'Help us build a new Myanmar' - Online Burma Library

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September 17 - 23, 2012
By Shwe Yinn Mar Oo
YANGON – Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi will be feted
by US President Barack
Obama and given a top
honour in her first visit in
two decades to the United
States, which has been an
ardent supporter of her
democracy struggle.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,
who was to leave Myanmar
on September 16, is destined
for a red carpet welcome
during her first visit to the
US since she began her
campaign for democracy –
marked by years of house
arrest – under the military
government in 1988.
The Nobel laureate, who
was elected to parliament
this year in a dramatic sign
of the country’s reforms,
will travel to Washington
to meet Obama, whose
government has been at
the forefront of Western reengagement
with the longtime
military dominated
country.
“This will be a high-profile
trip for Aung San Suu Kyi,
who has significant star
power in the US,” said
independent Myanmar
analyst Richard Horsey,
adding that it would be a
chance to “showcase her
international support”.
“But there are also
political risks involved.”
Unlike Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi’s trip to Europe this
year – where she received a
rapturous welcome û her
visit will coincide with that
of President U Thein Sein,
who is due in the US later
in the month to attend the
United Nations General
Assembly.
“There is a risk that
she will overshadow this
significant first US visit
by Thein Sein – who has
not yet really gotten the
international recognition
that he deserves for the
remarkable reform process
that he has put in place,”
Mr Horsey said.
It would be “particularly
unhelpful” if the US
president opted to meet
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi but
not the Myanmar leader,
“which unfortunately looks
to be the case”, he said.
“A positive relationship
between Aung San Suu Kyi
and Thein Sein is critical to
the success of the reform
process going forward.”
Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi will receive the
Congressional Gold Medal,
the top honour bestowed by
the US Congress, which she
obtained in May 2008 when
the prospect of her leaving
Myanmar looked remote.
Her near three-week visit
will also see her hold talks
at the United Nations, give
speeches in Washington
and New York and meet
members of the Myanmar
diaspora in Fort Wayne,
Indiana.
She is also likely to be
quizzed on the changes
that have swept through
her country since military
rule was replaced by a
quasi-civilian government
last year.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s
struggle has been vital
in steering international
opinion on Myanmar, and
her decisions to enter
mainstream politics and
to call for sanctions to be
eased are seen as pivotal in
beginning the dismantling
of the punitive measures.
“If she boldly calls for
something she has so
many supporters there
now they would try to
meet her expectations,
but that is not her style,”
said Sean Turnell, a
Myanmar economic expert
at Macquarie University in
Sydney.
Following sweeping
moves to lift or suspend
12
the MyanMar tiMes
US to bring accolades, political risks
New Shan party
opens first office
in Mandalay
By Khin Su Wai and Hlaing Kyaw Soe
THE leader of a new Shan political party
said the group supported the government’s
peacemaking efforts but more needed to be
done to “ensure equal opportunities for all”.
The Tai-Leng Nationalities Development
Party head office was opened in Mandalay on
September 5 and the group plans to contest
the next general election, expected in 2015,
said chairman U Sai Htay Aung.
In the meantime, it will conduct activities
to preserve the culture of Tai-Leng, a Shan
sub-group known as the “red Shan”.
“We will preserve and foster our national
identity. In particular, we will try to
arrange for all Tai-Leng people a National
Registration Card in the name of the Tai
Leng, and also strive for equal opportunities
for all, regardless of ethnicity,” U Sai Htay
Aung said.
He said the group supported the peace
process and wanted a national peace
conference in which all ethnic groups could
participate.
“The interests of the residents in conflict
zones should be the first priority. The
government, armed groups and residents
need to work together to find peace,” he
said.
Members from the Shan Nationalities
Democratic Party, Wunthanu NLD, National
Unity Party and Shan National League for
Democracy also attended the ceremony and
gave addresses to the audience.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during a
press conference at the National League
for Democracy Party headquarters in
Yangon on July 3. Pic: AFP
Tai-Leng Nationalities Development Party chairman U Sai Htay Aung (left) makes a speech at the
office opening ceremony on September 5.
sanctions by other Western
nations this year, the US in
July gave the green light to
US companies to invest in
Myanmar, although a ban
on all imports from the
country remains.
But Mr Turnell said
internal issues have now
taken precedence in reviving
the country’s moribund
economy – notably a foreign
investment law, awaiting
final approval, that has
generated heated debate.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
has transformed from longterm
prisoner to politician
in just two years and
international focus is now
shifting to policy as the
country prepares for 2015
elections that could see her
party swept to power.
The 67-year-old has
prioritised calls for
the rule of law but has
produced little in the way
of concrete strategy so far,
dismaying some observers
by remaining largely mute
on recent deadly communal
violence in western
Myanmar, in particular the
plight of stateless Rohingya
Muslims in the region.
Jim Della-Giacoma,
project director for Southeast
Asia at the Brussels-based
International Crisis Group
think tank, said that he
hoped Obama would press
both Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi and U Thein Sein on
the issue.
“There will be plenty to
observe there and learn
from the trip about the
importance of equality,
citizenship and opportunity
and how providing this
for all citizens benefits a
democratic country,” he
said. – AFP
Korean
speech
contest to
be held in
November
By Yhoon Hnin Phyu
THE 10 th Korean Speech
Contest will be held on
November 4 at Traders Hotel,
the South Korean embassy in
Yangon said last week, with
the winner to receive a full
undergraduate scholarship.
The contest is organised
by the embassy, Korea
Foundation and Keimyung
University and is open to
all Myanmar nationals with
a Test of Proficiency in
Korean Language (TOPIK)
level four certificate.
The grand prize
winner will receive an
undergraduate scholarship
to Kangnam University in
South Korea, while the gold
prize winner will receive
a 10-week language study
scholarship to Keimyung
University.
Application forms and
TOPIK certificates should
be submitted to the embassy
or neokim85@gmail.com no
later than September 28.