| Subject: Suu Kyi: Burma
no different from ETimor In her
latest interview, NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi voiced strong support and empathy for the
people of East Timor.
Here is the transcript of the East Timor section of her
interview:
" ...WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN BURMA IS NO DIFFERENT FROM
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN EAST TIMOR"
Q: What are your concerns about the situation in East
Timor?.
A: First of all, there are humanitarian concerns. We feel
great sympathy for the people of East Timor and their suffering. And secondly there are
political concerns. political concerns in relation not just to East Timor but to our
country, to the whole region and to the whole world.
What happened in East Timor is very similar to what
happened in Burma in 1990. World leaders have been talking about the way in which the
democratically expressed will of the people of East Timor has been overturned by violence
and intimidation. This is what happened in Burma. We had free and fair elections in 1990
and the people voted for our party, the National League for Democracy. But because the
military regime did not want to accept the results, they overturned it or they have been
trying to overturn. We have not allowed (them) to overturn it. They have been trying to
overturn it through violence and intimidation.
They have arrested MPs, have forced them to resign, some
have gone into exile, there are MPs still in prison, huge batch of MPs were been taken
into detention last year because we formed the Committee Representing People's Parliament.
"USING SALAMI TACTICS"
In fact they are using "salami tactics", trying
to slice away bit by bit the results of the 1990 elections. Now in East Timor of course,
the people's militia and those who are against independence of East Timor have tried to
overturn the results of the elections and one fell swoop, and the world became aware of it
and would not stand for it. I think they should understand that what has happened in Burma
is no different from what has happened in East Timor, only it has been implemented in a
rather different way so that it is less noticeable. So we feel a great sense of empathy
for the people of East Timor because we have suffered the same kind of wrongs and also
because as fellow human beings we don't like to see people to be so ill-treated and so
unjustly crushed in their own land.
Q: Do you see any similarities between the human rights
crisis in East Timor and Burma?
A: As I said earlier, great similarities indeed!
Q: East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao has publicly
supported you and the cause of democracy in Burma; would the NLD welcome an opportunity to
work with the East Timorese people?
"I FEEL AS THOUGH HE WERE A PERSONAL FRIEND"
A: Yes of course, we would welcome an opportunity to work
with all those who are fighting for freedom and for justice. And I have a great personal
admiration for Xanana Gusmao ... I think he's a very fine leader and it is touching to see
what great understanding there is between his people and himself. ...I feel as though he
were a personal friend, although of course we've never met. We're very, very grateful for
his words of support and I hope that the time would come when we can all work together
promote democracy in Asia and the rest of the world.
Q: Any specific way or method which you and Xanana may meet
and come up with something?
A: I think he'll have to come to visit me in Burma, he
seems to be freer than I am!
A L T S E A N - B U R M A Alternative Asean Network on
Burma Tel: 66 2 275 1811 * Fax: 66 2 693 4515 <altsean@ksc.th.com>
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