`Free Suu Kyi` picks up steam in Seoul

Last Friday, Myanmar`s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi spent another birthday in detention while in Seoul, British Ambassador Martin Uden met with the National Assembly to see if he could draw up support for her release.

Instead of spending her 64th birthday with friends and family at a restaurant, her special day was spent locked up for a crime most have seen as fabricated by a leadership bent on keeping her in prison.

The only Nobel Prize laureate currently in prison spent her birthday, one of 14 in detention, sharing food with her prison guards.

Suu Kyi is currently being prosecuted by the authorities in Myanmar for violating the terms of her house arrest, after an American man swam across a lake to visit her house in early May. For this, she faces up to five years imprisonment.



In Seoul, British Ambassador Martin Uden, European Union Ambassador Brian McDonald and Czech Ambassador Jaroslav Olsa petitioned members of the National Assembly to register their names at the 64forsuu.org website that was set up by the British government to help free Suu Kyi.

Since this paper reported on the website last week, former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kim Dae-jung and former chairwoman of the ruling Grand National Party Park Geun-hye added their names to the petition along with roughly 17 other Korean people as of Friday, June 19 at 12 pm.

"Please know that you remain an inspirational leader in so many people`s minds. Many people around the world are thinking of you and hoping for your release and for the democratization for Burma (Myanmar). I hope you`ll celebrate your birthday in freedom next year," said Park.

Kim wrote, "Looking back on our (Korean) experience, I believe democracy will eventually be restored in Burma, as long as the Burmese people continue their struggle against the military regime, and as long as the international community supports their efforts.

Also on the list is Uden who responded to the campaign ahead of the ASEAN Summit in Jeju at the beginning of the month

Uden said, "I hope Summit attendees will condemn her arrest and trial, and urge General Sein to release her."

What is interesting about Kim and Park is their deep history. Park`s father, former President Park Chung-hee allegedly ordered the assassination of political rival Kim.

"There`s loads of symbolism there and of course to have a Nobel Peace Prize winner sign on, on behalf of another one is important," Uden said.

Furthermore, 14 former Korean political prisoners have joined with over 100 former political prisoners from around the world to call for Suu Kyi`s release and for the United Nations Security Council to establish a global arms embargo on Myanmar.

They said: "The continued denial of your freedom unacceptably attacks the human rights of all 2,156 political prisoners in Myanmar. We call on the United Nations Security Council to press the Myanmar Government to immediately release all political prisoners, and to restrict the weapons that strengthen its hand through a global arms embargo."

The former political prisoners calling for the release of Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Myanmar come from over 20 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.

Most prominent international names on the list are writer Hwang Sok-yong who was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment in 1994 under the National Security Law and Kwon Young-ghil, Labour Party lawmaker.

On the international level, several countries and nongovernmental organizations have condemned the government of Myanmar for their human rights atrocities and imprisonment of Suu Kyi.

Freedom House, a United States-based international NGO that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights, places Myanmar as one of the worst offenders.

"The idea of keeping Suu Kyi under house arrest or imprisonment all these years is a clear violation of any human rights," said Uden.

He added that the Myanmar government would not hold a free and fair election next year as per their roadmap.

"There will not be a free and fair election if Suu Kyi is still under house arrest and not able to participate and the same is true about the other political leaders and minority groups," he said.

Besides the United Nations, the most important players with Myanmar are its neighbors.

ASEAN countries are increasingly frustrated about the misgovernance in Myanmar due to the damage it causes to the bloc`s reputation.

China, India, Thailand and Singapore are Myanmar`s top trading partners, while the EU has a trade embargo and ban on various products like weapons, timber and semi-precious stones.

India made a statement condemning the trial and imprisonment of Suu Kyi but what is surprising is that China has recently said that they do not just want prosperity and stability in Myanmar; they also want democracy there.

"We could do more from the EU point of view but it will only harm the ordinary people," said Uden.

The United Nations has been playing a positive role "but I`m afraid that some of their efforts to start a dialogue with the regime just show how you can`t start a dialogue with the regime," said Uden.

As for Korea, President Lee Myung-bak, during his meeting with Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein on the sidelines of the Jeju Summit spoke about expanding business ties between the two nations while only softly mentioning his hopes for democracy in Myanmar.

Trade between both countries grew to $360 million last year.

"We (British government) do not support investment in the country (Myanmar), we don`t give any assistance," said Uden. "Honestly, any company that does trade there is going to find itself questioned by many NGOs from around the world."

After Kim posted his message last week, the special advisor to Prime Minister Gordon sent the embassy a note saying good job and well done.

(yoav@heraldm.com)



By Yoav Cerralbo