To make meaningful the celebration of the 59th birthday today (June 19) of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the Burmese major political party National League for Democracy (NLD), the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), a regional NGO based in the Philippines, has urged the Philippine government and the other ASEAN governments to denounce the military regime in Burma for the continued detention of Suu Kyi and thousands of other political detainees.
To make meaningful the celebration of the 59th birthday today (June 19) of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the Burmese major political party National League for Democracy (NLD), the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), a regional NGO based in the Philippines, has urged the Philippine government and the other ASEAN governments to denounce the military regime in Burma for the continued detention of Suu Kyi and thousands of other political detainees.
IID Executive Director Gus Miclat also called on the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Burma to release Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for more than a year since the May 30, 2003 Depayin attack.
“We think that calling for Suu Kyi’s immediate release would be the best gift all democratic nations should offer,” said Miclat.
IID took the occasion to again criticize the non-confrontational stand of the ASEAN towards its rogue member Burma, and the inability of the United Nations especially the Security Council to strengthen sanctions enforced by mostly Western nations on the Burmese generals. The Philippines chairs the Security Council this month. It has not responded to appeals to use its Presidency to calendar the Burma issue under its stint.
“The Depayin attack and the undemocratic charter talks have been targets of criticism of mostly western nations. Where is the voice of the ASEAN and the Philippine government in all of these?”, asked Miclat.
Suu Kyi and her deputy Tin Oo were placed under house arrest following the brutal and premeditated “Black Friday” attack where truckloads of armed thugs believed to be hired by the junta attacked Suu Kyi’s convoy outside the small town of Depayin, Sagaing Division. The assailants beat NLD members and local residents with bamboo canes, clubs and iron rods.
IID also continued to criticize the ongoing charter talks in Burma started May 17 by the junta, as undemocratic and unrepresentative. The NLD boycotted the charter talks after the military regime failed to give the demands of the opposition group that include the freedom of Suu Kyi and reforms on the rules of convention.
“The con-con is an empty gesture of the junta that it is introducing democratic reforms in the government. But who believes them? What we see instead are large-scale human rights violations committed by the abusive military regime against its long-suffering people,” Miclat explained.
Just like Jose Rizal
On June 19, the Philippines also celebrates the birthday of its national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, who also fought for freedom and justice for the Filipino people. IID said that the Philippine government should openly sympathize with Suu Kyi and the peoples of Burma since Suu Kyi and Dr. Jose Rizal share many similarities not only on their birth dates but also in their dreams and aspirations for their countries.
“Both are peaceful advocates and patriots of genuine freedom and social justice. Both abhor repression and display of injustice against the people. Just like Rizal, Suu Kyi has also sacrificed a comfortable life for the good of her countrymen,” Miclat concluded.
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