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 On 27 May, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s latest term of house arrest comes up for review. On that day, Daw Suu will have spent approximately 11 years and 7 months under house arrest since she was initially detained on July 20, 1989. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has never been charged with a crime.1
Burma’s military regime continues to detain Daw Aung San Suu Kyi out of fear. Fear of her ability to mobilize Burma’s people to peacefully work for democratic reform. And fear of her as the symbol for the irresistible will of Burma’s people who yearn for a free and democratic society. In one of her notable speeches, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said, “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.” Despite the junta’s efforts to silence Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters, peaceful acts of resistance continue to grow. Most recently: “Open Heart”, Tuesday prayer campaign, “White Sunday” and “White Expression”.
Throughout her lengthy detention and the hostile actions directed against her, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in her role as the Secretary-General of Burma’s National League for Democracy (NLD), has continually sought to engage her jailers in a process of peaceful dialogue and reconciliation to restore democracy in Burma. But Burma’s military junta has rejected all of the NLD calls for dialogue – even when the NLD offered to recognize the SPDC as the legitimate body to implement a transition government.
While the junta keeps Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest, it is ignoring the person who represents the best possible solution for a peaceful transition to democracy and restoring hope to Burma’s people. Unless Burma’s military junta frees Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and engages in genuine dialogue and reform, it will find itself in a self-imposed house arrest in Naypyidaw – isolating itself from its own people and ignoring their true desire for democracy, peace, and prosperity.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s unwavering courage and determination to confront Burma’s military regime serves as a source of inspiration for all of Burma’s people as well as her supporters from all over the world.
Read full text of report (in .pdf). 1 Daw Aung San Suu Kyi continues to be detained under Article 10 (b) of the 1975 State Protection Law, which grants the SPDC the power to limit one person’s movement for up to one year without any judicial oversight. The SPDC has renewed Daw Suu’s house arrest term numerous times. ALTSEAN-Burma (Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma) is a network of organizations and individuals based in ASEAN member states working to support the movement for human rights and democracy in Burma. The network is comprised of human rights & social justice NGOs, political parties, think tanks, academics, journalists and student activists. |
