Celebrating Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s 66th Birthday

By ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus • June 18, 2011

ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus-AIPMC Teleconference with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

For the first time the AIPMC has engaged with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi through teleconference which was held simultaneously in Jakarta and Bangkok . AIPMC MPs who presented were MP Eva Kusuma Sundari from Indonesia, the current president of the AIPMC, and the former president, MP Kraisak Choonhavan from Thailand.

Well wishes and birthday greetings were delivered to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by all parties who attended the teleconference call. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was informed of the works of AIPMC and the situation in Burma which was concerning to the members of AIPMC. Mr. Kraisak expressed his concern on the wake of the newly elected government that encourages new economic and investment deals that would further exploitation of the natural resources of Burma. Suu Kyi mentioned that ecological imbalances in one country could affect other countries. Therefore, people who got involved in the investment had to be very careful since Burma can affect the neighbouring countries and the region.

Mr. Kraisak also concerned with the last election in Burma if it brought change in Burma. Daw Suu says that changes has not been felt in everyday lives of the people since the elections. “Change is not something we talk about, but change is something to achieve”, she said. Daw Suu further comments that conflicts in Burma have not been resolved although the elections have passed because “the elections were not done in the right way”.

Ms. Eva Sundari has brought up concern on security for Suu Kyi with her plans to tour around Burma starting this coming July 2011. Daw Suu Kyi says that no politician can be confined to one area of the country only (Rangoon) and it was her duty to keep in touch with the people of Burma. She thinks it is the Burmese government to take responsibility for her security.

Daw Suu hopes that ASEAN plays a greater role in the democratization process in Burma. ASEAN can no longer have a non-interference policy since internal conflict can spill over into the neighbouring countries like what is now happening to ASEAN. She also questions the eagerness of the new government of Burma in wanting to be the Chair of ASEAN in 2014 when there are more important things to do. i.e improving the lives of the people of Burma.

AIPMC also concerned with ASEAN support on lifting sanction. Daw Suu says that a review on the sanctions placed on Burma by the European Union would be beneficial as an update of who should be taken off and who should be included as it would be beneficial to the democratization process.

Lastly, Daw Suu was also asked to elaborate her opinion on why she was released and why it is easier to contact her at this particular moment. She simply says that she was released because her term has finished and to further hold her under house arrest would break the laws of the country. The telecommunication service in Burma has also improved in Burma with more facilities and infrastructure being put in placed. Therefore, she could contact more with people outside Burma. However, she says that incidences of people still being black listed from entering Burma shows the continued authoritarian rule by the government even after the elections.

The conversation concluded with AIPMC president, MP Eva Sundari saying that AIPMC will continue to support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all the initiatives of the pro democracy movement, that Daw Suu is an inspirational figure for all of AIPMC members and that the support for her grows each day.

For further comment/ media interviews with AIPMC Parliamentarians do contact Aticha Wongwian at +66 838863494 (Thailand), Edmund Teoh +6016086850 (Malaysia), Agung Putri Astrid +62 81514006416 (Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Philippines)

This post is in: Press Release

Celebrating Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s 66th Birthday

About Burma Partnership

Spotlight

Campaigns