Myanmar - following its own map

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The recent summit conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been declared a great success by its host country for the resolutions and pacts the participating heads of state had signed or adopted, but none of them could claim any progress in an area so often touched by other leaders worldwide.

This is the question of the continued detention - all right, call it house arrest - of Myanmar (formerly Burma) leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been deprived, not only of her freedom, but also of the position she had rightfully won almost 20 years ago.

Myanmar, as the whole world knows, is now under military rule, in a government installed way back in 1988, by a group called the Junta. It is the group that has ruled the country since then, despite the fact that the political party headed by Aung San Suu Kyi had won overwhelmingly in an election.

In all those years, concern has been aired for Madame Suu Kyi, who, in the meantime, remained stoic and unrelenting, despite personal losses like the death of her husband whose funeral she was not even allowed to attend. One after the other, world leaders have interceded for her, and even the United Nations has tried to help her.

But the so-called Junta has remained adamant, and it is a wonder how they could fear the influence of such a well-educated woman, whose frail appearance so belie her tenacity and strength.

Reports on the recent summit in Cebu revealed that appeals were again made on her behalf, particularly by our President who, as quoted in the items, had urged Myanmar, through its representative, "to translate its policy of constructive engagement into concrete initiatives that would yield real benefits" for its people.

But the Junta representative obviously came prepared for such appeals and had a stock reply ready, which was that they had their own "road map to democracy" and for dealing with their "internal problems". Which, in democratic jargon, could only mean "Leave us alone".*