Madam, – Recent news from Burma is cause for much rejoicing, and it would be a poor heart who would not be over the moon at the release from 15 years’ house arrest of the brave and courageous Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the Burmese pro-democracy movement.
However, let us not be fooled into believing that this release marks a change of heart by the military regime toward restoration of anything like democracy for the long-oppressed Burmese people.
We must not forget that Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi was released from house arrest three times previously, and nothing changed fundamentally. Bearing in mind that there are more than 2,100 other political prisoners in Burma who have not been released, and that the sham elections just held were for the sole purpose of permanently copperfastening the generals’ tight hold on power, this fourth release of Aung San Suu Kyi is nothing more than a crafty ploy to gain some positive publicity for the dictatorship.
International efforts to put renewed pressure on the fundamentally unchanged regime must be stepped up.
To soft-pedal right now would be to send the entirely wrong signal to Naypyidaw. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Following the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, perhaps the international community might now lend its support to those calling for a national democratic election in the Republic of Ireland? – Yours, etc,