Daily News- June 13- 2002- Thursday

  • Freed from house arrest, Suu Kyi hopes for Myanmar democracy
  • Burma told to beware of touchy issues
  • Shan rebels denounce Yangon's rejection of peace talks

    • Freed from house arrest, Suu Kyi hopes for Myanmar democracy

    By Kim Ji-ho Staff reporter
    Koreaherald -2002.06.13

    YANGON, Myanmar - In a shabby office where only the hanging pictures of late independence heroes hint that it is a political party headquarters, Burmese opposition members eke out a living by selling clothes and souvenirs.But they all are convinced that they will soon bring to an end the country's military repression, with Aung San Suu Kyi at the forefront of their democratization crusade.

    Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), said she hopes Myanmar will become a nation that guarantees "freedom of information and association, free and fair elections and judiciary independence.""There is no particular reason why we should not be able to enjoy democratic rights," she said in a recent interview with a group of visiting South Korean journalists.

    On May 6, the military junta released the 57-year-old daughter of the nation's independence hero, General Aung San, from her latest 20- month stretch under house arrest.Previously, the woman had been confined to her house for six years until 1995. Despite the military government's efforts to spin her release as the turning of "a new page" in the nation's history, Suu Kyi points out that it is still unclear whether the move was merely a "gesture" or a real step forward.

    "We want the new page to be filled with something valuable, not just the same blankness," she said. "What we need now is to start dialogue... problems can be settled only through dialogue."

    Democratization movements in the 41.7-million-strong country faced a major setback in 1990, when military leaders refused to accept the result of that year's national elections, in which Suu Kyi's party won a convincing victory.The next year, under house arrest, Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to her nation, formerly called Burma.Suu Kyi noted that her policy of not allowing new elections to reverse the 1990 polls would remain firm until her party and the military government open political dialogue.

    The dissident still has some restrictions imposed on her activities, but she said she plans to go outside the capital and to Norway, if possible, a country she called a "very good friend" while she endured a "very, very difficult time."

    She also wants to visit Korea, where she has a former dissident colleague, President Kim Dae-jung, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his pro-democracy struggle and efforts to reconcile South and North Korea.Suu Kyi expressed her deep thanks to President Kim for supporting her and fellow activists, and their cause.

    "I think you have gone through similar kinds of experience that we have," she said to the Korean reporters. "You probably understand why we are struggling for democratic rights of our people. Please keep up the support."

    Saying that she spoke as a representative of Myanmar's people, Suu Kyi asked Korean businesspeople who run manufacturing plants in the Southeast Asian nation to respect the basic rights of the local workers.

    "We would like you (journalists) to ask Korean companies here to treat our workers well and to give them the basic rights to which they are entitled," she said.

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    Burma told to beware of touchy issues

    Wassana Nanuam
    The Bangkokpost

    Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh yesterday strongly cautioned Burma against making scathing remarks about the Thai monarchy following an article in the junta's official mouthpiece, New Light of Myanmar.Gen Chavalit, also deputy premier, said he had informed Rangoon and hoped for a positive response.

    ``We have sent Rangoon a clear signal and asked it not to be too scathing in its criticism or too abusive and provocative because some issues are extremely sensitive and may be unacceptable to Thai people,'' Gen Chavalit said.

    Last week Gen Chavalit publicly warned that bilateral ties might reach the point of no return if Rangoon overstepped the boundaries of ``certain sensitive issues'' following criticisms in the New Light of Myanmar about Thai monarchs during the Ayutthaya era.

    Gen Chavalit's warning yesterday followed fresh criticism made in an article published in the official Burmese newspaper on Friday. Part of the article attacked the issue of press freedom in Thailand and referred to coverage of events relating to the monarchy.Gen Chavalit did not mention any specific articles but raised concern that such criticisms could touch off a conflict that would get out of hand.

    ``As we are brothers, it is quite important that we act with caution,'' he said.``We have to be open-minded in our discussions,'' said Gen Chavalit, but excessive criticism could lead to mistrust and dissent instead of creating unity.

    Several critics have penned strong articles in the New Light of Myanmar describing Thailand as a bad neighbour whose people could not be trusted, and that this lack of trust dated back to the Ayutthaya period, which ended with the sacking of the Thai capital by the Burmese in 1767.

    The paper launched its criticism against Thailand and the Thai military a few days after a border incident on May 20, when Rangoon accused the Thai army of supporting Shan rebels in their attack on Burmese outposts located opposite Chiang Mai's Wiang Haeng district. It also accused Thai troops of joining Shan attacks on Burmese outposts. The charges were totally dismissed by the Thai army.

    Gen Chavalit said he wanted to see a constructive relationship between the two countries but regretted Rangoon's decision to close its border.However, Gen Chavalit remained optimistic he would soon be able to meet Burmese intelligence chief Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt to discuss the border problem.

    The Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, said the Thai and Burmese foreign ministers had achieved ``a certain level of understanding'' on the border situation following their telephone conversation on Tuesday.

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    Shan rebels denounce Yangon's rejection of peace talks

    CHIANG MAI, Thailand, June 12 (AFP) - Myanmar's ethnic Shan rebels Wednesday denounced Yangon for rejecting a proposal for peace talks amid continued fighting between the two sides along the Thai border.

    "We are not surprised by the response of Yangon's military regime," Shan State Army (SSA) spokeswoman Nam Kher Hsem told AFP from the border area. "Their response makes it clear who wants peace and who does not."

    The Shan rebels called Tuesday for genuine peace talks with Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).Yangon quickly rejected the proposal and vowed to continue its offensive aimed at recapturing outposts and bases overrun by the insurgents last month in clashes which left dozens dead and raised tensions with neighbour Thailand.

    "We have nothing to negotiate with SURA (the Shan United Revolutionary Army, SSA's former name)," a junta spokesman told AFP Tuesday. "SURA like other existing armed terrorist groups are invited to exchange arms for peace."

    The SSA is one of the few major armed insurgent groups in Myanmar yet to sign a ceasefire agreement with the junta. It has been fighting for an independent state for decades.Shelling and gunfire could be heard Wednesday north of villages in Thailand's Mae Hong Son province, some 930 kilometres (580 miles) northwest of Bangkok, while one Thai villager said he witnessed "heavy clashes" across the Myanmar border at Pang Mae Sueng and Pang Kan Kaw.According to a Thai military source, up to 100 Myanmar troops had been killed in the fighting as of Sunday, while some 50 Shan fighters had been killed or injured.Accurate casualty tolls have been nearly impossible, Thai and Shan sources say.

    The SSA has been seen as holding the upper hand in the fighting taking place during the onset of the wet season, the sources said earlier this week.The spokeswoman said the SSA had no intention of holding the Myanmar border outposts permanently, but wanted to display their military might to Yangon and destroy the camps they say harbour amphetamine and heroin production facilities.

    Myanmar's junta has been widely accused of complicity in the country's huge drug trade, and critics say the regime turns a blind eye to much of the production and trafficking by ethnic insurgent groups -- in particular the pro- Yangon United Wa State Army, the largest armed drug militia in the world.Yangon has countered that the SSA are drug trafficking terrorists.

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