Burma Democratic Concern (BDC-TV Entertainment)

Opening remarks at UN Headquarters year-end press conference

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
UNHQ

17 December 2010

Good morning ladies and gentlemen,

Before we begin, I want to make a statement on Côte d’Ivoire.

As of this morning, the situation has taken a dangerous turn.

Let me say clearly and directly: any attempt to obstruct UN operations or blockade the Golf Hotel is totally unacceptable.

Any attack on UN forces will be an attack on the international community.

I emphasize: those responsible for the loss of civilian lives will be held accountable.

In these circumstances, it is crucial for both parties to avoid provocations or a further escalation of violence.

The response by ECOWAS and the African Union shows the continent united in its commitment to respect the constitutional order and will of the people.

That is our message, as well: the results of the election are known. There was a clear winner. There is no other option.

The efforts of Laurent Gbagbo and his supporters to retain power and flout the public will cannot be allowed to stand.

I call on him to step down and allow his elected successor to assume office without further hindrance.

The international community must send this message — loud and clear.

Any other outcome would make a mockery of democracy and the rule of law.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Since this is the final press conference of the year, let me take a few minutes to reflect with you.

2010 was a big year for multilateralism — a big year for the United Nations.

We adopted a forward-looking action plan on the Millennium Development Goals.

We mobilized $40 billion for the new Global Strategy on Women’s and Children’s Health. And we just established a high-level Commission on accountability to ensure that commitments are tracked and results delivered.

We are making progress in the malaria fight.

After years of effort, we created UN Women and hired a dynamic new head of the agency, Michelle Bachelet.

We made advances in Nagoya on biodiversity.

In Cancun, Governments took an important step forward in building a low-emissions, climate resilient future.

They agreed on a balanced package of measures that formalizes mitigation pledges from all countries and ensures increased accountability for them. They made progress on forest protection, climate finance, adaptation and technology. We will build on this foundation as we look to COP 17 in South Africa.

We completed the first successful NPT Review Conference in ten years, and were able to advance my five-point plan on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

We supported highly sensitive elections in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We strengthened the UN’s capacities for preventive diplomacy and mediation.

All told, we supported 34 different mediation, facilitation and dialogue efforts this year.

The persistent work of UN envoys helped, for example, to ease the crisis in Kyrgyzstan and keep a transition to democracy on track in Guinea. Next week, the Deputy Secretary-General will attend the inauguration of the newly elected civilian President of Guinea.

We advanced the fight against impunity by strengthening the International Criminal Court.

We have continued to assist Member States in resolving difficult issues and undertaking impartial inquiries on sensitive matters from the Flotilla incident to the Bhutto Commission to the Special Tribunal on Lebanon.

We enhanced efficiency and effectiveness on the ground through a first-of-its-kind Global Field Support Strategy, which concentrates support for various peacekeeping missions in single, more efficient regional hubs.

We responded to the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, as well as the floods in Pakistan. And we helped amplify the voices of the vulnerable, the billions around the world facing global economic insecurity.

Looking ahead, our challenge is to carry our progress forward.

Resources are tighter. Demands on the UN are growing. This requires us to focus more on prevention, preparedness, being proactive, being persistent – all within a framework that is transparent and accountable.

I will have much more to say next month on our agenda for 2011.

For the moment, let me say:

We will continue to closely watch the situation in Côte d’Ivoire.

In Sudan, I am deeply concerned by the recent clashes in Darfur. And in just a few weeks, the people of Southern Sudan will exercise their right to vote on their future.

The United Nations remains committed to supporting the parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and holding the referendum on January 9 next year. And we will work to help the two sides address common challenges in the aftermath.

We will seek to advance the Middle East peace process to realize the two-state solution, despite the absence of direct talks.

I once again urge the parties to engage seriously and be forthcoming on substance.

A meeting of the Quartet principals is expected early in the new year.

We will also continue to focus on improving life in Gaza. And I repeat: Israel must meet its obligation to freeze all settlement activity, including in East Jerusalem.

With respect to Myanmar, despite its serious shortcomings, the elections and the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi were significant developments. Myanmar can and should build on them.

Our strategy is one of long-term comprehensive engagement. We will continue to work to help Myanmar meet the objectives of national reconciliation, democratic transition and respect for human rights.

And we will seek progress on many of the longer-term challenges – including peace and security in the Korean Peninsula, the Iranian nuclear issue, bringing a stable government to Somalia, and helping to reunify Cyprus.

With regard to Cyprus, we have worked to increase the momentum in the talks, and I plan to meet leaders next month in Geneva. Between now and then, I hope they will continue to build on common ground as I urged them to do last month here in New York.

Finally, a few words on Haiti.

I am concerned about allegations of fraud in the recent elections. A second round is scheduled for mid-January.

We will continue to support free and fair elections that reflect the will of the Haitian people.

I urge all candidates and their supporters to remain calm and refrain from violence.

With respect to the cholera challenge, our first priority continues to be saving lives. We are working to reassure the population that the disease can be managed through early treatment and some clear and simple steps.

It is crucial to get this message out, far and wide.

And we need more funding. The Cholera Response Strategy that we launched last month is still only 21 percent funded. Haiti needs more doctors, nurses, medical supplies, and it needs them urgently.

As you know, there are several theories on the origins of the cholera outbreak in Haiti.

Not all reports have reached the same conclusion. MINUSTAH and the Government of Haiti have conducted a number of tests. All so far have been negative.

But there remain fair questions and legitimate concerns that demand the best answer that science can provide.

That is why, pursuant to close consultation with Dr. Margaret Chan of WHO, I am announcing today the creation of an international scientific panel to investigate the source of the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

The panel will be completely independent and have full access to all UN premises and personnel. Details on the panel will be provided when finalized.

We want to make the best effort to get to the bottom of this and find answers that the people of Haiti deserve.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Looking back and looking ahead, I want to reiterate a point that I believe defines today’s complex and connected world.

Truly global action requires mobilizing support, creating broad alliances and building coalitions.

In the search for solutions, progress does not come with big bangs, but with steady, determined steps.

It is the accumulation of these small steps, these steady elements of progress that set the stage for larger changes — the breakthroughs of tomorrow.

We live in a unique multilateral moment — a world changing in the most dramatic ways since the end of World War II.

The United Nations must keep pace.

We have made progress this year. But we can and must continue.

Thank you for all your support and now I will be happy to take your questions.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=1039#

WikiLeaks: Singapore Lee says Myanmar ’stupid’

Alex Kennedy
AP
SINGAPORE-statista Singapore Lee Kuan Yew chiamata Myanmar i leader della giunta “stupido” e “densa” nelle conversazioni con i diplomatici statunitensi, secondo i documenti classificati pubblicato questa settimana da Wikileaks.
Il leader di Singapore ha detto che fare con il regime militare del Myanmar è stato come “parlare con la gente morta”, secondo un briefing riservato Stati Uniti su una conversazione del 2007 tra Lee e l’ambasciatore americano Patricia L. Herbold e il Vice Assistente Segretario di Stato Thomas Christensen pubblicato da Wikileaks.
Il 87-year-old Lee è noto per le sue valutazioni franco e schietto degli affari del mondo, ma evita di insultare pubblicamente la leadership dei paesi stranieri. Lee è stato primo ministro dal 1959-1990 e rimane un consulente senior a suo figlio, attuale primo ministro Lee Hsien Loong.
Un cavo pubblicato da Wikileaks un paio di settimane citazioni precedenti Lee chiamata della Corea del Nord leader “tipi psicopatica con un ‘tipo flaccido vecchio’ per un leader che s’impenna in giro per gli stadi in cerca di adulazione.” Il riferimento al leader della Corea del Nord Kim Jong Il è da un cavo citando una conversazione maggio 2009 tra Lee e vicesegretario di Stato James Steinberg.
Lee non ha commentato le uscite, mentre il governo di Singapore, li ha liquidati come “gossip” e messo in guardia contro la presa fuori dal contesto.
Nel cavo più recente pubblicazione, Lee ha detto che la Cina aveva il più influenza sulla leadership del Myanmar di qualsiasi paese straniero e che Pechino è preoccupata che il paese avrebbe “Blow up” e minacciano pertanto di investimenti cinesi lì.
“Lee ha espresso il suo disprezzo per la leadership del regime,” ha detto il cavo trapelato. “Ha detto di aver rinunciato a loro una decina di anni fa, li chiamavano ‘densa’ e ‘stupido’ e ha dichiarato di avere ‘cattiva gestione’ grandi risorse naturali del paese.”
Lee ha detto che l’India è stata coinvolgente leadership di Myanmar nel tentativo di ridurre al minimo l’influenza della Cina, ma che “l’India mancava di cogliere sottili della Cina come la Birmania lavorato”, secondo il cavo.
Lee ha detto che un gruppo di ufficiali militari più giovani meno ‘ottuso’ potrebbe prendere il controllo e condividere il potere con attivisti per la democrazia “, anche se probabilmente non con Aung San Suu Kyi, che era un anatema per i militari”.
Dopo più di sette anni agli arresti domiciliari, la leader democratica Aung San Suu Kyi è stata rilasciata 13 novembre, una settimana dopo la prima elezione del Myanmar in 20 anni, che hanno visto la vittoria schiacciante da parte di un pro-militari. I critici hanno denunciato la farsa elettorale come volto a cementare il controllo dei militari.
Singapore ha messo in dubbio la veridicità di alcuni documenti presumibilmente trapelare da Wikileaks e pubblicata da alcuni giornali australiani. I rapporti diplomatici Singapore inserito come fare commenti poco lusinghieri su Malesia, India, Giappone e Thailandia durante gli incontri con diplomatici statunitensi.
In una dichiarazione rilasciata in ritardo Martedì, Singapore ministero degli Esteri ha detto che “quello che i funzionari di Singapore sono stati accusati da Wikileaks abbia detto non coincidono con le nostre registrazioni.”
“Un incontro pretesa (tra Singapore e diplomatici statunitensi) non hanno nemmeno prendere posto”, ha detto.
Singapore il ministro degli Esteri George Yeo ha detto ai giornalisti all’inizio di questa settimana che, in ogni caso, questi cavi sono state interpretazioni delle conversazioni dei diplomatici degli Stati Uniti, e quindi non dovrebbe essere “sovra-interpretare”.
“Questi sono nella natura della conversazione cocktail”, ha detto Yeo. “E ‘sempre fuori contesto. Si tratta di pettegolezzi. “

Myo Yan Naung Thein on Democratisation of the Nation

Analysis: Suu Kyi release put Myanmar sanctions in spotlight

By Martin Petty

BANGKOK | Fri Nov 19, 2010 3:39pm GMT

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s re-emergence from seven years’ incarceration thrusts Western sanctions back onto the agenda in Myanmar, adding a new dimension to the army-ruled country’s fast-changing political landscape.

The release of the pro-democracy leader from house arrest on Saturday, six days after a much-criticized election, means she will have no official political role but could serve as a crucial go-between for the West and the country’s reclusive military rulers toward reviewing sanctions.

Embargoes by the United States, Australian and European Union, intended to push the generals toward reforms, have been criticized as ineffective as long as neighbors China, Thailand and India pour investment into the country, enriching the regime.

Instead of an entrepreneurial middle class that could help clamor for change, the military and its cronies monopolize every industry, adding to a half-century of economic mismanagement in a country that was once one of Southeast Asia’s most promising but where now a third of the people live in poverty, economists say.

Western multinationals sidelined by the sanctions are sizing up the vast potential of the country of 50 million people. The stakes are also high geopolitically for the United States as long as sanctions steer the country closer toward powerhouse China.

“If sanctions were lifted Myanmar would be of interest to mining, natural gas, agribusiness, tourism, financial services and telecommunications. Everything from ports to telecoms,” said Douglas Clayton, a former hedge fund manager who is now chief executive and managing partner of Leopard Capital, a private equity fund specializing in frontier markets.

Clayton, who runs a $34 million fund in Cambodia backed by overseas investors, said he would quickly set up a Myanmar fund if sanctions ended and expects the investment scale would be in “billions of dollars rather than millions”.

The question now is what exact role Suu Kyi will play.

“Suu Kyi’s reappearance is something that will be utilized at a time when the U.S. and EU are looking for some kind of engagement,” said Myanmar analyst and retired British diplomat Derek Tonkin.

“There are areas where she can play a considerable role. Suu Kyi could hold consultations with diplomats, even if the regime isn’t prepared to talk to them at this stage. There are things she can do with the West that they can’t do with the regime.”

SANCTIONS U-TURN

Suu Kyi previously called for the sanctions but has changed her stance in recent years. She sent a letter last year to the country’s paramount leader, Than Shwe, offering to help lift sanctions, but the junta dismissed her gesture as “insincere”.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, she declined to comment directly on whether she would urge the West to lift sanctions that many say hurt ordinary people by allowing the junta to monopolize the resource-rich economy.

“If people really want sanctions to be lifted, I will consider this,” she said.

In secretive Myanmar, also known as Burma, no one knows if the attitude of Than Shwe and his clique of generals toward their arch enemy Suu Kyi has changed to the extent they might now see her as a means to end to their international isolation.
Some experts say sanctions benefit the regime as long as it receives economic and political support from China. Its isolation prevents international interference and investigations into its decades of gross human rights abuses.

Energy-hungry China props up the junta financially and offers it political protection by shooting down any attempts to inflict punitive action in the United Nations Security Council.

But others suggest China’s support is not enough and the generals may be wary of becoming almost entirely dependent on their neighbor for their wealth and protection.

The lifelong soldiers are obsessed with security and keen to strengthen their military to fight domestic threats such as ethnic insurgencies or even an invasion by foreign forces. As long as arms embargoes are in place, their access to modern weapons technology is restricted mainly to China and Russia.

The release of the 65-year-old Oxford-educated Suu Kyi after the expiry of her sentence, which the generals described as “a pardon” might be a tactical move to get sanctions on the agenda.

“Being too close to China could be a problem in the long run and sanctions strike at the heart of this regime,” said Aung Naing Oo, a Burmese academic and deputy director of the Thailand-based advocacy group, the Vahu Development Institute.

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL?

“They want more investment and a modern military and their chances of this are limited. They know Aung San Suu Kyi wants sanctions lifted and by releasing her, they’re hoping she will return the favor.”

It is assumed Suu Kyi will pursue some kind of political role outside Myanmar’s new political system, which critics say was designed to exclude her, sideline opponents and entrench military rule behind a facade of democracy.

She was conciliatory on Sunday in a speech to supporters. She called for democracy and free speech but said she felt “no antagonism” toward the regime that detained her for 15 of the past 21 years, adding she was willing to work “with anyone”.

A concern is the weight of expectation on Suu Kyi and the risk of upsetting her supporters if she is seen to be cooperating with the generals. It is unlikely she can have any impact on the formation of a military-dominated parliament and a government expected to be firmly under the control of the junta.

Analysts say Suu Kyi should try to avoid agitating the generals which could, as before, lead to her re-arrest.

“She will try to play an unofficial stateswoman-like role outside the established power structure and the regime will tolerate that as long as she can help the country and doesn’t step out of line,” added Aung Naing Oo.

“If she does that, they’ll drag her through the mud.”

(Additional reporting by Jason Szep) (Editing by Robert Birsel and Miral Fahmy)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AE0ZU20101119?pageNumber=2

Suu Kyi warns of junta tricks

* Published: 20/11/2010 at 01:44 AM
* Online news:

WASHINGTON: Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has called US engagement with Burma a good thing, but urged US officials not to go into talks with the junta wearing “rose-coloured glasses.”
“There are a lot of people who say that now that the US has decided to engage with the military regime, they have turned their back on us,” Suu Kyi told CNN after being freed from years of house arrest.

“I don’t think of it like that. I think engagement is a good thing,” she said in the comments broadcast by the American television channel on Friday.

But she cautioned: “I don’t want them to go into engagement wearing rose coloured glasses. I would want them to be practical about it.”

The administration of US President Barack Obama last year initiated a dialogue with Burma after concluding that the longstanding US policy of isolating the military regime had not borne fruit.

Suu Kyi stressed Washington should be “keeping your eyes open and alert and seeing what is really going on, and where engagement is leading to and what changes really need to be brought about.”

Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, has been leading the dialogue, but said in September that he had been disappointed with the results so far.

Washington praised Suu Kyi’s release from house arrest last Saturday, with Obama describing his fellow Nobel Peace laureate as “a hero of mine.”

But the US administration also renewed its calls for Burmese authorities to release all of the country’s estimated 2,100 political prisoners.

A day after her release, Suu Kyi, who had been locked up by the Burmese regime for 15 of the past 21 years, gave her first political speech in seven years, appealing to thousands of her jubilant supporters for unity.

She was released from house arrest less than a week after a controversial election that cemented the junta’s decades-long grip on power but was widely criticised by democracy activists and Western leaders as a sham.

Asked by CNN whether she feared being arrested again, Suu Kyi said: “So many people ask me this question and the only thing I can say is I don’t know. It’s always a possibility. After all they have arrested me several times in the past.

“There’s nothing to say that they won’t arrest me again,” she added. “But you can’t keep thinking about that, you just have to keep on with your work.”

CNN said it had not been officially given permission to visit Burma during the elections, but its reporter had spent 16 days in the military-run country in what they called a kind of “covert operation.”

The images of the brief conversation with Suu Kyi were released on Friday when CNN’s correspondent was back in Thailand.

As the daughter of the nation’s assassinated independence hero Aung San, the soft-spoken 65-year-old carries a weight of expectation among her followers for a better future after almost half a century of military dictatorship.

The mother of two is also hoping that her youngest son Kim Aris, who lives in Britain, will be able travel to Rangoon.

Aris arrived in the Thai capital ahead of his mother’s release but it remains unclear whether he has received a visa to enter Burma.

Suu Kyi’s struggle has come at a high personal cost: her British husband 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 never met her grandchildren.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/207269/suu-kyi-warns-of-junta-tricks

UN Chief, Aung San Suu Kyi Urge Burma to Release Political Prisoners

The United Nations human rights committee has condemned Burma’s recent elections, saying they were not free, fair nor transparent.

The key U.N. committee approved the resolution Thursday by a vote of 96 in favor and 28 against

It also called for Burma’s military government to release all political prisoners.

Earlier Thursday, Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi , who was released from house arrest Saturday, spoke by phone with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The two urged Burma’s military rulers to release all remaining political prisoners.

A U.N. statement says the two called for the release of political prisoners so all Burmese citizens can contribute to national reconciliation and a transition to democracy in Burma. Mr. Ban also told Aung San Suu Kyi he is encouraged by her appeals to Burma’s government for dialogue and compromise.

Separately, Aung San Suu Kyi said her release from house arrest should not be seen as evidence Burma’s military rulers are softening their policies.

In an interview with The Associated Press, she said her freedom came because her term of house arrest had expired and “there were no immediate means of extending it.”

Since her release, the Nobel Peace Prize winner has called for reconciliation talks with the junta leader, Than Shwe. But she told The Associated Press the government has not contacted her.

Aung San Suu Kyi also said she believes her detention was “illegal” but that she has no regrets about standing up to the junta, even though it meant spending 15 of the last 21 years under some kind of detention.

The 65-year-old democracy activist walked out of her lakeside Rangoon home Saturday at the end of her latest term of house arrest. The release came days after political parties backed by the military swept Burma’s first elections in two decades.

Western leaders and human rights activists said last Sunday’s vote was neither fair nor free and an effort by Burma’s military to put a civilian face on its continued rule.

The election results show that the military’s political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, won a large majority of the districts.

Some information in this story was provided by AFP and Reuters.

http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2010/11/18/un-chief-aung-san-suu-kyi-urge-burma-to-release-political-prisoners-2/

Suu Kyi Calls For Dialogue

2010-11-14
In an exclusive interview with RFA a day after her release, Burma’s democracy icon seeks a true dialogue with the ruling military junta and pushes for freedom.

AFP
Burma’s newly released opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (R) waves to the crowd as she arrives at her National League for Democracy headquarters in Rangoon on Nov. 14, 2010.
Fresh from her release from house arrest, Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has called for a dialogue with the military junta, emphasizing that her top priority was to bring democracy to the reclusive country.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Free Asia’s Burmese service on Nov. 14, the 65-year-old democracy icon said she wanted to build a network using “modern communication” among people within and outside her country in the push for democracy via “people power.”

She also said the generals did not impose any conditions when releasing her from house arrest on Nov. 13. She had been locked up for 15 of the past 21 years.

“For me, it’s better to have a dialogue,” Suu Kyi said when asked whether there was anything she would like to convey to the the military government.

“I don’t want to be having a one-sided conversation. There’s only one thing I want to say. I’ve said this from the beginning. I’ve said this before. ‘Let’s have a dialogue.’ That’s it.

“Only when we talk, only when we have two sides talking, will it be effective. It’s not going to be effective if I just say, ‘I want to say this. I want to say this,’ just by myself.”

Suu Kyi last met the junta leader, General Than Shwe, in secret talks in 2002 at the encouragement of the United Nations.

“Voice of the people”

The Nobel Peace Prize winner earlier spoke to a cheering crowd of several thousands who jammed the street in front of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party headquarters, causing heavy traffic congestion.

She said she wanted to “hear the voice of the people” before charting her next course of action, following controversial elections a week ago in which the junta’s proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) scored massive gains.

The elections have been widely criticized as a sham by Western powers and human rights groups, and opposition parties which contested the elections have complained of cheating and voter intimidation.

Suu Kyi did not directly comment on the elections in the interview but stressed the need for inclusiveness in any democratic process, saying she was impressed by the large youth turnout during her speeches and by their increasing involvement in Burmese politics.

“The best way is one where the entire people can participate as far as possible. One thing I noticed is that among those who came over, there were many young people. That is a very good sign.

“I saw our new blood, our new generation, participating in the political process actively,” said the daughter of the nation’s assassinated independence hero, General Aung San.

Unconditional release

Asked about her immediate plans, Suu Kyi, who also held talks with foreign diplomats and a press conference on her first full day of freedom, said, “The main thing I have in mind is for us to achieve democracy.”

She also said that she was given an unconditional release from house arrest.

Asked whether the government had imposed any “limitations” on her, she said, “No, there aren’t any.”

Suu Kyi, known as just the “lady” among Burmese, called for increasing participation from people within and outside her country in bringing about democracy.

“By people, I am not referring only to people in our country, but also people of the world,” she said.

“For us to achieve democracy, we will have to establish a network of people—a network of Burmese people, a network of people of the world. Everyone must be involved (in the process through) communication means appropriate to modern era and work for democracy.That’s what I believe.”

Before her release, her lawyer Nyan Win said that Suu Kyi wanted to get a Twitter account so that she can get in touch with the younger generation after years of isolation.

Suu Kyi said she had been listening to broadcasts by Radio Free Asia (RFA) in efforts to keep in touch with developments during her years of house arrest.

“For RFA, as well as other news agencies, I listen to political news as a duty. But I listen to programs on literature, poetry, and arts because I’m interested in them.”

Suu Kyi also thanked world leaders for supporting her democratic struggle, when asked to comment on the deluge of messages from a wide variety of government leaders on her release from house arrest.

“People’s Power”

On what she would like to particularly convey to the Burmese people, she said, “I would like to thank them first. Also, [I would like to say that] we will be able to succeed only with people’s power, with people’s support, with people’s trust.

“I cannot do this on my own. The NLD cannot do this on its own. All of the political parties cannot do this on their own. Without people’s participation, nothing can be done effectively for our country. I would like the people to participate.”

Suu Kyi said that she was touched by the people’s support.

“In some of the small wards I passed by, people looked very poor. But when they came out and welcomed me and waved their hands, they were all smiles.

“I thought to myself, ‘Oh, our people are very warm—and very magnanimous.

“Even though they are very poor and tired, they are able to great me warmly, happily, and cheerfully. They have these powers. They are giving me strength.

“If people continue to give us such strength, we in turn will strengthen the people. If we join hands and help each other, I believe we will be successful.”

Interview with Aung San Suu Kyi was conducted by Kyaw Kyaw Aung of Radio Free Asia’s Burmese Service. Translation by Than Than Win, Kyaw Min Htun, and Khin Maung Soe. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai.

Copyright © 1998-2010 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

Wait for Aung San Suu Kyi’s stand on sanctions

Wait for Aung San Suu Kyi’s stand on sanctions
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

Condition of Myanm Warrefugee in the War Lay 1