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BURMA RELATED NEWS - MAY
07, 2002.
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HEADLINES
----------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters - Suu Kyi resumes campaign for Myanmar
democracy
Reuters - Bush Says Suu Kyi Release May Be 'New
Dawn'
Reuters - After release, Myanmar's Suu Kyi faces
long battle
Reuters - Thai PM hails Suu Kyi freedom, calls
for ceasefire
Reuters - Suu Kyi's release just the start of
her battle
HRW - Release of Aung San Suu Kyi Welcomed, More
Action Needed
BBC - Suu Kyi presses on for reform
AFP - Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi returns to work
after triumphant release
AFP - US pleased but cautious over Aung San Suu
Kyi release
Reuters - U.S. keeps Myanmar sanctions despite
Suu Kyi release
Reuters - Three Southeast Asian states sign
anti-terror pact
Reuters - World hails Suu Kyi's release but says
obstacles remain
LA Times - Activist Hails 'New Dawn' in
Myanmar
AP - Vietnam's media focus on president's visit
to Myanmar, largely ignore Suu Kyi's release
AP - Friends and foes of Myanmar junta praise
Suu Kyi release
AP - State media blacks out news of Suu Kyi
release despite praise from world leaders
BBC - Burma's long road ahead
Globe & Mail - Aung San Suu Kyi warns
supporters against exuberance
----------------------------------------------------------------- Suu Kyi resumes campaign for Myanmar democracy
Tue May 7, 6:31 AM ET By Andrew Marshall YANGON (Reuters) - Freed
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met foreign diplomats and party
activists on Tuesday as she began the long struggle to rebuild the country's
battered democracy movement and push for political change.
Myanmar's military government unconditionally released Suu Kyi on Monday after 19 months of house arrest, and the Nobel peace laureate must now try to resolve divisions in the democracy movement and press the ruling generals for real change. Party sources said Suu Kyi met diplomats at her house in Yangon on Tuesday
morning, and it was likely they discussed the continuation of an international
economic embargo which she has vowed to support as long as the military remains
in power.
Suu Kyi's release was widely seen by diplomats as an attempt by the
generals to get sanctions lifted rather than the start of genuine momentum for
political change.
The military has ruled Myanmar for four decades, and says the multi-ethnic
country could disintegrate if it moves towards democracy too quickly, but the
desperate state of the economy may have forced their hands.
Suu Kyi has said she remains opposed to foreign investment, aid and tourism
while the military held power, but was looking forward to political progress.
"Both sides agree that the phase of confidence building is over," Suu Kyi
said shortly after her release on Monday. "We look forward to moving across to a
more significant phase."
Suu Kyi arrived at the party's headquarters in mid-afternoon on Tuesday,
greeted by scores of supporters clapping and chanting "Good health to Aung San
Suu Kyi".
Her National League for Democracy won elections in 1990 by a landslide, but
the military refused to hand over power.
Suu Kyi was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and was detained
again in September 2000 after a series of frustrated attempts to leave Yangon to
visit party members.
Mirroring international reaction when she was set free in 1995, the world
hailed Suu Kyi's release on Monday but leaders cautioned it was only the first
step towards restoring democracy.
U.S. President George W. Bush said her release was a possible "new dawn"
for Myanmar, but the U.S. government expected other major changes before lifting
investment, aid and other sanctions.
ALL EYES ON SANCTIONS
This is Suu Kyi's main bargaining chip in her talks with the military.
While her party remains in favour of international sanctions on Myanmar, she is
likely to tell the generals she may change her stance if they agree to real
political reforms.
In a statement on Monday, the junta said it had begun "a new page for the
people of Myanmar and the international community", but diplomats say it remains
to be seen whether they will follow up Suu Kyi's release with more concessions.
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.
But many question the military's motives.
They say the junta may be hoping that releasing Suu Kyi, plus pledging to
crack down on rampant production of opium and methamphetamines, is enough to
persuade the international community to ease its stance.
Suu Kyi says she plans to use her new freedom to travel around Myanmar,
meeting democracy activists and shoring up support for the NLD.
Party officials said her telephone, cut off in 2000, had not yet been
reconnected, although a line to the NLD's headquarters had been restored by the
government.
They said Suu Kyi had agreed to barricades around her house remaining in
place.
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Bush Says Suu Kyi Release May Be
'New Dawn'
Mon May 6, 7:25 PM ET By Adam Entous WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
President Bush on Monday welcomed the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi as a possible "new dawn" for Myanmar, but the administration said it
expected other major changes in the military-ruled state before lifting
sanctions.
"We hope her release will ... lead to national reconciliation and a restoration of democracy," Bush said in a statement. "All parties should seize this opportunity to press ahead with the urgent work of restoring the rule of law and basic political and civil rights." State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Suu Kyi's release was only
a first step toward easing strict sanctions on the impoverished South Asian
state, which has been ruled by the military for decades.
Those sanctions include an arms embargo, an investment ban, suspension of
bilateral aid, visa restrictions and a freeze on new lending and grant programs
by international agencies.
"It's a very important first step toward real political dialogue," Boucher
told reporters. "We'll be closely watching to see if Aung San Suu Kyi is
afforded full freedom of movement and association as has been promised," he
said.
"Much more remains to be done to achieve political reform and national
conciliation, and we're looking to see concrete steps that do that before
considering what to do about sanctions," he said.
The United States has said it would consider lifting sanctions in return
for what it called "significant progress" in talks with Suu Kyi, including her
release.
But Boucher noted that many politicians remained in jail in the country,
formerly known as Burma, where a popular uprising was crushed by the military in
1989 and where a subsequent election won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's party was
ignored.
"We urge the regime to follow up on Aung San Suu Kyi's release with the
unconditional release of all political prisoners, and to fulfill their
commitment to allow all of Burma's citizens to participate freely in the
political life of the country," Boucher said.
Suu Kyi, 56, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, was released on Monday
after 19 months of house arrest. She declared that she would carry on fighting
for democracy.
Announcing her release, the military government said it had begun "a new
page for the people of Myanmar and the international community."
Echoing those sentiments, Bush said that "we hope her release will be a new
dawn for Burma."
"Only a return to democracy and re-integration with the international
community can bring the freedom and prosperity which the people of Burma both
long for and deserve," Bush added.
Bush said the United States would "closely monitor the situation within
Burma as this process unfolds."
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Tuesday May 7, 1:11 PM
UPDATE 1-After release, Myanmar's Suu Kyi faces long battle By Andrew Marshall YANGON, May 7 (Reuters) -
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met foreign diplomats on Tuesday as
she began the long struggle to rebuild the democracy movement and push for
political change following her release from house arrest.
Myanmar's military government freed Suu Kyi on Monday after 19 months in
house arrest. The Nobel peace laureate must now try to resolve divisions over
strategy in the democracy movement and push the ruling generals to implement
real change.
"Both sides agree that the phase of confidence building is over," Suu Kyi
said shortly after her release on Monday. "We look forward to moving across to a
more significant phase."
But she said she remained opposed to foreign investment, aid and tourism
while the military held power.
Sources from her National League for Democracy (NLD) said Suu Kyi was
meeting diplomats at her house in Yangon on Tuesday morning and would come to
the party's headquarters at about 1 p.m. (0630 GMT) to meet activists.
Many analysts remain unconvinced the junta is serious about its promise to
work towards democracy.
The military has ruled Myanmar for four decades, and says the multi-ethnic
country could disintegrate if it moved towards democracy too quickly. The NLD
won elections in 1990 by a landslide but the military refused to hand over
power.
Suu Kyi was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and was detained
again in September 2000 after a series of frustrated attempts to leave Yangon to
visit party members.
Mirroring international reaction when she was set free in 1995, the world
hailed Suu Kyi's release on Monday but leaders cautioned it was only the first
step towards restoring democracy.
U.S. President George W. Bush said her release was a possible
"new dawn" for Myanmar, but the U.S. government expected other major
changes before lifting investment, aid and other sanctions.
ALL EYES ON SANCTIONS
Diplomats said Suu Kyi's release was widely seen as an attempt by the
generals to get international sanctions lifted, rather than the start of genuine
momentum for political change.
They say the government is desperate to get sanctions eased.
This is Suu Kyi's main bargaining chip in her talks with the military.
While her party remains in favour of international sanctions on Myanmar, she is
likely to tell the generals she may change her stance -- if they agree to real
political reforms.
In a statement on Monday, the junta said it had begun "a new page for the
people of Myanmar and the international community". But diplomats say it remains
to be seen whether they will follow up Suu Kyi's release with more concessions.
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.
But many question the military's motives.
They say the junta may be hoping that releasing Suu Kyi, plus pledging to
crack down on rampant production of opium and methamphetamines, is enough to
persuade the international community to ease its stance.
Suu Kyi says she plans to use her new freedom to travel around Myanmar,
meeting democracy activists and shoring up support for the NLD.
On Monday, as dusk fell on her first day of freedom, she visited the famous
Shwedagon Paya, a soaring golden stupa that is the country's most sacred
Buddhist site, a place for prayer and contemplation.
Party officials said her telephone, cut off in 2000, had not yet been
reconnected, although a line to the NLD's headquarters had been restored by the
government.
They said Suu Kyi had agreed to barricades around her house remaining in
place.
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Tuesday May 7, 1:23 PM
Thai PM hails Suu Kyi freedom, calls for ceasefire BANGKOK, May 7 (Reuters) - Thai
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday welcomed the release from house
arrest of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi but said peace could only
come with a ceasefire between Yangon and minority rebels.
Thaksin told reporters before a weekly cabinet meeting that the release of
Suu Kyi on Monday after 19 months of house arrest was a good gesture by
Myanmar's military leaders.
But he said it was not enough to bring national reconciliation in
Thailand's western neighbour.
"The Myanmar government has shown its bravery to act in accordance with the
international request," Thaksin said.
"The next step is to invite those minority groups who have been fighting
(against the government) to help develop the country. Whenever the government
can achieve that, Myanmar will be at peace and be able to contribute to global
peace."
Thailand has had uneasy relations with Myanmar in the last decade, largely
because of a big influx of economic migrants and ethnic minority refugees
fleeing Myanmar army offensives against autonomy-seeking or separatist minority
rebel groups.
Yangon has signed ceasefires with several guerrilla groups since 1989 but
remains at war with others, some of which are based in the hills and jungles
along the 2,400-km (1,500-mile) Thai-Myanmar border.
Skirmishes along the border are frequent, with the Thai and Myanmar armies
accusing each other of backing rival, armed drug-trafficking gangs.
The Myanmar government has recognised 67 ethnolinguistic groups and
categorised them into eight "national races" of Myanmar's 49-million population.
Some ethnic minority rebels have been fighting the central government since
shortly after Myanmar's independence from Britain in 1948.
The Thai foreign ministry said on Monday freedom for Suu Kyi was a "crucial
step" step to democracy, which would promote stability in Southeast Asia.
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Tuesday May 7, 2:11 PM
ANALYSIS-Suu Kyi's release just the start of her battle By Andrew Marshall YANGON, May 7 (Reuters) - For
someone who had just been released after more than a year and a half of house
arrest, Myanmar pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was remarkably
underwhelmed about winning her freedom.
"I didn't really miss anything while I was confined," she told reporters
when she was freed. "I'm used to it by now."
Suu Kyi knows as well as anybody that her release is only the start of a
long struggle to try to bring democracy to Myanmar. It is a struggle against
seemingly overwhelming odds.
The military, which has ruled Myanmar for four decades, is desperate to
improve its image and secure an easing of sanctions that have dragged its
economy to the brink of ruin.
It has made several gestures to placate the international community,
opening talks with the opposition, releasing hundreds of political prisoners,
and now freeing Suu Kyi.
But the crucial question, analysts say, is whether the junta is willing to
go beyond gestures and offer real political change
-- including, eventually, a transition to a democratically elected
government. Many are doubtful.
"It's one thing to release prisoners, free Suu Kyi and make some
nice-sounding statements," said a Western diplomat in Yangon. "But will they
agree to stand aside and let civilians run the country? Will they risk another
election? I'd say we are still a very long way away from that, unfortunately."
WILL ANYTHING CHANGE?
When Suu Kyi was last released from house arrest, in 1995 after six years
in detention, nothing changed in Myanmar.
The junta did its best to discredit her and destroy her party, the National
League for Democracy (NLD), which won Myanmar's last election in 1990 but was
barred from taking power. The optimism her release generated soon evaporated.
Many fear this time will be no different.
"The release alone is good news for Burma, but we shouldn't jump to the
conclusion that there will be democracy overnight," said Aung Zaw, editor of the
Irrawaddy, a Thailand-based magazine on Myanmar staffed by exiled analysts.
"The question is -- will the junta have the courage to speed up political
reform that will lead to national reconciliation?"
One reason for optimism, analysts say, is that unlike in 1995 there is a
mechanism in place for direct face-to-face talks between Suu Kyi and the
generals. The two sides have been holding a secretive dialogue since October
2000.
So far talks have been confined to "confidence-building", but Suu Kyi says
the talks must move on to substantive issues as soon as possible.
"She will want to push for a framework for a move towards democracy as soon
as possible," the diplomat said. "But the government will be trying to offer as
few concessions as possible while giving the impression it has changed."
Asked for her own assessment of how her release this time was different
from 1995, Suu Kyi was giving nothing away. "It's a lot hotter today than it was
the last time," she said.
TRUMP CARD
Suu Kyi has one trump card -- the international community is unlikely to
lift its sanctions on Myanmar unless she agrees.
The economy is getting worse by the day, and analysts say that puts real
pressure on the junta to make concessions.
Myanmar's kyat currency, which has had an official exchange rate of six to
the dollar for decades, fell as low as 1,000 in recent weeks, its worst ever
level. After Suu Kyi's release it jumped to around 850 on hopes sanctions could
be eased.
"The economy has never been worse," the diplomat said.
"That's what gives Suu Kyi leverage."
Suu Kyi says she has not changed her support for economic sanctions on
Myanmar, but that her position is flexible. Analysts say she is likely to offer
to ease her stance if the generals offer real concessions to the democracy
movement.
But Suu Kyi's position is far from strong. Hounded and persecuted for more
than a decade, the NLD has lost thousands of members, and many of those who
remain are elderly. She faces a struggle to revitalise her party and keep her
struggle going.
Worn down by poverty and decades of harsh rule, many ordinary people are
more concerned about seeing an end to their economic hardship than the
introduction of democracy. Suu Kyi is blamed by some for adding to their
poverty. She will need to work hard to stop her support base dwindling.
Also, analysts say, accommodating the wishes of Myanmar's fractious ethnic
groups will make a comprehensive political settlement extremely difficult to
agree. The military argues that if democracy comes too fast the country will
disintegrate, an argument that wins some support in Myanmar.
Diplomats say the junta is well aware of both Suu Kyi's strengths and her
weaknesses. They will try to offer her just enough to get sanctions eased, while
trying as hard as they can to cling onto power, behind the scenes if necessary.
"The real problem is that you hardly ever see a military government just
deciding to give up and walk away," the diplomat said. "They have too much to
lose. That's why trying to dislodge a dictatorship by peaceful means is so
hard."
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Tuesday May 7, 9:12 AM
U.S. keeps Myanmar sanctions despite Suu Kyi release WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States welcomed Myanmar's release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday but stressed it expected other major changes in the military-ruled state before lifting sanctions. President George W. Bush, travelling in Michigan, told reporters: "I
thought that was very positive ... (a) good development."
But State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the release was only a
first step toward easing strict sanctions on the impoverished South Asian state,
which has been ruled by the military for decades.
"It's a very important first step toward real political dialogue," Boucher
told reporters. "We'll be closely watching to see if Aung San Suu Kyi is
afforded full freedom of movement and association as has been promised," he
said.
"Much more remains to be done to achieve political reform and national
conciliation and we're looking to see concrete steps that do that before
considering what to do about sanctions," he said.
Those sanctions include an arms embargo, an investment ban, suspension of
bilateral aid, visa restrictions and a freeze on new lending and grant
programmes by international agencies.
Boucher noted that many politicians remained in jail in the country,
formerly known as Burma, where a popular uprising was crushed by the military in
1989 and where a subsequent election won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's party was
ignored.
"We urge the regime to follow up on Aung San Suu Kyi's release with the
unconditional release of all political prisoners and to fulfill their commitment
to allow all of Burma's citizens to participate freely in the political life of
the country," Boucher said.
Suu Kyi, 56, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, was released on Monday
after 19 months of house arrest. She declared she would carry on fighting for
democracy.
Announcing her release, the military government said it had begun "a new
page for the people of Myanmar and the international community".
The United States said in February it would consider lifting sanctions in
return for what it called "significant progress" in talks with Suu Kyi,
including her release. -----------------------------------------------------------------
Human Rights Watch
Burma: Release of Aung San Suu Kyi Welcomed, More Action Needed (New York, May 6, 2002) Human Rights Watch welcomed the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD), freed today from twenty months of de facto house arrest. Human Rights Watch called on the government of Burma to immediately take additional actions to restore basic human rights. "This is certainly a positive step, but the Burmese government should do
more," said Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington director for Asia at Human Rights
Watch. "Burma's leaders should release all political prisoners. They should also
lift severe restrictions on free association, assembly and _expression_ so that
open political activity can resume. This would show they are committed to an
irreversible process of reform."
The ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) holds more than 1,000
political prisoners, including members of ethnic minority groups and 17 elected
members of parliament.
Human Rights Watch also urged the SPDC to fully respect the unconditional
terms of Aung San Suu Kyi's release, and called on the United Nations and
foreign diplomats to carefully monitor implementation of the agreement leading
to her release.
Aung San Suu Kyi was arbitrarily detained on September 22, 2000, when she
and other NLD members tried to board a train to the northern city of Mandalay.
She was forcibly returned to her compound , and a number of other NLD supporters
were also detained and later released. In October 2000, the military government
began secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, facilitated by the U.N. Secretary
General's Special Envoy, former Malaysian ambassador Razali Ismail. Other than
U.N. officials and some diplomats, few others from outside Burma have been
allowed access to her. This past February, a delegation from the International
Labor Organization, investigating forced labor in Burma, was prevented from
meeting with her.
"The international community should increase both the pressure and
opportunities for engagement and dialogue," said Jendrzejczyk. "Before any
existing sanctions are lifted, Burma should implement key recommendations
adopted unanimously by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva
last week," he added.
The Commission passed a resolution calling on Burma, among other things, to
release immediately and unconditionally those detained or imprisoned for
political reasons; to end the practices of torture, forced labor and forced
relocations; to fully respect freedoms of _expression_, association, movement and
assembly, and the right to a fair trial; and to protect the rights of ethnic and
religious minorities.
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BBC - Tuesday, 7 May, 2002, 10:04 GMT
11:04 UK
Suu Kyi presses on for reform Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been spending her second
day of freedom meeting party workers and diplomats.
But in a sign of the military government's wariness about change, Burma's
official media gave little coverage to Aung San Suu Kyi's release and did not
publish a government statement on political rights.
Aung San Suu Kyi met the ambassadors of Germany, France, Britain and Italy,
and later with the US charge d'affaires.
The European Union and the US have welcomed her release from nearly 20
months of house arrest.
But they have warned Burma's military rulers that further reforms are
needed before trade embargos imposed in protest at the government's human rights
record can be lifted.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secret talks with the country's military
rulers since she was put under house arrest.
The hope is that there will now be progress towards substantive
negotiations on democratic reform.
There is a lot to do, the spokesman for her National League for Democracy
party, U Lwin, told the BBC.
The NLD won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military junta refused to
hand over power.
The US has given a cautious welcome to her release. President George Bush
called it "very positive" and "a good development".
But US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington wanted to
see concrete steps towards political reform and national reconciliation before
any review of current sanctions against Burma would take place.
"We'll be closely watching to see if Aung San Suu Kyi is afforded full
freedom of movement and association," he said.
Jubilant supporters
The BBC's Larry Jagan, who was in Rangoon to witness Aung San Suu Kyi's
release, says the opposition leader is convinced there are no restrictions on
either her movement or her political activity.
But he says the opposition will be cautious at first so as not to
antagonise the military rulers or give them any reason to suspend the talks they
started while Aung San Suu Kyi was confined.
Aung San Suu Kyi was quick to rally her followers after her release on
Monday.
Thousands of cheering supporters mobbed her as she arrived at the
headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), after being
driven from her lakeside villa in Rangoon.
"It's a new dawn for the country... we only hope the dawn will move very
quickly," the Nobel Peace Prize winner told jubilant supporters.
She said the "confidence-building" stage was now over and that the dialogue
process with the military was ready to move onto the next stage.
"My release should not be looked at as a major breakthrough for democracy.
For all people in Burma to enjoy basic freedom - that would be the major
breakthrough," she said.
She went on to meet the leaders of five ethnic political groups, including
the Shan nationality's League for Democracy.
According to opposition sources they joined members of the NLD central
committee to discuss how the ethnic groups might be involved if and when
substantive talks on political issues start.
Aung San Suu Kyi also met European Union ambassadors and briefed them on
her release.
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Tuesday May 7, 4:06 PM
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi returns to work after triumphant release YANGON - May 7 - (AFP) Aung San Suu Kyi returned to work as leader of Myanmar's democratic opposition, visiting her party headquarters and meeting with diplomats after being freed from 19 months under house arrest. Some 100 National League for Democracy (NLD) supporters were on hand to give her a rousing welcome, but the scene was quieter than Monday when she was mobbed by 500 ecstatic supporters hours after her release. Earlier on her first day of liberty, ambassadors from Britain, France, Germany and Italy visited her home to be briefed on the dramatic events, and the progress of secret talks she has been holding with the ruling junta. An NLD official told AFP that the democracy leader will continue visiting the headquarters "for the rest of the week", but observers said she would keep a low-profile in order not to provoke the military regime. "She will continue to test the waters to see where she can go and what she can do," said one Yangon-based diplomat. "She has also said that she would like to see the representatives from NLD branch offices, of which there are about 30." The NLD official also said that Aung San Suu Kyi would consult Tuesday with her lawyers on the ongoing property suit filed by her brother who is claiming ownership of half her home which was once owned by their late mother. Since returning to Myanmar from Britain in 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent a total of nearly eight years at the famous house on University Drive, over two stretches of detention ordered by the military government. The property suit filed by her brother, US citizen Aung San Oo, is believed to be motivated by a family rift. While not overtly political, he is much less critical of the regime than his sister, and the two have never been close. A Yangon court began hearing the suit in November 2000 and since then it has dragged on with numerous delays and brief hearings. "During the afternoon she is expected to consult with her legal team on matters of the ongoing property suit," the source said at NLD headquarters. The ramshackle building in downtown Yangon was expected to be the base for her future operations, as roadblocks barring access to her residence are still in place to prevent big crowds gathering there. News of the release trickled out to Myanmar citizens gradually Tuesday, but the official press maintained its usual silence. Those who were aware that Aung San Suu Kyi had been freed from her second long stint under house arrest said they were cautiously optimistic about the future, but most kept their thoughts to themselves. In contrast to the silence in Myannar's official media, there was a flood of reaction from leaders across the world who hailed Aung San Suu Kyi's release as a step towards democracy. However, the United States and the European Union warned it was too soon to lift the embargo on Yangon's ruling generals. President George W. Bush warned the junta that only an "urgent" effort to move the country towards democracy could rescue its impoverished people. "We hope her release will be 'a new dawn' for Burma," Bush said, using Myanmar's former name. "Only a return to democracy and reintegration with the international community can bring the freedom and prosperity which the people of Burma both long for and deserve." Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said the release was "a step in the right direction". "To those who ask if the EU is ready to change its joint position towards Myanmar, I must say no," he added. Aung San Suu Kyi returned to work as leader of Myanmar's democratic opposition, visiting her party headquarters and meeting with diplomats after being freed from 19 months under house arrest. Some 100 National League for Democracy (NLD) supporters were on hand to give her a rousing welcome, but the scene was quieter than Monday when she was mobbed by 500 ecstatic supporters hours after her release. Earlier on her first day of liberty, ambassadors from Britain, France, Germany and Italy visited her home to be briefed on the dramatic events, and the progress of secret talks she has been holding with the ruling junta. An NLD official told AFP that the democracy leader will continue visiting the headquarters "for the rest of the week", but observers said she would keep a low-profile in order not to provoke the military regime. "She will continue to test the waters to see where she can go and what she can do," said one Yangon-based diplomat. "She has also said that she would like to see the representatives from NLD branch offices, of which there are about 30." The NLD official also said that Aung San Suu Kyi would consult Tuesday with her lawyers on the ongoing property suit filed by her brother who is claiming ownership of half her home which was once owned by their late mother. Since returning to Myanmar from Britain in 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent a total of nearly eight years at the famous house on University Drive, over two stretches of detention ordered by the military government. The property suit filed by her brother, US citizen Aung San Oo, is believed to be motivated by a family rift. While not overtly political, he is much less critical of the regime than his sister, and the two have never been close. A Yangon court began hearing the suit in November 2000 and since then it has dragged on with numerous delays and brief hearings. "During the afternoon she is expected to consult with her legal team on matters of the ongoing property suit," the source said at NLD headquarters. The ramshackle building in downtown Yangon was expected to be the base for her future operations, as roadblocks barring access to her residence are still in place to prevent big crowds gathering there. News of the release trickled out to Myanmar citizens gradually Tuesday, but the official press maintained its usual silence. Those who were aware that Aung San Suu Kyi had been freed from her second long stint under house arrest said they were cautiously optimistic about the future, but most kept their thoughts to themselves. In contrast to the silence in Myannar's official media, there was a flood of reaction from leaders across the world who hailed Aung San Suu Kyi's release as a step towards democracy. However, the United States and the European Union warned it was too soon to lift the embargo on Yangon's ruling generals. President George W. Bush warned the junta that only an "urgent" effort to move the country towards democracy could rescue its impoverished people. "We hope her release will be 'a new dawn' for Burma," Bush said, using Myanmar's former name. "Only a return to democracy and reintegration with the international community can bring the freedom and prosperity which the people of Burma both long for and deserve." Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said the release was "a step in the right direction". "To those who ask if the EU is ready to change its joint position towards Myanmar, I must say no," he added. -----------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday May 7, 9:54 AM
US pleased but cautious over Aung San Suu Kyi release (AFP) - The United States
welcomed the release of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but warned
it was too soon to lift an economic embargo on Yangon's ruling generals.
President George W. Bush warned the junta that only an "urgent" effort to
move the country towards democracy could rescue its impoverished people.
"The United States welcomes the release from house arrest of Burma's Nobel
Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party won an overwhelming victory in
elections in 1990 but was never allowed to assume power," Bush said, using
Myanmar's former name.
"We hope her release will be "a new dawn" for Burma," he said in a
statement.
"Only a return to democracy and reintegration with the international
community can bring the freedom and prosperity which the people of Burma both
long for and deserve."
Washington, has waged a long war of words with the junta over its
incarceration of Aung San Suu Kyi and is not ready to ease the pressure.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher warned that Aung San Suu Kyi's
release did not mean economic sanctions imposed in protest at Myanmar's human
rights record would be lifted.
"Much more remains to be done to achieve political reform and national
reconciliation, and we're looking to see concrete steps to do that before
considering what to do about sanctions," said Boucher.
The European Union said on Monday that it had no intention of lifting
sanctions, which along with economic mismanagement have reduced Myanmar's
economy to a shambles.
The United States has been a rock solid supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi in
her 12-year political battle, which erupted after the junta failed to recognise
the overwhelming election victory of her National League for Democracy.
There was no sign that officials here were moved by Myanmar's decision to
announce her release Sunday through a Washington PR firm, and its ambassador
here, in a tactic some have seen as an olive branch to the United States.
But Bush did appear to hold out the prospect of some incentives for
Myanmar's junta to proceed along the road of political reform.
Several years ago, Western nations and Japan mulled the use of so-called
"carrot and stick" diplomacy, which was envisaged to provide graded incentives
as the junta embraced reform.
But the strategy faded in the months following September 2000 when Aung San
Suu Kyi was interned in her home in the latest of her frequent clashes with the
military government.
Myanmar government spokesman Colonel Hla Min said in a Sunday statement
that a "new page" was being turned in the history of Myanmar.
But it remained unclear whether Aung San Suu Kyi's release would herald a
new era of national reconciliation and reform, in a country which has endured
four decades of military rule.
Myanmar's future has been the issue for 18 months in talks between Aung San
Suu Kyi and the government, shepherded by UN envoy Razali Ismail.
But on Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi side-stepped questions about whether a
mooted reconciliation commission would be set up to discuss reforms as well as
economic revival and pressing health issues, such as the HIV-AIDS crisis.
The government said she was free to resume all her political
activities.
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Tuesday May 7, 9:12 AM
U.S. keeps Myanmar sanctions despite Suu Kyi release WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States welcomed Myanmar's release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday but stressed it expected other major changes in the military-ruled state before lifting sanctions. President George W. Bush, travelling in Michigan, told reporters: "I
thought that was very positive ... (a) good development."
But State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the release was only a
first step toward easing strict sanctions on the impoverished South Asian state,
which has been ruled by the military for decades.
"It's a very important first step toward real political dialogue," Boucher
told reporters. "We'll be closely watching to see if Aung San Suu Kyi is
afforded full freedom of movement and association as has been promised," he
said.
"Much more remains to be done to achieve political reform and national
conciliation and we're looking to see concrete steps that do that before
considering what to do about sanctions," he said.
Those sanctions include an arms embargo, an investment ban, suspension of
bilateral aid, visa restrictions and a freeze on new lending and grant
programmes by international agencies.
Boucher noted that many politicians remained in jail in the country,
formerly known as Burma, where a popular uprising was crushed by the military in
1989 and where a subsequent election won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's party was
ignored.
"We urge the regime to follow up on Aung San Suu Kyi's release with the
unconditional release of all political prisoners and to fulfill their commitment
to allow all of Burma's citizens to participate freely in the political life of
the country," Boucher said.
Suu Kyi, 56, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, was released on Monday
after 19 months of house arrest. She declared she would carry on fighting for
democracy.
Announcing her release, the military government said it had begun "a new
page for the people of Myanmar and the international community".
The United States said in February it would consider lifting sanctions in
return for what it called "significant progress" in talks with Suu Kyi,
including her release.
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Tuesday May 7, 6:06 PM
Three Southeast Asian states sign anti-terror pact By Jalil Hamid KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -
Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines signed a pact on Tuesday to counter
terrorism and crush a militant network they say is bent on carving out a single
Islamic state on the Malay Archipelago.
"It is an important step we have taken together as part of our commitment
to combat terrorism," Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told
journalists after signing the accord with his counterparts from Malaysia and the
Philippines.
Militancy among Muslims in Southeast Asia came under the microscope after
Washington led a global war on terrorism in the aftermath of the September 11
attacks on the United States.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation, while Malaysia is
also largely Islamic. Roman Catholic Philippines has been for years battling
separatist struggles by small groups of Muslim rebels in the country's south.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and visiting Philippine President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo witnessed the signing of the trilateral accord by
foreign ministers from the three countries at the new administrative capital of
Putrajaya.
"We formalised formal contacts in one umbrella agreement to cover quite a
number of areas of cooperation not only in the area of terrorism proper, but
also expanding it into piracy as well as money laundering," he said.
The busy international shipping lanes off the three countries are plagued
by pirates and are among the world's most dangerous.
SHARING INFORMATION
A joint statement said the pact would allow anti-terrorism exercises as
well as combined operations to hunt suspected terrorists, the setting up of
hotlines and sharing of airline passenger lists.
"I think this is good because we can exchange the information about the
movement and the activities of these people," Mahathir told reporters earlier.
"As you know, these people have this idea of creating what they called a
single Islamic state out of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines," he said
after opening a meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference's
religious ministers.
"But what is their Islamic state I don't know, because I haven't seen them
do anything except do a lot of damage to people, carry out a lot of terrorist
attacks," Mahathir said.
In the past year Malaysia has arrested dozens of suspects, while U.S.
troops are helping Filipinos combat Abu Sayyaf guerrillas and rescue an American
missionary couple held for almost a year.
Indonesia has drawn criticism over a lack of arrests although neighbours,
notably Singapore, say the ringleaders of a network are based there. Jakarta is
now planning to beef-up anti-terrorism laws.
The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed last
November to co-operate to fight terrorism.
But Tuesday's trilateral pact, which follows four months of talks, cements
cooperation between three member countries with strong ethnic links, large
Muslim populations and porous borders.
PACT OPEN TO OTHER STATES
"This agreement is signed by three countries and it is also open for other
ASEAN members to join in," Wirajuda said.
The mostly Chinese island state of Singapore, wedged between Malaysia and
Indonesia, is not a signatory to the pact, but says it is willing to step up
cooperation with its neighbours.
Thailand, and possibly Myanmar, may join the pact later, officials said.
Singapore arrested members of a militant cell in December that it said was
planning attacks on U.S. targets on the island. It discovered links with al
Qaeda, the network run by Osama bin Laden, Washington's prime suspect in the
September 11 attacks.
In April, Manila seized two Muslim guerrillas they said had been trained in
bomb-making in Malaysia.
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Tuesday May 7, 8:06 AM
World hails Suu Kyi's release but says obstacles remain BANGKOK (Reuters) - The world hailed the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in Myanmar on Monday, but leaders cautioned this was only the first step towards restoring democracy in the military-ruled nation. The freeing of Suu Kyi has been a leading demand of many Western nations,
which have ostracised the military government and accused it of repression and
violating human rights.
"The release of Aung San Suu Kyi vindicates her long campaign for political
and human rights and constitutes an important step for Myanmar," European Union
(EU) foreign policy and security chief Javier Solana said in a statement.
"I hope the...decision will begin the process of Myanmar's reintegration
into the international community," he added.
The 15-nation EU maintains a visa ban on the junta's leaders, as well as
trade and aid sanctions.
U.S. President George W. Bush said Suu Kyi's release was "very
positive...(a) good development".
Washington said in February it would consider lifting sanctions against
Myanmar in return for what it called "significant progress" in talks with Suu
Kyi, including her release.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan believed Suu Kyi's release was "a major
development which provides fresh momentum in the 19-month-old confidence
building and national reconciliation process between the government and her
National League for Democracy", according to chief U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard.
Suu Kyi would now "resume her normal political activities as the leader of
a lawful party," Eckhard said.
"SHINING" NOBEL LAUREATE
Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi, 56, freed after 19 months of house arrest,
told hundreds of supporters in Yangon she would carry on her fight to bring
democracy to the country and that the junta had placed no restrictions on her.
In Norway, acting director of the Nobel Institute, Olav Njolstad, said he
was delighted by the release of the 1991 peace prize winner.
"She is a unique woman, some say the most shining of recent Nobel winners,"
Njolstad said. "She is brave. She has fought for democracy under extremely
difficult conditions for herself and for her people."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote a personal letter to Suu Kyi.
"I was delighted to hear that you have finally been released from house
arrest," Blair wrote. "This is very welcome and long overdue. Your release is a
further step towards Burma's (Myanmar's) route to democracy."
U.N. human rights chief Mary Robinson said the release was an historic
event that should help national reconciliation.
But, in a joint statement with U.N. special investigator for Myanmar Sergio
Pinheiro, she said she hoped the move "will be followed by the release of all
other political prisoners".
Razali Ismail, U.N. special envoy at the centre of efforts to free Suu Kyi,
said elections could be held in two or three years.
"VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE"
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
reconciliation.
The Thai Foreign Ministry said in a statement Suu Kyi's release was a
"crucial step" that would promote stability in Southeast Asia.
The World Bank, Indonesia and the Philippines also praised the move. But
Bangkok-based opposition groups were more guarded.
"This is just a first step on the road to democracy. There are still so
many obstacles," said Somchai Homla-or, secretary-general of the 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 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, wanted to see more action from the military, including
the unconditional release of all political prisoners and substantive dialogue
with Suu Kyi.
Germany, Australia and Amnesty International also urged Myanmar's military
leaders to free all political prisoners.
"It will only become clear if the release of Aung San Suu Kyi means the
military regime has opted for political change if further steps are taken,"
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said in a statement.
"Important signals...would be the unconditional release of all political
prisoners and the start of a substantial political dialogue with the
opposition."
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 it hoped Suu Kyi's freedom would "be followed by the releases
of the hundreds of other prisoners held for their peaceful political
views".
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Times
May 7, 2002 Activist Hails 'New Dawn' in
Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi will travel the country to promote
democracy. U.S. lauds government's decision to release
her. By RICHARD C. PADDOCK, TIMES STAFF WRITER JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, freed from house
arrest Monday by Myanmar's military government, called her release "a new dawn
for the country" and said she will continue her peaceful struggle for political
change there.
Speaking publicly for the first time in more than 19 months, the Nobel
Peace Prize winner said the government had placed no conditions on her release.
She said she expects to travel soon to different parts of Myanmar, which was
known as Burma before the junta renamed it.
"I must do everything I can to make sure democracy comes to Burma quickly,
and comes in the right way," Suu Kyi, 56, told a news conference hours after the
regime announced that she was free to leave her home in Yangon, the capital. Her
release was welcomed by the United States and other nations that have imposed
economic sanctions on the Myanmar dictatorship because of its suppression of
democratic rights.
It was unclear, however, whether the regime has any intention of bringing
democracy to the impoverished nation. Some critics contended that the government
released Suu Kyi only to ease international pressure on Myanmar.
The country has been ruled by a military dictatorship since 1962. In 1988,
the regime ruthlessly suppressed a growing democracy movement, killing hundreds
of people.
Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy swept parliamentary elections
in 1990, was never allowed to take power. The charismatic daughter of Burmese
independence leader Aung San was placed under house arrest in 1989 before the
vote and held until 1995.
She was arrested again in September 2000 after she twice tried to leave
Yangon, which was previously known as Rangoon. On Monday, she said, the military
agreed that it will no longer try to prevent her from leaving the capital.
"There are no restrictions on my movements," she said. "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 and around the country in due
course of time."
Opponents of the regime estimate that 1,800 political prisoners remain
behind bars, and have called for their release. Suu Kyi reiterated that demand
Monday.
"I and my party have been disappointed by the slow rate of release of
political prisoners," she said. "Their release is not only important in
humanitarian terms but also political terms."
Suu Kyi, who was mobbed by more than 1,000 supporters as she arrived at her
party headquarters for the news conference, was muted in her criticism of the
government and sought to set the stage for future negotiations. "We are looking
for solid agreement that will lead to a better life for the people of Burma,"
she said.
Col. Hla Min, a government spokesman, said Suu Kyi's release from house
arrest signaled "the end of the confrontation era" and a new period of
cooperation.
United Nations envoy Razali Ismail, a Malaysian diplomat who helped
negotiate her freedom, predicted that the government will hold elections in two
or three years. Many of Suu Kyi's supporters, however, weren't convinced that
her release signaled a fundamental change by the government. Critics of the
regime predicted that there will be no quick lifting of sanctions, which include
an investment ban, arms embargo and a freeze on aid from international donors
and lenders.
In the United States, the Free Burma Coalition, which has pressured major
corporations to pull out of Myanmar, cautiously welcomed Suu Kyi's
release.
"The release by itself means very little," said Jeremy Woodrum, director of
the coalition's Washington office. "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."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Vietnam's media focus on
president's visit to Myanmar, largely ignore Suu Kyi's release
Tue May 7, 5:46 AM ET HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Communist
Vietnam's state-controlled media almost totally ignored Tuesday the release of
Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, publishing instead front-page
reports on a trip by the Vietnamese president to the country.
The Vietnamese Communist Party newspaper Nhan Dan (People) and other
newspapers quoted President Tran Duc Luong as having praised Myanmar's military
junta for "maintaining political stability and social economic
development."
Luong arrived in Myanmar Sunday for a four-day state visit. On Monday, the
junta freed opposition leader Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, from 19
months of house arrest.
Vietnam's media made virtually no mention of the release, which was hailed
by world leaders as a first step toward restoring democracy after years of
military rule.
The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment
on Suu Kyi's release.
Vietnam's ruling Communist Party allows no opposition under the country's
single-party system, and human rights groups accuse it of detaining dissidents
and government critics.
Myanmar's state-run media also blacked out news of Suu Kyi's release.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Friends and foes of Myanmar junta
praise Suu Kyi release
Mon May 6,10:17 PM ET By GRANT PECK, Associated Press Writer BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - The
release of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi after 19 months of house arrest
won praise worldwide, but leaders said it was only the first step toward
restoring democracy in military-ruled Myanmar.
Suu Kyi's release Monday had been one of the main demands of the West, which imposed severe economic sanctions on the impoverished country to force political change. But the government is not expected to call elections and it is not clear
what shape its cooperation with Suu Kyi will take.
"All parties should seize this opportunity to press ahead with the urgent
work of restoring the rule of law and basic political and civil rights for all
Burmese," U.S. President George W. Bush said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair described Suu Kyi's release as "very
welcome and long overdue."
But German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said only further steps toward
democracy and respecting human rights will show "whether the military regime has
decided for political change with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi."
The military has been in power in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, since
1962. The current group of generals took over in 1988 after crushing a
pro-democracy uprising that saw Suu Kyi come into prominence.
The junta put Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989 and called elections in
1990. It nullified the results after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won
overwhelmingly.
Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, was freed from house arrest
in 1995 but was banned from traveling outside the capital, Yangon. She defied
the order in September 2000, resulting in the latest round of house
arrest.
But even while keeping her confined to the house, the junta began
reconciliation talks with Suu Kyi in October 2000, brokered by U.N. special
envoy Razali Ismail, who made his seventh trip to Myanmar last month.
Razali told The Associated Press on Monday that he expects democracy to
return in "a couple of years" in Myanmar.
Asian nations, which have pursued a relatively sympathetic policy of
constructive engagement toward the junta, were also looking ahead.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, whose country
maintains warm relations with the military government, praised the release as
"progress." But he warned that further developments might be slow.
"I don't think anything can be achieved overnight," cautioned Mahathir.
"This has taken us a long time, but we have to be patient."
Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia all described the release as a positive
step in the political reconciliation process.
Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi said that her country
expects Suu Kyi "will play a constructive role toward full national
reconciliation in Myanmar, together with all the relevant parties including
ethnic groups."
Myanmar's ethnic minorities are a major third force in the country's
politics, many of them seeking autonomy from the central government.
Amnesty International said it warmly welcomed Suu Kyi's release,
"particularly the fact that it's unconditional."
But the London-based human rights group also noted that despite the release
of about 280 political prisoners since the talks between Suu Kyi and the
government began in late 2000, an estimated 1,500 political prisoners remain in
Myanmar's jails and forced labor continues to be a concern.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
State media blacks out news of Suu
Kyi release despite praise from world leaders
Tue May 7, 1:22 AM ET By DANIEL LOVERING, Associated Press Writer YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -
Myanmar's state media on Tuesday blacked out the news of opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest, which was hailed by world leaders as a
first step toward restoring democracy after years of military rule.
The front pages of state-owned newspapers including the English-language
New Light of Myanmar were devoted to the activities of the visiting Vietnamese
President Tran Duc Luong.
"Just imagine, we get to see the faces of only the generals and their
wives. How come they don't publicize our leader's release," shouted Nwo Nwo, a
grocery store owner in Yangon, as her customers nodded in agreement.
The prominent opposition leader emerged from 19 months of house arrest
Monday to a tumultuous welcome by thousands of supporters and members of her
National League for Democracy party, who mobbed her when she arrived at the
party headquarters.
On her first day of freedom, Suu Kyi spent four hours at the party
headquarters before returning home. She came out again in the evening for an
unannounced two-hour visit to the gold-spired Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar's most
important Buddhist shrine.
A barefoot Suu Kyi circled the pagoda in a traditional prayer, followed in
pin-drop silence by about 100 devotees who were taken aback ? pleasantly ? to
see the 56-year-old Nobel Peace laureate.
On Tuesday, the ambassadors of Germany, France, Britain and Italy met with
Suu Kyi at her lakeside villa, which remained off-limits to reporters. But there
was no unusual police presence there or at the party office, which Suu Kyi was
scheduled to visit later Tuesday.
The European Union has welcomed Suu Kyi's release, saying it hopes her
freedom is unconditional. U.S. President George W. Bush said he hopes it will be
"a new dawn" for the country and lead to the restoration of democracy, and
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he hopes the pace of national
reconciliation will now increase. Asian nations expressed similar views.
Suu Kyi has said that her next step is to continue the closed-door
confidence-building talks she has been having with the junta, which started a
month after she was placed under house arrest in September 2000.
The current junta came to power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy
movement, which saw Suu Kyi emerging as a leader. It refused to honor the
results of the 1990 general elections that Suu Kyi's party won. But the last 18
months of reconciliation talks, brokered by U.N. envoy Razali Ismail, have
raised hopes of a political settlement in a few years.
Suu Kyi's release ? a long-standing demand of the international community ?
was preceded by an unusual promise by the junta to allow "all citizens to
participate freely in the life of our political process."
But the junta's overtures do not mean democracy is around the corner in
Myanmar, also known as Burma, or that the government will call elections anytime
soon.
Myanmar's government apparently hopes that by freeing Suu Kyi,
international sanctions would be eased and it would be able to get Western aid.
But the signal for that would have to come from Suu Kyi, who has urged the West
to keep the sanctions in place to force political change. On Monday, Suu Kyi
said her party would maintain its policies for now.
The state media silence is typical of the junta's attitude toward Suu Kyi,
apparently because it fears that giving her publicity will fuel her popularity.
State TV also did not report Suu Kyi's release. Satellite television is
available only to a select few.
"I am very disappointed that Daw Suu's release was not even broadcast on
our TV. Many people wanted to have a glimpse of her," said San San, a
37-year-old housewife, using the honorific "Daw" to refer to Suu Kyi.
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BBC - Tuesday, 7 May, 2002, 12:21 GMT
13:21 UK
Burma's long road ahead By Larry Jagan BBC Burma analyst in Bangkok Burma's generals have released the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but concern remains about how serious the military is about political reform. Members of the National League for Democracy are obviously ecstatic that
their leader has been released, but now the initial euphoria is subsiding there
are questions about where the dialogue process goes from here.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secretive United Nations-brokered talks with the generals since October 2000. "Both sides agree that the confidence-building phase is now over," Aung San
Suu Kyi told reporters in Rangoon following her release.
"The authorities have said they look forward to moving to a more
significant stage of the talks."
The NLD spokesman said no meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and the generals
had yet been arranged but the opposition leader was keen to meet with them as
soon as possible.
It is unclear how keen the military regime is on the idea.
Key demand
Aung San Suu Kyi is certainly convinced that there are no restrictions on
her movement or her political activity. She is adamant that the agreement which
finally produced her release after nearly 20 months under house arrest in no way
comprises either her ideals or her party's.
The NLD position on all issues, including its demand that the generals recognise its landslide 1990 election victory, remains unchanged, the opposition leader told journalists. In practise that does not mean there may not be future changes to policy.
Aung San Suu Kyi's first practical concern is to revitalise the NLD. The
first task will be to re-open the rest of party offices in Rangoon, and then the
divisional offices throughout the country.
Aung San Suu Kyi and her party's top leaders plan to visit these offices in
due course, but not immediately.
Diplomats say those planned visits will be a real test of how committed the
military is to allowing the NLD to function properly. It was Aung San Suu Kyi's
attempts to travel outside Rangoon in 2000 that prompted the military to return
her to house arrest, having freed her in 1995.
Wooing allies
Since the secret talks between the opposition leader and the generals
started nearly 20 months ago, there has been pressure to involve Burma's various
ethnic groups. Aung San Suu Kyi has been particularly concerned about how to
involve them.
She also wants to develop a broad movement for democracy, involving, as she put, all democratic parties. The NLD - as the largest party on the basis of the 1990 election results -
would remain at the centre of the new movement.
The NLD has maintained good contacts with the ethnic political parties, and
Aung San Suu Kyi has already briefed the leaders of four - the Shan, Mon,
Arakanese and Chin.
Bargaining chip
The future may depend on how the international community responds to Aung
San Suu Kyi's release. The military government expects to be rewarded for
freeing her with the resumption of humanitarian aid.
There is no doubt some countries are keen to do so. But most will want to
hear Aung San Suu Kyi's views on the matter before proceeding.
The opposition leader said in her first news conference after her release
that the NLD did not oppose limited humanitarian aid provided it reached those
in need and did not line the pockets of the military.
But she hinted that this was an area that might figure prominently in any
future discussions with the generals.
"I want to help to make life better for the people of Burma," she told
journalists.
There's no doubt that most people in Burma are struggling to survive and
want a change.
"Let's hope Aung San Suu Kyi's release will make a difference to our
lives," said a young taxi driver in Rangoon.
But though the opposition leader is free, the military is still in control
and its leaders do not appear to be in any hurry to introduce real change.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Globe and mail
Aung San Suu Kyi warns supporters
against exuberance
By PAUL KNOX
Tuesday, May 7, 2002 ? Page A12 Myanmar's worried generals have let popular opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi out of the house. But how long is her leash?
That was the question being asked yesterday as crowds in Rangoon, the
capital city, and world leaders hailed the Nobel laureate's release from house
arrest after 19 months.
The optimistic view is that her freedom launched a process that will return
democratic rule to Myanmar, also known as Burma, where the military has held
power since 1962.
Aung San Suu Kyi said she is free to travel anywhere in Myanmar and to meet
members of her National League for Democracy.
But freeing her is not the same as freeing the Myanmarese from the
constraints of life under the ruling junta, which calls itself the State Peace
and Development Council.
The SPDC holds an estimated 1,500 political prisoners and maintains tight
control over the media. It is accused of using forced labour and arbitrarily
uprooting civilians in development schemes aimed at boosting the country's
sagging economy.
There was no indication yesterday that open, political activity would be
allowed and no firm word on a timetable for democracy.
Aung San Suu Kyi herself cautioned against overexuberance.
"My release should not be looked at as a major breakthrough for democracy,"
she said in Rangoon.
"For all people in Burma to enjoy basic freedom, that would be the major
breakthrough."
She added that secret talks between herself and the SPDC over the past 18
months, aided by United Nations envoy Razail Ismail, had reached the point of
discussing substantive political issues.
"Both sides agree that the phase of confidence-building is over," she
said.
The 56-year-old leader spoke at NLD headquarters after leaving her lakeside
home and driving slowly through cheering crowds.
After talks with party leaders, she returned home and then drove out to
pray at Myanmar's holiest Buddhist site, the gold-covered Shwedagon Pagoda. Her
release was not mentioned in state-owned media.
Aung San Suu Kyi spent six years under house arrest and was released in
1995 on condition that she stay in Rangoon.
After violating that pledge, she was confined again in September,
2000.
The NLD's overwhelming election victory in 1990 was annulled by the armed
forces. At its urging, foreign powers slapped economic sanctions on Myanmar and
prominent corporations withdrew investment.
A major question is whether the NLD will now moderate its view that foreign
governments should maintain sanctions until the SPDC accepts the result of the
1990 vote.
Aung San Suu Kyi said the party's position was flexible, but did not
elaborate.
The sanctions, combined with corruption and mismanagement, have sent the
economy into a
tailspin. |