Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Chin State

April 2, 2003

It is reported that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and group are preparing to tour the remote Chin State (southwest Burma) and rally people. They are planning to leave Rangoon early tomorrow by car and set off to Chin State via Pegu (Bago) and Magwe Divisions.

The vice chairman, U Tin Oo and ten youth members of the NLD will accompany Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the trip is expected to last up to 15 days. She is expected to officially open between 6 and 10 NLD township offices, according to the spokesman U Lwin:

U Lwin : They are leaving early tomorrow morning for Chin Hills via Magwe Division. It will take two days to pass Magwe Division as they are travelling by car and it is far.

DVB : What we have heard is that she is opening township offices. How many will there be in your estimation?

U Lwin : In our estimation, there are two townships in Magwe Division and there are four in Chin State. They will raise signboards [open offices officially] for township and state offices in Haka. And some will be opened in Matupi, Htantalan and the like.

DVB : Apart from Magwe Division, is she going to Sagain Division and the like?

U Lwin : She might stay a night at Kale, Sagaing Division. She will be in Magwe Division for two days. She has to cross Pegu Division on the left hand side of River Irrawaddy via Pwintphyu and to Minbu as far as they could travel.

DVB : How long would the trip last from the beginning to the end?

U Lwin : They need to open an office at Saw Township in Sagaing Division near Kanpetlet in Chin State. They will then take a rest at Chauk. That will be the tenth day. It might take two weeks. It might be sooner than that but it has been always slower than our estimation. The reason is she has to stop and receive people’s well-wishing impromptus quite often.

DVB : What kinds of obstructions are you expecting from the authorities? There were some in Arakan trip.

U Lwin : We have to see. The authorities said that they have no intention to that and they had to act according to the security measures for local areas and the like. I don’t know what will happen this time.