Suu Kyi conjures sea of red in Yangon

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Suu Kyi conjures sea of red in Yangon

Tens of thousands of supporters turned out in red to see Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday in Yangon for what is likely to be her last public rally ahead of a high-stakes Nov 8 election, The Irrawaddy reported.

National League for Democracy (NLD) enthusiasts converged at the sporting grounds of Thingangyun Township’s Thuwanna Myo Oo Zedi, a pagoda in the commercial capital, several hours ahead of the popular party leader’s arrival and traffic in the area became increasingly snarled as the afternoon progressed.

A sea of red — the color long-associated with the party — greeted the Nobel laureate when she took the stage at just after 4 pm to a sustained wave of applause.

Speaking to the gathered masses, Suu Kyi said those who had come out to show their support on Sunday were a reflection of the country at large, making the claim that her party’s support base crossed socio-economic and ethnic divides.

At a national level, the Nov 8 contest is expected to largely be a battle between the NLD and Thein Sein’s ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Pointing to her party’s nearly 30-year history, Suu Kyi said the NLD had earned the public’s trust and was not afraid of the result that this month’s vote would return.

“I have always said, ‘We want to win.’ We want to win a landslide, 100 percent [of the vote]. We want to win with the verdict and involvement of all people,” she said, noting that even in the event of a clean sweep for the NLD, the party would still only hold at most a 75 percent majority.

Suu Kyi went on to reiterate a call for individuals to exercise restraint during the dwindling campaign period, on election day and beyond.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/suu-kyi-conjures-sea-of-red-in-yangon

-- Thai PBS 2015-11-02