This week the military regime has been declaring that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy must stop their political activities. They went a step further though and exclaimed that she is dangerous to the future of Burma. It’s very telling how the regime’s mouthpiece newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, told the NLD to “stop such acts that can harm peace and stability and the rule of law as well as the unity among the people, including monks and service personnel.” Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be leaving Rangoon soon to travel around the country, and the regime is actually terrified of the type of unity she could bring, especially bringing more monks and lower ranking officials in the army to support the democracy forces. They are blatantly afraid that she will cause an uprising in the country.
While NLD was declared defunct last year, the NLD asserts that it still stands as a political party. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has even asked the Home Affairs minister and former army Brigadier-General Ko Ko for a meeting to “negotiate for the rule of law.” Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly reached out a hand to the military. She isn’t interested in chaos either – she wants real dialogue. The NLD argued in its response to the regime, “We are an organization that genuinely wishes for the rule of law and are constantly striving to achieve national reconciliation.”
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi plans to tour the country this summer for the first time since her release from house arrest and for the first time since the Depayin Massacre. In 2003, pro-government thugs attacked Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s motorcade during her political tour. The Union Solidarity & Development Association, the same social organization morphed into the regime’s puppet political party in the 2010 elections, killed 70 of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s supporters in what was considered by many to be an assassination attempt.
During her travels she faced numerous attacks and blockades by the regime and their cronies, but people always came to her aid. In one of her last public appearances before the military’s attack and her following imprisonment, she went to the town of Monywa to give a speech. By the time she arrived in the evening the authorities had shut off the electricity to prevent her from speaking. However, even in the darkness thousands and thousands of people poured in to see her and pulled out matches and lighters to illuminate the area for her speak. She is truly respected by all levels of society. One of the most striking scenes from Burma’s 2007 Saffron Revolution was when a multitude of monks and other peaceful protestors were permitted to go past the usual military blockades and up to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house. An exchange of prayers happened between her and the diverse crowd creating a groundswell of emotion. Eyewitnesses reported even seeing army officer’s eyes filling with tears. This is why the regime is terrified of one woman.
uscampaignforburma.wordpress.com 