Saturday, August 8, 2009

FROM ONE LADY OF SUBSTANCE TO ANOTHER.


AMNESTY AWARD FOR DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI


On behalf of KEADILAN, I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Aung San Suu Kyi on receiving the Ambassador of Conscience Award for 2009 from Amnesty International on 27 July 2009.


Her unwavering courage and determination, as well as her immense personal sacrifice, have inspired millions around the world and have made her an icon for the universal struggle for democracy and human rights.


At the same time, the continuing illegal detention of the leader of a party which won a national election more than two decades ago is an affront to universal principles of justice and democracy. It reflects badly on the world that, after so long, the international community’s political will to put a stop to it has been found lacking.


It is even more shameful that the governments of ASEAN member countries, including Malaysia, have been even more half-hearted in their efforts to push the Junta to free Aung San Suu Kyi and restore democracy in Burma. They should by now be ready to admit that their strategy of neighbourly engagement and persuasion has been an abject failure. Worse still, it has facilitated continuing covert support of individuals and companies, including in Malaysia, doing lucrative business with the military junta, which has contributed not a little to its ability to cling onto their illegal power.


ASEAN should also abandon its misguided – not to mention immoral – policy of non-interference in the “internal affairs” of its member states, as if such affairs exist in a vacuum. The folly of this stand is by now obvious since, as a result of its continuing inability or disinclination to bring Burma into line, ASEAN’s reputation, and consequently its influence in the world, has suffered a significant decline. This in turn has caused considerable damage to the economic wellbeing and competitiveness of all member states. In short, ASEAN nations, in this global era, not to mention economic recession, disregard the Burma problem at their common peril.


August 8 marks the 21st anniversary of the Burmese people’s brave, but unfortunately unsuccessful, uprising aimed at overthrowing the military regime. By bestowing this award on Aung San Suu Kyi, Amnesty International, a universally respected organisation, is not only racking up the pressure on the junta itself, but giving a firm reminder to political leaders, especially Burma’s neighbours, to do more than simply utter politically correct platitudes regarding this important issue.

For the rest of us, as Aung San Suu Kyi remains in detention, let us be inspired anew by her shining example and let our outrage at the continuing injustice against her be reaffirmed. Let us redouble our efforts to press for her immediate release, as well as enhance our initiatives to establish freedom, justice and democracy in our own country, in Burma and in every nation.


WAN AZIZAH WAN ISMAIL

President

Parti Keadilan Rakyat

Malaysia




8 comments:

The Infinite said...

Birds of the same feather flock together, If given a chance they would like to be like the junta,

bayi said...

Courageous lady. Deserves our support all the way.

nstman said...

Half-hearted attempt by Asean? No, Asean, especially Malaysia, doesnt give two hoots whether Aung San Sukyi rots in prison. Malaysia is the No 1 hypocrite. Asean is a piece of shit. Asean talks cock, talks rot and fiddles while the Great Lady is suffering. Asean loves dictators, especially when they are from Burma. Asean can kiss my ass. Asean are bastards. Asean has no compassion in its soul. Asean has no place in the civilised world.

anna brella said...

Another well-deserved award for a brave, principled woman and a freeedom-fighter of the highest order.

And a worthy written accolade to her from Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Every free MAN in the free world, and particularly those who profess themselves to be secular or religious political "leaders" of the world ought to feel thoroughly ashamed of themselves for allowing this state of affairs to not only befall Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but for allowing the gross injustice on an innocent woman to continue for so bloody long!

And still after THIRTEEN long years of unlawful detention for having committed NO crime at all, she continues to remain imprisoned.

In fact, her tortuous incarceration under house-arrest will soon get a lot worse if that cheap fascist bastard General Than Shwe and his SPDC gang of military thugs are allowed to succeed in their insanity further by moving her unlawful incarceration from house-arrest in her home to imprisonment in the notorious Insein prison.

And while her life slowly rots away day after day in the hell of a freedomless Burma under the vice-like grip and control of clear fascists, the rest of us in the FREE world, including the many men who now call themselves our "leaders", continue to enjoy their power and all the freedoms that so many brave others, like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, sacrificed and even died for to protect for all of us.

And while she continues to fight bravely while her life rots away in what would clearly be a living hell for any one of us, we watch, albeit proudly, occasionally writing, singing and/or awarding her some more medals, that she can't even come and receive from us.

I know it is an unfair fact of Life now that men generally hold nearly all of the reins of power in nearly all of the areas of politics, religions and business.

But still, why aren't the women of the FREE world of today simply not seeing through that self-serving historical power-base set-up by men and rising up to use their immense power (yes, women are not created as men's doormats without any power) and saying to these men who now make up the present crop of impotent secular/religious political "world leaders" - and who are all surely some woman's father, brother, husband, lover, son or grandson, etc. - to go do the right thing and get Daw Aung San Suu Kyi released ASAP, or not to bother to come home to them anytime soon for those....er....supportive home creature comforts?

"Imagine Power To The People" John Lennon.

mauriyaII said...

Who are the socalled world leaders who pay lip service but do nothing concrete to get her released?

Most of them are from ASEAN. Why are they propounding such arcane and useless "neighbourly engagement" and other such craps? It is because they too fall under the same category as the shameless, facist junta that took over a democratically elected government.

All the leaders in the ASEAN region do not want to rock their boat by castigating the junta and doing their bit because they too oppress their respective people under many draconian laws.

These shameless leaders are no better than the military junta that holds on to power by repressive actions. These leaders too do not want any demonstrations or too many questions asked about their misrule and corruption. Hence, the bullshit about not interfering in the internal affairs of other governments.

These ASEAN leaders play this dirty game because they too do not want to question their oppressive and questionable actions against their people.

The main supporter of facist and illegal regimes in Asia, Africa and South America are the Peoples' Republic of China. China cares two hoots for peoples' freedom. It is only interested in expanding its economic clout. It is the main country that supports not only Myanmar (Burma) but also countries like Sudan and other countries that practise genocide.

Yet, our great leader found it fit to make his first official visit to China to promote bilateral policies.

The mahaFiraun also had the same attitude towards Myanmar. Are our leaders any better than the military leaders of the junta in Myanmar?

zorro said...

Mauriyall, you are spot on, on all counts. However you forgot to mention that China practices genocide - throwing female babies into the river. And yet Jib and his father made historical visits to China. Till today, China still backs all the banana republics.

Anonymous said...

This is a true "1st Lady"....!!!

Again & again..!

She don't need to be somebody's wife to be one.

Anonymous said...

ASEAN is totally good for nothing if it cannot solve Suu-Kyi's problem. Just a bunch of cheats and hypocrites helping one another cheat on their people.