* Sian Powell, Bangkok
* From: The Australian
* November 17, 2010 12:00AM
AUSTRALIA, along with other Western nations, is waiting to see whether Aung San Suu Kyi will withdraw her support for the sanctions that have isolated Burma.
The freed democracy advocate has publicly stated she would consider the matter, but she gave no timeframe for the crucial decision. Analysts believe it is her trump card in negotiating with Burma's military regime.
A series of sanctions has been imposed by the West since the regime annulled the victory of Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party in the 1990 elections. Australia and the EU have instituted targeted sanctions, designed to pinpoint regime members and supporters.
The US and Canada have imposed broader measures, barring almost all trade with Burma.
Win Min, an exiled Burmese political scientist based in the US, said the military regime's State Peace and Development Council, led by general Than Shwe, was keen to see sanctions wound back.
"It's very smart and strategic for Suu Kyi to raise withdrawing the sanctions as another immediate issue she can work on with Than Shwe," he told The Australian..
"Than Shwe asked her about it as one of four main preconditions for the dialogue with her after the crackdown in 2007."
After her release on the weekend, Ms Suu Kyi noted that many of the people who flocked to see her looked poor. "If people really want sanctions to be lifted, I will consider this," she said. "This is the time Burma needs help."
According to a diplomatic source quoted by Agence France-Presse, she later confirmed to a group of ambassadors she would rethink her position on sanctions.
"She said she would decide what position to take on sanctions in due course, in the light of what was the right thing for the people of Burma. So she did not make any plea," the source said.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has spoken to Ms Suu Kyi, and his spokeswoman made it clear Canberra could be flexible on the issue. "Australia's targeted sanctions, travel bans and ban on defence exports currently remain in place to maintain pressure on the Burmese authorities to address human rights concerns," the spokeswoman said. "Australia will be watching very closely what emerges from the Burmese political process, and will be engaging with Aung San Suu Kyi and other key players in the international community to determine the next steps to support reform and democracy in Burma."
There is agreement among most Western leaders that sanctions have failed to produce progress in the field of Burma's human rights violations or relief for the 2200 political prisoners. And there is consensus that sanctions, combined with appalling economic mismanagement and corruption, have contributed to Burma's dire economic straits. The nation has a per capita gross domestic product of about $US1100 ($1116) - one of the lowest in the world.
It is feasible Ms Suu Kyi will withdraw her support for broader economic sanctions, but will continue to uphold the targeted sanctions designed to affect Burma's military leaders.
Win Min said the SPDC regime had used Ms Suu Kyi's release to deflect criticism of the widely condemned elections held earlier this month. The regime's proxy political party has unofficially claimed to have won 80 per cent of the votes in Burma's first poll in 20 years - national and provincial elections widely derided as a farce, and neither free nor fair.
General Than Shwe also wanted to use the Suu Kyi release as an important first step to improve relations with Washington, Win Min said. "The US raised the issue of releasing her and the political prisoners as a first step to revoke sanctions and normalise relations," he added.
Burmese exiles differ on whether the sanctions have been effective, although supporters concede that the refusal by some nations to impose the measures has muted the overall effect. Trade between China and Burma has quadrupled over the past decade, and Thailand has recently announced a joint-venture billion-dollar port development in Burma.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/wait-for-aung-san-suu-kyis-stand-on-sanctions/story-e6frg6so-1225954632456
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi presses party's case
YANGON, Myanmar -Myanmar's military government warned Tuesday against filing complaints over the Nov. 7 election — a move that could spell trouble for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has vowed to probe alleged voting irregularities.
The warning puts Suu Kyi on a possible collision course with the ruling generals, just days after her release from more than seven years of house arrest. The 65-year-old Nobel Peace laureate must balance the expectations of the country's pro-democracy movement with the reality that her freedom could be withdrawn any time by the hard-line regime.
Suu Kyi, meanwhile, went on a legal offensive Tuesday, filing an affadavit with the country's High Court to have her political party reinstated. The junta disbanded it earlier this year for failing to reregister after choosing not to take part in the election, complaining conditions set by the junta were unfair and undemocratic.
In a reminder of how delicately she has to tread, the official Union Election Commission warned Tuesday that political parties making fraudulent complaints about the polls can face harsh legal punishment.
Full results from this month's elections have yet to be released, but figures so far give the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party a solid majority in both houses of parliament. Critics complain the vote was rigged and designed to cement the power of the military, which has ruled Myanmar for five decades.
Anyone who files fraudulent charges of vote cheating can be jailed for three years, fined 300,000 kyats ($300), or both, the commission said.
Suu Kyi has already announced her intention to join party colleagues in an investigation of alleged electoral fraud. She told reporters, however, that while her party plans to issue a report, it has no plans to protest the results of the election as it didn't take part.
The election was the first in Myanmar since a 1990 vote won by Suu Kyi's party. Her National League for Democracy was barred from taking power and has faced near-constant repression.
A day after her release, Suu Kyi told thousands of wildly cheering supporters at her party headquarters Sunday she would continue to fight for human rights and the rule of law. In press interviews, she has spoken more of reconciliation than justice.
Suu Kyi has said she would like to talk to junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe, with whom she has not spoken since 2002.
"We have got to be able to talk to each other," Suu Kyi told the Washington Post in an interview posted on the newspaper's website Tuesday. "I think, firstly, we have to start talking affably — real genuine talks, not just have some more tea or this or that."
Nyan Win, who is Suu Kyi's lawyer as well as a party spokesman, said Myanmar's High Court will hold a hearing Thursday to decide whether to accept the case from Suu Kyi arguing her party's dissolution "is not in accordance with the law."
He said the new Election Commission has no right to deregister parties that were registered under a different Election Commission in 1990.
As she walked into the courthouse Tuesday, about 20 supporters ran toward her to see her while others waited outside to get a glimpse. Security was light with a dozen plainclothes officers watching the crowd.
Suu Kyi has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years but has remained the dominant figure of the NLD. Although her party is now officially dissolved, it has continued operating. Without official recognition, it is in legal limbo, leaving it — and her — vulnerable to government crackdowns.
--
Myo Thein
Director
Burma Democratic Concern (BDC)
myothein19@gmail.com
myothein@bdcburma.org
+44 208 493 9137
+44 787 788 2386
Skype: myo.thein19
Gtalk: myothein19
国际社会欢迎昂山素季获释
2010-11-15英国首相和前首相都对诺贝尔和平奖得主昂山素季的获释感到高兴。流亡英国的缅甸民主人士除了表达对昂山素季终于获释无比欢欣外，在接受记者访问时，还希望和平推动中国民主的诺贝尔奖得主刘晓波也能获得释放。自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自英国伦敦的报道
在过去21年被缅甸军政府软禁超过15年 的诺贝尔和平奖得主昂山素季，她的自由以及缅甸的民主发展一直备受国际关注。在缅甸军政府上周六终于表态让昂山素季自由行动之后，英国各政党都一致欢迎昂 山素季终于获得自由。英国首相卡梅伦表示，昂山素季一直激励着所有深信言论自由、民主和人权的人们。卡梅伦表示关押昂山素季只是在歪曲真相，设计消灭代表 缅甸人民的声音。他说自由是昂山素季的权利，缅甸军政权必须维持。此外英国前首相布朗也指出，他计划在近期的亚洲访问中和昂山素季会面，他希望会面能够顺 利。布朗表示，他已经在数周前就提出和昂山素季会面的要求，现在他希望缅甸军政权让这项会面能顺利。布朗认为，昂山素季可以和来自其他国家的人士会面非常重要的。布朗一直是英国缅甸民主运动的主要支持者。
流亡英国的缅甸民主运动组织，“关切缅甸民主“（Burma Democratic Concern）非政府组织负责人苗信（Myo Thein）星期一在接受记者访问时，对于缅甸民主运动的领导昂山素季获得释放感到非常的高兴。他表示，昂山素季是缅甸真正的民选领导，她赢得了民主大选，应该是缅甸的总理。全缅甸的百姓都支持她，也欢迎她获得自由并呼吁民主团结和对话的讯息。苗信也指出今年获得诺贝尔和平奖的中国异议人士刘晓波目前也因为要求和平、人权而遭到关押。他说：“缅甸深信和平民主的人们同样也希望看到中国的推动民主改革的刘晓波能获得释放，因为相信民主的人们同样希望中国也走向民主发展。”
以上是自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自英国伦敦的报道。
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/guo-11152010114945.html?searchterm=None
在过去21年被缅甸军政府软禁超过15年 的诺贝尔和平奖得主昂山素季，她的自由以及缅甸的民主发展一直备受国际关注。在缅甸军政府上周六终于表态让昂山素季自由行动之后，英国各政党都一致欢迎昂 山素季终于获得自由。英国首相卡梅伦表示，昂山素季一直激励着所有深信言论自由、民主和人权的人们。卡梅伦表示关押昂山素季只是在歪曲真相，设计消灭代表 缅甸人民的声音。他说自由是昂山素季的权利，缅甸军政权必须维持。此外英国前首相布朗也指出，他计划在近期的亚洲访问中和昂山素季会面，他希望会面能够顺 利。布朗表示，他已经在数周前就提出和昂山素季会面的要求，现在他希望缅甸军政权让这项会面能顺利。布朗认为，昂山素季可以和来自其他国家的人士会面非常重要的。布朗一直是英国缅甸民主运动的主要支持者。
流亡英国的缅甸民主运动组织，“关切缅甸民主“（Burma Democratic Concern）非政府组织负责人苗信（Myo Thein）星期一在接受记者访问时，对于缅甸民主运动的领导昂山素季获得释放感到非常的高兴。他表示，昂山素季是缅甸真正的民选领导，她赢得了民主大选，应该是缅甸的总理。全缅甸的百姓都支持她，也欢迎她获得自由并呼吁民主团结和对话的讯息。苗信也指出今年获得诺贝尔和平奖的中国异议人士刘晓波目前也因为要求和平、人权而遭到关押。他说：“缅甸深信和平民主的人们同样也希望看到中国的推动民主改革的刘晓波能获得释放，因为相信民主的人们同样希望中国也走向民主发展。”
以上是自由亚洲电台特约记者张安安发自英国伦敦的报道。
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/guo-11152010114945.html?searchterm=None
Asian press cautiously optimistic on Burma changes
Asian regional newspapers are cautiously welcoming Burma's decision to release democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with many taking the line that it is a small step in the right direction.
Some voices in the Indian and Chinese press defend the policy of non-interference in Burma's affairs and the pursuit of trade as the best channels to encourage Burma to open up.
Many commentators are guarded in their optimism about Ms Suu Kyi's ability to bring about change in Burma, saying the challenge of uniting pro-democracy opposition forces will be enormous.
AN TI IN CHINA'S DONGFANG ZAOBAO
No one can predict whether Suu Kyi will be under house arrest again in future, but if the world keeps using trade and assistance to encourage the country to open up, it might enable this country to finally embark on the road of reform and opening up... Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese people will find a new path together with the authorities.
EDITORIAL IN INDIA'S THE PIONEER
Much as some may find the junta to be needlessly obstinate and its "persecution" of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi obnoxious, it must be conceded that Burma's rulers were firm in deciding what was in the best interest of their nation. Just as bringing about regime change cannot be the moral obligation of any one country, interference in the domestic affairs of a nation must not be seen as a presumed right by anybody.
EDITORIAL IN THE TIMES OF INDIA
Suu Kyi's release, her public offer to talk to the government and the signs she has shown of softening on the sanctions - she had supported them for a number of years - provide an opportunity to pursue democratic reform while ending Myanmar's [Burma's] diplomatic isolation and economic stagnation. New Delhi must play its part in this by encouraging and facilitating talks between Suu Kyi and the government. It would be unrealistic to expect New Delhi to align with the West against the government as it has been exhorted to do.
KARAN THAPAR IN INDIA'S HINDUSTAN TIMES
The truth is there's a small body of Indians who feel dismayed, even betrayed, by the way our governments have turned their back on Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for democracy in Burma... But, sadly, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The Congress and the BJP [main government and opposition political parties, respectively] have remained impervious to our exhortations. Nothing has changed.
EDITORIAL IN THAILAND'S THE NATION
It is pivotal that Suu Kyi and her opposition colleagues must map out long-term strategies to counter the regime's move. The international community will watch her closely.
EDITORIAL IN THAILAND'S BANGKOK POST
The junta's release of Aung San Suu Kyi is simply to curry favour… it must be held accountable for tough questions such as stealing last week's election and for getting into the nuclear arms business with North Korea.
EDITORIAL IN MALAYSIA'S NEW STRAITS TIMES
The generals have both the power to kill democracy and the opportunity to let it live. One can only hope that as the old generals fade away the new guard will set in motion steps to dismantle military rule, restore it to the civilians and return to the barracks.
EDITORIAL IN SINGAPORE'S THE STRAITS TIMES
The election introduced not a seismic shift, but a degree of structural change... [Suu Kyi's] challenges now include unifying pro-democracy opposition parties and factions and possibly mustering a mass movement as a moral force for democracy, outside the political party system.
EDITORIAL IN THE AUSTRALIAN
While the regime is odious, Burma is stuck with it and the West should maintain a dialogue with the dictators, if only to discourage them from locking up Ms Suu Ki again. Despite being a national hero, she lacks the political resources to challenge the regime.
EDITORIAL IN INDONESIA'S KOMPAS
Suu Kyi has still a long way to go before being able to lead a democratic Burma. In this case, Burma is not alone. Indonesia, South Africa and South Korea also had to wait for decades before having democracy.
EDITORIAL IN BANGLADESH'S DAILY STAR
For the junta, it is important that it follow up on the democracy leader's release with moves to engage with her on political change in Myanmar. If it believes Aung San Suu Kyi has now been rendered ineffective, it will be making a mistake. The spirited manner in which her freedom was welcomed in global capitals is a patent demonstration of how indispensable she remains to the future of Myanmar.
BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11765160
Some voices in the Indian and Chinese press defend the policy of non-interference in Burma's affairs and the pursuit of trade as the best channels to encourage Burma to open up.
Many commentators are guarded in their optimism about Ms Suu Kyi's ability to bring about change in Burma, saying the challenge of uniting pro-democracy opposition forces will be enormous.
AN TI IN CHINA'S DONGFANG ZAOBAO
No one can predict whether Suu Kyi will be under house arrest again in future, but if the world keeps using trade and assistance to encourage the country to open up, it might enable this country to finally embark on the road of reform and opening up... Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese people will find a new path together with the authorities.
EDITORIAL IN INDIA'S THE PIONEER
Much as some may find the junta to be needlessly obstinate and its "persecution" of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi obnoxious, it must be conceded that Burma's rulers were firm in deciding what was in the best interest of their nation. Just as bringing about regime change cannot be the moral obligation of any one country, interference in the domestic affairs of a nation must not be seen as a presumed right by anybody.
EDITORIAL IN THE TIMES OF INDIA
Suu Kyi's release, her public offer to talk to the government and the signs she has shown of softening on the sanctions - she had supported them for a number of years - provide an opportunity to pursue democratic reform while ending Myanmar's [Burma's] diplomatic isolation and economic stagnation. New Delhi must play its part in this by encouraging and facilitating talks between Suu Kyi and the government. It would be unrealistic to expect New Delhi to align with the West against the government as it has been exhorted to do.
KARAN THAPAR IN INDIA'S HINDUSTAN TIMES
The truth is there's a small body of Indians who feel dismayed, even betrayed, by the way our governments have turned their back on Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for democracy in Burma... But, sadly, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The Congress and the BJP [main government and opposition political parties, respectively] have remained impervious to our exhortations. Nothing has changed.
EDITORIAL IN THAILAND'S THE NATION
It is pivotal that Suu Kyi and her opposition colleagues must map out long-term strategies to counter the regime's move. The international community will watch her closely.
EDITORIAL IN THAILAND'S BANGKOK POST
The junta's release of Aung San Suu Kyi is simply to curry favour… it must be held accountable for tough questions such as stealing last week's election and for getting into the nuclear arms business with North Korea.
EDITORIAL IN MALAYSIA'S NEW STRAITS TIMES
The generals have both the power to kill democracy and the opportunity to let it live. One can only hope that as the old generals fade away the new guard will set in motion steps to dismantle military rule, restore it to the civilians and return to the barracks.
EDITORIAL IN SINGAPORE'S THE STRAITS TIMES
The election introduced not a seismic shift, but a degree of structural change... [Suu Kyi's] challenges now include unifying pro-democracy opposition parties and factions and possibly mustering a mass movement as a moral force for democracy, outside the political party system.
EDITORIAL IN THE AUSTRALIAN
While the regime is odious, Burma is stuck with it and the West should maintain a dialogue with the dictators, if only to discourage them from locking up Ms Suu Ki again. Despite being a national hero, she lacks the political resources to challenge the regime.
EDITORIAL IN INDONESIA'S KOMPAS
Suu Kyi has still a long way to go before being able to lead a democratic Burma. In this case, Burma is not alone. Indonesia, South Africa and South Korea also had to wait for decades before having democracy.
EDITORIAL IN BANGLADESH'S DAILY STAR
For the junta, it is important that it follow up on the democracy leader's release with moves to engage with her on political change in Myanmar. If it believes Aung San Suu Kyi has now been rendered ineffective, it will be making a mistake. The spirited manner in which her freedom was welcomed in global capitals is a patent demonstration of how indispensable she remains to the future of Myanmar.
BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11765160
အမ်ိဳးသား ၿပန္လည္ရင္ၾကားေစ႕ေရး ေဆာင္ရြက္မည္ဟု ၿငိမ္းခ်မ္းေရး မိခင္ေၿပာၾကား
ႏို၀င္ဘာလ ၁၃ ရက္ေန႔က ေနအိမ္အက်ယ္ခ်ဳပ္ျဖင့္ ထိန္းသိမ္းခံခဲ့ရာမႇ လြတ္ေျမာက္လာေသာ အမ်ဳိးသားဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္ အေထြေထြ အတြင္းေရးမႇဴး ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္သည္ ျပည္တြင္း၊ ျပည္ပ မီဒီယာမ်ားႏႇင့္ ေတြ႕ဆုံျခင္းကို ႏို၀င္ဘာလ ၁၄ ရက္ေန႔ မြန္းလြဲ ၁ နာရီ ၀န္းက်င္က ရန္ကုန္ၿမိဳ႕ ဗဟန္းၿမိဳ႕နယ္ရႇိ အမ်ဳိးသားဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္႐ုံး၌ ျပဳလုပ္ခဲ့သည္။အဆိုပါ သတင္းစာရႇင္းလင္းပြဲတြင္ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အမ်ဳိးသားရင္ၾကားေစ့ေရး ဆိုင္ရာ ကိစၥရပ္မ်ားကို ထည့္သြင္း ေျပာၾကားခဲ့သည္။ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္၏ ျပန္လည္ေျဖၾကားခ်က္ အခ်ဳိ႕မႇာ ယခုတစ္ႀကိမ္ ျပန္လည္ လြတ္ေျမာက္လာမႈသည္ မည္သည့္ ခံ၀န္ခ်က္မႇ ေရးထိုးခဲ့ျခင္း မရႇိေၾကာင္း၊ ျပည္သူမ်ားႏႇင့္ လက္တြဲၿပီး အမ်ဳိးသားရင္ၾကားေစ့ေရးကို ဆက္လက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္ သြားမည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း၊ ျပည္သူမ်ား လိုလားေနေသာ ကိစၥရပ္မ်ားကိုလည္း ေဆာင္ရြက္သြားမည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း ေျပာဆိုခဲ့သည္။
''ဒီတစ္ခါ ျပန္လြတ္လာေတာ့ ျပည္သူေတြရဲ႕ အသံကို နားေထာင္ခ်င္တယ္။ ဒါေပမယ့္ ျပည္သူေတြက ကြၽန္မရဲ႕အသံကိုပဲ နားေထာင္ခ်င္ေနေတာ့ ခက္ေနတယ္။ ဒီေတာ့ စာေရးၿပီး ေျပာၾကပါ''ဟု ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က သတင္းေထာက္တစ္ဦး ၏ ေမးျမန္းမႈတြင္ ထည့္သြင္း ေျပာၾကားခဲ့သည္။
ထို႔ျပင္ အမ်ဳိးသားရင္ၾကားေစ့ေရးအတြက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္ရာတြင္ ျပည္သူမ်ားႏႇင့္သာမက ဒီမိုကေရစီကို လိုလားေသာ မည္သူႏႇင့္မဆို ပူးေပါင္း လက္တြဲ ေဆာင္ရြက္သြားမည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း ေျပာဆိုခဲ့သည္။''အမ်ဳိးသားရင္ၾကားေစ့ေရးနဲ႔ ျပည္သူအတြက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္ရာမႇာ ဒီမိုကေရစီ လိုလားသူ ဘယ္သူ႔ကိုမဆို အျမဲတံခါးဖြင့္ထားပါတယ္။ အမ်ဳိးသားဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္မႇ မဟုတ္ပါဘူး။ ဒီမိုကေရစီေရး လုပ္ေဆာင္ေနတဲ့သူေတြ၊ လုပ္ခ်င္ေနတဲ့ သူေတြ အကုန္လုံးနဲ႔ ပူးေပါင္း လုပ္ေဆာင္သြားမႇာပါ''ဟု ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျပာၾကားခဲ့သည္။အမ်ဳိးသားဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္ႏႇင့္အတူ လတ္တေလာ ေရႇ႕ဆက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္သြားမည့္ ကိစၥရပ္ႏႇင့္ပတ္သက္၍ အမ်ဳိးသားဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္ ဗဟိုေကာ္မတီ၀င္မ်ားႏႇင့္ ညႇိႏိႈင္း လုပ္ေဆာင္သြားမည္ ျဖစ္ၿပီး အေသးစိတ္ကို ညႇိႏိႈင္းတိုင္ပင္ၿပီးမႇ ေျပာဆို သြားႏိုင္မည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျပာပါသည္။ ထုိ႔ျပင္ တိုင္းရင္းသားအားလုံး ပါ၀င္ စုစည္းထားသည့္ ၂၁ ရာစု ပင္လုံစိတ္ဓာတ္ ျဖစ္ေပၚလာရန္ တိုက္တြန္း ေျပာဆိုခဲ့ၿပီး တိုင္းျပည္ေကာင္းေအာင္ လုပ္ေဆာင္ရာတြင္ ဒီမိုကေရစီ လိုလားသူ မည္သူႏႇင့္မဆို ပူးေပါင္း ေဆာင္ရြက္သြားမည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျပာၾကားခဲ့သည္။
''ဒီမိုကေရစီေရး လုပ္ေဆာင္ေနတယ္ဆိုတာ ျပည္သူေတြရဲ႕ စိတ္ဓာတ္နဲ႔ အရည္အခ်င္း ရႇင္သန္ေရး ပါပဲ''ဟု ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျပာပါသည္။
ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္ အေနျဖင့္ ျမန္မာႏိုင္ငံ ဒီမိုကေရစီေရး ေဆာင္ရြက္ရာတြင္ မိမိကုိယ္ကို အနစ္နာခံသည္ဟု သေဘာမထားေၾကာင္း ထည့္သြင္း ေျပာဆိုခဲ့ပါသည္။
''အခုလို လုပ္ေနတာေတြကုိ အနစ္နာခံတယ္လို႔ စိတ္ထဲမႇာ မထားပါဘူး။ အနစ္နာခံတယ္လို႔ အားနာတယ္။ အနစ္နာခံတယ္ဆိုတာ အေႂကြး ျပန္ေတာင္းေနရသလိုပဲ။ ျပည္သူလူထုဆီက အေႂကြး ျပန္မေတာင္းခ်င္ဘူး။ ကိုယ္ေရြးထားတဲ့ လမ္းကို ကိုယ္ေလွ်ာက္ေနတာ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္''ဟု ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျပာျပခဲ့သည္။
အမ်ဳိးသားရင္ၾကားေစ့ေရးႏႇင့္ ဒီမိုကေရစီအတြက္ မည္သူႏႇင့္မဆို လက္တြဲ ပူးေပါင္း ေဆာင္ရြက္သြားရန္ အဆင္သင့္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း၊ ယခင္ကလည္း ထုိသုိ႔ လုပ္ေဆာင္ခဲ့ေၾကာင္း၊ ေနာင္တြင္လည္း ဆက္လက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္သြားမည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း ေျပာၾကားခဲ့သည္။ ဒီမိုကေရစီအတြက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္ရာတြင္ ျမန္မာႏိုင္ငံတြင္ သာမက ကမၻာတစ္၀န္းလုံး အတိုင္းအတာျဖင့္ လုပ္ေဆာင္သြားရန္ သေဘာထားေၾကာင္း ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျပာၾကားခဲ့သည္။
လက္ရႇိအခ်ိန္၌ ျပည္သူလူထု၏ ပညာေရးပိုင္းတြင္ အားနည္းမႈမ်ား ရႇိေနေၾကာင္းႏႇင့္ ထိုအားနည္းမႈမ်ားကို ေလ်ာ့ပါးေအာင္ တိုးျမႇင့္ လုပ္ေဆာင္သြားရန္ႏႇင့္ ပညာေရးပိုင္း အားနည္းသည္ႏႇင့္ အဖက္ဖက္တြင္ အားနည္းသြားမည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း ေဒၚ ေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျပာဆိုခဲ့သည္။ထို႔အျပင္ ၂၀၁၀ ေရြးေကာက္ပြဲႏႇင့္ ပတ္သက္၍ ေရြးေကာက္ပြဲ၌ ပါ၀င္ျခင္း မရႇိသည့္ အတြက္ ကန္႔ကြက္ရန္ မရႇိေၾကာင္း ေျပာဆိုခဲ့သည္။
သုိ႔ေသာ္ ဥပေဒႏႇင့္ တရားမွ်တမႈ ရႇိ၊ မရႇိ ဆိုသည္ကို ၾကည့္႐ႈႏိုင္ရန္ အတြက္ အမ်ဳိးသားဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္မႇ ေကာ္မတီတစ္ခု ဖြဲ႕ထားေၾကာင္း၊ ထိုေကာ္မတီ အေနျဖင့္ အစီရင္ခံစာ ေရးဆြဲေနၿပီး၊ ယင္းအစီရင္ခံစာ ထြက္လာၿပီးမႇသာ တိတိ က်က် ထုတ္ျပန္ ေျပာဆိုသြားႏိုင္မည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ဆက္လက္ေျပာဆိုခဲ့သည္။
အမ်ဳိးသားဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္ အေနျဖင့္မူ ႏိုင္ငံေရးအဖြဲ႕အေနျဖင့္ ဆက္လက္ ရပ္တည္သြားမည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း သိရသည္။
''အမ်ဳိးသား ဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္က ႏိုင္ငံေရးပါတီ ျဖစ္တဲ့အတြက္ ႏိုင္ငံေရးအဖြဲ႕ အေနနဲ႔ ဆက္လက္ ရပ္တည္သြားမႇာပါ။ လူမႈေရးအဖြဲ႕ လုပ္မယ္လို႔ ဘယ္တုန္းကမႇ မေျပာခဲ့ပါ ဘူး။ လူမႈေရးလုပ္ငန္းေတြ လုပ္မယ္လို႔သာ ေျပာခဲ့တာပါ။ လူမႈေရးလုပ္ ငန္းေတြ လုပ္မယ္ဆိုတာကလည္း ၁၉၉၅ ခုႏႇစ္ကတည္းက စေျပာထားခဲ့ပါတယ္''ဟု ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျပာဆိုခဲ့ပါသည္။
ထို႔ေနာက္ အမ်ဳိးသားဒီမိုကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္ အေနျဖင့္ ပါတီရႇင္သန္ေရးအတြက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္ေနျခင္း မဟုတ္ဘဲ ျပည္သူလူထု ရႇင္သန္ေရး အတြက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္ေနျခင္း ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း၊ ပါတီ ရႇိ၊ မရႇိ ဆိုသည္မႇာ ျပည္သူတို႔၏ စိတ္ထဲတြင္ ရႇိေၾကာင္း ဆက္လက္ ေျပာဆိုခဲ့ပါသည္။
ႏိုင္ငံေတာ္အလံသစ္ ေျပာင္းလဲျခင္းႏႇင့္ ပတ္သက္၍ ေျပာဆိုခဲ့ရာတြင္ မိမိအေနျဖင့္ လြတ္လပ္ေရးရတုန္းက အလံကို အႀကိဳက္ဆုံး ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း ေျပာဆိုခဲ့ပါသည္။
ဆက္လက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္သြားမည့္ ကိစၥရပ္မ်ားႏႇင့္ ပတ္သက္၍မူ ေနာက္ပိုင္းတြင္ ထုတ္ျပန္သြားမည္ ျဖစ္ေၾကာင္း သိရသည္။
မီဒီယာမ်ားႏႇင့္ ေတြ႕ဆုံမႈမႇာ မိနစ္ ၄၀ ခန္႔ ၾကာျမင့္ခဲ့ၿပီး ျပည္တြင္း မီဒီယာမ်ားမႇ သတင္းေထာက္၊ အယ္ဒီတာမ်ား၊ ျမန္မာႏိုင္ငံဆိုင္ရာ ႏိုင္ငံျခား သတင္းေထာက္မ်ား အသင္းမႇ ဌာေန သတင္းေထာက္မ်ားႏႇင့္အတူ ႏိုင္ငံတကာ သတင္းေထာက္မ်ား တက္ေရာက္ခဲ့ၾကသည္။
Eleven Media Group မွကူးယူေဖာ္ျပသည္
အမ်ဳိးသား သင့္ျမတ္ေရးအတြက္ ဒီမိုကေရစီ လိုလားသူေတြနဲ႔ ေဒၚစု လက္တြဲမည္
By ေဒၚခင္စုိး၀င္းတနဂၤေႏြ, 14 ႏိုဝင္ဘာ 2010
ဓာတ္ပံု ASSOCIATED PRESS
ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္ NLD ႐ုံးခ်ဳပ္တြင္ သတင္းစာ ရွင္းလင္းပြဲ က်င္းပေနစဥ္။ ႏုိ၀င္ဘာ ၁၄၊ ၂၀၁၀။
ေနအိမ္အက်ယ္ခ်ဳပ္က မေန႔ကမွ လြတ္ေျမာက္လာခဲ့တဲ့ ျမန္မာ့ဒီမုိကေရစီေခါင္းေဆာင္ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အမ်ဳိးသား ျပန္လည္သင့္ျမတ္ေရးအတြက္ ဒီမုိကေရစီ အင္အားစုေတြနဲ႔ လက္တြဲ ေဆာင္ရြက္သြားဖို႔ အဆင္သင့္ရွိတဲ့အေၾကာင္း ေျပာဆိုရင္း လူထုရဲ႕ အသံကို တုိက္႐ိုက္ ၾကားလုိတဲ့အေၾကာင္း ဒီေန႔ ေျပာဆုိလိုက္ပါတယ္။ သူမ ျပန္လြတ္လာၿပီး ပထမဆုံး NLD အမ်ဳိးသား ဒီမုိကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္႐ုံးမွာ ျပဳလုပ္ခဲ့တဲ့ သတင္းစာ ရွင္းလင္းပြဲအတြင္း အဲဒီလို ေျပာၾကားခဲ့တာပါ။ အျပည့္အစုံကုိ ေဒၚခင္စိုး၀င္းက တင္ျပေပးထားပါတယ္။
ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံမွာ အမ်ဳိးသား ျပန္လည္သင့္ျမတ္ေရးအတြက္ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အခုလို ေျပာသြားပါတယ္။
“က်မတို႔က ဒီမုိကေရစီ လိုအားတဲ့ အုပ္စု အဖြဲ႕ေတြ အားလုံးနဲ႔ ပူးေပါင္း ေဆာင္ရြက္ဖို႔ အဆင္သင့္ပဲ။ ဒါ က်မတို႔ရဲ႕ အရင္တုန္းက မူ၀ါဒ အတုိင္းပဲ။ အခုလည္း ဒီမူ၀ါဒ အတုိင္းပါပဲ။”
ေလာေလာဆယ္ ထုိင္း၊ ျမန္မာ နယ္စပ္မွာ တုိင္းရင္းသား လက္နက္ကုိင္ အဖြဲ႕ေတြနဲ႔ တုိက္ပြဲျဖစ္ပြားေနတဲ့ ျပႆနာနဲ႔ ပတ္သက္ၿပီး ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က သူ႔ရဲ႕ သေဘာထား အျမင္ကုိ အခုလို ေျပာျပပါတယ္။
“တုိင္းရင္းသားေတြနဲ႔ တုိက္ပြဲျဖစ္တာကေတာ့ ဘာမ်ား စိတ္ခ်မ္းသာစရာ ရွိလဲ။ တုိင္းရင္းသားေတြနဲ႔ တုိက္ပြဲျဖစ္တာေၾကာင့္ က်မတုိ႔ အားလုံးအတြက္ စုိးရိမ္စရာေပါ့၊ စိတ္မေကာင္းစရာေပါ့။ ဒီလိုဟာမ်ဳိးေတြက မျဖစ္သင့္ဘူးေလ။”
NLD အမ်ဳိးသား ဒီမုိကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္က လူမႈေရး လုပ္ငန္းေတြကို အာ႐ုံစုိက္ လုပ္ေတာ့မယ္ ဆုိတာနဲ႔ ပတ္သက္လို႔ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အခုလို ရွင္းလင္း ေျပာဆုိသြားပါတယ္။
“NGO ဖြဲ႕မယ္လို႔လည္း တခါမွ မေျပာခဲ့ဘူး။ က်မတုိ႔ေျပာတာက လူမႈ၀န္ထမ္း အလုပ္ေတြ လုပ္ဖို႔ လိုေနၿပီ။ လူမႈ၀န္ထမ္း အလုပ္ဆုိတာ ႏုိင္ငံေရးနဲ႔ ခြဲျခားလုိ႔ မရဘူး။ အခုအခ်ိန္မွာဆုိရင္ က်မတုိ႔ ျပည္သူေတြက အင္မတန္မွ လိုအပ္ေနတယ္။ စီးပြားေရးေတြလည္း ဒုကၡေရာက္ေနတယ္၊ အကူအညီ လိုေနတယ္။ အဲဒီ လုိေနတဲ့ လူေတြရဲ႕ အကူအညီကို ေပးႏုိင္သေလာက္ ေပးဖို႔ပဲ။ အဲဒါေတြက အခုမွ လုပ္တာ မဟုတ္ဘူးေနာ္။ ၁၉၉၅ ခုႏွစ္ကတည္းက စၿပီးေတာ့ လူမႈ၀န္ထမ္း အလုပ္ေတြကို လုပ္ခဲ့တာ။”
ႏုိင္ငံျခား သတင္းေထာက္ေတြရဲ႕ အေမးကို ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျဖဆုိရာမွာ လူထုနဲ႔ အဆက္ျပတ္ေနတဲ့ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္ အေနနဲ႔ တုိက္႐ိုက္ထိေတြ႕ ဆက္ဆံလိုတယ္လို႔ အဂၤလိပ္လို အခုလုိ ေျဖရွင္းပါတယ္။
“လူထုရဲ႕အသံကို နားေထာင္ရင္းနဲ႔ ေလ့လာေနတာပါ။ ဒါေပမဲ့ အထဲမွာ ေနရေတာ့ လူထုရဲ႕အသံကို တိုက္႐ုိက္ၾကားရဖုိ႔ သိပ္ကုိ ခက္ခဲလွပါတယ္။ လူထုေတြရဲ႕ အသံေတြကို ၾကားရဖုိ႔အတြက္ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က သူတို႔ဆီကို စာေရးဖုိ႔ အားေပးလုိတယ္လို႔ ေျပာပါတယ္။ လူထုအေနနဲ႔ ဘာျဖစ္ခ်င္သလဲ၊ ဘာေတြ လုပ္ေစခ်င္သလဲ ဆိုတာကို စာေရးေပးၾကပါ၊ တခ်ဳိ႕က ဆႏၵေတြ ရွိေနေပမဲ့ လက္ေတြ႕မွာ ျဖစ္ခ်င္မွ ျဖစ္မွာပါ။
“ဒါေပမဲ့ သူတုိ႔ေတြ အားက်လာေအာင္၊ ေမွ်ာ္လင့္ခ်က္ေတြ ေပးႏုိင္ေအာင္ လူထုရဲ႕ အသံေတြကိုလည္း ၾကားလိုပါတယ္။ လူထုရဲ႕ အသံကို နားေထာင္မွ ျဖစ္မွာပါလို႔ ေျပာပါတယ္။ ၆ ႏွစ္အတြင္းမွာ ေရဒီယိုကိုပဲ နားေထာင္ခဲ့ရၿပီး အခု လူေတြ ဘယ္လိုေျပာတယ္ ဆိုတာကို သူ နားေထာင္ခ်င္တဲ့ ဆႏၵ ရွိပါတယ္လို႔ ေျပာဆုိသြားပါတယ္။”
ဆက္လက္ၿပီး ျမန္မာျပည္အေပၚမွာ ၾသဇာ အလႊမ္းမုိးဆုံးလုိ႔ ယူဆၾကတဲ့ အိမ္နီးခ်င္း တ႐ုတ္ႏုိင္ငံနဲ႔ ဆက္ဆံေရး အေပၚမွာေရာ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ဘယ္လိုမ်ား သေဘာထားပါသလဲ။
“တ႐ုတ္ႏုိင္ငံကို ရန္သူလို သေဘာမထားပါဘူး။ ဒီမုိကေရစီကို အမွန္တကယ္ လိုခ်င္တဲ့သူေတြ အေနနဲ႔ တ႐ုတ္ႏုိင္ငံကို ရန္သူရယ္လို႔ မ႐ႈျမင္ေစလိုပါဘူး။ တ႐ုတ္နဲ႔ ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံဟာ အိမ္နီးခ်င္းေတြ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္။ ဒီကမၻာႀကီး တည္ရွိေနသေရြ႕ တ႐ုတ္နဲ႔ ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံဟာလည္း အိမ္နီးခ်င္းေတြအျဖစ္ ရပ္တည္သြားမွာပါ။ ဒါေၾကာင့္ အိမ္နီးခ်င္းေကာင္း ပီသစြာ ဆက္ဆံသြားၾကရမွာ ျဖစ္တယ္။” လို႔ ေျပာဆုိသြားပါတယ္။
ဆက္လက္ၿပီး NLD ပါတီ တခုတည္းကပဲ ႏုိင္ငံကို လႊမ္းမုိးအုပ္ခ်ဳပ္တာ၊ ပါတီတခုတည္းက တပါတီစနစ္နဲ႔ အုပ္ခ်ဳပ္တာနဲ႔ ပတ္သက္ၿပီး ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အခုလို သုံးသပ္သြားပါတယ္။
“တပါတီတည္းက ႏုိင္ငံအာဏာ ထိန္းခ်ဳပ္ထားတာ ဒီမုိကေရစီစနစ္လုိ႔ မယူဆပါဘူး။ ဒီလိုပါပဲ၊ ပါတီတခုအတြင္းမွာလည္း လူတဦး တေယာက္က ထိန္းခ်ဳပ္ထားတာက ဒီမုိကေရစီလို႔ မယူဆပါဘူး။ ထိထိေရာက္ေရာက္ မလုပ္ကုိင္ႏုိင္ဘဲ ႏုိင္ငံအတြက္ ဘယ္လို ဒီမုိကေရစီမ်ဳိးကို ေဆာင္ၾကဥ္းေပးႏုိင္မွာပါလဲ။ NLD ပါတီကုိလည္း သူတေယာက္တည္းနဲ႔ ဘယ္ေတာ့မွ ထိန္းခ်ဳပ္သြားမွာ မဟုတ္ဘူး။” လို႔ ေျပာဆိုသြားပါတယ္။
ႏုိ၀င္ဘာလ ေရြးေကာက္ပြဲမွာ အမ်ဳိးသား ဒီမုိကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္ ၀င္မၿပိဳင္ဘို႔ ဆုံးျဖတ္ခ်က္ ခ်တာနဲ႔ ပတ္သက္လို႔ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အခုလို ရွင္းျပပါတယ္။
“ပထမဆုံး အခ်က္ကေတာ့ ၂၀၀၈ ခုႏွစ္ ဖြဲ႕စည္းပုံ အေျခခံဥပေဒကို လုံး၀ မယုံၾကည္လုိ႔ပါပဲ။ ဒုတိယ အခ်က္ကေတာ့ ၁၉၉၀ ေရြးေကာက္ပြဲကုိ လူထုက တခဲနက္ ေထာက္ခံထားၿပီး ၀ါက်ေလး တေၾကာင္းတည္းနဲ႔ ဖ်က္သိမ္းလုိက္တာေၾကာင့္ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္။ တတိယ အခ်က္ကေတာ့ ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံ ဒီမုိကေရစီ အေရးအတြက္ အရာရာကို စြန္႔လႊတ္ အနစ္နာခံၿပီး အက်ဥ္းက်ခံေနၾကတဲ့ က်မတို႔ရဲ႕ ရဲေဘာ္ ရဲဘက္ေတြအတြက္ မွန္ကန္တဲ့ ဆုံးျဖတ္ခ်က္ ျဖစ္တယ္လို႔ မယူဆတဲ့အတြက္ NLD ေရြးေကာက္ပြဲကို မ၀င္ခဲ့တာ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္။” လို႔ ရွင္းလင္း ေျပာပါတယ္။
ဒီေန႔က်င္းပတဲ့ သတင္းစာ ရွင္းလင္းပြဲမွာ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္ ေျပာသြားတဲ့အထဲက ေကာက္ႏႈတ္ တင္ျပခဲ့တာ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္
http://www.voanews.com/burmese/news/dassk-press-conference-107945279.html
ဓာတ္ပံု ASSOCIATED PRESS
ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္ NLD ႐ုံးခ်ဳပ္တြင္ သတင္းစာ ရွင္းလင္းပြဲ က်င္းပေနစဥ္။ ႏုိ၀င္ဘာ ၁၄၊ ၂၀၁၀။
ေနအိမ္အက်ယ္ခ်ဳပ္က မေန႔ကမွ လြတ္ေျမာက္လာခဲ့တဲ့ ျမန္မာ့ဒီမုိကေရစီေခါင္းေဆာင္ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အမ်ဳိးသား ျပန္လည္သင့္ျမတ္ေရးအတြက္ ဒီမုိကေရစီ အင္အားစုေတြနဲ႔ လက္တြဲ ေဆာင္ရြက္သြားဖို႔ အဆင္သင့္ရွိတဲ့အေၾကာင္း ေျပာဆိုရင္း လူထုရဲ႕ အသံကို တုိက္႐ိုက္ ၾကားလုိတဲ့အေၾကာင္း ဒီေန႔ ေျပာဆုိလိုက္ပါတယ္။ သူမ ျပန္လြတ္လာၿပီး ပထမဆုံး NLD အမ်ဳိးသား ဒီမုိကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္႐ုံးမွာ ျပဳလုပ္ခဲ့တဲ့ သတင္းစာ ရွင္းလင္းပြဲအတြင္း အဲဒီလို ေျပာၾကားခဲ့တာပါ။ အျပည့္အစုံကုိ ေဒၚခင္စိုး၀င္းက တင္ျပေပးထားပါတယ္။
ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံမွာ အမ်ဳိးသား ျပန္လည္သင့္ျမတ္ေရးအတြက္ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အခုလို ေျပာသြားပါတယ္။
“က်မတို႔က ဒီမုိကေရစီ လိုအားတဲ့ အုပ္စု အဖြဲ႕ေတြ အားလုံးနဲ႔ ပူးေပါင္း ေဆာင္ရြက္ဖို႔ အဆင္သင့္ပဲ။ ဒါ က်မတို႔ရဲ႕ အရင္တုန္းက မူ၀ါဒ အတုိင္းပဲ။ အခုလည္း ဒီမူ၀ါဒ အတုိင္းပါပဲ။”
ေလာေလာဆယ္ ထုိင္း၊ ျမန္မာ နယ္စပ္မွာ တုိင္းရင္းသား လက္နက္ကုိင္ အဖြဲ႕ေတြနဲ႔ တုိက္ပြဲျဖစ္ပြားေနတဲ့ ျပႆနာနဲ႔ ပတ္သက္ၿပီး ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က သူ႔ရဲ႕ သေဘာထား အျမင္ကုိ အခုလို ေျပာျပပါတယ္။
“တုိင္းရင္းသားေတြနဲ႔ တုိက္ပြဲျဖစ္တာကေတာ့ ဘာမ်ား စိတ္ခ်မ္းသာစရာ ရွိလဲ။ တုိင္းရင္းသားေတြနဲ႔ တုိက္ပြဲျဖစ္တာေၾကာင့္ က်မတုိ႔ အားလုံးအတြက္ စုိးရိမ္စရာေပါ့၊ စိတ္မေကာင္းစရာေပါ့။ ဒီလိုဟာမ်ဳိးေတြက မျဖစ္သင့္ဘူးေလ။”
NLD အမ်ဳိးသား ဒီမုိကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္က လူမႈေရး လုပ္ငန္းေတြကို အာ႐ုံစုိက္ လုပ္ေတာ့မယ္ ဆုိတာနဲ႔ ပတ္သက္လို႔ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အခုလို ရွင္းလင္း ေျပာဆုိသြားပါတယ္။
“NGO ဖြဲ႕မယ္လို႔လည္း တခါမွ မေျပာခဲ့ဘူး။ က်မတုိ႔ေျပာတာက လူမႈ၀န္ထမ္း အလုပ္ေတြ လုပ္ဖို႔ လိုေနၿပီ။ လူမႈ၀န္ထမ္း အလုပ္ဆုိတာ ႏုိင္ငံေရးနဲ႔ ခြဲျခားလုိ႔ မရဘူး။ အခုအခ်ိန္မွာဆုိရင္ က်မတုိ႔ ျပည္သူေတြက အင္မတန္မွ လိုအပ္ေနတယ္။ စီးပြားေရးေတြလည္း ဒုကၡေရာက္ေနတယ္၊ အကူအညီ လိုေနတယ္။ အဲဒီ လုိေနတဲ့ လူေတြရဲ႕ အကူအညီကို ေပးႏုိင္သေလာက္ ေပးဖို႔ပဲ။ အဲဒါေတြက အခုမွ လုပ္တာ မဟုတ္ဘူးေနာ္။ ၁၉၉၅ ခုႏွစ္ကတည္းက စၿပီးေတာ့ လူမႈ၀န္ထမ္း အလုပ္ေတြကို လုပ္ခဲ့တာ။”
ႏုိင္ငံျခား သတင္းေထာက္ေတြရဲ႕ အေမးကို ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ေျဖဆုိရာမွာ လူထုနဲ႔ အဆက္ျပတ္ေနတဲ့ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္ အေနနဲ႔ တုိက္႐ိုက္ထိေတြ႕ ဆက္ဆံလိုတယ္လို႔ အဂၤလိပ္လို အခုလုိ ေျဖရွင္းပါတယ္။
“လူထုရဲ႕အသံကို နားေထာင္ရင္းနဲ႔ ေလ့လာေနတာပါ။ ဒါေပမဲ့ အထဲမွာ ေနရေတာ့ လူထုရဲ႕အသံကို တိုက္႐ုိက္ၾကားရဖုိ႔ သိပ္ကုိ ခက္ခဲလွပါတယ္။ လူထုေတြရဲ႕ အသံေတြကို ၾကားရဖုိ႔အတြက္ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က သူတို႔ဆီကို စာေရးဖုိ႔ အားေပးလုိတယ္လို႔ ေျပာပါတယ္။ လူထုအေနနဲ႔ ဘာျဖစ္ခ်င္သလဲ၊ ဘာေတြ လုပ္ေစခ်င္သလဲ ဆိုတာကို စာေရးေပးၾကပါ၊ တခ်ဳိ႕က ဆႏၵေတြ ရွိေနေပမဲ့ လက္ေတြ႕မွာ ျဖစ္ခ်င္မွ ျဖစ္မွာပါ။
“ဒါေပမဲ့ သူတုိ႔ေတြ အားက်လာေအာင္၊ ေမွ်ာ္လင့္ခ်က္ေတြ ေပးႏုိင္ေအာင္ လူထုရဲ႕ အသံေတြကိုလည္း ၾကားလိုပါတယ္။ လူထုရဲ႕ အသံကို နားေထာင္မွ ျဖစ္မွာပါလို႔ ေျပာပါတယ္။ ၆ ႏွစ္အတြင္းမွာ ေရဒီယိုကိုပဲ နားေထာင္ခဲ့ရၿပီး အခု လူေတြ ဘယ္လိုေျပာတယ္ ဆိုတာကို သူ နားေထာင္ခ်င္တဲ့ ဆႏၵ ရွိပါတယ္လို႔ ေျပာဆုိသြားပါတယ္။”
ဆက္လက္ၿပီး ျမန္မာျပည္အေပၚမွာ ၾသဇာ အလႊမ္းမုိးဆုံးလုိ႔ ယူဆၾကတဲ့ အိမ္နီးခ်င္း တ႐ုတ္ႏုိင္ငံနဲ႔ ဆက္ဆံေရး အေပၚမွာေရာ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က ဘယ္လိုမ်ား သေဘာထားပါသလဲ။
“တ႐ုတ္ႏုိင္ငံကို ရန္သူလို သေဘာမထားပါဘူး။ ဒီမုိကေရစီကို အမွန္တကယ္ လိုခ်င္တဲ့သူေတြ အေနနဲ႔ တ႐ုတ္ႏုိင္ငံကို ရန္သူရယ္လို႔ မ႐ႈျမင္ေစလိုပါဘူး။ တ႐ုတ္နဲ႔ ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံဟာ အိမ္နီးခ်င္းေတြ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္။ ဒီကမၻာႀကီး တည္ရွိေနသေရြ႕ တ႐ုတ္နဲ႔ ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံဟာလည္း အိမ္နီးခ်င္းေတြအျဖစ္ ရပ္တည္သြားမွာပါ။ ဒါေၾကာင့္ အိမ္နီးခ်င္းေကာင္း ပီသစြာ ဆက္ဆံသြားၾကရမွာ ျဖစ္တယ္။” လို႔ ေျပာဆုိသြားပါတယ္။
ဆက္လက္ၿပီး NLD ပါတီ တခုတည္းကပဲ ႏုိင္ငံကို လႊမ္းမုိးအုပ္ခ်ဳပ္တာ၊ ပါတီတခုတည္းက တပါတီစနစ္နဲ႔ အုပ္ခ်ဳပ္တာနဲ႔ ပတ္သက္ၿပီး ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အခုလို သုံးသပ္သြားပါတယ္။
“တပါတီတည္းက ႏုိင္ငံအာဏာ ထိန္းခ်ဳပ္ထားတာ ဒီမုိကေရစီစနစ္လုိ႔ မယူဆပါဘူး။ ဒီလိုပါပဲ၊ ပါတီတခုအတြင္းမွာလည္း လူတဦး တေယာက္က ထိန္းခ်ဳပ္ထားတာက ဒီမုိကေရစီလို႔ မယူဆပါဘူး။ ထိထိေရာက္ေရာက္ မလုပ္ကုိင္ႏုိင္ဘဲ ႏုိင္ငံအတြက္ ဘယ္လို ဒီမုိကေရစီမ်ဳိးကို ေဆာင္ၾကဥ္းေပးႏုိင္မွာပါလဲ။ NLD ပါတီကုိလည္း သူတေယာက္တည္းနဲ႔ ဘယ္ေတာ့မွ ထိန္းခ်ဳပ္သြားမွာ မဟုတ္ဘူး။” လို႔ ေျပာဆိုသြားပါတယ္။
ႏုိ၀င္ဘာလ ေရြးေကာက္ပြဲမွာ အမ်ဳိးသား ဒီမုိကေရစီ အဖြဲ႕ခ်ဳပ္ ၀င္မၿပိဳင္ဘို႔ ဆုံးျဖတ္ခ်က္ ခ်တာနဲ႔ ပတ္သက္လို႔ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္က အခုလို ရွင္းျပပါတယ္။
“ပထမဆုံး အခ်က္ကေတာ့ ၂၀၀၈ ခုႏွစ္ ဖြဲ႕စည္းပုံ အေျခခံဥပေဒကို လုံး၀ မယုံၾကည္လုိ႔ပါပဲ။ ဒုတိယ အခ်က္ကေတာ့ ၁၉၉၀ ေရြးေကာက္ပြဲကုိ လူထုက တခဲနက္ ေထာက္ခံထားၿပီး ၀ါက်ေလး တေၾကာင္းတည္းနဲ႔ ဖ်က္သိမ္းလုိက္တာေၾကာင့္ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္။ တတိယ အခ်က္ကေတာ့ ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံ ဒီမုိကေရစီ အေရးအတြက္ အရာရာကို စြန္႔လႊတ္ အနစ္နာခံၿပီး အက်ဥ္းက်ခံေနၾကတဲ့ က်မတို႔ရဲ႕ ရဲေဘာ္ ရဲဘက္ေတြအတြက္ မွန္ကန္တဲ့ ဆုံးျဖတ္ခ်က္ ျဖစ္တယ္လို႔ မယူဆတဲ့အတြက္ NLD ေရြးေကာက္ပြဲကို မ၀င္ခဲ့တာ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္။” လို႔ ရွင္းလင္း ေျပာပါတယ္။
ဒီေန႔က်င္းပတဲ့ သတင္းစာ ရွင္းလင္းပြဲမွာ ေဒၚေအာင္ဆန္းစုၾကည္ ေျပာသြားတဲ့အထဲက ေကာက္ႏႈတ္ တင္ျပခဲ့တာ ျဖစ္ပါတယ္
http://www.voanews.com/burmese/news/dassk-press-conference-107945279.html
Suu Kyi 'touched' by huge support
14 November 2010 Last updated at 15:06Help
In her first interview since being released, the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has told the BBC that she plans to listen to what the people of Burma want before taking her next steps.
BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead asked her how she felt about the huge reception she received on her release from house arrest.
Suu Kyi addresses supporters
14 November 2010 Last updated at 07:25Help
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has addressed a large crowd of supporters in Rangoon, a day after her release from house arrest.
She told them not to give up hope - and says she has no ill feeling towards those who detained her. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years.
BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead monitored events from Bangkok in neighbouring Thailand.
Aung San Suu Kyi's talks exclusively to the BBC
14 November 2010 Last updated at 13:03Help
In her first interview since being released, the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has told the BBC's Alastair Leithead that she plans to listen to what the people of Burma want before taking her next steps.
She has already spoken to supporters and journalists at her party headquarters in Rangoon, saying she'll talk to Western nations about lifting sanctions if that's what the Burmese people want.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11752918
In her first interview since being released, the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has told the BBC that she plans to listen to what the people of Burma want before taking her next steps.
BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead asked her how she felt about the huge reception she received on her release from house arrest.
Suu Kyi addresses supporters
14 November 2010 Last updated at 07:25Help
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has addressed a large crowd of supporters in Rangoon, a day after her release from house arrest.
She told them not to give up hope - and says she has no ill feeling towards those who detained her. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years.
BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead monitored events from Bangkok in neighbouring Thailand.
Aung San Suu Kyi's talks exclusively to the BBC
14 November 2010 Last updated at 13:03Help
In her first interview since being released, the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has told the BBC's Alastair Leithead that she plans to listen to what the people of Burma want before taking her next steps.
She has already spoken to supporters and journalists at her party headquarters in Rangoon, saying she'll talk to Western nations about lifting sanctions if that's what the Burmese people want.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11752918
Monday, 15 November 2010
Suu Kyi release welcomed, but leaders say they're watching Burma
WORLD leaders and rights groups have hailed the release from detention of Burma's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, but warned the junta not to restrict her and called for the release of all political prisoners.
US President Barack Obama said that "while the Burmese regime has gone to extraordinary lengths to isolate and silence Aung San Suu Kyi, she has continued her brave fight for democracy, peace and change in Burma".
"She is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world," said Mr Obama in a statement.
In Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee invited Suu Kyi to make the traditional acceptance speech which she, as the Nobel Peace laureate, was prevented from giving in 1991, the NTB news agency reported.
China, one of Burma's closest allies and a mainstay for the junta through trade ties and arms sales, had no immediate reaction although the official Xinhua news agency did report the release of the "noted political figure".
India, which has also been accused of turning a blind eye to the regime's abuses, greeted her release as a welcome step forward in efforts to achieve "a more inclusive approach to political change" in its southeastern neighbour.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Burma but has been accused by the West of not doing enough to push for change in the military-ruled country, welcomed the release.
"I'm very, very relieved and hope that this will contribute to true national reconciliation," ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuswan said.
Mr Pitsuswan said he hoped Suu Kyi would be able to play a role in any reform process, while ASEAN's largest member, Indonesia, said the release was a "positive step" towards national reconciliation.
Neighbouring Thailand, a major trading partner, echoed the sentiment, saying it hoped that Suu Kyi "will have a constructive role to play in (Burma's) nation-building process".
While the reaction to Suu Kyi's release was broadly positive, several leaders and rights groups urged Burma to do more. Mr Obama said it was "time for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners", in a statement echoed by Australia.
"The release of Aung San Suu Kyi offers the Burmese authorities an opportunity to move the country forward," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.
Amnesty International said Suu Kyi's release was not a "concession" by the regime and should not take attention away from other prisoners of conscience being held in "deplorable conditions".
Release a 'cynical ploy'
Human Rights Watch said the release was a "cynical ploy by the military government to distract the international community from its illegitimate elections" held this month and called for all political prisoners to be freed.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France would be "extremely attentive" to the conditions in which Suu Kyi "enjoys her re-found liberty".
"Restrictions on her freedom of movement and expression would constitute a new unacceptable denial of her rights," Mr Sarkozy said in a statement.
A senior Burmese official said no conditions were tied to Suu Kyi's release.
"She is completely free - there are no conditions at all," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Suu Kyi "an inspiration" to the world.
"The secretary-general expects that no further restrictions will be placed on her, and he urges the (Burmese) authorities to build on today's action by releasing all remaining political prisoners," a spokesman said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, Burma's former colonial ruler, called her release "long overdue", branding her detention for 15 of the past 21 years a "travesty, designed only to silence the voice of the Burmese people".
Desmond Tutu, chair of the group of retired senior statesmen known as The Elders, called Suu Kyi "a global symbol of moral courage" and said her release "offers hope to the people of Burma".
In Brussels, European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso called for Suu Kyi to be granted "unrestricted freedom of movement and speech" and echoed the call for the release of political prisoners.
Europe's top rights body, the 47-member Council of Europe groups welcomed her release as "an important day for human rights defenders worldwide".
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay called Suu Kyi's release "a positive signal" by Burmese authorities and said she could "make a major contribution" in the transition to democracy and national reconciliation.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/suu-kyi-welcomed-but-leaders-say-theyre-watching-burma/story-e6frfku0-1225953429991
US President Barack Obama said that "while the Burmese regime has gone to extraordinary lengths to isolate and silence Aung San Suu Kyi, she has continued her brave fight for democracy, peace and change in Burma".
"She is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world," said Mr Obama in a statement.
In Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee invited Suu Kyi to make the traditional acceptance speech which she, as the Nobel Peace laureate, was prevented from giving in 1991, the NTB news agency reported.
China, one of Burma's closest allies and a mainstay for the junta through trade ties and arms sales, had no immediate reaction although the official Xinhua news agency did report the release of the "noted political figure".
India, which has also been accused of turning a blind eye to the regime's abuses, greeted her release as a welcome step forward in efforts to achieve "a more inclusive approach to political change" in its southeastern neighbour.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Burma but has been accused by the West of not doing enough to push for change in the military-ruled country, welcomed the release.
"I'm very, very relieved and hope that this will contribute to true national reconciliation," ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuswan said.
Mr Pitsuswan said he hoped Suu Kyi would be able to play a role in any reform process, while ASEAN's largest member, Indonesia, said the release was a "positive step" towards national reconciliation.
Neighbouring Thailand, a major trading partner, echoed the sentiment, saying it hoped that Suu Kyi "will have a constructive role to play in (Burma's) nation-building process".
While the reaction to Suu Kyi's release was broadly positive, several leaders and rights groups urged Burma to do more. Mr Obama said it was "time for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners", in a statement echoed by Australia.
"The release of Aung San Suu Kyi offers the Burmese authorities an opportunity to move the country forward," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.
Amnesty International said Suu Kyi's release was not a "concession" by the regime and should not take attention away from other prisoners of conscience being held in "deplorable conditions".
Release a 'cynical ploy'
Human Rights Watch said the release was a "cynical ploy by the military government to distract the international community from its illegitimate elections" held this month and called for all political prisoners to be freed.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France would be "extremely attentive" to the conditions in which Suu Kyi "enjoys her re-found liberty".
"Restrictions on her freedom of movement and expression would constitute a new unacceptable denial of her rights," Mr Sarkozy said in a statement.
A senior Burmese official said no conditions were tied to Suu Kyi's release.
"She is completely free - there are no conditions at all," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Suu Kyi "an inspiration" to the world.
"The secretary-general expects that no further restrictions will be placed on her, and he urges the (Burmese) authorities to build on today's action by releasing all remaining political prisoners," a spokesman said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, Burma's former colonial ruler, called her release "long overdue", branding her detention for 15 of the past 21 years a "travesty, designed only to silence the voice of the Burmese people".
Desmond Tutu, chair of the group of retired senior statesmen known as The Elders, called Suu Kyi "a global symbol of moral courage" and said her release "offers hope to the people of Burma".
In Brussels, European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso called for Suu Kyi to be granted "unrestricted freedom of movement and speech" and echoed the call for the release of political prisoners.
Europe's top rights body, the 47-member Council of Europe groups welcomed her release as "an important day for human rights defenders worldwide".
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay called Suu Kyi's release "a positive signal" by Burmese authorities and said she could "make a major contribution" in the transition to democracy and national reconciliation.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/suu-kyi-welcomed-but-leaders-say-theyre-watching-burma/story-e6frfku0-1225953429991
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi 'willing to meet Burma's generals'
Ms Suu Kyi said her party was investigating allegations of fraud in the elections
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has told the BBC she is willing to meet its military leaders to help work towards national reconciliation.
A day after her release from house arrest, she said it was time to "sort out our differences across the table".
Ms Suu Kyi also said she intended to listen to what the Burmese people and her international supporters wanted as she planned her next steps.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner has spent 15 of the past 21 years in detention.
World leaders and human rights groups have welcomed her release.
US President Barack Obama said it was "long overdue", while UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Ms Suu Kyi was an "inspiration", and urged Burma to free all its remaining 2,200 political prisoners.
The move came six days after Burma held its first elections in 20 years, which was won by the biggest military-backed party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), but widely condemned as a sham.
Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won the last election in 1990, but was never allowed to take power. It was disbanded by the military authorities after it decided to boycott last week's polls.
'Not fearful'
In her first interview since being released, Ms Suu Kyi told the BBC's Alastair Leithead in Bangkok by telephone that one of the first things she had to do was "to listen to what the people have to say".
"The only thing is that if you talk to a large crowd, it's difficult to listen to them. You have to do all the talking. But that's not what I want to do.
"I want to listen to what the people want. I want to listen to what the other countries want, what they think they can do for us, what we think then that they could do for us, and to work out something that is acceptable to as many people as possible," she added.
Asked how she would describe her future role, she said: "I just think of myself as one of the workers for democracy. Well, better known, perhaps, than the others here in Burma but one of those working for democracy."
Ms Suu Kyi said she was prepared to hold face-to-face talks with Burma's leader, Senior General Than Shwe, to discuss the opposition's demands and to help launch a process of national reconciliation.
"I think we will have to sort out our differences across the table, talking to each other, agreeing to disagree, or finding out why we disagree and trying to remove the sources of our disagreement," she said.
"There are so many things that we have to talk about."
The NLD was currently investigating allegations of fraud in last week's elections, she said, and would soon publish a report.
"From what I've heard there are many, many questions about the fairness about the election and there are many allegations of vote-rigging and so on."
Ms Suu Kyi said she was not fearful of risking re-arrest by continuing to push for democracy, even though she accepted that it was a possibility.
"I'm not fearful, not in the sense that I think to myself that I won't do this or I won't do that because they'll put me under arrest again. That I don't have in mind," she explained.
"But, I know that there's always the possibility that I might be re-arrested. It's not something that I particularly wish for, because if you're placed under arrest you can't work as much as you can when you're not under arrest."
But she stressed that her situation under house arrest had been much better than that of other political prisoners who are in jail.
Ms Suu Kyi added that, during her time in detention she had never felt alone, partly thanks to the BBC, which kept her in touch with the rest of the world.
Earlier on Sunday, Ms Suu Kyi was mobbed by her supporters as she made her way for the first time since her release from her house to the NLD's offices.
The 65-year-old said freedom of speech was the basis of democracy, but warned a crowd of about 4,000 people in Rangoon that if they wanted change they would have to go about getting it in the right way.
"We must work together," she told them. "We Burmese tend to believe in fate, but if we want change we have to do it ourselves."
Continue reading the main story-Aung San Suu Kyi
* Born 1945, daughter of Burma's independence hero, General Aung San, assassinated in 1947
* 1960: Leaves Burma and is later educated at Oxford University
* 1988: Returns to care for sick mother and is caught up in revolt against then-dictator Ne Win
* 1989: Put under house arrest as Burma junta declares martial law
* 1990: NLD wins election; military disregards result
* 1991: Wins Nobel Peace Prize
* 1995: Released from house arrest, but movements restricted
* 2000: Near continuous period of house arrest begins
* Sept 2007: First public appearance since 2003, greeting protesting Buddhist monks
* November 2010: NLD boycotts first election in 20 years and is disbanded; House arrest ends
Are you in Rangoon? Did you hear Aung San Suu Kyi's speech?
Continue reading the main story
At the scene
A correspondentBBC News, Rangoon
Earlier on Sunday, Aung Sang Suu Kyi had to struggle through the throngs of jubilant supporters to reach the podium where she was supposed to speak. Thousands had gathered to hear her.
They were probably expecting Ms Suu Kyi to make clear what she planned to do now that she was free - in the event she asked for help. She said she could not do it alone, and was "ready to work with all democratic forces" - an appeal perhaps to an opposition bitterly divided over the recent election here to unite once more.
She told the crowd she believed in the rule of human rights and the rule of law and felt no antagonism to those who had kept her detained for much of the past two decades. The basis of democratic freedom, she said, was freedom of speech. But she cautioned that if her supporters wanted to get to where they wanted, they had to do it the right way. "Do not give up hope," she added.
Ms Suu Kyi's words were measured and careful, she will know that the military leaders who rule this country will be scrutinising her every move and today she was careful not to provoke them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11752993
Aung San Suu Kyi Seeks Reconciliation With Military Rulers
Newly freed Burmese democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi is offering an olive branch to the country's military regime that kept her confined for most of the last two decades.
In an exclusive interview with VOA, the 65-year-old Nobel Peace laureate said she and her supporters "are certainly not bent on clashing" with the military rulers. She added, "We hope very much that the regime will understand that clashing is not a solution to Burma's problems."
Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest Saturday and was greeted by thousands of supporters as she emerged from her lakeside home. On Sunday, in a speech at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy party, she said freedom of speech is the cornerstone of democracy.
She said she wants to work with all democratic forces in seeking change in Burma, but that it has to be accomplished in the "right way" through discussions with the military leaders. Otherwise, she said, democratic forces will not be able to achieve their goal, "however noble or correct it may be."
The Nobel laureate told VOA in a telephone interview that she will work to try to persuade the military government that "national reconciliation is in everybody's interest." She said she believes that if both sides are really willing to find a solution, they can find one. She added that they should discuss what is possible and then work on that.
Aung San Suu Kyi Exclusive Interview with VOA Burmese:
Aung San Suu Kyi said she will be calling on governments and people throughout the world to find out how to work together. She said there are many things the international community could do for Burma that are practicable and reasonable. But she did not spell out what she thinks those are.
Despite making an offer to discuss national issues with the military rulers, Aung San Suu Kyi noted there have been many questions raised about the fairness of the Nov. 7 election in Burma. She said her political party has formed a committee to look into the matter and will be issuing a report very soon.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory in Burma's national election two decades ago, but the military rulers refused to allow it to take power.
The rulers did not allow international observers to enter Burma to watch the November 7 voting, but there were reports of punishment being meted out to those who voted against the military's political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-Addresses-Supporters-at-Party-Headquarters-107919589.html
Suu Kyi Vows to Renew Push for Change
A day after her release from more than seven years of house arrest, Myanmar prodemocracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi signaled she intends to keep pressing for political change—a mission observers say has been made more difficult by the military junta's tightened grip on power.
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Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi greeted by thousands of cheering supporters, in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sunday.
In a handful of public appearances in Yangon, including a speech before some 5,000 supporters, Ms. Suu Kyi called for talks with the junta's reclusive supreme leader, Gen. Than Shwe, and emphasized the need for "rule of law," the Associated Press reported. She also promised to use "whatever authority I have" to pursue dialogue with the country's generals, who have resisted meeting with her in the past.
Freed Myanmar pro-democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi tells supporters in Yangon she is encouraged to see them. Video courtesy of Reuters.
Ms. Suu Kyi's initial public outings, in a country where gatherings of more than five people are technically illegal, underscored both her widespread popular appeal and the daunting scale of the challenges ahead for her. There was no immediate response from the government on her call for talks.
Her comments also raised questions about how far she will be willing to go to test the regime in the months ahead, given its past record of re-arresting her whenever it feels she poses a threat.
Although Ms. Suu Kyi's remarks on Sunday remained largely conciliatory, they left little doubt she intended to play a political role going forward—something analysts and many residents believe the regime doesn't want to allow.
Ms. Suu Kyi's release on Saturday, on the final day of her latest sentence under the regime, electrified Yangon residents and drew words of encouragement from celebrities and politicians across the globe. Supporters chanted "We love Suu" as she spoke Sunday at the former headquarters of her recently disbanded political organization, the National League for Democracy.
A witness at Ms. Suu Kyi's appearances on Sunday said it was impossible to find space to stand, with residents sitting in trees, on car roofs and on high walls. Some had traveled from rural areas, while many wore T-shirts bearing the words, "We Stand With Suu Kyi." Police with video and still cameras took pictures of people in the crowd from the roof of a nearby religious building.
Some residents said her release offered the first hope in years that the country's military regime, which has overseen Myanmar's descent into one of the poorest countries in the world since taking over in 1962, will change.
Yet Ms. Suu Kyi's ability to alter the political dynamic in Myanmar remains limited, analysts say. Despite being one of the world's most famous political prisoners, her position has weakened considerably in recent years as the military has fortified its financial and military strength through expanded ties with China and other Asian allies, including rapidly rising sales of natural gas and other commodities.
More
U.S. Statement: Release of Aung San Suu Kyi
Frustrations Increase After Myanmar Vote
Myanmar Opposition Group Has New Tack: Cooperation
Graphic: Myanmar Election 2010
The regime appeared to cement its control over the country just days before Ms. Suu Kyi's release, in a national election on Nov. 7 dominated by the government-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party. State media have said the party secured a majority in both houses of the country's new Parliament, winning roughly 85% of the seats for which results were announced.
The regime has released results from the election in piecemeal over the past week, and it is still unclear precisely how many seats were won by opposition groups such as the National Democratic Force, a splinter group of Ms. Suu Kyi's NLD that has advocated less-confrontational tactics against the regime.
The NDF and other small opposition parties are expected to wind up with at least a few seats, though fewer than they hoped for.
Dissidents and Western observers derided the election, Myanmar's first in 20 years, as a sham, with widespread reports of voting irregularities.
But the vote was quickly endorsed by neighbors such as China and Vietnam, and Myanmar's government said it was free and fair.
More important for Ms. Suu Kyi, the election wipes out the results of Myanmar's last vote in 1990, which Ms. Suu Kyi's political organization easily won but which the military junta subsequently ignored.
The latest election also saw the emergence of several rival opposition groups—including some that are counseling less confrontation with the regime—that might not fully accept Ms. Suu Kyi's leadership.
Some Myanmar residents, especially younger dissidents, revere Ms. Suu Kyi but have questioned her past tendency to confront the regime, which they believe has led it only to dig in its heels and resist political change.
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European Pressphoto Agency
Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi received flowers over the fence of her house and waved to supporters as she was set free Saturday.
The government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, has made only brief public references to Ms. Suu Kyi's release. A late-evening broadcast on a state news channel Saturday said that Ms. Suu Kyi had been set free by order of the government and that her release came with no conditions. It showed the chief of police visiting her in her home and expressing approval of her good health.
Speculation of a possible release had been building for weeks, mainly because Ms. Suu Kyi's latest term under house arrest—imposed after an American well-wisher swam uninvited to her home, violating the terms of a previous detention—was due to expire on Saturday. Analysts have long thought the junta wanted to free Ms. Suu Kyi to silence international critics who were calling for her release and to ensure she didn't die under its watch, which could have led to unrest.
But the regime was wary of letting her out before the election, when her popularity and formidable political skill could have influenced the outcome.
With the election finished, Myanmar's generals "just seem really self-confident" in their grip on power, says Sean Turnell, a Myanmar expert at Macquarie University in Australia.
Myanmar's government may also hope that freeing Ms. Suu Kyi will lead Western nations to reconsider the economic sanctions they imposed on Myanmar over the past decade, largely in protest of Ms. Suu Kyi's detention. But that appears unlikely given the level of distrust between the two sides.
Soon after her release on Saturday, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement that while he welcomed the release of Ms. Suu Kyi, whom he called a "hero," he said it "does not change the fact that she, and the political opposition she represents, has been systematically silenced, incarcerated, and deprived of any opportunity to engage in political processes."
Other international leaders hailed her release, but insisted the government allow her the freedom to move about the country and participate in political activities.
Burma Campaign UK, an activist group, said in a statement that it "welcomed" Ms. Suu Kyi's release, but that it "should not be interpreted as a sign that democratic reform is on the way," and was "designed to get positive publicity" after "the blatant rigging of elections on 7th November."
The biggest question now is how hard Ms. Suu Kyi will push in her efforts to confront the regime.
Many supporters believe she will try to keep a relatively low profile in the short run, focusing largely on rebuilding her political party, the National League for Democracy, which was disbanded by the government earlier this year when it refused to participate in the polls. Its former leaders, many now in their 70s and 80s, have said they intend to keep the party going as a social organization, but its influence has declined in recent years without Ms. Suu Kyi's active participation.
Ms. Suu Kyi has also indicated through a party spokesman that she hopes the party will look into allegations of fraud in the latest election, a move that could quickly put her on a collision course with the regime.
In her speech on Sunday, Ms. Suu Kyi stopped short of directly criticizing the government and even thanked a security detail for treating her well while she was under arrest.
Still, she left little doubt she opposes the regime's policies. If authorities "don't want to be blamed for bad things, they shouldn't do bad things," she said, according to an eyewitness.
She also called on supporters to remember the country's other political prisoners, who total about 2,100 people, according to international human-rights groups.
Ms. Suu Kyi also met with a group of Yangon-based diplomats and was scheduled to attend a funeral and visit a Yangon pagoda.
The daughter of a national hero who helped secure Myanmar's independence from British rule in the 1940s, Ms. Suu Kyi emerged as a political force in the late 1980s, as the country reeled from years of disastrous economic policies and government crackdowns.
Many residents were enthralled by Ms. Suu Kyi's calls for Western-style democracy.
Ms. Suu Kyi quickly aroused the ire of top generals, and they placed her under arrest in 1989, keeping her under detention for 15 of the past 21 years.
She was last detained in 2003, after a pro-government mob attacked her entourage and killed many of her followers during a tour of northern Myanmar. Authorities extended her detention another 18 months in August 2009.
A lot has changed since Ms. Suu Kyi last walked free in 2003. In past years, she was the undisputed leader of Myanmar's dissident movement. The military government, meanwhile, was struggling after years of economic problems intensified by sanctions, which led multinational companies, such as PepsiCo Inc., to cut their ties with the country.
More recently, the regime's position has strengthened considerably. Its decision to disband Ms. Suu Kyi's party allowed other opposition groups—especially those that take a more moderate line against the government—to vie for influence.
The regime has also greatly expanded its trade and investment ties with China and other Asian countries, which covet Myanmar's natural resources and are pouring billions of dollars into new ports, gas pipelines and hydroelectricity facilities, helping the junta overcome sanctions. The country has been running a large trade surplus in recent years and now has an estimated $6 billion in foreign reserves.
Ms. Suu Kyi is "in a far more restricted place than she was" when she was last free, says David Mathieson, a Thailand-based researcher for Human Rights Watch. Over the past seven years, the government has "gotten stronger, while they've weakened her party."
Some analysts have cautioned against underestimating Ms. Suu Kyi, though. She has repeatedly found a way to undermine the regime despite her limited financial and political resources. She remains by far the most popular political figure in the country.
One Yangon woman, a 30-year-old relief worker, said on Saturday that Ms. Suu Kyi's release left "happier than I can say," adding, "we feel empowered by her." Another resident, a 66-year-old retired government employee, was more reserved. "This is the news everyone always wanted to hear," he said. "But there are challenges for her, and of course, for all of us."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703649104575614261631373440.html?mod=wsj_share_facebook
Aung San Suu Kyi: Burma leader's first night of freedom
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spent her first night free after more than seven years under house arrest.
Thousands of supporters had been waiting near her home in the hours before her release, and the crowd swelled further when news of her freedom filtered through.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner told them they had to "work in unison" to achieve their goals - but with her political party now disbanded, it may be that the hard work still lies ahead.
John Simpson reports from Rangoon.
Thousands of supporters had been waiting near her home in the hours before her release, and the crowd swelled further when news of her freedom filtered through.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner told them they had to "work in unison" to achieve their goals - but with her political party now disbanded, it may be that the hard work still lies ahead.
John Simpson reports from Rangoon.
House arrest (Aung San Suu Kyi)
Ms Suu Kyi remained under house arrest in Rangoon for six years, until she was released in July 1995.
She was again put under house arrest in September 2000, when she tried to travel to the city of Mandalay in defiance of travel restrictions.
She was released unconditionally in May 2002, but just over a year later she was put in prison following a clash between her supporters and a government-backed mob.
She was later allowed to return home - but again under effective house arrest, where she has since remained.
During periods of confinement, Ms Suu Kyi has busied herself studying and exercising.
She has meditated, worked on her French and Japanese language skills, and relaxed by playing Bach on the piano.
In more recent years, she has also been able to meet other NLD officials and selected diplomats.
But during her early years of detention, she was often in solitary confinement. She was not allowed to see her two sons or her husband, who died of cancer in March 1999.
The military authorities offered to allow her to travel to the UK to see him when he was gravely ill, but she felt compelled to refuse for fear she would not be allowed back into the country.
She has grandchildren she has never met.
Continue reading the main story(Aung San Suu Kyi)
* 1989: Put under house arrest as Burma junta declares martial law
* 1990: NLD wins election; military disregards result
* 1991: Wins Nobel Peace Prize
* 1995: Released from house arrest, but movements restricted
* 2000-02: Second period of house arrest
* May 2003: Detained after clash between NLD and junta forces
* Sep 2003: Allowed home after medical treatment, but under effective house arrest
* May 2007: House arrest is extended for another year
* Sept 2007: First public appearance since 2003, greeting protesting Buddhist monks
* May 2008: House arrest extended for another year
* May 2009: Charged with breaking detention rules after an American swims to her compound
* August 2009: Sentenced to 18 months further house arrest
'Can't stop freedom'
In recent months she has been criticised in some quarters for her decision to boycott the November 2010 elections, Burma's first in 20 years.
The NLD said the election laws were unfair and decided not to take part in the polls. Under new election laws, it then had to disband.
But a group of NLD members formed a new party to contest the polls, arguing that some representation in the new parliament would be better than none at all.
The polls - described as "neither free nor fair" by US President Barack Obama - appear to have left military-backed parties firmly in control.
This has raised speculation that she could soon be freed. She has said that she will not accept a release if any conditions are placed on her activities.
Ms Suu Kyi has often said that detention has made her even more sure that she should dedicate her life to representing the average Burmese citizen.
In a rare interview in 2007 during the uprising that was brutally put down by the military, she said democracy was "not finished in Burma".
"No matter the regime's physical power, in the end they can't stop the people; they can't stop freedom," she told British journalist John Pilger. "We shall have our time."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977
She was again put under house arrest in September 2000, when she tried to travel to the city of Mandalay in defiance of travel restrictions.
She was released unconditionally in May 2002, but just over a year later she was put in prison following a clash between her supporters and a government-backed mob.
She was later allowed to return home - but again under effective house arrest, where she has since remained.
During periods of confinement, Ms Suu Kyi has busied herself studying and exercising.
She has meditated, worked on her French and Japanese language skills, and relaxed by playing Bach on the piano.
In more recent years, she has also been able to meet other NLD officials and selected diplomats.
But during her early years of detention, she was often in solitary confinement. She was not allowed to see her two sons or her husband, who died of cancer in March 1999.
The military authorities offered to allow her to travel to the UK to see him when he was gravely ill, but she felt compelled to refuse for fear she would not be allowed back into the country.
She has grandchildren she has never met.
Continue reading the main story(Aung San Suu Kyi)
* 1989: Put under house arrest as Burma junta declares martial law
* 1990: NLD wins election; military disregards result
* 1991: Wins Nobel Peace Prize
* 1995: Released from house arrest, but movements restricted
* 2000-02: Second period of house arrest
* May 2003: Detained after clash between NLD and junta forces
* Sep 2003: Allowed home after medical treatment, but under effective house arrest
* May 2007: House arrest is extended for another year
* Sept 2007: First public appearance since 2003, greeting protesting Buddhist monks
* May 2008: House arrest extended for another year
* May 2009: Charged with breaking detention rules after an American swims to her compound
* August 2009: Sentenced to 18 months further house arrest
'Can't stop freedom'
In recent months she has been criticised in some quarters for her decision to boycott the November 2010 elections, Burma's first in 20 years.
The NLD said the election laws were unfair and decided not to take part in the polls. Under new election laws, it then had to disband.
But a group of NLD members formed a new party to contest the polls, arguing that some representation in the new parliament would be better than none at all.
The polls - described as "neither free nor fair" by US President Barack Obama - appear to have left military-backed parties firmly in control.
This has raised speculation that she could soon be freed. She has said that she will not accept a release if any conditions are placed on her activities.
Ms Suu Kyi has often said that detention has made her even more sure that she should dedicate her life to representing the average Burmese citizen.
In a rare interview in 2007 during the uprising that was brutally put down by the military, she said democracy was "not finished in Burma".
"No matter the regime's physical power, in the end they can't stop the people; they can't stop freedom," she told British journalist John Pilger. "We shall have our time."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977
Political pedigree
Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of the country's independence hero, General Aung San.
Ms Suu Kyi was a toddler when her father was assassinated
Profile: The woman who has become the face of Burma's democracy movement
He was assassinated during the transition period in July 1947, just six months before independence.
Aung San Suu Kyi was only two years old at the time.
In 1960 she went to India with her mother Daw Khin Kyi, who had been appointed Burma's ambassador to Delhi.
Four years later she went to Oxford University in the UK, where she studied philosophy, politics and economics. There she met her future husband, academic Michael Aris.
After stints of living and working in Japan and Bhutan, she settled down to be an English don's housewife and raise their two children, Alexander and Kim.
But Burma was never far from her thoughts.
When she arrived back in Rangoon in 1988 - to look after her critically ill mother - Burma was in the midst of major political upheaval.
Thousands of students, office workers and monks took to the streets demanding democratic reform.
"I could not, as my father's daughter remain indifferent to all that was going on," she said in a speech in Rangoon on 26 August 1988.
Ms Suu Kyi was soon propelled into leading the revolt against the then-dictator, General Ne Win.
Inspired by the non-violent campaigns of US civil rights leader Martin Luther King and India's Mahatma Gandhi, she organised rallies and travelled around the country, calling for peaceful democratic reform and free elections.
But the demonstrations were brutally suppressed by the army, who seized power in a coup on 18 September 1988.
The military government called national elections in May 1990.
Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD convincingly won the polls, despite the fact that she herself was under house arrest and disqualified from standing.
But the junta refused to hand over control, and has remained in power ever since.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977
Ms Suu Kyi was a toddler when her father was assassinated
Profile: The woman who has become the face of Burma's democracy movement
He was assassinated during the transition period in July 1947, just six months before independence.
Aung San Suu Kyi was only two years old at the time.
In 1960 she went to India with her mother Daw Khin Kyi, who had been appointed Burma's ambassador to Delhi.
Four years later she went to Oxford University in the UK, where she studied philosophy, politics and economics. There she met her future husband, academic Michael Aris.
After stints of living and working in Japan and Bhutan, she settled down to be an English don's housewife and raise their two children, Alexander and Kim.
But Burma was never far from her thoughts.
When she arrived back in Rangoon in 1988 - to look after her critically ill mother - Burma was in the midst of major political upheaval.
Thousands of students, office workers and monks took to the streets demanding democratic reform.
"I could not, as my father's daughter remain indifferent to all that was going on," she said in a speech in Rangoon on 26 August 1988.
Ms Suu Kyi was soon propelled into leading the revolt against the then-dictator, General Ne Win.
Inspired by the non-violent campaigns of US civil rights leader Martin Luther King and India's Mahatma Gandhi, she organised rallies and travelled around the country, calling for peaceful democratic reform and free elections.
But the demonstrations were brutally suppressed by the army, who seized power in a coup on 18 September 1988.
The military government called national elections in May 1990.
Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD convincingly won the polls, despite the fact that she herself was under house arrest and disqualified from standing.
But the junta refused to hand over control, and has remained in power ever since.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977
Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to joyous crowds in Myanmar
Thousands cheer newly freed Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, held for 15 years. The opposition leader urges them to make their voices heard and says she's willing to open a dialogue with the ruling junta.
Reporting from Yangon, Myanmar — A day after her release from detention, opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi met dozens of ambassadors, hundreds of journalists and thousands of Burmese citizens Sunday, underscoring the importance of dialogue, strength and determination in the battle for democracy in Myanmar.
As the jubilant crowd swelled in front of the headquarters of her disbanded National League for Democracy party, traffic ground to a halt, and people perched in trees, on fences and on vehicle roofs for a look at their charismatic leader.
Her eventual appearance at noon in the doorway of the ramshackle building electrified the audience. "I understand what the people want; they want democracy," she said to a roar from the crowd. "You must make your voices heard. Only then can we take action."
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Suu Kyi, 65, had been detained by the military-led government for 15 of the last 21 years. She was freed days after a controversial parliamentary election in which the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development party garnered about 80% of parliamentary seats. Suu Kyi boycotted the election, a decision some members of her party disagreed with and fielded candidates under the banner of another party.
During her 45-minute speech and a separate meeting with some two dozen ambassadors Sunday, she stressed her willingness to speak with all political parties, reach out to the country's many ethnic groups and open a dialogue with the military government.
"I am prepared to talk with anyone," she said.
The junta imposed no restrictions on her release, she told diplomats, and she planned to travel around Myanmar and go overseas once she'd caught up on her business in Yangon.
On Saturday, Norway's Nobel committee invited Suu Kyi to make a belated acceptance speech for the prize she won 19 years ago but was unable to pick up because she was under house arrest. The committee said it would ask Myanmar for an assurance she'd be let back in if she made the trip.
Suu Kyi told reporters she would reconsider her support of economic sanctions against Myanmar if asked to by the Burmese people. The country faces U.S. and European Union sanctions for its human-rights record, with some 2,100 political prisoners still in detention.
"The U.S. position is that [sanctions] can be put on the table," said Larry Dinger, the de facto U.S. ambassador to Myanmar. "She was very clear she'd like the international community to have one voice and work with the government here, acknowledging that the differences are great but they need to be bridged."
Suu Kyi has come under some criticism domestically for her support of sanctions, which have put tens of thousands of mostly female textile workers out of jobs even as the military and its associates grow rich trading with China and neighboring Southeast Asian nations.
In the intense heat of the midday assembly, a monk fainted and many in the crowd covered their heads with makeshift newspaper hats, watched over by scores of undercover security people busy recording its attendees on camera. But the uniformed police stayed away, and there was no overt intimidation in a country ruled by the military for the last 48 years.
Suu Kyi, dressed in a green blouse and patterned longyi, the traditional sarong worn here by men and women, urged the crowd to engage politically and get fired up. At one point, as part of the crowd started pushing, masses of people chanted, "Be disciplined!" at the offenders.
The crowd's size and enthusiasm laid to rest any concerns that Suu Kyi would be sidelined politically after years out of public view. "I'm so happy to see her," said Bo Gyi, 67, a retired civil servant. "In fact, I was crying. I've waited so many years for this moment."
Suu Kyi offered few specifics. Asked what her next political move was, she said: "We're moving all the time," and about the political landscape, she quipped: "I don't see a landscape. Look outside, all you see are people."
But she slammed the junta for alleged vote fraud in the Nov. 7 parliamentary election. Democracy must be inclusive, she told supporters, not some system controlled by one man, an obvious reference to the powerful senior general Than Shwe, 78.
Asked whether her popularity and speeches threatened the military regime, she deflected with a joke. "I don't look so threatening, do I?" she said.
Party officials said they were heartened by the huge turnout. "They very much love the lady," said Nyan Win, spokesman of the party forced to disband after it decided to boycott the election. "It shows that the people of Burma don't like the junta."
Giving her showcase speech at the decaying headquarters building signaled her desire to reinvigorate the party that saw its landslide electoral victory in 1990 negated by military leaders intent on maintaining their grip on power.
Although the ruling generals may have let Suu Kyi out in hopes of burnishing their tarnished image or to try to convince outsiders that they follow the rules and laws, some worry that she could land back in detention on some pretext in the future, as she has before.
"We don't care much" if she's rearrested, said U Win Tin, a party leader, who has spent 18 years of his life in prison for crossing the regime. "She needs to meet people and help those in need, and the government may not like it. At the same time, she's very careful. She's well versed in this."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-myanmar-suu-kyi-free-20101115,0,4789872.story
I believe in human rights, says Aung San Suu Kyi
WORLD leaders and rights groups have hailed the release from detention of Burma's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, but warned the junta not to restrict her and called for the release of all political prisoners.
US President Barack Obama said that "while the Burmese regime has gone to extraordinary lengths to isolate and silence Aung San Suu Kyi, she has continued her brave fight for democracy, peace and change in Burma".
"She is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world," said Mr Obama in a statement.
In Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee invited Suu Kyi to make the traditional acceptance speech which she, as the Nobel Peace laureate, was prevented from giving in 1991, the NTB news agency reported.
China, one of Burma's closest allies and a mainstay for the junta through trade ties and arms sales, had no immediate reaction although the official Xinhua news agency did report the release of the "noted political figure".
India, which has also been accused of turning a blind eye to the regime's abuses, greeted her release as a welcome step forward in efforts to achieve "a more inclusive approach to political change" in its southeastern neighbour.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Burma but has been accused by the West of not doing enough to push for change in the military-ruled country, welcomed the release.
"I'm very, very relieved and hope that this will contribute to true national reconciliation," ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuswan said.
Mr Pitsuswan said he hoped Suu Kyi would be able to play a role in any reform process, while ASEAN's largest member, Indonesia, said the release was a "positive step" towards national reconciliation.
Neighbouring Thailand, a major trading partner, echoed the sentiment, saying it hoped that Suu Kyi "will have a constructive role to play in (Burma's) nation-building process".
While the reaction to Suu Kyi's release was broadly positive, several leaders and rights groups urged Burma to do more. Mr Obama said it was "time for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners", in a statement echoed by Australia.
"The release of Aung San Suu Kyi offers the Burmese authorities an opportunity to move the country forward," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.
Amnesty International said Suu Kyi's release was not a "concession" by the regime and should not take attention away from other prisoners of conscience being held in "deplorable conditions".
Release a 'cynical ploy'
Human Rights Watch said the release was a "cynical ploy by the military government to distract the international community from its illegitimate elections" held this month and called for all political prisoners to be freed.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France would be "extremely attentive" to the conditions in which Suu Kyi "enjoys her re-found liberty".
"Restrictions on her freedom of movement and expression would constitute a new unacceptable denial of her rights," Mr Sarkozy said in a statement.
A senior Burmese official said no conditions were tied to Suu Kyi's release.
"She is completely free - there are no conditions at all," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Suu Kyi "an inspiration" to the world.
"The secretary-general expects that no further restrictions will be placed on her, and he urges the (Burmese) authorities to build on today's action by releasing all remaining political prisoners," a spokesman said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, Burma's former colonial ruler, called her release "long overdue", branding her detention for 15 of the past 21 years a "travesty, designed only to silence the voice of the Burmese people".
Desmond Tutu, chair of the group of retired senior statesmen known as The Elders, called Suu Kyi "a global symbol of moral courage" and said her release "offers hope to the people of Burma".
In Brussels, European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso called for Suu Kyi to be granted "unrestricted freedom of movement and speech" and echoed the call for the release of political prisoners.
Europe's top rights body, the 47-member Council of Europe groups welcomed her release as "an important day for human rights defenders worldwide".
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay called Suu Kyi's release "a positive signal" by Burmese authorities and said she could "make a major contribution" in the transition to democracy and national reconciliation.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/suu-kyi-welcomed-but-leaders-say-theyre-watching-burma/story-e6frfku0-1225953429991
US President Barack Obama said that "while the Burmese regime has gone to extraordinary lengths to isolate and silence Aung San Suu Kyi, she has continued her brave fight for democracy, peace and change in Burma".
"She is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world," said Mr Obama in a statement.
In Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee invited Suu Kyi to make the traditional acceptance speech which she, as the Nobel Peace laureate, was prevented from giving in 1991, the NTB news agency reported.
China, one of Burma's closest allies and a mainstay for the junta through trade ties and arms sales, had no immediate reaction although the official Xinhua news agency did report the release of the "noted political figure".
India, which has also been accused of turning a blind eye to the regime's abuses, greeted her release as a welcome step forward in efforts to achieve "a more inclusive approach to political change" in its southeastern neighbour.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Burma but has been accused by the West of not doing enough to push for change in the military-ruled country, welcomed the release.
"I'm very, very relieved and hope that this will contribute to true national reconciliation," ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuswan said.
Mr Pitsuswan said he hoped Suu Kyi would be able to play a role in any reform process, while ASEAN's largest member, Indonesia, said the release was a "positive step" towards national reconciliation.
Neighbouring Thailand, a major trading partner, echoed the sentiment, saying it hoped that Suu Kyi "will have a constructive role to play in (Burma's) nation-building process".
While the reaction to Suu Kyi's release was broadly positive, several leaders and rights groups urged Burma to do more. Mr Obama said it was "time for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners", in a statement echoed by Australia.
"The release of Aung San Suu Kyi offers the Burmese authorities an opportunity to move the country forward," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.
Amnesty International said Suu Kyi's release was not a "concession" by the regime and should not take attention away from other prisoners of conscience being held in "deplorable conditions".
Release a 'cynical ploy'
Human Rights Watch said the release was a "cynical ploy by the military government to distract the international community from its illegitimate elections" held this month and called for all political prisoners to be freed.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France would be "extremely attentive" to the conditions in which Suu Kyi "enjoys her re-found liberty".
"Restrictions on her freedom of movement and expression would constitute a new unacceptable denial of her rights," Mr Sarkozy said in a statement.
A senior Burmese official said no conditions were tied to Suu Kyi's release.
"She is completely free - there are no conditions at all," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Suu Kyi "an inspiration" to the world.
"The secretary-general expects that no further restrictions will be placed on her, and he urges the (Burmese) authorities to build on today's action by releasing all remaining political prisoners," a spokesman said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, Burma's former colonial ruler, called her release "long overdue", branding her detention for 15 of the past 21 years a "travesty, designed only to silence the voice of the Burmese people".
Desmond Tutu, chair of the group of retired senior statesmen known as The Elders, called Suu Kyi "a global symbol of moral courage" and said her release "offers hope to the people of Burma".
In Brussels, European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso called for Suu Kyi to be granted "unrestricted freedom of movement and speech" and echoed the call for the release of political prisoners.
Europe's top rights body, the 47-member Council of Europe groups welcomed her release as "an important day for human rights defenders worldwide".
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay called Suu Kyi's release "a positive signal" by Burmese authorities and said she could "make a major contribution" in the transition to democracy and national reconciliation.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/suu-kyi-welcomed-but-leaders-say-theyre-watching-burma/story-e6frfku0-1225953429991
I want to hear the voice of the people, says freed leader Aung San Suu Kyi
I believe in human rights, says Aung San Suu Kyi
Democratic freedom is freedom of speech, she says
World leaders: We'll be watching you
DEMOCRACY leader Aung San Suu Kyi reached out to Burma's splintered opposition forces as she addressed thousands of exuberant supporters following her release from years of house arrest.
"I want to hear the voice of the people, after that we will decide what we want to do," she told a sea of followers outside her party headquarters.
"I want to work with all democratic forces.
"I believe in human rights and I believe in the rule of law," she added.
"We will work for the people to lift living standards.
"The basis of democratic freedom is freedom of speech.
She also told them: "If we want to get what we want, we have to do it in the right way."
The daughter of Burma's independence hero carries a weight of expectation among her supporters for a better future for the nation after almost half a century of military dictatorship. The Nobel Peace Prize winner was freed yesterday after spending most of the last two decades locked up, in a move greeted with jubilation by her followers and welcomed by rights groups and governments around the world.
But it remains to be seen whether the most famous dissident in Burma can live up to her long-suffering compatriots' high expectations.
A huge crowd gathered outside the headquarters of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy for the speech and television pictures showed her struggling to make her way through the throngs.
Thousands of her supporters had roared with approval yesterday as Suu Kyi appeared for the first time outside her lakeside home after the end of her latest seven-year stretch of detention.
Attention is focused on whether she can reunite the divided opposition after an election widely criticised by the West as a sham to prolong military rule behind a facade of democracy.
Western nations and pro-democracy activists have blasted the November 7 poll as anything but free and fair following widespread reports of intimidation and fraud.
Suu Kyi's party boycotted the vote, a decision that deeply split the opposition.
'She gives us hope'
Many in the impoverished nation see the democracy icon as their best chance for freedom.
"Our country must become democratic. Our future depends on Aung San Suu Kyi," said NLD youth leader Nyi Min.
"She gives us hope and courage. Only she can free us from this anarchist regime."
Many countries were quick to welcome her release, with US President Barack Obama hailing her as "a hero of mine".
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described Suu Kyi as "an inspiration" to the world, but said the junta must release all political prisoners.
Setting her free is a huge gamble for Burma's generals, and observers see it as an attempt to tame criticism of a controversial election last Sunday, the country's first in 20 years.
Some had feared that the junta, whose proxies claimed overwhelming victory in the vote, would continue to put restrictions on the freedom of its number one enemy. But the junta did not impose any restrictions on her release, according to a senior government official as well as her lawyer Nyan Win.
"There was no condition on her release. She is completely free," Nyan Win told AFP.
"She is very glad and happy."
Suu Kyi had been under house arrest since 2003 - just one of several stretches of detention at the hands of the ruling generals. Her sentence was extended last year over a bizarre incident in which an American swam uninvited to her lakeside home, sparking international condemnation and keeping her off the scene for last Sunday's vote.
The pro-democracy leader swept her party to victory in a 1990 election, but it was never allowed to take power.
Suu Kyi's struggle for her country has come at a high personal cost: her husband, British academic Michael Aris, died in 1999, and in the final stages of his battle with cancer the junta refused him a visa to see his wife.
She has not seen her two sons for about a decade and has never met her grandchildren.
http://www.news.com.au/world/i-want-to-hear-the-voice-of-the-people-says-freed-leader-aung-san-suu-kyi/story-e6frfkyi-1225953414004?from=public_rss
Newly free Burma activist urges talks
YANGON, Myanmar (Nov. 14) -- Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, freed from seven years of house arrest, told thousands of wildly cheering supporters Sunday that she would continue to fight for human rights and the rule of law in the military-controlled nation. She called for face-to-face talks with the junta's leader.
She spoke to about 5,000 people who crowded around the dilapidated headquarters of her political party, the first stop for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate after leaving the lakeside residence that had been her prison.
"I believe in human rights and I believe in the rule of law. I will always fight for these things," she said. "I want to work with all democratic forces and I need the support of the people."
Soe Than WIN, AFP / Getty Images
Aung San Suu Kyi addresses supporters Sunday in Yangon, Myanmar. She said she will "always fight" for human rights and the rule of law.
Suu Kyi, 65, told reporters her message to junta leader Gen. Than Shwe was, "Let's speak to each other directly." The two last met in secret talks in 2002 at the encouragement of the United Nations.
"I am for national reconciliation. I am for dialogue. Whatever authority I have, I will use it to that end. I hope people will support me," she said.
She entered the small compound of her National League for Democracy as people shouted "We love Suu" amid thunderous applause.
Inside, she met with Yangon-based diplomats and was later scheduled to attend the funeral of a close friend and pay a customary visit to the city's sacred Shwedagon pagoda.
"This is an unconditional release. No restrictions are placed on her," her lawyer Nyan Win said.
There was speculation whether the charismatic and relentlessly outspoken Suu Kyi would use her freedom to challenge the ruling military head-on, or be more conciliatory.
She did not sound a strident note, saying she bore no grudge against those who had held her in detention for more than 15 of the last 21 years, adding that she had been well-treated.
"I hope they (the military) won't feel threatened by me. Popularity is something that comes and goes. I don't think that anyone should feel threatened by it," she said.
Suu Kyi thanked her well-wishers and asked them to pray for those still imprisoned by the junta. Human rights groups say the government holds more than 2,200 political prisoners.
"If my people are not free, how can I say I am free? Either we are all free together or we are not free together," she said.
Speaking of her isolation while under house arrest, Suu Kyi said she "always felt free within myself. I kept myself pretty much on an even keel." But she said that for years she had only listened to the radio, adding "I'd like to listen to human voices."
In her first public appearance Saturday evening, Suu Kyi indicated she would continue with her political activity but did not specify whether she would challenge the military with mass rallies and other activities that led to her earlier detentions.
"We have a lot of things to do," said Suu Kyi, who has come to symbolize the struggle for democracy in the isolated and secretive nation once known as Burma. The country has been ruled by the military since 1962.
But while her release thrilled her supporters - and also clearly thrilled her - it came just days after an election that was swept by the ruling junta's proxy political party and decried by Western nations as a sham designed to perpetuate authoritarian control.
Many observers have questioned whether her release was timed by the junta to distract the world's attention from the Nov. 7 election.
While welcoming the release, European Commissioner Jose Manuel Barroso urged that no restrictions be placed on her.
"It is now crucial that Aung San Suu Kyi has unrestricted freedom of movement and speech and can participate fully in her country's political process," he said.
President Barack Obama called Suu Kyi "a hero of mine."
"Whether Aung San Suu Kyi is living in the prison of her house, or the prison of her country, does not change the fact that she, and the political opposition she represents, has been systematically silenced, incarcerated, and deprived of any opportunity to engage in political processes," he said in a statement.
Others in Myanmar hailed Suu Kyi as the only one who might unite the impoverished country.
"She's our country's hero," said Tin Tin Yu, a 20-year-old university student, standing near Suu Kyi's house Saturday night. "Our election was a sham. Everyone knows it, but they have guns so what can we do? She's the only one who can make our country a democracy."
The new government is unlikely to win international legitimacy simply by releasing Suu Kyi because the recent election was so obviously skewed, according Trevor Wilson, a former Australian ambassador to Myanmar.
What happens next will depend on what kind of restrictions the regime puts on Suu Kyi - and what she says if she is allowed to speak, Wilson said.
"We will have to wait and see. It could be a little bit of a cat-and-mouse game," Wilson said.
Suu Kyi has said she would help probe allegations of voting fraud, according to Nyan Win, who is a spokesman for her party, which was officially disbanded for refusing to register for the polls. Such actions have provoked military crackdowns in the past.
Myanmar's last elections in 1990 were won overwhelmingly by her National League for Democracy, but the military refused to hand over power and instead clamped down on opponents.
Suu Kyi was convicted last year of violating the terms of her previous detention by briefly sheltering an American man who swam uninvited to her lakeside home, extending a period of continuous detention that began in 2003 after her motorcade was ambushed in northern Myanmar by a government-backed mob.
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Suu Kyi took up the democracy struggle in 1988, as mass demonstrations were breaking out against 25 years of military rule. She was quickly thrust into a leadership role, mainly because she was the daughter of Aung San, who led Myanmar to independence from Britain before his assassination by political rivals.
She rode out the military's bloody suppression of street demonstrations to help found the NLD. Her defiance gained her fame and honor, most notably the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1989, she was detained on national security charges and put under house arrest.
Suu Kyi's freedom had been a key demand of Western nations and groups critical of the military regime's poor human rights record, which includes brutal military campaigns against ethnic minorities. The military government, seeking to burnish its international image, had responded previously by offering to talk with her, only to later shy away from serious negotiations.
Associated Press writers Kay Johnson and Grant Peck in Bangkok and Video journalist Jason Dorn in Washington contributed to this report.
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Myo Thein
Director
Burma Democratic Concern (BDC)
myothein19@gmail.com
myothein@bdcburma.org
+44 208 493 9137
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Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi says she felt compelled to act on behalf of the people of Burma
Like the South African leader Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi has become an international symbol of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.
The 65-year-old has spent most of the last 20 years in some form of detention because of her efforts to bring democracy to military-ruled Burma.
In 1991, a year after her National League for Democracy won an overwhelming victory in an election the junta later nullified, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The committee chairman, Francis Sejested, called her "an outstanding example of the power of the powerless".
Sidelined for Burma's first elections in two decades in November 2010, she remains nonetheless a potent symbol of hope to many Burmese people.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977
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