Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 's Address to the Closing Ceremony of The Asian Social Forum ( Mizzima ) January 7, 2003

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 's Address to the Closing Ceremony of The Asian Social Forum

Sein Win( MIZZIMA NEWS )
7 January, 2003

In a telephone message sent today to the Asia Social Forum being held in Hyderabad, India, Nobel laureate Aung San Su Kyi said that she is deeply worried about the conditions facing Burmese youth.

“In my recent travels across Burma, I have been very struck by the situation of our young people. And I want a new world for them. I want to be able to see them grow up in Burma, that is, a changed Burma. That is a country, which will provide them with freedom, security and with the opportunity to develop their potential. So I would like all of you, the young people at the Forum, to do whatever you can to help our young people”, the Burmese opposition leader said to the ceremony held in the
Nizam College campus.

She added,“ Not only should we believe that another world is possible, I think we have to say that another world must be created in order that we may be able to live in dignity as human beings”

Although the opposition leader planned to pass the message by telephone during the Forum opening ceremony, Burmese authorities had cut the line to prevent the call. A telephone line was secured to enable the message to be delivered on the final day of the Forum.

The closing ceremony of the Asia Social Forum received a total of 15,000 delegations including over 800 foreign delegations from more than 40 Asia-Pacific countries.

Ko Soe Myint, from the Mizzima News Group, spoke to the audience about the resounding victory that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party achieved in the 1990 multi-party democracy election in Burma,
when the party won 82 percent of parliamentary seats. In 1960, Daw Aung San Su Kyi had been studying in India when her mother Daw Khin Kyi was appointed as Burmese ambassador to India. She was awarded the the Nobel Peace Prize in
1991, and the Nehru Peace Prize and the International Understanding Prize in 1995.

This has been the first ever Forum held in Asia and the seminar was featured with an “Anti-terrorism”, “Anti-war”, “Anti-Neo liberalism” theme.

Suu Kyi said, “I would like you to be aware of the difficulties faced by the people of Burma. You talk about anti-neo liberalism. I think we have yet to reach the stage in Burma when there is such a thing as liberalism".

The Forum comprised of over 150 daily conferences, seminars, and workshops. Former president of India, K.R. Nara Ram and Burma born former India first lady Daw Tint Tint were also present at the closing ceremony.

K.R. Nara Ram made the point during his speech that Daw Aung San Su Kyi is a true freedom fighter for Burma. Asia Social Forum is a part of World Social Forum. The ASF was attended by well-known world leaders such as Samir Amin from Senegal, Bojja Tarakam of India, Abdel Jawad Saleh of Palestine, Asma Jamangir of Pakistan, Sahar Saba of Afghanistan and Walden Bello from Philipine among many others.