Joy as Myanmar releases democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi

[News_Editor]

Joy as Myanmar releases democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi

2010-11-13 21:14:47 GMT+7 (ICT)

YANGON, MYANMAR (BNO NEWS) -- Thousands greeted pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday as she was released after years under house arrest in Myanmar (Burma).

Reports emerged on Friday that military authorities in Myanmar had signed an order authorizing the release of Suu Kyi, but few details were released officially and it remained uncertain if the release would go ahead.

Then at around 5 p.m. local time (10.30 GMT), officials entered the home of Suu Kyi and read the release order. Minutes later, police removed the barricades near her house as hundreds of supporters rushed to the front of her home.

After Suu Kyi held a brief meeting with her lawyer and a doctor, and as police left the scene for the first time in years, she was finally allowed to greet the cheering crowd at the gate of her home.

Suu Kyi addressed her supporters and invited them to work "together" for the country's future. She said she will offer a speech on Sunday at noon local time (05.30 GMT) at the headquarters of her party, which is the now dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD).

"We must work together, united, to achieve our goal," she said. "If you want to hear me, please come tomorrow at noon to my office," she added.

The international community immediately welcomed the release, but cautioned that concerns remain. "While the Burmese regime has gone to extraordinary lengths to isolate and silence Aung San Suu Kyi, she has continued her brave fight for democracy, peace, and change in Burma," said U.S. President Barack Obama. "She is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world. The United States welcomes her long overdue release."

However, Obama noted that it 'does not matter' whether Suu Kyi is living in 'the prison of her house or the prison of her country,' and said that the 'political opposition she represents has been systematically silenced, incarcerated, and deprived of any opportunity to engage in political processes that could change Burma.'

"It is time for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners, not just one," Obama said, as around 2,100 political opponents remain imprisoned. "The United States looks forward to the day when all of Burma's people are free from fear and persecution."

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was also among the first to welcome the release of Suu Kyi. "Her dignity and courage in the face of injustice have been an inspiration to many people around the world, including the Secretary-General, who has long advocated her freedom," said Martin Nesirky, Ban's spokesman.

However, some have pointed out that Suu Kyi's release was likely timed to take place just days after the country's first election in 20 years. By keeping her and other political opponents imprisoned, they had no chance to participate in the election, even though the international community widely condemned the vote as a fraud.

"Notwithstanding the welcome news of her release, it is deeply regrettable that Daw Aung Suu Kyi was effectively excluded from participating in the recent elections," Nesirky added on behalf of Ban. "The Secretary-General expects that no further restrictions will be placed on her, and he urges the Myanmar authorities to build on today's action by releasing all remaining political prisoners. Democracy and national reconciliation require that all citizens of Myanmar are free to participate as they wish in the political life of their country."

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who presented Suu Kyi with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000, said he hoped that her release signals a new direction for life within the country and for the country's relations with others beyond their border.

"I am thrilled by the news of her release. People who love freedom everywhere admire her and the long sacrifice she has made for her people," Clinton said, adding that he hopes that Suu Kyi's release will lead to the inclusion of her and the Myanmar citizens in governance.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy also welcomed the news, saying Suu Kyi has found freedom which should never have been deprived in the first place. "Any restrictions on her freedom of movement and expression would be an unacceptable denial of her new rights," a spokesperson for Sarkozy said.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Myanmar government needs to go ahead with releasing all other 2,100 political prisoners and begin a dialogue with Suu Kyi and opposition and ethic groups. "These remain the crucial first steps to solving Burma's many problems and addressing the pressing needs of its people," Hague said. "Last week's sham elections will not bring peace and prosperity to Burma."

Hague further said that Suu Kyi's detention for years has been 'deeply unjust.' "Her fortitude in the face of this outrage has been inspirational," he added. "I welcome news of her release. She must now be allowed to assume a role of her choosing in the political life of her country without further hindrance or restriction."

Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights, is sometimes compared with former South African leader Nelson Mandela as an international symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.

In 1988, Suu Kyi returned to Myanmar after a period overseas but was quickly put under house arrest in Rangoon as the junta declared a martial law. Two years later, Myanmar held its first general election since 1960. The polls were by far won by Suu Kyi of the NLD, but the results were ignored by the military junta and has since ruled the country.

Years later, in 1995, Suu Kyi was released from her house arrest in Rangoon although her movements remained restricted. She eventually was placed under house arrest again from September 2000 to May 2002 after she traveled to the city of Mandalay, in defiance of her travel restrictions.

Her release in May 2002 was unconditionally, but just a year later she was arrested after a clash between NLD supporters and a government-backed mob. After several months in prison, in September 2003, Suu Kyi was put under house arrest again.

Ever since, up until Saturday, she remained under house arrest but briefly appeared in public in September 2007 to greet protesting Buddhist monks. In May 2009, she was charged with breaking detention rules after an American swam to her compound and broke into her house even though he had not been invited by Suu Kyi.

After a trial that was widely condemned by the international community, Suu Kyi was convicted and sentenced in August 2009 to a further 18 months of house arrest. The term of this house arrest expired on Saturday.

Last Sunday, Myanmar held its national elections even though foreign journalists were barred from entering the country and while thousands of opponents remained imprisoned. As was expected, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party 'won' the election.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-13

[george]

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