We hope that this will be the beginning of a new era where there will be more emphasis on the rule of the people in the everyday politics of our country.Myanmar pro-democracy figure Aung San Suu Kyi • Speaking about her party’s victory in Sunday’s elections — the National League for Democracy won nearly all of the 45 seats up for grabs, including one for the Nobel laureate herself. Suu Kyi says her party will push for constitutional changes and an end to ethnic conflicts. This may be tough, however — they won 45 seats out of several hundred, and the ones already there are filled by military and military supporters, and the constitution was written by the military. But the success on Sunday was nonetheless a breakthrough for a democratic movement.
A turning point in a democratically-repressed country? With an unofficial vote count having her at 82 percent, the Nobel Laureate, who spent most of the past two decades under house arrest, is likely to find herself on the other side of the political process. Her party, the National League for Democracy, also says it won 10 other seats in the contest. The election, however, did not come without hitches — with allegations of harassment and vote-tampering reported. The military government hopes, however, that the relatively minor instances will convince Western governments to cut back on economic sanctions that have long crippled the country. Is this the point where things change for the better in Myanmar? Or is it more complicated than that? (photo by Barbara Walton/EPA)
Good for her! The longtime peace activist will run in April’s parliamentary elections, representing the Kawhmu Township area of Yangon. It’s likely she’d be able to win this seat, and if she does, she’d be in a position to lead her party in parliament, leading to some major committee assignments for the long-imprisoned political figure. Fingers crossed! (photo by edenpictures on Flickr) source
Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party can run in elections: Suu Kyi, shown with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, spent most of the past two decades under house arrest. It’s not clear if she will run in the highly-anticipated elections herself, however. source
» When preparing to fly into the isolated South Asian country, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was forced to depart early from a stop in South Korea, because the airfield in Myanmar’s capitol lacks runway lights to facilitate nighttime landings. On her schedule for the next three days: a meeting with Thein Sein, the General-turned-President, who despite being viewed as a moderate reformer (compared to the norms under decades of brutal military rule) still has the familiar trappings of a leader wrapped in a fraudulent democratic process — he won the last election with over 90% of the vote. She’ll also be visiting opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a dissident who’s been jailed or under house arrest for most of the last twenty years.
I don’t want to see the military falling. I want to see the military rising to dignified heights of professionalism and true patriotism. I think it’s quite obvious what the people want; the people just want better lives based on security and on freedom.Recently-freed dissident Aung San Suu Kyi • Revealing her hopes for bringing democracy to Myanmar (also known as Burma), which has been led by a military junta for the last two generations. She wants military leadership to end, though. “I think we also have to try to make this thing happen,” she said “Velvet revolution sounds a little strange in the context of the military, but a non-violent revolution. Let’s put it that way.” As you might guess by what she’s saying, she had no conditions set on her freedom. source (via • follow)
Finally set free, the first thing Aung San Suu Kyi has to say: “People must work in unison. Only then can we achieve our goal. … When the time comes to talk, do not be quiet.” source
Post-elections, Myanmar might set Aung San Suu Kyi (sorta) free: Now that the election’s over and the power is firmly in the military junta’s hands, long-house-arrested Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi may finally get (some) freedom. source
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» Critics say it’s a sham: Well, let’s see. Foreign journalists won’t be allowed in the country during tomorrow’s elections. Nor will independent observers. And the leader of the opposition party, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, is currently under house arrest and largely has been since the last election. Wonder what makes them think that this election is a sham.
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