It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Burmese military junta has decided to extend the house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. After all, she has spent 10 of the past 16 years in detention, mostly under house arrest. There are some very cynical reasons for the junta to do this. First of all, Suu Kyi remains a symbol of democracy and decency inside one of the world’s most repressive countries. Despite a decade of iron-fisted measures to break her, the authoritarian regime has failed to achieve this.
Second, releasing her from detention would be political suicide for the junta, because she remains a charismatic leader who can draw huge crowds of people who share a love of democracy and justice. Everyone remembers that day at Depayin - May 30, 2003 - when thugs believed to have been sent by the junta almost killed her.
It is high time for the international community to come to grips with the harsh realities of Burma and the evil designs that the brutish Burmese generals have in mind for this troubled nation. Why do they want to continue detaining Suu Kyi? The most obvious reason is to isolate her from her followers, both inside and outside Burma.
By keeping her away from public view for an extended period of time, her health and longevity can be manipulated. The outside world must begin to take her personal safety and well-being seriously.
Her dying from supposed natural causes would be welcome news for the junta, especially now, after having recently moved the government to the new capital of Pyinmana.
The issue of Suu Kyi’s safety and unconditional release should be raised at the Asean summit meeting set to convene in Kuala Lumpur in the middle of next month. Asean statesmen who are also members of the Asean Inter-Parliamentarian Caucus on Burma will meet this week to discuss measures to pressure Burma into releasing Suu Kyi.
Asean must live up to its moral obligations and confront beleaguered junta leader Than Shwe at the summit and demand her freedom.
Failure to stand up to Burma yet again will attract worldwide scorn and put Asean to shame as a regional organisation.
In the wake of a report commissioned by South African Bishop Desmond Tutu and former Czech president Vaclav Havel on the political situation in Burma, issued in September at UN headquarters, support has grown among UN members to address the Burma question, including members of the powerful Security Council. Of late, the move to place Burma on the council’s agenda has gained momentum. The United States, which is spearheading this effort, has already mustered nine votes out of the 15 council members in favour of such an inclusion.
Within the next few weeks, the council will for the first time discuss the situation inside Burma, after years of unsuccessful bids thwarted by China and Russia. The purpose this time will be to raise the world’s awareness of the fact that the situation in Burma is a threat to international peace and stability. There will be no resolutions or calls for sanctions just yet.
As international pressure continues to mount, Thailand’s own policy towards Burma will be placed under a microscope. And as a country that has appeased the hated junta’s every whim and act for almost five years now, Thailand, especially the Thaksin administration, will have a lot to answer for.
Hard questions will include exactly how Thailand’s national interest has been served by playing devil’s advocate for the brutal regime. Or to be more precise, whether the selfish interests of politicians and certain interest groups override Thailand’s moral obligation to do the right thing as a member of the international community.
There needs to be an urgent policy review of this issue before Thailand finds itself accused of being an accomplice of the pariah state and forced to share the blame for the harsh repression of the Burmese people through its association with the junta.