SLORC patience
Media reports on the current situation in Yangon regarding Daw Su Kyi and NLD's plan to hold their mass meeting from May 26 to 29, 1996, disproportionately highlight the views of a few Western governments. Namely, that democracy activists wishing to gather at this planned "peaceful" meeting are being denied their basic democratic rights by the Myanmar government.
The underlying political campaign, planned and coordinated between dissidents within Myanmar and with strong support and continuous encouragement from foreign groups, is to destabilize Myanmar by inciting disturbances through organized measures.
On July 11, 1995, Daw Su Kyi challenged and threatened the government "to choose between dialog or utter devastation". Since then she has been taking measured steps, with the strong support of a few Western countries, to attain political power through instability, disturbances and chaos.
By their activities during the last ten months, Daw Su Kyi and the NLD have broken the laws of Myanmar. The SLORC government, however, has so far reacted with patience and tolerance for the good of the country and its people. Peace and stability have ensured the economic boom of GDP growth averaging 8.2 percent annually for the past four years.
Myanmar law, as in every country in the world, stipulates that public gatherings and meetings cannot be held without permission from the competent authorities, and that preventive action can be taken to protect the state from activities aimed at inciting disturbances to create instability.
However, the Myanmar government has so far taken restrained measures. A number of activists have been taken to State guest- houses for questioning about their plans and intentions. They have been treated with dignity and respect, and reminded courteously not to be misled into activities which will be beneficial to none.
Myanmar history has proven unequivocally that no foreign power can coerce or bully independent Myanmar governments. It should be pointed out that the western-style democratic government of U Nu (1948-58), which met the yard-stick of democracy as defined and aggressively promoted by some Western countries, was actually destabilized by overt and covert means by them because it was too non-aligned and too independent, (together then with India, Egypt, etc.) and for its refusal to join the "great" worldwide crusade against communism by the then "Free World" of Western democratic and Third World right-wing military governments.
SOE L. HAN
Press Officer
Myanmar Embassy, Jakarta