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POLITICS-BURMA: Emotions Peak As Suu Kyi Is Freed

RANGOON, Nov 13 2010 (IPS) - Some were smiling, many were crying and others were shouting, but emotions overflowed among the hundreds of Burmese who had been keeping vigil for the latest release from house arrest of the country’s pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Syi.

Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for 15 of the last 21 years, appeared beaming on an elevated platform behind the steel gate of her compound here minutes after her 5:20 pm release on Nov. 13.

Waiting for the crowd to settle down, Suu Kyi, often called ‘The Lady’, finally spoke in public for the first time in years.

“We haven’t seen each other for long time. I feel very happy to see you all here,” said the 65-year-old Nobel laureate, who was freed by Burma’s military leaders six days after the Nov. 7 general election here, the first held in this South-east Asian country in 20 years.

“As I don’t have a loudspeaker, I can’t speak to reach you all,” she told the crowd, many of them wearing shirts adorned with her portrait or carrying photos of her. “If you can listen quietly, you can hear my voice. Otherwise, it’s very hard to speak. You all have to help each other. If people from the back can’t hear what I say, then people from the front role are able to share what you hear.”

“See! As soon as I come out, I need to start political training,” quipped Suu Kyi. “To get democracy, we all have to be disciplined,” she told her restless, eager supporters.

There was little that the riot police could do earlier when, after they removed the barbed wire that for years fenced off Suu Kyi’s compound near Inya Lake, the crowds rushed toward her home.

“Today we can see the real desire of the people,” Yarzar, who belongs to the youth wing of Suu Kyi’s now disbanded National League for Democracy (NLD) party, said as he took part in this historic moment in this country of more than 53 million people.

“I feel like my feet are up in the air, like I’m flying!” quipped Maung Aye.

Than Than Aye, a 35-year-old who fails from north Okkalapa, remarked: “I feel so happy to see her. Today is very worth (it) for me to wait for her for two days.”

Since Friday, many had gathered around Suu Kyi’s compound to see if Burma’s military bosses would free her at the end of her latest detention period, scheduled to end at 7 p.m. Saturday. Others had come to Rangoon, the former capital, from outside the city.

As of Saturday evening, Suu Kyi was meeting her NLD supporters. She is expected to give a speech at her office at noon Sunday.

It remained unclear whether there are any conditions to her release, and what her plans are after the Nov. 7 election, which her party did not take part in and campaigned for a boycott of. Some NLD members however proceeded to contest the poll.

It also remains to be seen what role Suu Kyi could play in an environment where there could be some representation of anti-junta groups in Parliament, and where she has no official political platform after the NLD’s disbandment.

The NLD won a clear majority in the last general election in 1990, but the junta nullified its result.

Suu Kyi’s struggles go back to 1988, when the daughter of independence hero Aung San returned to Burma and became involved in the opposition to then dictator Ne Win.

She was first put under house arrest in 1989, released with restrictions on her movement in 1995, and put back in house arrest in 2000. She was released again in May 2002, but in May 2003 was back in prison after a clash between her supporters and a government-backed mob. Her house arrest was extended in 2007 and 2008, and in August 2009 she was sentenced to another 18 months’ house arrest after a U.S. national swam to her compound.

Her last brief public appearance was in September 2007 — and that was the first since 2003.

Her supporters are aware that Suu Kyi’s personal freedom does not signify real change by the military on giving more political openness in this country.

“The most important thing is to start the dialogue, the only way to solve all the problems in Burma,” NLD vice chairman Tin Oo told IPS. “First, all political prisoners must be released. We have to discuss about ethnic issues too,” he said, referring to decades of unrest and armed struggle by Burma’s ethnic groups.

There are different expectations of Suu Kyi’s role after her release.

“I strongly believe her to be the one who can do (change) for the country; I can even give my life for her,” said Maung Maung Tin Lay, an 80-year-old veteran soldier.

Twenty-five year-old Tun Tun from Hlaing Tharyar added, “I expect that Aunty Suu will tell something about election fraud when she is released.”

He was referring to results and conduct of the November poll, which the junta says is part of a roadmap to democracy but which critics have called a sham to cloak the military regime in civilian clothes.

Tension remains after the vote, after many opposition candidates alleged fraud and filed complaints before the Election Commission.

As expected, the military’s proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), won majority of seats in the two chambers of Parliament and regional assemblies.

More than 800,000 ‘advance votes’ cast by government employees and the military, days before Nov. 7 itself, have been criticised as leading to forced votes to ensure the USDP’s victory.

“The 2010 election is just a kind of robbery. It’s not (even) voting fraud; USDP robbed all votes,” remarked Tin Oo.

Given the uncertain political road ahead, the sentiments of Rangoon resident Soe Naing, 30, may well capture those of many in this country. “I don’t expect much after her release, but we have to think how we can support her,” sighed Soe Naing.