Home >> South Asia >> Thailand & Myanmar  Email  Print Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi Detained For Yet Another Year Saberi Roy - 7/27/2007 On May 25, 2007 Burma’s military government extended Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention for another year making it the fifth consecutive year since she was placed under house arrest in 2003. Suu Kyi’s sweeping political victory in 1990 was considered as a major ‘threat’ to the military government and Suu Kyi was accused of disrupting public order. This extreme fear of the Burmese military government is reflected in its recent decision to keep Suu Kyi under house arrest for yet another year. Such is the power and mass appeal of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma that the military leaders want to make her weak and powerless before they can think of releasing her. The point is, every time the government extends her detention, she gathers more support in Burma and abroad and becomes even more powerful. The question remains how long the Burmese government can foolishly and illegally detain a Nobel Laureate and a political leader of such power and how long the civilized society will continue to accept this. The Burmese government has imprisoned her under the 1975 State Protection Act, Section 10a which allows the military government to imprison someone for five years consecutively without trial. Suu Kyi will complete her five years in 2008 and then she will have to be released under Burmese law. But do we wait for one more year? What if the detention continues indefinitely?
According to news reports, there have been some recent talks between US officials led by deputy US assistant secretary of state Eric John and the Burmese junta leaders and mediated by China, however as usual the talks haven’t been effective. The international leaders are denied any communication with Aung San Suu Kyi and with almost no visits by the international community and Burmese people completely oppressed by the junta, Burma remains almost ostracized from the world and with no social or political progress. However Burmese democracy will definitely happen and it will happen very soon and the junta’s days are numbered, a fact that even the military leaders know. An impending Burmese democracy and political power to Aung San Suu Kyi is what Burmese military leaders fear most but that cannot be stopped.
But what can the international community do at this time? There have been reports of US senators and First lady Laura Bush discussing Burma and Suu Kyi’s release. When Gordon Brown was finance minister, he also wrote about Suu Kyi’s strength and contribution as a leader. Public statements have been made by world leaders such as George Bush and Tony Blair for release of Suu Kyi but what we don’t see is a tough stance against the Burmese junta. Not one of the EU leaders made particular efforts to focus on Aung San Suu Kyi’s release or the political situation in Burma. Is it apathy or are the leaders just too busy with other matters to consider this an important issue at all?
It is expected that Gordon Brown, now as Prime Minister will make a public statement against the Burmese junta and appeal strongly for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and also follow this with actions and negotiations with the junta leaders. It is also expected that US President George Bush would do the same. UN special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari’s appeal to world leaders is not enough. UN Secretary General should send a strong statement to the junta directly. Nobel Laureates of Peace must remain united in their effort to press for an immediate release of Suu Kyi and even hold peace talks and seminars around the world to urge her release. Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party members of the National League for Democracy can orchestrate such discussions, conferences and seminars around the world with major contributions from world leaders and Nobel Laureates. It is hoped that the Burmese government would not continue to detain Suu Kyi after 2008 considering the five year detention rule but a country like Burma controlled by the military never runs short of legal and political loopholes so more and continuous international pressure on the military junta is absolutely necessary. Ultimately this is not just about the freedom of a prominent prisoner and political leader but also about the freedom of an entire nation.
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