FREE AUNG SAN SUU KYI OF BURMA

international | miscellaneous | news report

Tuesday September 02, 2003 03:10

by KYAW SWA

SPOTLIT at HOTMAIL dot COM

Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is on hunger strike in a Burmese military prison. Let us free her.

Suu Kyi on Hunger Strike (Updated Version)

The Irrawaddy,www.irrawady.org

September 01, 2003—One day after Burma’s newly appointed Prime Minister presented his road map to democracy, the US State Department reported that Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was on a hunger strike.

Suu Kyi is refusing food to protest her illegal detention by the country’s military regime known as the State Peace and Development Council, US State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker said in a statement released yesterday.

The Burmese government did not deny the news of the hunger strike by the Nobel Peace laureate, but said it was "confused" by the reports.

A press release from Rangoon said, "The government as well as governments around the world are confused and we firmly believe it is quite odd for the US State Department to make such a claim without stating any sources to verify its allegation."

Burma’s pro-democracy leader was taken into "protective custody" on May 30, shortly after her convoy was ambushed by government-backed thugs. Authorities have refused to reveal where Suu Kyi is being held. Representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the UN Special Envoy to Burma Razali Ismail were granted access to Suu Kyi, and reported that she was in good health.

"The timing is very convenient," a veteran journalist in Rangoon said of Suu Kyi’s decision to go on a hunger strike after the Prime Minister’s first address. "Though we cannot confirm [news of the strike], it is possible that she went on a hunger strike to show that she is unhappy with Khin Nyunt’s speech."

In an address on Saturday morning, new Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt outlined the junta’s road map. He said Burma would resume the National Convention, which was adjourned in 1996, and that "free and fair" elections would be held after the drafting a new constitution.

This courageous leader of the National League for Democracy and proponent of non-violent political change, has placed herself at risk on many occasions in pursuit of democracy and respect for basic human rights in Burma.
—Philip Reeker.

In Burma’s last free elections, held in 1990, Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide, but the results was never honored. Khin Nyunt mentioned Suu Kyi’s name only in a criticism of her party’s boycott of the National Convention six years ago.

"Many in Rangoon were disappointed with Khin Nyunt’s speech," a journalist in Rangoon said. Pro-democracy forces see Khin Nyunt’s road map as a dead-end which excludes Suu Kyi and the NLD.

Rangoon-based political observers who are close to the NLD told The Irrawaddy that veteran politicians held a meeting this morning to discuss Suu Kyi’s health and the current political deadlock.

They expressed great concern for her health and asked the junta to open a dialogue with Suu Kyi. They asked the government to stop her from staging the hunger strike, and even issued a plea to Suu Kyi herself to quit her strike. The statement was signed by the veteran politicians, some of who are in their 90s, and sent to junta chairman and now President, Sr-Gen Than Shwe, and Khin Nyunt this afternoon.

Saturday also marked three months since her arrest and US government officials claim Suu Kyi is protesting her ongoing detention.

"We are deeply concerned for her safety and well-being," Reeker said. "This courageous leader of the National League for Democracy and proponent of non-violent political change, has placed herself at risk on many occasions in pursuit of democracy and respect for basic human rights in Burma."

The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said it will try to visit Suu Kyi but it cannot confirm if she is on a hunger strike. After the ICRC first visited Suu Kyi under detention, the junta agreed that ICRC would be allowed to see her again.

Washington has been the regime’s toughest critic since Suu Kyi's arrest on May 30. Last week, stiff US sanctions came into effect, crippling Burmese trade. The US government called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi and all political prisoners; and urged the regime to enter into serious political dialogue with Burma’s political parties.

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Comments (6 of 6)

>>>>>Absolutely right

by Seáinín

Wed Sep 03, 2003 21:31

It's totally unacceptable that there should be govts of this kind in the 21st century and democratic powers should always intervene to liberate people from these tin pot dictators.

Of course, there are always appeasers, useful idiots who are quuite happy to let their fellows human beings suffer on so that they can ride their high moral horses in the name of peace. Bullshit and hypocrisy from campus dictators like Noma Chomsky.

Invade Burma and force regime change! But of course war is always wrong?

by Righteous Pragmatist

Wed Sep 03, 2003 15:56

The imprisonment of political prisoners in Burma like Aum San Suki is justification for a military force to go into Burma and remove the regime by force. The people of Burma need our help to bring about the juntas defeat. The people of Burma don't have the capabilities them selves so they need the help of the U.S., U.K., France, German and other countries with strong military forces.
Of course the Anti-War movement will need evidence of weapons of mass destruction and call it an unjust war so of course we shouldn't do anything.
I mean we didn't find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq so the removal of the despotic Saddam regime was clearly a mistake.
Anyway what about all the families of the poor Burmese junta who are going to have to mourn the deaths of Burmese soldiers as they try to defend the regime in Burma from the military forces sent to liberate theoppressed Burmese masses?
I mean those poor Waffen SS soldiers who died fighting the Allies who were trying to free the peoples of Europe from enslavement? Nazi Germany had no weapons of mass destruction!
No of course war is wrong in any circumstances!

knickers

by angry liberal - labour

Wed Sep 03, 2003 13:55

take it easy and please untwist your pants.there was a troll message with the usual ignorance "hang the bitch" i believe it said which has since been removed.My compliments were for the original author and my insults for the troll.The burmese government(if it can be called that)are a hateful bunch of greedy militaristic bastards who would deny democracy despite the results of 1990.i can't have enough respect for the national league for democracy.If your had not been so self righteous then maybe you would have figured it out yourself,but it's ok you were stuck in one of your hazes.

What red mist, only powerful evil here in Burma

by Josh

Wed Sep 03, 2003 07:42

My friend, no red mist or lies or even politics here, Burma is a question of evil men curses ruling and destroying ethnic civilisations and livelihoods. Open your eyes and mind, or else you shall be judged for your misthoughts and support of the oppressive Burmese military supported by greedy China and corrupt Thai governments.

Troll?????

by >>>>>Seáinín

Wed Sep 03, 2003 04:05

Why? What? Why are you labelling this person as a "troll" (whatever that is)and calling them stupid?

What exactly do you have to say in relation to the facts presented here? HINT: Not the person who posted them, the article itself.

If you concentrate very hard you can see through the red mist.

well done.

by angry liberal

Tue Sep 02, 2003 10:26

renrir666 at hotmail dot com

i would firstly like to thank the person who took the time to write the piece,i think information like that can create real debate on such important issues.secondly i would ask that everyone ignore the above troll as he/she/it has only the IQ that god gave a particularly dumb starfish.

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FREE AUNG SAN SUU KYI OF BURMA

Comments (6 of 6)