyi release
AP - Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, paragon of courage, stands
up to Myanmar junta for 12 years
AP - Excerpts from Suu Kyi's news conference
BBC - World welcomes Suu Kyi release
BBC - Activists welcome Burma release
CNN -Timeline: Myanmar's turbulent
history
----------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Frees Opposition Leader
Sun May 5, 9:32 PM ET By DANIEL LOVERING, Associated Press Writer YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu
Kyi was freed Monday after 19 months of house arrest, the military government
said in a breakthrough toward ending the country's political
deadlock.
An official at the Office of the Chief of Military
Intelligence confirmed the restrictions were lifted. He spoke on condition of
anonymity.
However, the Nobel peace laureate, who has been confined to
her lakeside villa since September 2000, was yet to come out and appear in
public.
Scores of reporters assembled at the University Drive leading
to the villa were kept away by a barricade that has been in place since the
restrictions on Suu Kyi were imposed.
Earlier Monday, Myanmar's ambassador to Washington, told The
Associated Press in a telephone interview: "With regard to Aung San Suu Kyi, I
have been informed that she is at liberty to carry out all her activities,
including matters concerning her party, as of May 6, 2002."
The end of Suu Kyi's detention had been widely expected for
days following U.N.-brokered negotiations aimed at breaking a 12-year-old
political deadlock in Myanmar, also known as Burma.
The junta came to power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy
movement during which Suu Kyi came into prominence.
The government put her under house arrest in 1989 and called
general elections in 1990, which were won by her party. However, the junta
refused to hand over power. She was released in 1995 but put under virtual house
detention again in September 2000.
In a written statement released earlier, government spokesman
Col. Hla Min said Monday would mark "a new page for the people of Myanmar and
the international community."
The statement did not mention Suu Kyi by name, but said: "We
shall recommit ourselves to allowing all of our citizens to participate freely
in the life of our political process, while giving priority to national unity,
peace and stability of the country as well as the region."
Monday May 6, 5:30 PM
Japan welcomes Suu Kyi release in Myanmar, mulls aid TOKYO, May 6 (Reuters) - Japan on Monday welcomed the Myanmar
military government freeing Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from 19 months
of house arrest, saying Tokyo would reward political reform with a review of its
aid policy.
Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said in a statement that
releasing Suu Kyi showed authorities had "recommitted themselves to allow all
their citizens to participate freely in the life of their political process...".
She said if democracy was speeded up, Japan would support
Myanmar's nation-building more actively.
A foreign ministry official said he could not disclose the
amount of financial aid under consideration, but Kawaguchi said Japan would, as
a first step, cooperate on repairing a power station in Myanmar.
Last year plans by Japan to give $24 million in aid to Myanmar
were fiercely opposed by pro-democracy activists and the money never disbursed.
Myanmar's military rulers have found themselves increasingly
isolated by international economic sanctions that have seen investment and aid
dwindle to a trickle since a coup in 1962.
Observers say the decision to release Suu Kyi is part of a
strategy aimed at improving the junta's image and winning relief from the
economic and diplomatic embargo.
Suu Kyi, 56, has spend years in house arrest since emerging as
a leader of Myanmar's democracy movement in 1988 after the military bloodily
suppressed anti-government protests.
Monday May 6, 4:18 PM
Release of Myanmar's Suu Kyi earns guarded praise BANGKOK, May 6 (Reuters) - The release of Myanmar's pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest on Monday won praise from Western and
Asian nations, adding her freedom was only a first step to democracy for the
military-ruled nation.
Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi was released from 19 months'
house arrest on Monday and was mobbed by supporters at opposition headquarters
in Yangon where she made her first public appearance.
"As of today, she is at liberty to carry out all activities,
including her party's," a government spokesman told Reuters earlier, referring
to the second time the military had released her from house arrest. She had
previously been confined to her house from 1989 to 1995.
"Today marks the start of a new page for the people of Myanmar
and the international community," the ruling junta said, echoing comments by
former colonial ruler Britain.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw welcomed Suu Kyi's
release but added it was long overdue.
"Her release is an important moment for the Burmese people. I
hope it will signal the start of substantive negotiations with the State Peace
and Development Council and a brighter future for all the people of Burma," he
said.
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy is regarded by many in
the international community as Myanmar's legitimate government. It won the
country's last elections in 1990 by a landslide, but the junta refused to hand
over power.
Razali Ismail, the U.N. special envoy at the centre of efforts
to free Suu Kyi, hailed her release.
"I am very appreciative of what the government has done. I am
delighted for her and delighted for the country," said Razali, a Malaysian
diplomat who has spent the past two years coaxing Myanmar's generals along the
path of national reconciliation.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad described Suu Kyi's
release as a victory for common sense and called for patience over Myanmar's
struggle for national reconciliation.
Indonesia and the Philippines also had words of praise, while
the World Bank hoped her release would be the first step in Myanmar rejoining
the international community.
INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL
"Aung San Suu Kyi has been an international symbol of human
rights and democracy and the Philippines welcomes her release and sees this as
part of the continuing engagement of Myanmar in democratic politics," chief
Philippine government spokesman Silvestre Afable said.
Bangkok-based opposition groups were more guarded.
"This is just a first step on the road to democracy. There are
still so many obstacles, and the NLD and international community should be very
wary in this process," Somchai Homla-or, Secretary-General of the Bangkok-based
human rights organisation Forum Asia, told Reuters.
"The groups who are in power will not easily give up their
power because it's not just political but economic interests too. They won't
step down if there is no pressure from outside," Somchai said.
Sann Aung, minister in a shadow government set up by exiled
Myanmar opposition politicians, said Suu Kyi's release was positive but wanted
to see more action from the military.
This included the unconditional release all political
prisoners and substantive dialogue with Suu Kyi.
POLITICAL PRISONERS
Australia and Amnesty International also urged Myanmar's
military leaders to free all political prisoners.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Suu Kyi's freedom was a
positive step in the process of political reconciliation.
"We encourage the Burmese government to build on this...we
will continue to encourage it to release the remaining political prisoners,
permit the re-opening of the NLD offices and open a substantive political
dialogue with the NLD and Burma's ethnic groups," Downer said.
Myanmar's military government said in a statement on Monday it
had released 600 political prisoners in recent months and more could be freed
soon.
Amnesty said Suu Kyi's freedom "is a very positive development
for the human rights situation in Myanmar and we hope that it will be followed
by the releases of the hundreds of other prisoners held for their peaceful
political views. There are around 1,500 of them".
The U.S.-based Free Burma Coalition urged activists and
governments to monitor the country's progress.
"The release by itself means very little. It's important to
remember she was released in 1995 after six years and nothing changed," said
Jeremy Woodrum, director of the Washington office of the Free Burma Coalition.
"We don't want her release to be just her moving to a bigger
cage," Woodrum said.
Monday May 6, 2:46 PM
Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi freed from house arrest YANGON, May 6 - (AFP) Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was
freed from 19 months under house arrest, and made a triumphant return to her
party's headquarters where she declared her release was
unconditional.
More than 300 jubilant National League for Democracy (NLD)
members let out a great roar as her car approached the building, and in the
crush it took several minutes for her to be able to alight from the
vehicle.
The charismatic 56-year-old Nobel peace laureate told
reporters her release from house arrest was unconditional and that the military
junta would allow her to travel wherever she wishes.
"There are no restrictions to my movement, I can go anywhere I
want," she said after being freed from 19 months under detention at her Yangon
home.
"I hope to be able to carry out all my duties for my party and
my country in the best possible way," she added.
However, Aung San Suu Kyi indicated she would initially
display restraint towards the junta with which she has been engaged in
confidence-building contacts that began in October 2000.
"I certainly have a wish to travel but it's a little bit too
early yet," she said when asked when she would begin moving around the
country.
The military government announced her release in Washington
overnight, promising a "new page" in the history of the nation which has been
mired in a 12-year political deadlock between the junta and Aung San Suu Kyi,
the daughter of Aung San, the hero of Myanmar's 1940s struggle for
independence.
"The restrictions were lifted today," a government spokesman
in Yangon confirmed Monday. "As of May 6 she is at liberty to carry out all
activities including her party activities."
It was the second long stretch under detention for Aung San
Suu Kyi, who endured six years under house arrest that began in 1989, the year
after she returned from Britain and took up the dissident cause.
In the next decade she became an icon of democracy in a
country ruled for four decades by various military regimes condemned by Western
governments for human rights abuses and tolerance of the narcotics
trade.
As they learned their leader was at last on her way from her
famous lakeside residence, the joyful throng at NLD headquarters began clapping
and cheering and formed an honour guard along the pavement.
All were dressed in their best clothes, with men sporting
smart versions of the traditional longyi, or sarong, while the women wore their
hair swept up into chignons adorned with flowers.
However, there were only a few ordinary bystanders as most
citizens know better than to linger at the opposition party building which is
openly monitored by military intelligence officers.
Junta spokesman Colonel Hla Mina, the public face of the
junta, said in a statement that the government would now take a series of steps
to "celebrate this day of national unity".
"We have released nearly 600 detainees in recent months and
shall continue to release those who will cause no harm to the community, nor
threaten the existing peace, stability and unity of the nation," he
said.
The statement said Myanmar would work together with countries
"near and far" in the fight against terrorism and the "total eradication of
narcotic drugs which are threatening mankind."
Western diplomats said the content of the statement and the
decision to release it in Washington was a clear olive branch to the nation
which has been one of its most vocal critics and supporter of tough
sanctions.
"Of course this is to please the US, with the mention of the
fight against terrorism and drugs," said one Yangon-based diplomat.
Myanmar observers say Aung San Suu Kyi's release is likely to
be only part of a much broader reconciliation framework negotiated over the past
18 months in talks between the democracy figurehead and the
generals.
The talks, brokered by UN envoy Razali Ismail, could be paving
the way for democratic reforms considered long overdue by the international
community.
Until the talks began, the two sides were seen as being locked
in an intractable deadlock after the junta refused to recognise the NLD's
landslide victory in 1990 elections.
Razali Monday hailed Aung San Suu Kyi's release as an
"important beginning" for national reconciliation but said more time was needed
for the process.
"I hope they will continue negotiations to institute democracy
but we have to give them time. Don't expect things to happen immediately," the
Malaysian diplomat told AFP in Kuala Lumpur
The governments of Australia and Indonesia were among the
first to offer their congratulations, with both noting that it bolstered the
prospects of reconciliation.
Monday May 6, 2:18 PM
Myanmar's Suu Kyi says no restrictions on movement YANGON, May 6 (Reuters) - Myanmar pro-democracy leader and Nobel
peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said on Monday there were no restrictions on her
movement following her release from 19 months of house arrest in the
military-ruled country.
Suu Kyi said her party, the National League for Democracy
(NLD), had not changed its stance on opposing foreign
investment, aid and tourism in Myanmar while the military government remains in
place.
She said she hoped talks with the government might lead to a
change in the party's position.
"There are no restrictions on my movement. I can go wherever I
like," Suu Kyi told a news conference at NLD headquarters.
Monday May 6, 1:49 PM
Myanmar releases Suu Kyi, observers cautious By Andrew Marshall YANGON, May 6 (Reuters) - Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi,
wearing customary flowers in her hair, was mobbed by supporters at opposition
party headquarters on Monday at her first public appearance after release from
house arrrest.
Crowds chanted "Long live Suu Kyi" as she was hustled into the
building by fans and party members after a car slipped her out of her lakeside
Yangon home where she had been held under house arrest for 19 months.
The government announced Suu Kyi's release as a harbinger of
further political freedoms, but observers urged caution with a military
government that overruled the NLD's overwhelming election win in 1990.
"As of today, she is at liberty to carry out all activities,
including her party's," a government spokesman told Reuters before Suu Kyi had
left her home.
The junta said in a statement it had released hundreds of
political prisoners in recent months and more would be freed soon, provided they
were not a threat to national stability. Observers were cautious in their
reaction.
"Today marks the start of a new page for the people of Myanmar
and the international community," the junta said.
"We shall recommit ourselves to allowing all of our citizens
to participate freely in the life of our political process while giving
precedence to national unity, peace and the stability of the country as well as
the region."
Suu Kyi, 56, has spent years in house arrest since emerging as
a leader of Myanmar's democracy movement in 1988 after the military bloodily
suppressed anti-government protests. The military has ruled the country since a
1962 coup.
Suu Kyi's release in 1995 from a confinement to her house that
had begun in 1989 was marked by jubilant scenes as crowds thronged the street
outside.
Monday's celebrations were the most overt display of support
since then. Among the onlookers were groups of monks, some of them children, in
crimson robes. Shaven-headed nuns wearing pink carried paper umbrellas to ward
off the tropical sun.
Observers said that while Suu Kyi's freedom was a step
forward, it did not mean the junta was about to open its arms to democracy.
"There are still so many obstacles, and the NLD and
international community should be very wary in this process," said Somchai
Homla-or, secretary general of the Bangkok-based human rights organisation Forum
Asia.
"The groups who are in power will not easily give up their
power because it's not just political but economic. They won't step down if
there is no pressure from outside."
Sann Aung, a minister in a shadow government set up by exiled
opposition politicians, said the junta had to be judged by its deeds, not words.
"The military should announce officially that they're in
dialogue with Suu Kyi. The international community knows it, but inside
(Myanmar) all the media controlled by them never say anything.
"This should be followed by other steps -- unconditional
release of all political prisoners and substantive dialogue."
The NLD is regarded by many in the international community as
Myanmar's legitimate government. It won the country's last elections in 1990 by
a landslide, but the junta refused to hand over power.
RELEASE OVERDUE, SAYS BRITAIN
The U.N. special envoy at the centre of efforts to free Suu
Kyi, Razali Ismail, said he was delighted.
"I am delighted for her and delighted for the country," said
Razali, who has spent the past two years coaxing Myanmar's generals along the
path of national reconciliation.
Britain was also pleased at Suu Kyi's release.
"I warmly welcome the news that Aung San Suu Kyi has been
released," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in a statement. "Her
freedom is long overdue and we hope she is allowed to carry out her
responsibilities as general secretary (of the NLD) freely and openly."
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the release
was a positive step. "We encourage the Burmese government to build on this by
taking further steps to advance the process," Downer said in a statement.
"The World Bank welcomes the release of Aung San Suu Kyi," the
institution's vice president for East Asia and the Pacific, Jemal-ud-din Kassum,
said in a statement.
"We hope that it signals the start of a process that would
allow Myanmar an opportunity to re-enter the international community, and embark
on a more sustainable development path."
Neither the White House nor the U.S. State Department had any
immediate comment on the release.
Suu Kyi was greeted by party officials dressed in their best
for the occasion, wearing the NLD uniform of an orange jacket, white shirt and a
green-and-blue checked longyi, the traditional sarong-style clothing for men.
Suu Kyi has been confined to her house with her telephone line
cut since September 2000 after trying to defy a government ban on travel outside
the capital.
Her release, which came after secret talks with the
government, has been among the top demands of the international community, which
has isolated Myanmar and imposed economic sanctions on the impoverished country
in a bid to force change.
The military insists it is committed to bringing democracy to
Myanmar, but says moving too fast would risk the disintegration of the
multi-ethnic country.
"The release by itself means very little," said Jeremy
Woodrum, director of the Washington office of the Free Burma Coalition.
"It's important to remember she was released in 1995 after six
years and nothing changed. We don't want her release to be just her moving to a
bigger cage."
Monday May 6, 11:45 AM
U.N. envoy Razali praises Suu Kyi's release KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 (Reuters) - The U.N. special envoy at the centre of
efforts to free Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest,
hailed her release on Monday.
"I am delighted," the Malaysian diplomat said when
told by Reuters that Myanmar's opposition had confirmed the military junta had
released Suu Kyi after 19 months of house arrest.
"I am very appreciative of what the government has
done. I am delighted for her and delighted for the country," said Razali, who
has spent the past two years coaxing Myanmar's generals along the path of
national reconciliation.
"This is a very big milestone, and I hope the next
step is that the government and Aung San Suu Kyi sit together to decide how to
pursue this goal," said Razali, who met both sides for talks at the end of last
month.
Suu Kyi became an international symbol when she was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while under house arrest from 1989 to
1995. Her party, the National League for Democracy, won the last elections in
Myanmar in 1990, but the military never allowed the NLD to rule.
Razali said the international community needed to
support Myanmar by providing humanitarian assistance, in terms of food security,
health and education.
Monday May 6, 6:22 PM
Myanmar's freed Suu Kyi vows to pursue democracy fight By Andrew Marshall YANGON (Reuters) -
Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was freed on Monday from 19 months of
house arrest in Myanmar and told hundreds of rapturous supporters that she would
carry on her fight to bring democracy to the military-ruled country.
Suu Kyi arrived at the ramshackle Yangon headquarters of her
National League for Democracy (NLD) to cheers and roars of "Long live Aung San
Suu Kyi" from a large crowd that had massed to greet her in the most overt
display of political activism in years.
The 56-year-old Suu Kyi told a news conference that although
her party had not changed its stance on opposing foreign investment, aid and
tourism while the military government remained in place, the junta had placed no
restrictions on her.
Analysts say the dismal state of the economy is the main
factor pushing the junta towards political change, but the government insisted
the move was sincere.
Razali Ismail, the United Nations special envoy to Myanmar who
has been negotiating Suu Kyi's release, welcomed the development and said
elections could be held within two to three years.
In a statement, the military said it had begun "a new page for
the people of Myanmar and the international community".
But Suu Kyi said while she was pleased the junta was
proclaiming a new dawn, she wanted to see real political change.
"We only hope the dawn will move forward very quickly into
full morning," she said.
Risking the ire of the regime -- which has often broken up
pro-democracy protests with arrests and even bullets -- hundreds of people
thronged the tree-shaded street outside the NLD headquarters to catch a glimpse
of Suu Kyi.
Monks in crimson robes and shaven-headed nuns carrying paper
umbrellas to shade them from the tropical sun were among the crowd. Cheers
erupted when Suu Kyi arrived.
TIME FOR CHANGE
The junta has been holding secretive talks with Suu Kyi since
October 2000 in a bid to break the political stalemate that has gripped the
country for more than a decade and secure the lifting of international sanctions
that have pushed the tottering economy to the brink of collapse.
Suu Kyi said the talks -- which have so far centred on
"confidence-building" -- now had to start tackling substantive issues and
mapping out a framework for political change.
"Both sides agree that the phase of confidence building is
over," she said. "We look forward to moving across to a more significant phase."
Suu Kyi became the figurehead of Myanmar's pro-democracy
movement in 1988 when the military -- which has ruled the country for four
decades -- bloodily suppressed anti-government protests.
The NLD won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, stunning
the military which refused to hand over power. Suu Kyi was placed under house
arrest from 1989 to 1995.
Following her release then, her house on University Avenue
became a rallying point for opposition to the junta. Thousands gathered outside
to see her speak each week.
The government put her back in house arrest in September 2000
after she defied orders not to leave Yangon.
Suu Kyi said she had agreed with the government that the road
to her house should remain closed. "It just means I get a good rest," she said.
But she added that she was free to travel anywhere within the country to meet
party members.
"There are no restrictions on my movement," she said. "I can
go anywhere I like."
She said while the NLD had not changed its support for
economic sanctions on Myanmar or its insistence that the results of the 1990
elections should be recognised, its position was flexible and open for
discussion.
International sanctions are her most powerful bargaining chip
in talks with the ruling generals -- many Western countries would resume
investment and aid if Suu Kyi said she supported such a move.
JUNTA WARNS OF ANARCHY
The government says it is committed to building democracy, but
that moving too fast could lead to anarchy and the disintegration of the
multi-ethnic country.
"We shall recommit ourselves to allowing all of our citizens
to participate freely in the life of our political process while giving priority
to national unity, peace and the stability of the country as well as the
region," the junta said in a statement.
Suu Kyi said she wanted to see more political prisoners
released as soon as possible.
"I and my party have been disappointed by the slow rate of the
release of political prisoners," she said. Human rights groups say more than
1,000 political prisoners are in jail.
Foreign countries said they welcomed Suu Kyi's release but
that they wanted also to see more substantive political change.
The Seattle
Times
Monday, May 06, 2002 - 12:00 a.m. Pacific Myanmar quietly frees activist By Daniel Lovering The Associated Press YANGON, Myanmar ? Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was freed today after 19 months of house arrest, the military government said, marking a breakthrough toward ending the country's political deadlock. An official at the Office of the Chief of Military
Intelligence confirmed the restrictions were lifted. He spoke on condition of
anonymity.
However, the Nobel Peace laureate, who has been confined to
her lakeside villa since September 2000, did not make a public appearance.
Scores of reporters assembled at University Drive, which leads
to her villa, were blocked by a police barricade that has been in place since
the restrictions on Suu Kyi were imposed.
The end of the activist's detention had been widely expected
for days after U.N.-brokered negotiations aimed at breaking a 12-year political
deadlock in Myanmar, also known as Burma.
The junta came to power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy
movement during which Suu Kyi came into prominence.
The government put her under house arrest in 1989 and called
general elections in 1990, which were won by her National League for Democracy
(NLD) party. However, the junta refused to hand over power.
She was released in 1995 but was prohibited from traveling
outside Yangon. She was put under virtual house detention again in September
2000 after two high-profile attempts to leave Yangon.
In a written statement, government spokesman Col. Hla Min said
today would mark "a new page for the people of Myanmar and the international
community."
The statement did not mention Suu Kyi by name but said: "We
shall recommit ourselves to allowing all of our citizens to participate freely
in the life of our political process, while giving priority to national unity,
peace and stability of the country as well as the region."
Later, Hla Min said, "She can travel. We will sort of
cooperate because she is a prominent person. The government is responsible for
her security."
The statement said the government has released nearly 600
detainees in recent months and shall continue to release those "who will cause
no harm to the community."
The news of Suu Kyi's release had yet to filter down to her
supporters. There were no waiting crowds at University Drive or outside the NLD
headquarters. Two municipal workers cleaned the quiet street as policemen and
military intelligence agents lounged nearby.
Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her democracy
struggle, began reconciliation talks in October 2000, brokered by U.N. special
envoy Razali Ismail, who also predicted major political changes after his latest
visit to the country in April.
But Ismail also advised caution ? echoed by other observers ?
that Suu Kyi's release will not mean an overnight return of democracy after 40
years of military rule.
But the release will be a symbolic acknowledgment of the
government's willingness to consider the National League for Democracy as a
legitimate political party and a partner in nation building.
Suu Kyi's release has been one of the main demands of the
West, which has placed severe economic sanctions on the impoverished country in
an attempt to force political change.
U.N. envoy denies Myanmar business
deal compromised his role
Mon May 6, 7:10 AM ET By JASBANT SINGH, Associated Press Writer KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - U.N. envoy Razali Ismail, who helped
secure Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest,
said Monday his impartiality was not compromised by a business deal with the
military government.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Razali
acknowledged that he held shares in a Malaysian company called IRIS
Technologies. The International Herald Tribune, a Paris-based newspaper,
reported Monday that IRIS signed a deal two weeks ago with Myanmar's government
to supply high-tech passports embedded with microchips.
Razali, who is chairman of the company, was in Myanmar at the
time when the deal was made.
But he told the AP he had played no role in the company's
negotiations with Myanmar's government.
"This innuendo is really below the belt," Razali said. "It is
unfair. Some people don't understand my sense of integrity. I was never in
Myanmar to clinch the deal."
"I have not even once talked to the leaders in Myanmar about
IRIS," he said.
Razali said IRIS had been offering electronic passports
technology to other Southeast Asian countries, not just Myanmar, well before he
became special envoy to the country in April 2000 to help break its political
deadlock.
The NLD won parliamentary elections in 1990, but the military
refused to hand over power. Suu Kyi has spent most of the past dozen years under
various forms of confinement to her home.
She was released Monday from 19 months of house arrest, seen
as a major achievement for Razali's diplomacy following his seventh trip to the
country, also known as Burma, in two years.
Razali said he was not in Myanmar two weeks ago to "clinch the
deal" for IRIS.
"I was never involved in the negotiations during my last visit
to Myanmar," Razali said. "I hardly had any time to even brush my teeth because
of the work I had to do."
"What do they want me to do?" Razali said. "Resign from being
an envoy of the U.N. or resign from IRIS?"
The Herald-Tribune report cited U.N. officials as saying the
business deal did not necessarily violate the international organization's
rules.
All high-level full-time employees are required to submit
financial disclosure statements showing there was no conflict of interest
between their business interests and U.N. work, it said.
Razali said he had come under no pressure from the United
Nations (news - web sites) to resign and said he was looking forward to
returning to Myanmar to facilitate further negotiations.
He also predicted that democracy could come to the country "in
a couple of years." The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962.
Thailand says Suu Kyi release good for
S.E. Asia
BANGKOK, May 6 (Reuters) ? Thailand said on Monday the release of
pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in
neighbouring military-ruled Myanmar was a ''crucial step'' that would promote
stability in Southeast Asia.
Thailand, which as a fellow member of the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN) seldom veers from the bloc's refusal to comment on a
member's internal affairs, said Suu Kyi's release should be the first step to
democracy.
''This development represents a crucial step forward in the
process of national reconciliation in Myanmar,'' said a foreign ministry
statement received by Reuters.
''It is our sincere hope that all the parties concerned would
exert their utmost effort to ensure that the process remains on track and make
even more progress, eventually enabling the full participation of the Myanmar
people from all groups and walks of life in their national development.''
The statement said Suu Kyi's release would improve stability,
security and development in Myanmar and Southeast Asia as a whole.
Thailand has had uneasy relations with its western neighbour
in the last decade, largely because of a massive influx of economic migrants and
ethnic minority refugees fleeing what they have said is Myanmar army repression.
Military skirmishes along the common border are also frequent,
with the Thai and Myanmar armies accusing each other of backing rival
drug-trafficking militias.
Diplomats say behind-the-scenes ASEAN pressure was decisive in
persuading Myanmar to free Suu Kyi.
Western countries, including the United States and the
European Union, have also been considering toughening trade and aid sanctions to
pressure Myanmar into moving quickly towards democracy.
Suu Kyi release seen boosting ASEAN-EU
ties-Manila
MANILA, May 6 (Reuters)? The release from house arrest of
Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi opens the way for closer
cooperation between the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its
Western allies, Philippine officials said on Monday.
Myanmar is a member of ASEAN.
''It will be good for ASEAN because the EU (European Union)
and other dialogue partners will be able to interact with us. Human rights will
be at the backburner in our talks,'' Philippine foreign undersecretary Lauro
Baja told reporters.
Setting up high level ASEAN and EU meetings have been hampered
in the past by European objections to the presence of Myanmar, Philippine
diplomats said.
EU and ASEAN's other Western dialogue partners, including the
United States, have criticised the human rights record of Myanmar's ruling junta
and have imposed economic sanctions on the country.
The United States and the European Union also deny Yangon some
aid and restrict the issue of visas to Myanmar officials.
Baja said the easing Suu Kyi's restrictions should also pave
the way for holding a meeting of ASEAN and EU foreign ministers.
''It is good for democracy because SPDC will be seen now as
tacitly recognising the will of the people,'' Baja added, referring to the State
Peace and Development Council, or Myanmar's ruling junta.
Suu Kyi was released by military authorities earlier on Monday
from 19 months of house arrest.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
U.N. rights chief applauds Suu Kyi
release
GENEVA, May 6 (Reuters)? U.N. human rights chief Mary Robinson on
Monday applauded the release of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from
house arrest and urged the military government to free all political
prisoners.
In a joint statement with U.N. special investigator for
Myanmar Sergio Pinheiro, Robinson said the freeing of the Nobel peace laureate
after 19 months of confinement at her home was an ''historic event'' that should
help national reconciliation.
''The High Commissioner (for Human Rights) and the Special
Rapporteur commend the government of Myanmar for this important step,'' the
statement said.
But the U.N. rights officials hoped that ''her release will be
followed by the release of all other political prisoners in Myanmar.''
The military government had confined Suu Kyi to her house with her telephone line cut since September 2000 for trying to defy a ban on travel outside the capital. Her release had long been demanded by the international community which has imposed sanctions on the impoverished country. The military has held power in Myanmar since 1962. In 1990, it
refused to accept the overwhelming election victory of Suu Kyi's National League
of Democracy.
Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, paragon of
courage, stands up to Myanmar junta for 12 years
Mon May 6, 9:07 AM ET By DANIEL LOVERING, Associated Press Writer YANGON, Myanmar - Hailed internationally for her determination
and courage, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has kept the struggle for
democracy in Myanmar alive for 12 years, most of them under house
arrest.
As one of the world's most famous political prisoners, Suu Kyi
has refused offers of freedom in exchange for exile. She even missed her
husband's funeral in Britain three years ago rather than risk banishment from
her homeland, previously known as Burma.
Suu Kyi's name means "a bright collection of strange
victories." the military regime said Suu Kyi, who spent eight of the past 12
years under house arrest, was freed from a 19-month house arrest on
Monday.
Born in Rangoon, now Yangon, on June 19, 1945, Suu Kyi is the
daughter of Aung San who led Burma's nationalist struggle against British
colonial rule after World War II.
She was only 2 years old when her father was assassinated by
political rivals in 1947, a year before independence.
Suu Kyi was educated in Burma and in India, where her mother
served as ambassador in the 1960s. She earned a degree in philosophy, politics
and economics from Oxford in 1967, then worked for the United Nations (news -
web sites) in New York and Bhutan. She married British academic Michael Aris and
raised two sons in England.
In 1988, Suu Kyi returned to Yangon to nurse her dying mother,
just as popular demonstrations against the military government exploded on the
streets nationwide.
"I could not, as my father's daughter, remain indifferent to
all that was going on. This national crisis, in fact, could be called the second
struggle for independence," she said at the time.
The demonstrations were crushed by the military, leaving
thousands dead. Another set of generals then replaced longtime military dictator
Ne Win. Those generals are still in power.
The petite Suu Kyi, who often wears jasmine flowers pinned on
her pull-backed hair, was arrested in 1989 for allegedly inciting unrest and
kept under house arrest for six years.
Suu Kyi was barred from contesting general elections called by
the junta in May 1990. But her name inspired the opposition campaign and her
National League for Democracy party won 392 of 495 seats.
The military refused to honor the results, and Suu Kyi became
a symbol of Myanmar's oppressed democracy and a proponent of nonviolent
struggle, deriving inspiration from India's independence leader Mohandas K.
Gandhi.
During her confinement, she was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace
Prize. She was cited for "one of the most extraordinary examples of civil
courage in Asia in recent decades.
Her release in 1995 was heralded as a chance for political
opening in Myanmar, ruled by its military since 1962. But the generals retained
their iron grip, often arresting Suu Kyi's supporters and preventing her from
traveling outside the capital.
Nevertheless, Suu Kyi openly criticized the dictators and
condemned human rights abuses by the government.
During a visit to her home in February 1994, she told
then-U.S. Congressman Bill Richardson that her life in detention was not
physically harsh except that sometimes she had no money for food.
A piano player, Suu Kyi acquired new musical tastes in
detention, growing fond of the American rock band "The Grateful Dead" and
Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley. She keeps an austere daily routine ? rising
at 4:30 a.m. to meditate and retiring to sleep at 9:25 p.m.
She listens to foreign radio broadcasts, including those by
the opposition activists in exile, and reads the works of Gandhi.
Suu Kyi's husband died in Britain in March 1999 of cancer. He
was refused permission to visit Suu Kyi before his passing.
The junta, however, said Suu Kyi was free to visit him abroad
and to attend his funeral later. But leaving Myanmar probably would have meant
never returning. Suu Kyi decided not to leave her people.
On one occasion Suu Kyi said she did not at all like politics
and preferred to be a writer. "But once I had committed myself, then ... there
cannot be any half measures."
Excerpts from Suu Kyi's news
conference
Mon May 6, 8:18 AM ET By The Associated Press Excerpts of comments by Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi at a news conference on Monday.
ON DEMOCRACY:
It's a new dawn for the country. The contacts between us
(opposition and junta) will carry on. But we have made no specific
arrangements.
My role has always been to do my duty for the people. We only
hope the dawn will move over very quickly to a full morning. As secretary
general of the party I must do everything I can to make sure that democracy
comes to Burma (Myanmar).
What we want is the freedom of all political parties not just
our party.
For the time being, we are in a position to do more than a lot
of other parties. We are looking for solid agreement that will lead to a better
life for the people of Burma."
FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PROCESS:
Both sides agree that the phase of confidence building is
over. We look forward to moving on. It is not for the NLD (National League for
Democracy) that we are struggling. It is merely an instrument to win democracy
for the people. The next step is discussions about policy.
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS:
There are no restrictions on my movements. I can go anywhere I
like. This was an agreement on both sides. The important thing is that I shall
be able to go out to meet my people in Rangoon (Yangon) and around the country
in due course of time.
PARTY POLICIES:
Our policies have not changed. We have not got down to
discussing them. All matters of policy remain as they were. The NLD has always
said it wants to be flexible to get an outcome that's most favorable to people
of Burma.
POLITICAL PRISONERS:
Their release is not only important in humanitarian terms but
also political terms. We are not negotiating only for the release of NLD
prisoners but for all political prisoners.
SANCTIONS AND AID:
Our policies regarding aid have not yet changed because we
haven't had time to discuss them.
NEGOTIATIONS FOR HER FREEDOM:
It was never to ensure my freedom, it was to help the people
of Burma. We have been discussing my release for a few days and we had to find a
convenient time for both sides. I haven't even had a meeting with members of our
executive committee. There have been many erroneous reports, there was no plan
to release me before last week. I wasn't treated cruelly at all.
U.N. ENVOY RAZALI ISMAIL'S ROLE:
I would like to thank Mr. Razali for everything that he has
done. He has been a great friend of Burma. We don't believe in revealing
everything at one time. We have to be circumspect.
HER REPORTED ROLE IN GOVERNMENT:
In no way have I taken responsibility in health and
education.
ECONOMY:
The economy is in need of very very speedy
change.
BBC - Monday, 6 May,
2002, 12:22 GMT 13:22 UK
World welcomes Suu Kyi release Leaders around the world have welcomed the release of Burma's
pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, after 20 months of house arrest.
United Nations envoy Razali Ismail hailed her release as an "important beginning" but said more time was needed for national reconciliation. The Malaysian diplomat, who brokered secretive talks between
Aung San Suu Kyi and the ruling military junta, said Burma was "clearly
indicating its commitment towards democracy and national reconciliation."
"This is a very happy day. I am delighted for her and the
country," he said.
"I hope they will continue negotiations to institute democracy
but we have to give them time. Don't expect things to happen immediately."
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told a news
conference that it was a significant development for Burma, also known as
Myanmar.
"It is progress; it shows common sense on the part of both
Aung San Suu Kyi as well as the government of Myanmar and both should be
commended," he said.
"It has taken us a long time but we have to be patient."
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in a statement: "I warmly
welcome the news that Aung San Suu Kyi has been released.
"Her freedom is long overdue and we hope she is allowed to
carry out her responsibilities as general secretary (of the National League for
Democracy) freely and openly."
Aung San Suu Kyi's release was also welcomed by the Norwegian
Nobel Institute, which awarded her its coveted peace prize in 1991.
"We are incredibly happy over the news," said Olav Njolstad,
acting director of the institute. "She is a unique woman, some say the most
shining of recent Nobel winners.
"We are hoping that the regime (in Burma) is ready for wider
democratisation."
Aung San Suu Kyi did not travel to Norway to receive the award
because of restrictions placed upon her.
Mr Njolstad said: "She knows that she has a standing
invitation from the Norwegian Nobel Committee when the situation is right. She
is heartily welcome."
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said
he hoped Burma could now begin the process of reintegration into the
international community.
Japan - Burma's biggest aid donor - said it would provide more
assistance if moves towards democracy were speeded up.
'Important signals'
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the release
was a positive step.
"We encourage the Burmese Government to build on this by
taking further steps to advance the process," he said in a statement.
Thailand also said the development was a crucial step towards
national reconciliation.
"As a neighbouring country, the Royal Thai Government welcomes
the lifting of the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi... and allowing her the
liberty to carry out all activities," foreign ministry spokesman Rattakit
Manathat said.
The German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, said the release
of political prisoners and the start of a political dialogue between the
government and opposition groups would now be "important signals" on the path to
democracy.
The World Bank said it welcomed the news and said it hoped
this was "the start of a process" that would lead to Burma re-entering the
international community.
Burma has faced international isolation and economic sanctions
since failing to hand over power in 1990 when Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD won a
landslide election victory.
BBC - Monday, 6 May, 2002,
12:31 GMT 13:31 UK
Activists welcome Burma release Two Britons who were jailed in Burma for pro-democracy
protests have cautiously welcomed the release of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Human rights activist James Mawdsley was sentenced to 17 years
in jail for distributing pro-democracy leaflets.
And Rachel Goldwyn, of London, was freed two-and-half years
ago after serving two months of a seven-year sentence for singing a
pro-democracy song.
Mr Mawdsley, who has just returned from his latest visit to
Burma, told BBC News Online that the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house
arrest by the military government was an important step towards democracy.
"Everyone welcomes this move," he said.
"It is the right thing for Burma but it is by no means a
reason to relax pressure on the regime.
Determination
"There may be a sense that the army is losing morale but there
are areas where repression remains savage."
But the 29-year-old charity worker, now living in London, is
optimistic about the country's future.
"I am more and more encouraged by the strength of the Burmese
people. They will win their democracy," he said.
He added that Aung San Suu Kyi's release proved that the
European Union and the British Government's support of elected representatives
was working.
Mr Mawdsley was only freed after spending 416 days in solitary
confinement in Burma two years ago.
Having suffered at the hands of the regime, he said its
actions could never be "taken at face value".
Ms Goldwyn echoed his cautious sentiments.
The development studies masters student said she hoped the
pro-democracy leader's release would be more than a gesture.
Ongoing dialogue
"It's wonderful for her, wonderful for her family and for the
future of the country," she said.
But she added: "I don't want to throw cold water on the news
but we do need to approach it with caution."
Aung San Suu Kyi had been released from house arrest before
but was then stopped from organising politically or meeting with her followers.
She was again placed under house arrest in 2000, when she
tried to travel by train to Mandalay in defiance of restrictions put on her.
Ms Goldwyn said the leader's release needed to be "followed
through" with further action by the government.
"There is a dialogue process. I hope this is an important step
in this dialogue process.
"There are still 2,500 political prisoners inside Burma.
"They must be released for it to be seen as a serious effort."
Sanction threat
She believes that the potential US ban on all Burmese imports
had spurred on Burma's military government to engage in talks from late 2000.
She is concerned the release of the Nobel Peace Prize winner
may not be more than a "conciliatory gesture".
But the impact on the morale of political prisoners could not
be underestimated, she said.
"They are suffering appalling conditions. When the message
gets through it's very important."
Ms Goldwyn, 30, a graduate of the London School of Economics,
was jailed for singing a pro-democracy song in the Burmese capital, Rangoon.
As a foreigner her situation was different but she was
convinced that prisoners would hear about the release.
"This release is important not only to prisoners but to all
the country," she said.
She personally had no plans to return to Burma at
present.
CNN -Timeline: Myanmar's turbulent
history
May 6, 2002 Posted: 0708 GMT (AP) -- Key events in the post-War political history of
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Jan. 1947: Britain agrees to give Burma independence after
negotiations with nationalist leader Aung San.
July 1947: Aung San and six members of his interim government
are assassinated in July by rivals.
Jan. 4, 1948: Burma wins independence from Britain. Civilian
government takes office.
March 1962: General Ne Win, angered by concessions made by
government to ethnic rebels, seizes power in a bloodless coup. The new
government adopts socialism, leads country to economic ruin.
Nov. 1981: Ne Win steps down as president but remains in
control of government as head of the ruling party.
1982: The government designates non-indigenous people as
"associate citizens," effectively banning people not from the majority Burman
ethnic group from holding public office.
March 1988: Students battle riot police in the capital at the
beginning of what becomes a national uprising for democracy.
Aug. 8-11: Mass demonstrations throughout Burma. Security
forces open fire on demonstrators. Hundreds killed.
Sept. 18: Army Commander Gen. Saw Maung announces military
takeover, names the government State Law and Order Restoration Council, or
SLORC. Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Aung San, emerges as pro-democracy leader.
Sept. 24: Aung San Suu Kyi forms the National League for
Democracy party.
Sept.-Oct.: Army kills hundreds more demonstrators. Official
figure 500, but number believed to be far higher.
June 19, 1989: The government renames the country Myanmar and
changes the name of the capital from Rangoon to Yangon.
July 20: Suu Kyi, an increasingly outspoken critic of the
junta, and her deputy, Tin Oo, put under house arrest.
May 1990: The junta calls general elections. Aung San Suu
Kyi's NLD wins a landslide victory, but the military refuses to hand over power.
October 1991: Aung San Suu Kyi is awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize for her peaceful struggle against the regime.
July 1992: Gen. Than Shwe takes over from Saw Maung as head of
the military regime, prime minister and defense minister.
July 10, 1995: Aung San Suu Kyi is released from house arrest.
July, 1997: Myanmar is admitted to the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations. SLORC renames itself the State Peace and Development
Council, or SPDC.
April 2001: Razali Ismail of Malaysia is appointed special
envoy of the United Nations to try to reconcile the junta and Aung San Suu Kyi
and restore democracy.
Sept. 2001: Aung San Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest
after attempting to leave Yangon for a political meeting upcountry.
Oct. 2001: Razali initiates secret reconciliation talks
between Aung San Suu Kyi and junta.
April 23-26, 2002: Razali makes seventh visit to Myanmar.
April 28: The government says "significant progress" made in
healing the 12-year-old rift between Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta.
May 6: Aung San Suu Kyi released from house
arrest. |