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This webpage covers events since Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on 13 November 2010.
Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Norway and Britain
New York Times - 18 April 2012
After 24 years of stubborn campaigning for democracy in Myanmar and a steely determination to stay inside the country despite official admonishments to leave, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will make her first foreign trip since 1988, visiting Norway and Britain.
U Nyan Win said the trip abroad was a sign of confidence in the political reforms in the country. “It’s a statement about political freedom - it’s a sign a freedom,” said Mr. Nyan Win, who is the spokesman for Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy.
The results of the elections on 7 November 2010 in Kawhmu Township, Yangon Region, where Suu Kyi is standing as NLD candidate to fill the seat vacated by Soe Tint, who was appointed Deputy Minister of Construction in the new Government, were:
Soe Tint - Union Solidarity and Development Party - 42,716 votes
Ohn Thaung - National Unity Party - 13,944 votes
Myint Thaung - National Democratic Force - 4,757 votes
Win Maung - Modern People's Party - 1,638 votes
A translation of the address has appeared in The New Light of Myanmar of 15 March 2012
"The three points the National League for Democracy has prioritized out of its main aims are the rule of law, internal peace and consitutional amendments." Read more.....
Getting past the symbolism of Aung San Suu Kyi
Stanley A Weiss: The Huffington Post - 7 March 2012
The Founder and Chairman of Business Executives for National Security, Stanley Weiss, argues that it is important to see past Aung San Suu Kyi as a symbol of moral courage to evaluate the substance of her positions - and by extension, U.S. policy - during the past two decades. Like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela before her, there are hard lessons that must be faced.
First, it is time to admit that economic sanctions were a mistake......As Chinese journalist Ding Gang [a senior reporter with the People's Daily] recently wrote: "Western sanctions against Myanmar have intensified cronyism rather than weakening it....."
Second, denying humanitarian aid prolonged the suffering of ethnic minorities. Suu Kyi rarely mentioned the plight of ethnic minorities the past 20 years, but their anguish was multiplied by a near-complete absence of aid dollars......
Third, denying visas to Myanmar students denied them the ability to see democracy in action......
Fourth, isolating Myanmar opened the U.S. to charges of bullying. I hear it constantly here in Asia - the U.S. sanctions countries like Myanmar and Cuba, but fails to take the same steps with countries like China, Russia, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, who have equally appalling human rights records.....
If there is one final lesson, it is the one we've known all along: the U.S. should never allow a single person in a foreign country to drive America's security policy, no matter how revered that person may be.
 Derek Tonkin writes: The criticism of economic sanctions imposed against Myanmar (Joseph Stiglitz and Louise Arbour) is becoming increasingly vocal and specific. In the case of the US, Myanmar has faced virtual economic warfare this century, all to no avail because sanctions failed to stop the Road Map to Democracy announced in 2003 by Lt Gen Khin Nyunt. This is now at its final stage which is: "Building a modern, developed and democratic nation.....". The West may not like the political infrastructure which has been created. but the Burmese people will remedy that in their own good time. Meanwhile, the West should act boldly to support the reforms now taking place in Myanmar.
Suu Kyi talks to Nattha Komolvadhin of the Thai Public Broadcasting Service. The first 40 seconds are in Thai and set the scene on the issues discussed during the interview.
ASSK campaign inspires Myanmar to dream of brighter future
Washington Post - 7 March 2012
An Associated Press portrait of the political phenomenon which is Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar more than just an investment opportunity
Wall Street Journal - 14 February 2010
“I hope the Chinese people are able to give us more understanding,” Ms. Suu Kyi said in an interview apparently conducted some weeks ago with the Guangdong-based Southern People Weekly magazine. “We hope they have in mind the future relations of the two countries’ peoples, and can bear in mind this point when investing.”
China should think beyond business in Burma: The Irrawaddy
In her interview with Southern People Weekly, Suu Kyi rejected the concept of “Asian values,” as opposed to what some observers see as overly individualistic Western values, by saying that different Asian countries have very different priorities and characteristics. And she dismissed the idea that Western sanctions prevented the emergence of a middle class in Burma - an argument frequently heard in Chinese academic and official circles. Instead of blaming sanctions, Suu Kyi described cronyism as a “tumor” which holds back the emergence of a middle class in Burma.
Suu Kyi postpones planned political trip to Mandalay
Associated Press - 2 February 2012
Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has postponed a trip to Mandalay because she could not obtain permission to hold a political gathering at a football stadium there, a party official said Thursday. National League for Democracy leaders sought permission to use an open field under the administration of the Ministry of Sports, but no approval was given by Thursday evening, so the party decided to cancel Suu Kyi's planned trip.
 Derek Tonkin writes: The NLD have been pushing the limits of official tolerance, most recently through a supposedly non-campaigning visit to Magway Region at the invitation of the UK and Australian Embassies in Myanmar. This visit has also aroused controversy among the wider diplomatic and NGO community in Myanmar because not all organisations engaged in the "LIFT" project were reportedly invited.
Any leader of a political party, whether USDP, NUP, NLD, NDF or SNDP, to name the major  political parties, accepting an invitation at election time to such a high-profile visit, might well be perceived by the authorities as engaged in some form of electioneering, particularly if treated as a photo-opportunity. It is incumbent on diplomatic missions not to give the impression of supporting a particular political party at election time - see Article 41(1) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which both the UK and Myanmar have acceded.
Davos 2012: Video Address by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Text of the address delivered in Davos on 26 January 2012
In her message, she called on the world community to support the Burmese people’s efforts to truly democratize their country and to all them to make a contribution to global affairs. “A year on (from last year’s audio message), I can say we have taken steps toward meeting those challenges,” Suu Kyi said. “We are not yet at the point of a great transformation, but we have a rare and extremely precious opportunity to reach such a point.” She emphasized that “an important step that will take us nearer to a truly revolutionary breakthrough will be the inclusion of all relevant political forces in the electoral and legislative processes of our country.”
Suu Kyi addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos - The Wall Street Journal
Symbolically significant: the presence in Davos this year of Industry Minister U Soe Thein, which Suu Kyi described as a “sign of the positive changes that have been taking place in our country.” In apologizing for not being able to attend the gathering in person, Suu Kyi explained that she is currently occupied with preparing her party to contest by-elections on April 1, which will be the NLD’s first chance to seek a role in government since it won a majority in the parliamentary elections of 1990, a victory that the military regime refused to recognize.
Interview with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Washington Post - 20 January 2012
Lally Weymouth runs a companion interview with Suu Kyi, following her interview with the President. Suu Kyi made the following points:
- The Commander-in-Chief can take over all powers of government at any time he feels it to be necessary.
- I think the president is genuine about reform. I think there are those who support him in the government.
- The U.S. has laid out very clearly what the conditions are for the removal of sanctions.
- All the major political prisoners have been released.
- The reason we want to get into parliament is not because we expect to do all our work in parliament.
- I think very few people expected him [Thein Sein] to become head of state.
- I don’t want to be president, but I want to be free to decide whether or not I want to be president of this country.
- There is no real freedom of the press yet.
- That’s where we would like our friends to help: foreign aid in the right way; development aid that is not frittered away to those who are administering the funds.
- There is so much to be done - this is why I am keen on an assessment by the World Bank as a first step towards finding out what we need to do.
Note by Derek Tonkin: Suu Kyi would seem, with respect, to have misunderstood the Constitution. Article 40, in Chapter 1 on "Basic Principles", states that the Commander-in-Chief "has the right to take over and exercise State sovereign power" but only "in accord with the provisions of the Constitution". The provisions on the declaration of a State of Emergency occupy the whole of Chapter XI. According to Article 410 in this Chapter, it is the President who "may, after consulting with the National Defence and Security Council, promulgate an ordinance and declare a state of emergency." Article 418 also provides that "the President shall declare the transferring of legislative, executive and judicial powers of the Union to the Commander-in-Chief to enable him to carry out necessary measures to speedily restore its original situation in the Union."
The Commander-in-Chief's "right" formulated briefly in Article 40, which was first released as Article 28(c) in September 1993 in what was known as the "104 Basic Principles" and has since remained virtually unchanged, should surely be interpreted in accordance with the detailed provisons of the Constitution.
Constitutions, however, are rarely an impediment anywhere in the world to Army commanders bent on staging a coup.
Thura Shwe Mann dismisses talk of 'military coup' - Myanmar Times 23-29 January 2012
In a clear reference to concerns expressed by Suu Kyi, the Speaker of the Lower House, Thura Shwe Mann said: “We want to develop like other leading countries and we wish to have good relations with them. It can only happen if we implement democracy. We can’t say exactly when we will become a democratic country, but I want to say that we are changing rapidly and working on the track of democracy. However, I don’t want to blame those who are concerned about a military coup because we have only recently retired from the military. But whether it will happen or not – I think you all can be the judge.”
Myanmar's Suu Kyi registers for April vote
Al Jazeera - 18 July 2012
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has registered to run for a seat in parliament in April 1 by-elections, in the latest sign of change in the military-dominated country.The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was released from years of house arrest in late 2010, submitted her registration form to election authorities to stand in Kawhmu, a rural constituency southwest of Yangon.
Note by Network Myanmar: In 1990 Suu Kyi's application to register as a candidate for Bahan township in Rangoon was at first accepted, then challenged in the Lower Court and finally rejected by decision of the Higher Court on a challenge brought by a rival candidate from the pro-military National Unity Party based primarily on her alleged allegiance to a foreign power (UK).
Suu Kyi says Burma "on verge of breakthrough"
Agence France-Presse - 12 January 2012
Suu Kyi voiced appreciation for overseas support as she accepted an award presented by the New York-based Asia Society. "Burma is on the verge of a breakthrough to democracy - we have not yet made the breakthrough; we are on the verge of making such a breakthrough," Suu Kyi said in a taped message to an awards dinner. "We look to friends like you to help us along this difficult path, which might be full of difficulties, but which we shall be able to negotiate with your help, and the help of other friends like you. I look forward to a time when Burma will expand the borders of its democratization, and when we will be able to have frequent and meaningful exchanges with friends in other parts of the world."
Suu Kyi: Myanmar Army could block reforms
Associated Press - 5 January 2012
In an interview with The Associated Press today before meeting UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, Suu Kyi said: "I wouldn't say that there are many dangers, but I wouldn't say that it is unstoppable either. I think there are obstacles, and there are some dangers that we have to look out for. I am concerned about how much support there is in the military for changes. In the end that's the most important factor, how far the military are prepared to cooperate with reform principles."
Suu Kyi agreed that the failure to release more political detainees was "disappointing" but sees the prisoners as the manifestation of a bigger problem, the "lack of rule of law". She said she feels there are differences among the authorities on who might actually pose a danger to society. "I have always said it would be best to release everybody at the same time. Keeping some back does not really help. Nobody's grateful, everybody's disappointed if they release just a few."
Suu Kyi said resolving the country's long-running ethnic conflicts are likely to be the more important issue over time, because "unless there is ethnic harmony it will be very difficult for us to build up a strong democracy".
She defended her decision to follow the electoral path: "I think it's very dangerous if so-called democratic politicians think they are above the electoral process."
If you ask me, this rebel's a bit too ladylike
Daily Mail (UK) Film Review - 30 December 2011
Verdict: A real struggle
"Oh dear, I wish I admired this film as much as I do its leading character, the Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi, played with reverential sweetness by Michelle Yeoh. Director Luc Besson is never subtle, but here - encouraged by Rebecca Frayn’s remorselessly earnest screenplay - he ladles on the schmaltz and melodrama for two-and-a-half hours. The story is worth telling, but not in this way. It’s tiresomely episodic and conducted at the pace of a funeral tribute."
Luc Besson’s biopic of Aung San Suu Kyi is a snore of a movie
The Times (UK) Film Review - 30 December 2011
"A biopic of the pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi is clearly not the place to go looking for bold creative choices and envelope-pushing directorial decisions. But did Luc Besson’s The Lady really have to be such a gigantic snore of a movie? Ploddingly conventional, stultifyingly earnest and given to endless slow-motion shots of flags waving in the breeze and noble tears trickling down cheeks, it’s an uncomfortable match of theme and director. Besson, more at ease with a dynamic, energetic style of film-making, seems a little lost at the helm of this sentimental hagiography."
In her acceptance speech, Suu Kyi notes:
"The aim of Chatham House to promote a more prosperous, secure world through analysis, debate and ideas is one that we all share. We want a more prosperous, secure Burma. We want a Burma where there is freedom to debate and to exchange ideas and to analyse the situation as we see it. Burma is now at an important juncture in its modern history.
"I believe that there are elements within the government genuine in their desire to bring about democratic reforms that would put our country on the path to prosperity and security. ....If we will wait only for solid guarantees we can never proceed, we have to take risks, we have to have the courage to face a future that is not really known to us. No future can be known to us, we can only speculate, and whether or not we speculate correctly depends very much on freedom of information, on exchange of ideas, on our ability to debate and analyse."
Note by Network Myanmar: By way of contrast to Suu Kyi's gracious speech of acceptance, the December 2011 issue of the Chatham House publication "The World Today" publishes a poorly researched article by Mark Farmaner, Director of the Burma Campaign UK, which is highly critical of the President and characterises his relationship with Suu Kyi in terms which Suu Kyi herself might well find inappropriate.
Can Suu Kyi shield others from what she suffered?
Despatch Online - 17 October 2011
Peter Vale reports: "And this brings us back to Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s transition. She answered my question - Did you ever receive a phone call from Nelson Mandela? – with a polite, “No”. I was happy with this answer because the relationship between the world’s two most famous former detainees - especially the purported telephone conversation between them – has interested both Burmese and South Africans for almost 20 years.
Financial Times - 3 December 2011
In the tea shops and foreign embassies of Rangoon, there has been talk the government may try to offer her a symbolic or advisory role, although most think it unlikely that she would join at this stage. Some critics within her party and beyond believe she is cosying up too quickly and not drawing enough concessions, with hundreds of political prisoners still in jail, freedoms still limited and the economy in the hands of the generals and their cronies.
“For 20 years, the regime viewed her as a liability but now they are trying to turn her to their advantage,” says one local activist. Others argue she is moving too late and that she delayed the reform process through her previous principled stance. Either way, as she returns to the political fray wrapped in a new cloak of pragmatism, “The Lady”, as she is widely known, is likely to face many more “slings and arrows” – in Mrs Clinton’s words.
The Essential Flame - Aung San Suu Kyi, The New York Times
Suu Kyi plans to run in Burma elections
Bangkok Post - 1 December 2011
"I hope to run for parliament," Suu Kyi said in a video-conference from Burma, where she was set to meet Thursday with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a historic visit aimed at encouraging Burma's political reforms. "We are waiting to hear whether our party's application for registration has been accepted. And once that is accepted we can start making plans to contest the by-elections," she told an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations.Suu Kyi was even clearer about her intentions during a later question-and-answer session with the members of the audience when she said "I will certainly run for elections when they take place."
Why Suu Kyi believes in a new Burma
Ottawa Citizen - 18 November 2011
Damien McElroy of the Daily Telegraph reports that Miss Suu Kyi has been a long time supporter of Western sanctions against the ruling military junta, but on Thursday she softened her stance. "We have not been passive about sanctions when we thought we should have them," she said. "This is not a time to be passive but to be slightly neutral while we wait to see."
Recent reforms have put pressure on the Western states that supported Miss Suu Kyi's struggle against the junta, who shifted the onus back to her allies on Thursday, saying: "With regard to sanctions there are conditions that were imposed by the countries concerned. When those conditions are met I don't think anyone will have to call for sanctions to go."
Suu Kyi urges peace talks, prisoner release
Reuters - 14 November 2011
Suu Kyi said reforms for the Burmese public should take precedence over Myanmar's international image and should also come before any lifting of Western sanctions. "It is more important that the people feel the situation is better (domestically) than Myanmar's becoming the ASEAN chair." Suu Kyi added that there were serious concerns about conflicts between the army and ethnic separatists, particularly in Kachin state bordering China, and she was willing to play a part in any peace process, having urged Thein Sein and the rebel groups to agree on a cease-fire.
Report by Eleven Media Group of the Press Conference
Suu Kyi "likely to stand" in Myanmar vote
Al Jazeera/Agencies - 12 November 2011
Suu Kyi is likely to contest a by-election in the coming months, a spokesman for her party has said, following a change to party registration laws. The National League for Democracy (NLD), delisted last year for boycotting the election, will begin debating on Saturday whether to re-register as a political party, which would pave the way for Suu Kyi to return to the political arena. "The NLD is likely to register and also Daw Suu is likely to participate at the coming by-election," Nyan Win, a party spokesman, told the AFP news agency.
Suu Kyi and Minister Aung Kyi hold fourth meeting
Associated Press - 30 October 2011
Myanmar democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi met Sunday with a Cabinet minister to discuss issues whose resolution could lead to a breakthrough in the country's long-running political deadlock. Labor Minister Aung Kyi read a joint statement after their meeting that said the two had discussed an amnesty, peace talks with ethnic armed groups and economic and financial matters. This was followed by a Press Conference.
The Independent on Sunday - 30 October 2011
Sholto Byrnes reviews two recent publications on Suu Kyi. He notes: Where the authors differ is in their assessment of the heroine at the heart of this tragic story. Lintner is a veteran reporter who has written several books on Burma. His expertise is widely acknowledged – not least by Peter Popham, who quotes him at length. While Suu Kyi still emerges as a remarkable, if somewhat testy, saint in Lintner's book, he doubts her appreciation of Burma's ethnic complexities, and writes disparagingly of her "mystical streak". Most damagingly of all, he queries whether her "lack of a comprehensive political plan of action may fail to prevent more tragedies ... and may stall the re-emergence of a credible force that can challenge the present regime."
Myanmar's Suu Kyi could seek parliament seat
Reuters - 29 October 2011
NLD spokesman Nyan Win said the party was likely to get re-registered under an amended party law that drops clauses the party had objected to. Asked if Suu Kyi herself would stand in a by-election after the party's re-registration, Nyan Win said: "I think she will and I personally want her to." Asked by Reuters a month ago if she would stand in a by-election if the law was amended, the 66-year old Suu Kyi said she would have to get the approval of her party's central executive committee. A set of by-elections is expected late this year.
Suu Kyi sees a shift in Myanmar
The Wall Street Journal - 25 October 2011
Suu Kyi said a series of reforms under way in Myanmar represents the biggest opening in the country since the 1980s, but also said she wants to see more changes before she can support easing Western economic sanctions against the military-backed government. She compared her latest talks with the government to "where South Africa was in 1990" as it negotiated an end to apartheid, and had warm words for Mr. Thein Sein, whom she called "an honest, open kind of person" with a "sincere" desire to overhaul the country.
Suu Kyi said it was still too early to give up on sanctions for at least two reasons. The authorities continue to hold an undetermined number of political prisoners, she said, and have yet to fully restore relations with Myanmar's ethnic minority groups, some of which remain locked in violent armed conflicts with the government.
Video interview with Suu Kyi - Change at last?
The Economist - 18 October 2011
The leader of Myanmar’s de-facto opposition is prepared to engage with the government, if it means change for the better.
The Lady and the Peacock
The Independent - 16 October 2011
An extract from Peter Popham's book to be published in November 2011.
Union Minister U Aung Kyi meets Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
The New Light of Myanmar - 1 October 2011
The joint communiqué released stated that: "They discussed steps being taken by the President to grant amnesty, means and ways on bilateral cooperation in conservation of the Ayeyawarady river, endeavours of the government to build eternal peace with armed groups within the framework of law and cooperation in ensuring community peace and prevalence of law and order." Both responded to questions from the press.
DvB 21 September 2011
The Speaker of the Pyiduangsu Hluttaw (Union Parliament), U Khin Aung Myint, has told Radio Fress Asia that Suu Kyi "is the daughter of General Aung San whom we all love. She is welcome if she joins the Parliament."
Suu Kyi believes Myanmar President committed to reform
The Mainichi Daily News - 21 September 2011
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said Tuesday she expects to be able to work well with President Thein Sein as he seems "committed to reform," but the international community should not yet lift sanctions imposed on the military-dominated government. "I am sufficiently confident that I will be able to work together with him. I think the way is open for positive change."
Suu Kyi urges world to keep an eye on Burma - AAP/AFP 22 September 2011
"What we really need is awareness of what is going on in our country," she told the audience of political and business leaders at the Clinton Global Initiative. "If the world wants to help Burma, the world needs to know what's going on in Burma. You really have to follow what is going on there." She added: "I have had talks with some of the representatives of the government and we hope that we are going to see signs of real change very soon. There has been a lot of talk about change, but people always want to see something concrete and they are right too, talk is never enough. But at least it's a beginning and I think we are beginning to see the beginning of change."
The CGI webcast is featured at this link Go to 36.30 to see Suu Kyi.
In an exclusive interview, Suu Kyi has told AFP that the new government appears genuine in its desire for democratic reform, and that an Arab-style uprising is not the answer to the country's problems. "There have been changes, but I don't think we're all free or completely free yet. There's still quite a way to go, but I think there have been positive developments.......I've always said I'm a cautious optimist and I remain a cautious optimist. I do believe that the President would like to bring about positive changes, but how far he'll be able to achieve what he wants to achieve is a question that we still need to examine."
Suu Kyi: Changes can occur now in Burma
ATN/Mizzima - 15 September 2011
Suu Kyi said in a speech on the International Day of Democracy that Burma is now in a condition where political changes can occur. “The changes need to be smooth, peaceful and dignified. They should not harm the people, the country and the government that gave up power. The changes should not give unnecessary privileges to the coming government. Everything must be balanced,”
Suu Kyi - "Positive Beginning"
RFA - 1 September 2011
In an interview broadcast in Burmese on 19 August 2011 (the day of her meeting with President Thein Sein), during one of her regular series on Radio Free Asia, Suu Kyi is reported to have said in response to a question about ethnic conflict and her meetings with Minister of Labour Aung Kyi:
"It is not surprising that we are not seeing results immediately, but if everyone works as best as they can, peace will eventually come about. As I stated in the press release regarding my meeting with Minister U Aung Kyi, I see that there could be potential for cooperation that will benefit the people. Although this is just a beginning, I must say that it is a positive beginning."
NLD website in the US fails to report the meeting with President Thein Sein
NLD Burma.org - accessed 3 September 2011
The unofficial website hosted by NLD supporters in the US has so far failed to report either the two meetings with Minister of Labour Aung Kyi or the subsequent historic meeting on 19 August 2011 between Suu Kyi and President Thein Sein (see photo above with General Aung San's portrait in the background). We can only speculate on the reasons for this deliberate omission. Suu Kyi's meeting with UN Special Rapporteur Quintana on 24 August 2011 is however fully reported.
Aung San Suu Kyi isn't under house arrest, but she shouldn't press her luck
The New Republic - 2 September 2011
Joshua Kurlantzick, Fellow for South East Asia at the Council for Foreign Relations, and Hunter Marston MA candidate at the University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies, suggest ways in which Suu Kyi might avoid confrontation with the new administration in Nay Pyi Taw by playing a pragmatic and constructive role.
Suu Kyi says Burma President wants 'real change'
Agence France Presse - 24 August 2011
"From my point of view, I think the president wants to achieve real positive change," Suu Kyi told reporters on Wednesday after meeting UN Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana, about whom she said: "I am really satisfied. I am encouraged to have seen him as he is an expert in this issue." Quintana described his discussions with Suu Kyi as "very important, fruitful and productive,"
US welcomes news of Thein Sein - Suu Kyi meeting
Associated Press - 19 August 2011
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner commented: "These are positive steps, and we continue to call for the Burmese government to follow its rhetoric with concrete action towards national reconciliation and progress on core issues of concern to the international community, including the release of political prisoners."
Deutsche Presse-Agentur - 20 August 2011
The meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and the government was 'a positive step' towards reconciliation in the country, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, commented today. 'We very much welcome this positive step. National reconciliation is very important for all the people and we hope that this meeting can bear fruit in the long term,' Ashton's spokesman, Michael Mann, said.
The New Light of Myanmar - 20 August 2011
The State daily reports that the President received Suu Kyi at 4.00 p.m. on Friday at his office in the Presidential Residence. "Frankly, President U Thein Sein explained measures of the government for national interests. The President and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi tried to find out potential common grounds to cooperate in the interests of the nation and the people putting aside different views."
Note by Network Myanmar: Suu Kyi also put in a brief appearance at the Economic Workshop currently being held in Nay Pyi Taw where she met other Ministers and Advisers. The photograph below shows Economic Adviser U Myint (back to camera) introducing her to other colleagues. The international press has been quick to point out that Suu Kyi has been received "with all the honours reserved for a person of the highest rank". Her visit also included dinner with the President and a tour of Nay Pyi Taw.
Czy Birma zagra w democrację [Is Burma playing at democracy?]
Gazeta Wyborcza - 8 August 2011
Adam Michnik (historian, editor, political commentator and one-time Polish dissident) relates a recent visit to Myanmar, including an interview with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. A Google translation is available at this link. Gazeta Wyborcza (Election Gazette) has had its own share of controversy.
Derek Tonkin notes: Adam Michnik was only 9 years of age during my first posting to the British Embassy in Warsaw 1955-57, but during my second posting 1966-68 he achieved prominence as a university dissident. Here are a few extracts from the interview which I have translated from the Polish into English - the original would naturally have been in English.
- On sanctions: "The sanctions applied against Burma have an economic and political dimension. And of course when we call for the maintenance of sanctions, we are concerned with the political dimension. But we looked carefully at the economic consequences of sanctions. Although there are people whom they hurt, they have in our opinion had little influence on the Burmese economy. What would happen if they were lifted? Western countries would find it more difficult to demand more democratic rule from the regime. The regime would conclude that they had done enough - because there were elections [on 7 November 2010], and because there is a parliament or rather a national assembly. But that is not enough."
- On the elections: "They were not fair. That was confirmed by the parties which took part in them, but when the election commission threatened that such allegations could lead to imprisonment, they fell silent.......The elections showed that our party, the NLD, is still popular. A party founded by people who had left the NLD competed in the elections. They used the NLD logo and voters gave them their votes, because they thought it was us. At least we know that people have not forgotten us."
- On General Than Shwe: "We do not know whether he has really given up power. That is a problem for the regime. Some say that the new Commander-in-Chief is hard-line. But in an authoritarian regime all carry the same mask.......I think we have to provide the generals with as much information as possible, so that they can decide themselves when they should leave. We must try to make our voice reach their ears, let them hear and decide........Particularly in a military dictatorship, we never know what the officers are really thinking. But many generals are corrupt, they have acquired enormous wealth. That is fatal."
Michnik concludes his narrative:
"The economic situation is catastrophic - everyone agrees on this. A system of archaic dictatorship continues to reign, universial poverty, military dominance, censorship; people live without mobile telephones.
"Yet something has stirred. The elections - although shamelessly manipulated - have changed something. The opposition has ceased to be monolithic. The question remains whether power as well has ceased to be monolithic. Will the soldiers of the younger generation take the road of China, or perhaps the road of Thailand, linking the market with democracy? Will they choose the road of real negotiations, that is, with the NLD or Aung San Suu Kyi, or will they get bogged down in the fiction of a pluralism of talks with those chosen by themselves?"
Suu Kyi invited to State Poverty Workshop
Agency reports - 2 August 2011
Nay Zin Latt, a member of the President's Political Advisory Board, has reportedly said that Suu Kyi will be invited to attend the National Level Workshop on Rural Development and Poverty Elimination in Nay Pyi Taw later this month. The invitation will be sent to her in her private capacity. The National League for Democracy has said that they are not aware of the invitation.
Note by Network Myanmar: The invitation, if accepted could be seen as a further step in the process of reconciliation, after the meeting with Suu Kyi and Minister of Labour Aung Kyi on 25 July 2011.
Suu Kyi calls for Myanmar ceasfire
Radio Netherlands - 28 July 2011
Suu Kyi has called on the army and ethnic insurgents to end a decades-long civil conflict in her first direct letter to the country's new president. She said reconciliation between state forces and armed ethnic minority rebel groups could not be achieved by military means. "I would like to earnestly call for an immediate ceasefire and the peaceful resolution of the conflicts for the benefit of all ethnicities in the Union of Myanmar," she said in the letter, also addressed to ethnic groups."I am ready to do as much as I can to support the ceasefire and the peace process."
Note by Network Myanmar: Suu Kyi's letter is addressed to "The President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar" and is signed by her in her personal capacity using her home address at 54/56 University Avenue, Yangon. The letter contains no reference to the National League for Democracy and bears no NLD seal. She has taken the status in the letter of what the Chinese press has called a "noted political figure". In fact, fighting is currently at a low level, and the KIO in particular seem close to a cease-fire.
Union Minister U Aung Kyi and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi issue press release
The New Light of Myanmar - 26 July 2011
[See also photograph and interview with both personalities on pages 9 and 16]
Suu Kyi pressurized to register party during talks - The Irrawaddy - 27 July 2011
Suu Kyi declined. Aung Kyi reportedly said that the planned submission of a letter to the Human Rights Council by the NLD was "inappropriate". According to The Irrawaddy: "Among the various restrictions imposed under the election laws, the NLD would have been required to expel Suu Kyi from the party she founded more than 20 years ago because of her marriage to a foreigner. The military-backed constitution also contains clauses that would bar her from holding political office."
Comment by Network Myanmar: Such an interpretation has no basis in fact.
• First dialogue paves way for future cooperation - People's Daily Online - 26 July 2011
• Ban Ki-moon welcomes the meeting - UN News and Media - 25 July 2011
• Suu Kyi pressurized to register party during talks - The Irrawaddy 27 July 2011
Text of report in The New Light of Myanmar of 26 July 2011
Nay Pyi Taw, 25 July - Union Minister for Labour and for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Aung Kyi and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi held a dialogue at Seinle Kantha State House in Yangon from 1 pm to 2.10 pm today.
After the dialogue, the Union Minister made clarifications on the dialogue to correspondents of local and foreign news agencies. And they issued a press release as follows:
"At the invitation of the government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi called on Union Minister U Aung Kyi at Seinle Kantha State House from 1 pm to 2.10 pm on 25 July 2011.
"The two sides are optimistic about and satisfied with the dialogue. They held talks about opportunities for both sides to work together for well-being of the public. The discussions included matters for the rule of law, elimination of disagreement, and serving national interest.
"They also agreed that they will meet again at a mutually convenient time."
Suu Kyi holds first talks - Australian Associated Press - 26 July 2011
Myanmar Government holds talks with Suu Kyi - Deutsche Presse-Agentur - 25 July 2011
Suu Kyi holds rare talks with Minister - Reuters - 25 July 2011
Ban Ki-moon welcomes political dialogue - People's Daily Online (Beijing) - 26 July 2011
'We can say that this meeting was the initial step for many co-operation works in future,' Aung Kyi told a press conference after the talks. Aung Kyi acted as a liaison minister between the former junta and Suu Kyi when she was still under house detention but their nine previous meetings brought no breakthroughs. 'Now, I hope that we would have better results than in the past,' Aung Kyi said. Suu Kyi, 66, took a positive stance on the renewed talks. 'Whatever we do, whatever we say and whoever we meet, our objective is for the good of the people and the country.'
Extract from Daily Press Briefing US State Department 25 July 2011 Ms Victoria Nuland: "The Secretary (Hillary Clinton) spoke to our hopes for the new Burmese Government when she was in Bali that we want to see them take more democratic steps, more reformed steps, that we call on them to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi in an environment where she feels safe and secure, where she can have an influence on the future of her country. I can’t speak to this specific meeting, but those are the steps that we want to see, and we want to make sure also that the Burmese Government is taking great care with her security.
Remarks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natelegawa after their meeting in BaliUS State Department - 24 July 2011On Myanmar, Hillary Clinton said: "We have, in many different settings, expressed our deep concern about the oppressive political environment in Burma. We have called on the newly-elected government to release political prisoners, open a meaningful dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi by utilizing decision-makers who can respond to her legitimate suggestions and concerns, and we will continue to press for the kind of changes that we see benefiting the people of Burma in the future."
The Times - 22 July 1989 and The Times - 20 July 2011
There is ample evidence that General Ne Win, who ostensibly retired a year ago, still holds supreme power in Burma, according to foreign diplomats in Rangoon.
The country’s military rulers this week cut all telephone and telex links with the outside world and excluded foreign journalists. But, embassies transmitting information by their own radios say repressive measures now in force bear the hallmarks of having been ordered by the general.
After a brief period recently when restrictions were eased, the harshest-yet martial-law provisions are now operating. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the opposition National League for Democracy, and General Tin Oo, its chairman, are under house arrest [detained on 20 July 1989]. They are forbidden to receive visitors and can be held for up to a year. Some reports say Daw Suu Kyi is to be expelled from the country. Close contacts between General Ne Win and the military Government have become more frequent recently, according to Rangoon residents.
The full force of martial law began to be applied only after Daw Suu Kyi named General Ne Win as the man responsible for Burma’s plight and its chief opponent of democratic government. She added that he had never been a trusted comrade of her father, General Aung San, as claimed in the history books.
Within hours the Army entered Rangoon and she was imprisoned in her home. Some believe she invited the crackdown because she believes the political conflict should be brought into the open and that people should be reminded that the choice is between General Ne Win and herself. Reported comments on the Armed Forces by Daw Aug San Suu Kyi in June-July 1989:
- Kemmendine 14 June 1989: “The Defence Forces are divorced from the people and also divided within because they have been used to preserve the power of U Ne Win” (the retired Chairman of the former ruling BSPP).
- Okkalapa 17 June 1989: “The NLD would stand on the side of the people and defy authority.”
- NLD headquarters 26 June 1989: “Basic human rights are currently being eroded bit by bit and repressive acts were getting worse, so it is the duty of everyone to defy unlawful commands in the present struggle for democracy.”
- NLD headquarters 8 July 1989: “The Army have been made to play the role of thugs, to make sure that a few old men can remain in power.”
- NLD headquarters 19 July 1989: “We have a fascist government in power…..They are acting now like a fascist government and like fascists the only language they understand is confrontation.”
Sources: BBC Monitoring Service, Amnesty International documentation
Myanmar holds ceremony to mark Martyrs' Day
People's Daily Online (Beijing) - 19 July 2011
Myanmar held an annual ceremony in Yangon this morning to commemorate fallen national heroes General Aung San and eight others who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence in late 1940s. The 64th Martyrs' Day ceremony, which took place at the Martyrs' Mausoleum, was attended by Yangon Mayor U Hla Myint. Paying respects at the tombs of the fallen independence heroes were Yangon municipal officials, military guard of honor and representatives of social organizations.
Laying wreathes at the martyrs' tombs were family members of the martyrs including political figure Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of General Aung San, and her brother Aung San Oo.
• Burma's Suu Kyi pays tribute to hero father - Bangkok Post 19 July 2011
• Suu Kyu leads march in memory of her father - Washington Post 19 July 2011
• NLD press statement and speech by NLD Chairman General Aung Shwe - 19 July 2011
• ABC TV News Foreign Correspondent - 'The Lady on the Lake' 19 July 2011
• New Light of Myanmar report - 20 July 2011
Transcript of the second of two BBC 'Reith Lectures'
BBC Radio 4 - 5 July 2011
In her second Reith Lecture, Suu Kyi speaks on "Dissent" and reflects on the experiences of the National League for Democracy.
Derek Tonkin writes: While it would be churlish not to admire the struggle for democracy which the National League for Democracy has pursued since its foundation on 27 September 1988, and not to applaud Suu Kyi's principled and consistent stance, there are factual and historical elements in her second presentation on which I have reservations:
- She said (in response to a Question): "I think it would help a great deal if the military could be exposed to other people's thoughts." I find this quite inconsistent with her continuing support for the economic, financial, commercial and travel ban isolation of the regime through sanctions.
- In the context of the November 2010 elections, she states that previously registered parties "had to undertake to protect and defend the constitution". This was not the case. No such undertaking is to be found on Form E-1, though parties were generally required to respect the law. [The text of the House of Representatives Bylaws is in Burmese only.]
- She adds that parties had to expel "any of their members who were in prison, including those who were appealing against their sentences. This included me as I would have to be expelled if the NLD wanted to register." This likewise was not the case. The definition of unacceptable members (Paragraph 2(l) of the Political Parties Registration Law) was a person "serving a prison term under sentence passed by any court. The said expression also includes the person who is serving prison term by the order of the court and pending appeal or revision against the sentence of imprisonment of the relevant court." That is, you actually have to be "in prison" while appealing. Appealing from house arrest does not affect membership. In any case, only the Union Election Commission could make a ruling, and they were never asked.
- She claimed that the NLD won four-fifths of the vote in the 1990 Elections. In fact they won 59.87% of the votes which gave them 80.82% of the seats in the National Assembly. This mistake is frequently made.
- She asserted that the 1990 elections were published in the Official Gazette, but then followed by "nothing....in spite of earlier promises by leaders of the Junta that the responsibility of government would be handed over to the winner......". The controversy which has arisen relates to the change of mind of the Junta in 1989 - to insist on a constitutional process requiring the drafting and approval of a new Constitution first before power was handed over. The NLD as election winners demanded the transfer of power first. This the Junta refused.
See also "Home Truths about Myanmar" - Burmese Perspectives 5 July 2011
Wrong thoughts beget wrong acts
The New Light of Myanmar - 4 July 2011
An article in the State daily criticises the now dissolved National League for Democracy for claiming in a recent letter to the Home Affairs Minister that the Party still has a legal existence in defiance of the ruling of the Supreme Court. The writer adduces legal arguments in this context. He also reminds readers that according to a Resolution of the NLD Central Executive Committee of 11 December 1991 Suu Kyi's membership of the NLD was revoked.
Note by Network Myanmar: It has long been known that, in the context of the 1990 Elections, Suu Kyi was required to resign as General Secretary of the NLD and that when she resumed the position on her release from restricted residence in July 1995, the Election Commission did not notify their consent. We were not aware that a (no doubt tactical) CEC Resolution in December 1991 also revoked her party membership.
"To quarrel or to be reconciled"
The New Light of Myanmar - 30 June 2011
Another commentary in the official press encouraging the National League for Democacy to register as a political party and/or as a social welfare organisation.
Text of reply (in Burmese) from Suu Kyi to the Home Affairs Minister dated 29 June 2011
Informal English Translation
Derek Tonkin comments: Whatever view one might take of the legal aspects of this case, the Myanmar authorities might wish to acknowledge the tremendous concession which the NLD has made in recognising:
- the authority of the Union Parliament to make laws;
- the relevance and validity of the new Constitution;
- the responsibilities of the Home Affairs Minister for ruling on these issues.
This may not formally (de jure) amount to recognition of the new Constitution by the NLD, but it is (de facto) within a hair’s breadth of doing so. Recognition of a status does not need to be declared specifically, it may be assumed from the context.
Myanmar warns Suu Kyi off political activity ahead of tour
Deutsche Press-Agentur - 29 June 2011
The Myanmar government has sent a stern letter to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi ahead of her planned tour of the country, reminding her of the illegal status of her party.
Text of letter and related article - New Light of Myanmar 29 June 2011
The writer of the article comments that: "I do not think the [Union Election] Commission will not give green light [for the National League for Democracy to re-register as a political party]. How nice it will be if they do so!" The letter from the Home Affairs Ministry concludes that: "For U Aung Shwe [Chairman] and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi [General Secretary], they should form a social organization if they want to engage in social affairs in team or group. If so, they have to apply to the Ministry of Home Affairs in accordance with the procedures and the Ministry will take measures in accord with the law."
Comment by William Hague, UK Foreign Secretary, on 30 June 2011
Comment by Mark Toner at the daily US State Department press briefing on 29 June 2011
Comment by the Spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry on 29 June 2011
Transcript of the first of two BBC 'Reith Lectures'
BBC Radio 4 - 28 June 2011
In the first of two lectures in the BBC Reith Lectures series, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi speaks on 'Liberty'. The talk and subsequent Question and Answer session (which is also transcribed) were pre-recorded.
Derek Tonkin writes: The lecture itself has clearly been written with great care and was impressively delivered. The Question and Answer session is especially revealing, though some of Suu Kyi's responses are less than convincing:
- She asks "if sanctions are not effective, why are they so keen on having them removed?" Numerous representatives of the regime have made it clear that sanctions are ineffective against them personally, but during the discussion on the motion tabled at the Union Parliament of both the Lower and Upper Houses (not the "National Assembly") several speakers deplored the damaging effects on the population resulting from the blocking of development aid provided by international financial institutions, which is far and away the principal sanction against Myanmar, accounting for over 90% of financial loss borne by the country. Though introduced by the majority Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the motion was approved by 625 votes to 4 against, with 5 abstentions, which means that Opposition representatives voted with the USDP.
- She argues that "we can't say that all big hotels are owned by cronies, but I would say that the great majority of them are." In fact, the 'cronies' have shied away from hotel ownership until quite recently because it has not been profitable. As the Burma Action Group (now the Burma Campaign UK) reported in their 1996 publication "Burma - An Alternative Guide": "Nearly all the big new hotels which have opened or are being built in Burma are owned by foreign companies with only a few joint ventures."
- She explains that, among reasons why the National League for Democracy decided not to contest the elections, was the fact that the new constitution "gives the army a right to take over all the powers of government whenever they feel it's necessary." In fact, only the President can take the decision to give the Commander-in-Chief such emergency powers. In practice, the President might well follow the advice of the military-dominated National Defence and Security Council, but the final decision would be his.
- She added that another reason was that "we would have to wipe the 1990 elections off the political map of Burma." In fact the election laws make it clear that the 1990 elections only became invalid with the promulgation of the new constitution which set out a new parliamentary structure incompatible with the arrangements decreed in 1989. As an historical fact, the 1990 elections and their results remain undisputed, though the purpose of those elections is still sharply contested.
Suu Kyi testifies before the US House of Representatives Sub Committee on Asia
VoA Clip - You Tube 22 June 2011
Suu Kyi gives her support to the most recent Resolution of the Human Rights Council and the proposal by UN Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana for a fact-finding Commission of Inquiry on human rights abuses.
The Lowry Interpreter - 17 June 2011Andrew Selth, Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, comments on the glaring inconsistencies in US (and Western) policy towards Myanmar, which have restricted options in handling relations, and concludes: "All other considerations aside, this fact alone, that one albeit remarkable person [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] can have such an effect on the foreign policy of the world's most powerful country, underlines the futility of looking for consistency in the conduct of international relations."Derek Tonkin comments: Andrew Selth's article highlights why current US policy on Myanmar is likely doomed to failure. The only hope for the West seems to lie in the restructuring of the EU's Common Policy on Burma/Myanmar, of which there are promising signs. Robert Cooper, special adviser to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, and EU special envoy for Burma-Myanmar Piero Fassino, are expected in Myanmar as early as this weekend.
• East Asia Forum June 2011 - David Steinberg: "Disparate Sanctions"
• The Irrawaddy 17 June 2011 - "Burma, from a German perspective"
• VoA News 24 February 2011 - Suu Kyi on the differences between Libya and Burma
• Reuters 30 May 2011 - Suu Kyi criticises Western military intervention in Libya
• Suu Kyi: "It just shows that violence [death of Osama bin Laden] ends with violence."
Video message to the 100th ILO Conference
Agence France-Presse - 14 June 2011
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the former General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar, spoke via video message to the delegates of the 100th International Labour Conference of the ILO. She expressed her hope that the ILO would expand its activities in Myanmar and help usher in an era of social justice. Suu Kyi paid tribute to the work of the ILO in her country and what they had already achieved.
Suu Kyi to deliver two BBC 'Reith Lectures'
Agence France-Presse - 11 June 2011
Suu Kyi has recorded two lectures for the annual series of 'Reith Lectures' presented in honour of the BBC's first head of broadcasting, Lord Reith. Her first lecture, to be broadcast on June 28, looks at dissent in Myanmar and the second, to be broadcast on July 5, explores how freedom can be won with reference to the pro-democracy movements sweeping the Middle East.
Note by Network Myanmar: The BBC say the interviews were recorded secretly and smuggled out of Myanmar. Suu Kyi has in fact given quite openly many interviews and statements since her release, including a statement to the Davos World Economic Forum.
• BBC Report dated 10 June 2011
• Summary of first broadcast due on 28 June 2011 - The Guardian 20 June 2011
• BBC interview with John Simpson - 20 June 2011
• Suu Kyi's ideal of freedom - Madeleine Bunting: The Guardian 26 June 2011
'Release the Political Prisoners of Burma'
The Huffington Post - 9 June 2011
Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister, talks by telephone to Suu Kyi. "Perhaps a release of 50% of prisoners could be the first sign of goodwill, but it must be accompanied by the regime granting the International Committee of the Red Cross urgent access to prisoners and providing those who need it with medical attention."
Suu Kyi decries war rapes
Bangkok Post/AFP - 25 May 2011
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday (24 May) appealed for an end to rapes by troops in her country, in a video address to her sister Nobel laureates in Montebello, Canada. Violence against women, the Nobel Peace Prize winner said, "is a very real problem. Rape is used in my country as a weapon against those who only want to live in peace, who only want to assert their basic human rights. It is used as a weapon by armed forces to intimidate the ethnic nationalities and to divide our country".
Note by Network Myanmar: Suu Kyi's allegations are likely to upset the new government. The incidence of rape in ethnic regions has declined in recent years and the number of cases reported by human rights agencies or even suspected is so low that "rape as a weapon of war" in Myanmar is now sharply contested as a valid interpretation of the situation.
Suu Kyi sees no real change in Burma
Deutsche Welle - 12 May 2011
Suu Kyi thinks the military’s overtures toward democracy are just for show. "Until political prisoners are released and until they are all allowed to take part in the political process of the country, I do not think that we can call it real change." Aung San Suu Kyi spoke on Tuesday via a telephone line from Yangon to a group of students and journalists in Berlin. She had expressly requested an audience with international students about the situation in her country and that is how this unusual podium debate came about. "When you ask people in Burma what they think the greatest problems are they always say inflation, the prices, the cost of living. So it is the day-to-day problems that matter most to them. The cost of living, the lack of employment and these have nothing to do with sanctions." Suu Kyi's line is not shared by everybody in Myanmar’s opposition movement, which is split into several factions.
Deutsche Welle - 21 May 2011: Suu Kyi calls for more international support
Suu Kyi calls for ASEAN countries to push Burma's democracy
Jakarta Post - 3 May 2011
"It is not out of selfishness that I'm asking that you help us in our struggle for democracy in Burma, that you help us in our attempts to strengthen civil society in our country. It is by starting here that we can start to help our region and the rest of the world," Suu Kyi said in a recorded speech played during the opening of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum 2011 in Jakarta.
The Guardian - 16 April 2011
Polly Toynbee on 'The Lady'. A rather hackneyed and vacuous portrait, but some of the many comments are well worth reading and display a far greater knowledge of Burma than Ms Toynbee.
Face Facts: The problem with venerating Aung San Suu Kyi
Time Magazine - 25 April 2010
British author and journalist Andrew Marshall examines the enigma which is Aung San Suu Kyi and supports engagement with the new administration.
Suu Kyi greets passers-by outside her home at Thingyan New Year
Democracy party in Myanmar still a one-woman show
The Globe and Mail - 3 April 2011
Mark MacKinnon continues his series of articles on Myanmar with a portrait of the NLD and its leader Suu Kyi. "Twenty-one years ago, the NLD’s Rangoon headquarters was very nearly the vortex of a peaceful revolution. Today, it feels more like a museum to those thrilling times than the hub of any current threat to the generals’ plans......There’s little question that the NLD remains a one-woman show, with all of its hope resting on the narrow shoulders of the woman who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize." Canadian Friends of Burma respond vigorously to Mark MacKinnon's article
Angela Merkel speaks with Myanmar's Suu Kyi
Associated Press - 31 March 2011
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken by phone with Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and underlined calls for her political party to be recognised.
Comment by Networm Myanmar: The NLD has appealed against the dissolution of their party on the grounds that, once registered, it would be a denial of human rights for the party to be disbanded. They have appealed to the Human Rights Council.
"The Lady will see you in Myanmar"
Bloomberg Markets Magazine - 23 March 2011A political review of business opportunities in Myanmar. "Soon, Western investors will face their own choice: whether to put their money into a fragile yet promising economy or to stand back and watch rivals with fewer qualms about political oppression exploit the country’s riches."
"There will always be threats" - Willi Germund interviews Aung San Suu Kyi
Franfurter Rundshau/ Google translation - 23 March 2011
Extracts:
WG - Sanctions - in April, the European Union must decide whether to renew sanctions against Burma. Would it be a good idea not to renew them?
ASSK -The sanctions should be maintained. Sanctions should only be lifted only after something has changed. And what has changed since the elections? As I said, nothing is clear.
WG - Within the EU there is a discussion on the nature of the sanctions. The German government talks about making them more targeted. What do you think of this view?
ASSK - I do not really understand what the Germans mean by this. Should we regularly check the list of companies which are affected by sanctions? Yes, this can be done to see if the right people are affected or not. But, as I said, it is not really clear what the Germans mean.
WG - Your statement in Davos on sanctions was considered somewhat misleading.What did you really want to say?
ASSK - There was absolutely nothing misleading. It was so presented only by some who had their own interest for doing so. I said then that companies that are active must abide by ethical principles. The call is primarily to companies from the democratic countries of Japan and South Korea.
The German original of the interview may be found here.
Aung San Suu Kyi on Egypt, sanctions and raising the megabyte
Globe and Mail (Canada) - 18 February 2011
On sanctions, Suu Kyi expressed the view that it was too early to think about a change in policy until the new government had been formed. "I would certainly like to have discussions with Canada about the sanctions [and] how we should handle them … how, when and under what circumstances sanctions should be modified. I did suggest that perhaps we should have a professional team look into the effects of sanctions. It would provide us with a useful basis for discussion.” She feels that the sanctions cannot have been entirely without effect if the government "is shouting so much about them". She described this reaction as "rather extreme". On the disparity between Myanmar's receipt of aid compared with Laos and Cambodia, she said that what was important was how ODA was spent and to ensure that it went to the right people and in the right way so as not to increase their dependency on the regime. She expresses her interest in Twitter and Facebook, but has found that her Internet connection is too slow to be effective. She is applying for a faster service
Comment by Network Myanmar: Suu Kyi would clearly like to use the sanctions issue to open discussions with Canada and the West about how they might be modified. This would be before any expectation of discussions with the new Government which has yet to be established, probably in 3-4 weeks' time. The report includes two audio reports.
The Lady Survives
The American Spectator - 18 February 2011
A sobering portrait of Suu Kyi by George H Wittman, founding chairman of the National Institute for Public Policy. "The Lady has not lost her spirit or her patriotic verve, but the environment has changed in Burma over the last decade and she is well aware of that fact. Suu Kyi is restricted not only legally but by the tactical circumstance in which she finds herself. She remains a symbol of indomitable spirit for Burma and the rest of the world. The Lady has survived, and that in itself is a victory."
BBC News - 14 February 2011
A twitter message from US State Department Spokesman Philip Crowley. On 16 February Mr Crowley followed up on his twitter message with a statement at the Daily Press Briefing that "we remain concerned about Aung San Suu Kyi’s safety and security."
"Lost in Translation" or intended to be mischievous?
Note by Network Myanmar: Philip Crowley's Twitter message was triggered by the final paragraph in an article in the New Light of Myanmar dated 13 February 2011. This said:
"If Daw Suu Kyi and the NLD keep going to the wrong way ignoring the fact that today’s Myanmar is marching to a new era, new system and new political platforms paving the way for democracy, they will meet their tragic ends. Pointing out that, I would like to invite them to cooperate with the people in building a democratic nation in the interests of the nation and the people"
The Burmese version literally translated reads;
"As ignoring the fact that today's Myanmar is marching to a new era, new system and new political platforms paving the way for democracy will only mean that ASSK and the NLD will go straight to a historical dead-end, I would like to invite them to instead cooperate with the people in building a democratic nation in the interests of the nation and the people"
The phrase used in the original Burmese "thamaing i gate-son" literally means "history's final gate" or "history's end", with the connotation that Suu Kyi and the NLD will be irrelevant. It does not in fact read as a threat.
Suu Kyi: Interview on German Television
ARD Tagesschau - 15 February 2011
A not all that accurate transcript of the two-part interview in German may be found at this link. Ms Suu Kyi makes it clear in Part II that her call for investments in her message to the Davos World Economic Forum was not an invitation to invest, but only a statement of principle about ethical investment.
Four Articles on the NLD and Sanctions by Yan Gyi Aung
New Light of Myanmar - 13-16 February 2011
Note by Network Myanmar: Suu Kyi's current stance on sanctions is designed primarily to secure a 'locus standi' in negotiations over Myanmar's future, though the regime has indicated that they have nothing to negotiate with the West, where sanctions are concerned.
We do not wholly agree with the New Light of Myanmar assessment of the authorship. Suu Kyi's style tends to be Olympian, refined, imperious. Some of the formulations are too racy and jargonistic for Suu Kyi to have drafted herself. On the other hand, the eight-point concluding paragraph is vintage Suu Kyi. A composite product.
The four articles point to the differences of approach between the National League for Democracy and the the author of the four articles, which reflect the regime's position. In essence, you can draw a distinction between statutory sanctions imposed by the West which are designed to target the regime and its supporters, but unfortunately have wider repercussions in many cases; and non-statutory sanctions, which primarily include restrictions on Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) - including humanitarian and emergency relief - and on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Sanctions-induced restrictions on ODA and the official discouragement of FDI across the board mainly have repercussions on the population at large.
Suu Kyi: No reason to lift sanctions
Reuters -12 February 2011
Suu Kyi, asked by Reuters at a party function today to elaborate, said sanctions had to be discussed. "Whether or not to lift the sanctions is something to be decided after discussions," she said. "At the present situation, I don't see any reason to lift the sanctions." She did not elaborate on who should discuss the issue.
Note by Network Myanmar: In their 8 February review of sanctions, the NLD suggested that "a study and anlaysis by a team of widely-respected professionals on the effects of sanctions would be beneficial" to discussions with Western powers.
Text of NLD Statement on Sanctions - 8 February 2011
'The Lady' outflanked by Burma junta
Dr Frank Peel (Florida, US and Geneva, Switzerland) - FT Weekend 5 February 2011
"The endgame is very much in sight and Aung San Suu Kyi is less and less part of it. She has been outflanked by the generals ruling the country and will soon have a position akin to a Queen Mother in the UK.......Aung San Suu Kyi is a tragic figure. But once again the West allows its admiration for such a figure to obscure geopolitical realities."
Note by Network Myanmar: Dr Francis (Frank) Peel is a specialist in US politics and US-Europe Relations, lawyer, professor and politician.
NLD website launched by an anonymous source outside Myanmar
Agency Reports - 31 January and 1 February 2011
A new website www.nldburma.org was launched on 30 January. According to 'The Irrawaddy', the NLD in Rangoon has denied that the website was designed and created by party members in Burma. “The website was created by NLD members abroad,” said Tin Oo, the NLD vice chairman. “It would have been very difficult to create it inside Burma. It is hard enough just to get a telephone line in this country.”
Note by Network Myanmar: Hitherto, the NLD in Myanmar has been most careful not to get entangled in overseas relationships with NLD members in exile or those connected with the "NLD - Liberated Area" organisation. The "YouTube" icon in the top right below the Top Menu indeed suggests that it was created and is being maintained abroad, as "YouTube" is not accessible in Myanmar. The system used is JComments v.2.1 released in August 2009 and based (like this website) on Joomla! v. 1.5. The address of the website is 74.208.68.250 which is located (and thus "hosted") in the US by "onlinehome-server.com" in Hollywood, Florida. The website may however be edited and managed from anywhere with an internet connection, provided the URL is not blocked (URLs with "Burma" in the address are invariably blocked in Myanmar). Suu Kyi is reportedly pleased with the website. The NLD has confirmed that it is not under their management or control.
Suu Kyi asks investors in Davos to help Myanmar
Associated Press - 28 January 2011
Suu Kyi reached out Friday to the world's business elite to invest in her isolated, impoverished country - but carefully. "We yearn to be a part of the global community," the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said in an audio message (full text at this link) to the Davos World Economic Forum. "We have already missed so many opportunities because of political conflicts in our country over the last 50 years." Defense spending in military-run Myanmar, one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia, overwhelms spending on education and health, to the detriment of its 55 million people, she said. Without national reconciliation and political stability, she warned, "social and economic development will remain mere pipe dreams." YouTube has also carried the text of her spoken message at this link.
She urged investment in technology and infrastructure, and micro-lending programs, but said investors "should pay close attention to the costs and collateral damage of our development, whether environmental or social." She appealed to "those who have invested or who are thinking of investing in Burma to put a premium on respect for the law, on environmental and social factors, on the rights of workers, on job creation and on the promotion of technological skills."
Note by Network Myanmar: Suu Kyi's appeal would seem to open up prospects for renewed ODA and private sector investment in Myanmar. We need however to see a full text of what she actually said. The British Government continues to discourage all forms of trade and investment, according to a parliamentary statement on 27 January.
Suu Kyi seeks support for democracy from world leaders in Davos
Reuters - 28 January 2011
Suu Kyi has told world leaders in Davos that Myanmar's 55 million people had been left behind as globalisation had proceeded apace and yearned to be part of the world community. "Despite an abundance of natural resources, Burma's development has lagged far behind its neighbours," she said, adding that the government spent 40 percent of output on the military compared to just 2 percent on health and education. "As necessary steps towards integration within the global community, Burma must achieve national reconciliation, political stability, and economic growth grounded in human resources development," she said.
Suu Kyi says sanctions should remain
Financial Times - 28 January 2011
David Pilling reports that Suu Kyi has rebuffed calls by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to lift international sanctions, saying neither recent elections nor her release from house arrest signalled fundamental political change. Ms Suu Kyi, who was released from seven years’ detention in November, has ordered her National League for Democracy to conduct a review of sanctions. Studies, including one from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), showed little evidence that sanctions hurt ordinary Burmese, she said. “The great majority of Burmese, who are working in agriculture, are not affected at all,” she said, blaming the dire standard of living of most Burmese on “crony capitalism” and the economic ineptitude of the junta that has ruled the country since 1962.
Note by Network Myanmar: It is difficult to reconcile her call to the Davos World Economic Forum for cautious, prudent and responsible investment with her continuing support for sanctions which include comprehensive investment sanctions by the US and restricted investment sanctions by the EU against certain individuals and also against certain sectors of the economy.
Financial Times 29 January 2011 - David Pilling's interview with Suu Kyi
FM Kasit tells Suu Kyi of Thailand's support for reconciliation
MCOT Thailand - 23 January 2011
Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya has told Suu Kyi that Thailand has pledged Thai government support for national reconciliation and the development of democracy in Myanmar. In a one-hour meeting Friday, Kasit told Suu Kyi that the Thai government felt that her position as opposition leader who could also represent minority groups in Myanmar could play a significant and positive role. Suu Kyi told Kasit that she is prepared to discuss with military leaders the national reconciliation process, and that compromise could be achieved. She said she would wait until a new government is formed which would enable her to know who is the real power holder in her country before talks could proceed.
Note by Network Myanmar: It would appear that Suu Kyi is prepared to recognise and deal with the new administration in Myanmar.
Kasit: No support for dissidents - The Nation (Bangkok) 28 January 2011
Suu Kyi meets Thai Foreign Minister Kasit in Yangon
Associated Press - 21 January 2011
Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Suu Kyi have met at a hotel in northern Yangon. Their talks lasted about one hour and were described as "frank and cordial". No details were released. This was the first face-to-face meeting with Suu Kyi by a senior foreign representative.
Note by Network Myanmar: It is likely that Kasit offered Suu Kyi Thailand's full support in her attempts to renovate the National League for Democracy and reregister the party, as well as practical assistance for nation-wide social welfare projects which a revitalised NLD might wish to pursue. But he would have urged her to ensure that NLD activities were within the law, since they would otherwise not be tolerated by the new administration.
Interview with Suu Kyi - looking to build hope
New Zealand Herald - 17 January 2011
On tourism, Suu Kyi said: "We are going to work out a policy on tourism as to what kind of tourists and what way we would welcome tourists to come. How they should come and how they should go about the country. What kind of hotels they should use and what kind of facilities they should use and what they should look out for........ In such a way that tourism would benefit the people rather than the powers that be."Note by Network Myanmar: Suu Kyi and the NLD have said for some time that they are no longer opposed to private travel. Their seeming reluctance though to define a policy runs the danger that no one will pay much attention to what they eventually say.
Interview with Suu Kyi - 'Inclusiveness' key to reformsRadio Free Asia - 13 January 2011
Extracts:
• "If I may express my opinion with regard to the 2010 and 1990 elections, we cannot discard the results of the 1990 elections. The reason is not because the NLD won the elections or because the NLD wanted to hold on to its victory. It is to respect the will of the people. It is also because we agree to the principle of democracy, which is having a high regard for the wishes of the people."
• "In Burmese politics, the principle of all-inclusiveness is a very important factor. When we speak of all-inclusiveness, we mean everybody who is interested in politics, everybody who is interested in social affairs, and especially all of those - and I would like to emphasize this - who have been incarcerated for their beliefs."• "It is important to consider carefully whether one would send the military government before the ICC (International Criminal Court) as a means of applying pressure on them, or because one holds a grudge against them. It would not be good for the country if such an action were taken because of a grudge. I only want to create a situation in which there would be no reason for sending anyone from our country before the ICC."• "It is true that I would like the Tatmadaw to be included in the Second Panglong process, but whether or not they participate is not a decision I can make. In any case, I think that it will be necessary for us to hold the 21st Century Panglong in order to build a genuine Union spirit. This may or may not take the form of a conference - that is why we are using the term 21st Century Panglong. I would like to respectfully say that in these modern times, because of the advancement of technology, opinions and views can be presented without everyone gathering in one particular place."
Newsweek - 21 December 2010Extract: "Some people are using economic sanctions as an excuse for the [country’s] economic mess. [But] most economists think the main problem is the policies the present regime has imposed. A change in government policies [would] bring about a change in the economic situation. And that’s what organizations like the IMF say, as well as economists."
Note by Network Myanmar: We think most economists would indeed agree with this statement. However, economic sanctions are mainly of a statutory nature and because of the low interface of economic and commercial relationships with Myanmar, even a total embargo by all Western countries of the kind the US has introduced would be likely to have only a limited effect. The more serious problem arises from the denial of basic development assistance for the population, enacted by the US in 2003 and by the EU in 2004. This denial has blocked all funding by international financial institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank, depriving Myanmar of some US$1.5 billion annually.
In addition, most Western countries actively discourage all other trade, investment and tourism which is not specifically restricted by statutory regulations. Such denial and discouragement tend not to be classed as "sanctions" by the West, but are glossed over as "policy decisions" and "recommendations". Suu Kyi has been made well aware in recent weeks that such broader sanctions primarily affect the population.
Suu Kyi rules out party overhaul
Agence France-Presse - 17 December 2010
Suu Kyi has ruled out a reorganisation of her party's top ranks to replace elderly leaders with a younger generation of activists. In an interview with AFP, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was released last month from seven straight years of house arrest, also said she would not use the issue of sanctions as a bargaining chip with the ruling generals. The NLD has also softened its previous opposition to tourists visiting Myanmar, although it says people should avoid joining tour groups because the government could benefit financially. She said her party's senior members had decided several months ago, while she was under house arrest, that they would "stand strongly against group tourists". But "they would not object to individual tourists coming to study the situation and to find out what is really happening in Burma. This would also bring income into private enterprises."
Note by Network Myanmar: In accordance with the best traditions of inner-party democracy in the NLD, other members of the Central Executive Committee are unlikely even to be asked for their opinion about the need for a reorganisation of the party.
In point of fact, group tourists are handled more by private agencies than by the State. This is particularly true of cruise ships which are handled by the local private company of Diethelms, the Swiss travel operators. The Orient Express 'Road to Mandalay' is handled by another private company, Tour Mandalay. There is unfortunately no one in Suu Kyi's ageing entourage with the commercial contacts and experience needed to tell her the realities of the tourism industry.
Birmanie: Ne sublimons pas Aung San Suu Kyi
Centre for International Studies and Research - December 2010
Professor Renaud Egreteau examines the limitations on Suu Kyi's field of action and the unlikelihood of change as a result of her release from house arrest which was in no way the result of international pressure.
Suu Kyi calls on Europe and Germany to be more supportive
Deutsche Welle - 15 December 2010Text of an interview with Deutsche Welle. "So far, I have not got the impression that economic sanctions have really hurt the public, but of course there are other voices that are perhaps still waiting to be heard, so we have yet to find out. I have been released just for over a month, and I haven't had time to go into this issue; I am waiting to read the latest report of the IMF, and perhaps the ADB and other economic institutions."
New Light of Myanmar - 8 December 2010An editorial by 'Ko Myanmar' on page 8 of today's New Light of Myanmar is critical of extra-parliamentary activities by persons 'working for a certain ambition'. Those working for power outside the Constitution may cause chaos and confusion.Note by Network Myanmar: Although not mentioned by name, the deregistered National League for Democracy is clearly targeted.Reuters - 8 December 2010: Myanmar accuses Suu Kyi of cheap stunt'
'Burma's Gradual Transition'Le Monde Diplomatique - December 2010Professor Renaud Egreteau concludes: "The elections of 7 November, though marred by fraud, were neither a step backwards nor real progress. The opposition will from now on appear more plural and less dependent on Aung San Suu Kyi, who will struggle to translate the popular momentum since her release into an effective unifying strategy, as she did when she was released in 1995 and 2002. She may now turn out to be more skilful at reconciling an international community with a Burma that has been ostracised for too long."Note by Network Myanmar: Professor Egreteau's presentation and conclusions are fully consistent with our own observations from discussions in Yangon during the past week. We warmly recommend close reading of this excellent report.
New Light of Myanmar - 25 November 2010Dr Win Naing, who spent many years in Japan, discusses on page 7 of the New Light of Myanmar today his experiences at the recent election and quotes supportive comments from Thai and Vietnamese sources which contrast with the negative comment from the US and EU.Note by Network Myanmar: Suu Kyi has meanwhile criticised the EU for the alleged weakness of their recent comment on the elections and has asked that they speak with one voice, adding: "If they are going to let the regime divide and rule them, I think that would be a disgrace for the EU.' It is unlikely though that the EU will apologise for its Common Policy. Suu Kyi should understand that it is perfectly possible for members of the EU to have differing views on how best to tackle Myanmar's problems, even on whether to call her country Burma, or Myanmar, or Burma/Myanmar or Myanmar/Burma. When talking to DPA, she would probably not have been aware of the results of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 22 November 2010 and of the subsequent remarks on Burma/Myanmar at the press conference the same day by Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative on Foreign Affairs (video report 06.20 - 06.50 and 09.50 - 10.35).
Suu Kyi reunited with her younger sonNew York Times - 23 November 2010Seth Mydans reports that Suu Kyi talks about change. "We are in need of significant change.” The change she had in mind was “a change for the better from the point of view of human rights and democratic institutions.” But unlike some of her supporters in the West, she did not see regime change as a goal. “What we want is value change." She added that she did not endorse moves among her supporters overseas to try to bring the junta leaders into international court for crimes against humanity. “I’ve never said I want them to be brought into the international court,” she said. “I don’t think there is any solid reason for the generals to fear for their safety. We are not after them personally. I certainly do not wish them ill.” Note by Network Myanmar: NLD CEC members Nyan Win and Win Tin later reinterpreted Suu Kyi's comments about "crimes against humanity".
Der Spiegel Online - 22 November 2010
In a wide-ranging interview with Thilo Thielke, Suu Kyi says: "I was informed that the European Union has debated this issue. It has spoken out against group tours where Burmese government facilities are used. It endorses individual trips, however, which could benefit private companies. I haven't had an opportunity to speak with the European Union about this. But it is essential that people see what is actually happening in this country."
Note by Network Myanmar: We are seeking clarification from the EU about what their present policy position on tourism might be. The 27 countries of the EU have tended to discourage tourism of any kind, but the strength of government feeling has varied from country to country. Suu Kyi's statement that "it is essential that people see what is actually happening in this country" is however an unqualified endorsement of private individual and private package tourism and has been made regardless of what EU policy might be.
Reuters - 20 November 2010
Suu Kyi tells Reuters: "We have not ruled out cooperation with the military. But we have to talk about it, how do we effect a smooth transition and in how many stages.....We're not saying no more military on the scene any more." On her wish for "non-violent, peaceful revolution", she said: "Let's put it as significant change rather than dramatic change. Drama isn't always for the best." On the current political scene, she said she would support steps towards a civilian-led government "if it's going in the right direction, in the direction that people want." A committee of her party set up to examine election fraud would hopefully issue a report "within weeks". On sanctions: "We are going to have to re-assess the situation because we want to find out if it really is, as it has been put, that sanctions have failed at the expense of the people." She felt that energy companies operating in Myanmar "are part of the big problem. They have not brought about any sort of transparency."
Reuters - 18 November 2010
Suu Kyi talks about her role as a politician.
CNN - 18 November 2010
Author Justin Wintle, biographer of Aung San Suu Kyi, comments: "To remain at liberty and to stand any chance of effecting real change within Myanmar (something she has singularly failed to do thus far), Aung San Suu Kyi might be well advised to step back from the cut-and-thrust of daily politics and begin taking on the role of eminence grise, for which her personality is well suited."
Financial Times - 16 November 2010
Gideon Rachman contrasts the release of Nelson Mandela and that of Suu Kyi, highlights the problems facing her now, and can only hope for a happy ending.
Déjà vu in Burma, not a new dawnFinancial Times - 14 November 2010David Pilling contrasts Suu Kyi's release with that of Nelson Mandela's and concludes that no winds of change are blowing through Burma.
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