OUR THOUGHT:

September 29, 2003

According to the latest news, U.N. envoy Razali Ismail begins his toughest visit yet to Myanmar on Tuesday with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi back under house arrest and a Southeast Asian summit looming.

Razali, who will be on his 11th visit to military-ruled Myanmar, played a key role in persuading Yangon's ruling generals to free Suu Kyi last year after 19 months of house arrest.

Our question here is what can we expect from his visit? Good news for us, the democratic forces? We hope not. Why? Because, first of all, he still has direct economic ties with the regime that is good at bribing the authority of international figures like him, the ex- DEA from the US, who became a lobbyist for the regime, the prime minister of Thailand and many other Thai generals . That is the regime’s ways of doing business. Frankly, we should find a way to freeze the regime’s bloody money pouring into the accounts of those corrupt leaders and authorities.

Second, after his last visit to Burma to enquiry the arrests of Daw Suu and her followers, he first of all said at the first press conference that he met with Daw Suu at a decent place and she was in shape with her high spirit as usual. And, she would be released soon. Soon? Then, when he was in Japan, he, all of a sudden, changed his tone telling that Daw Suu was held a prison cell in poor conditions and still had not change her dresses since she was arrested. His first press conference had helped the regime in Burma to alleviate the mounting international
outrage. His second speak-out in Japan got us the international community confused who he really was puzzling whether he was on our side or not. Now, he again goes to Burma to see Daw Su. We wonder how we should trust him regarding her status and her health conditions based on our previous experience.

Can we trust his word when she will be released?

The worst of all, what if Mr. Razali says we the world should give Khin Nyunt sometime to implement his ROAD MAP? We wonder how long it is going to be.

ANTI-DICTATORSHIP PEOPLES’ FREEDOM MOVEMENT