FRONT BURNER,PLEASE! It is past time to bring Burma back. This once rich and prosperous nation has been allowed to languish under inept military miss-rule for half a century and deserves a place among the free, self-determined nations of the modern world!
Those nations who seem to find any efforts the United States undertakes any plan to help other less fortunate nations as being a cheap,underhanded,greedy scheme to gain power and control over smaller nations, could best use the money, time and effort they expend in being critical of the U.S.in undertaking to rescue the democratic movement in Burma.
The NLD, the National League for Democracy, in Burma gained a worthy foothold in Burma in the 1980's and by l988 forced the ruling military dictatorship to call for a general election. That election was held in 1990. When the results were tabulated it was plain go see the people of Burma wanted change. They voted 82% in favor of the NLD.
The military rulers, of course,ignored the results. They had permitted the election because they felt, as did many other people, that Burma was such a framented hotbed of tribes,families, peoples and most with factions among them that they could never be unified other than by force. Look at any map of the country and you will find it easy to agree with their view.
Wholesale arrests took place througbout the counry and Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested for speaking against the nation. She was sentenced to six years in prison, and while she was under arrest she was the winner of three, world-wide peace honors – among them the esteemed Nobel Peace Prize for 1991. Her two sons, Alexander and Kim, accepted the Nobel prize in Norway on her behalf. The $l.3 associated with the prize was set aside for use in Burmese Health and Education projects. She was held prison July 10, 1995, but she remains, even now, under restrictions. She has been allowed her first foreign visitors. She has been allowed to do interviews and such videotapes included a keynote address to the U.N. International Woman's Conference in Beijing in August 1995. She received some telephone concessions,too, allowing her to talk to her husband and family in England where Michael was Professor of Himalayian Studies at Oxford University.
Keep her name handy – Aung San Suu Kyi. She is certainly one of the truly great heroines of our time. Her name will come up when someone puts the Burma Problem back on the front burner.
Who,I wonder, will champion this amazing woman?
A.L.M. April 15, 2005 [c458wds]
