hankyoreh

Aung San Suu Kyi, the symbol of Myanmar’s (formerly Burma) democracy movement, was freed after being under house arrest for 15 of the past 21 years. Her release has given new strength to her country’s democracy movement. Her house arrest was unjustified to begin with, and her release should have come about many years ago.
It is not difficult to guess why Myanmar’s military authorities have only now released Aung San Suu Kyi, in a seeming gesture of benevolence. She was freed immediately after the general election on Nov. 7. A newly founded party supported by the military authorities won 75 percent of the parliamentary seats in the first general election held in 20 years. Observers have viewed this as having gagged and immobilized the opposition party.
Prior to the election, when Aung San Suu Kyi’s period of house arrest was approaching its end, the military authorities extended it after making absurd charges against her. Earlier this year, they used new election laws to block leading opposition figures from running in the election, while assigning 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the military. The country’s opposition party, the National League for Democracy, has already lost its legal status as a political party.
There is on way for them to avoid the criticism that was a sham election, and a political show to superficially decorate the extension of the military authorities’ grip on power. It appears that Aung San Suu Kyi’s release is intended to cover up criticism within and outside Myanmar for the sham election and to deflect the attention of international society.
This is also the reason why we cannot be satisfied with Aung San Suu Kyi’s release. Since their coup d’etat, the military authorities have ruled continuously with an iron fist and trampled mercilessly on the country’s democracy movement. During this time, Myanmar, which possesses abundant natural resources, has grown impoverished due to its isolation from the international community. The democratization of Myanmar is the only path by which the country can free itself from anachronistic military dictatorship and come back to life.
Late though it may be, Burmese military authorities must give up their attempts to cling to power through violence and deceit. What they must now do is refrain from abusing the law once again to suppress the opposition, release the more than 2,200 political prisoners they have incarcerated and begin meaningful talks with the opposition party and ethnic minorities. International society must work hard to urge that this happens and to maintain its scrutiny of the country.
　　
Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]