Rangoon/Washington, Nov. 13: The US President, Mr Barack Obama said in a statement that the United States welcomed “her (Suu Kyi) long overdue release,” adding: “She is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world.”
Mr Obama continued his criticism of Burma’s junta. “Whether Ms Aung San Suu Kyi is living in the prison of her house, or the prison of her country, does not change the fact that she, and the political Opposition she represents, has been systematically silenced, incarcerated and deprived of any opportunity to engage in political processes that could change Burma,” he said from Japan, winding up an Asian trip. “It is time for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners, not just one.”
Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s freedom was unlikely to lead to any immediate change in long-standing policies of isolation and sanctions by the United States and other Western powers. Western diplomats said they would assess the degree of liberty she would be afforded and watch the behaviour of the military towards her.
Analysts said the generals in power might see less need to isolate her because long-awaited parliamentary elections, held just five days ago, were completed with the victory of the party they backed. But the elections were widely condemned outside the country, with Mr Obama saying that the vote was “neither free nor fair” and failed to meet internationally accepted standards. Mr Win, her lawyer, had previously said that she intended to plunge again into political activities, no matter what restrictions might be placed on her.
The junta has released her twice before, in 1995 and 2002, calculating that her extended absence from public view had weakened her appeal. They were proved wrong. In both cases, she was returned to house arrest.
The parliamentary elections on Sunday were the first in 20 years. In the last, the National League for Democracy won in a landslide. The generals annulled that result and clung to power. This month’s election was seen as their attempt to gain legitimacy.
Ms Suu Kyi’s recent term of house arrest began in 2003 after an attack on her motorcade by government-sponsored thugs that some people believe was an assassination attempt.
Her detention was extended in August last year when an American, Mr John Yettaw, swam across a lake uninvited to her home, leading to a trial that convicted her of violating the terms of her detention.