Wed, 30 Jan 2008 DPA
Yangon- Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday advised the nation to "hope for the best but prepare for the worst," in a rare meeting with her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The ruling junta allowed Suu Kyi a rare respite from house arrest to meet with members of the NLD for about two hours Wednesday afternoon at the Sein Le Kanthar State Guest House where she held talks with NLD chairman Aung Shwe and seven others and government liasion minister Aung Kyi.
Following the meeting, NLD spokesman Nyan Win told correspondents that Suu Kyi had criticized the government's so-called dialogue process for not including representatives of the various ethnic minority nationalities and failing to set a deadline.
Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel peace prize in 1991 for her heroic struggle for democracy in her country, cautioned Myanmar's downtrodden population "to hope for the best prepare for the worst," said Nyan Win.
Suu Kyi has been kept under house arrest in her family's Yangon compound since May, 2003.
It was not clear why Myanmar's military regime allowed her to meet with the NLD leaders but the conciliatory gesture comes at a time when the junta is under increasing pressure to show progress in its political dialogue with the opposition.
European Union special envoy for Myanmar Piero Fussino was in Bangkok earlier this week calling on all Asian governments to unite in putting pressure on Myanmar's junta.
"It is necessary to open a new phase of more constructive and more concise. We need a real dialogue between the junta and the opposition and all different sectors of Myanmar society," said Fassino.
Fassino has already visited Beijing to discuss the Myanmar issue, and plans to travel to Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Japan to solidify Asian support in what has become a fairly universal call on the military rulers of Myanmar to speed up their political dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other suppressed segments of Myanmar society.
The EU appointed Fassino as special envoy for Myanmar last year in an effort to increase pressure on the junta to bring about real political change in their country in the aftermath of a brutal crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monks that shocked the world and left at least 31 people dead.
The crackdown reignited international concern about Myanmar, which has been under military rule since 1962, but the growing frustration has thus far accomplished little in terms of forcing the regime into a real political dialogue with Suu Kyi.
United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari has visited Myanmar on several occasions, with the last visit in November, to press for a genuine dialogue but with limited success.
Following the meeting, NLD spokesman Nyan Win told correspondents that Suu Kyi had criticized the government's so-called dialogue process for not including representatives of the various ethnic minority nationalities and failing to set a deadline.
Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel peace prize in 1991 for her heroic struggle for democracy in her country, cautioned Myanmar's downtrodden population "to hope for the best prepare for the worst," said Nyan Win.
Suu Kyi has been kept under house arrest in her family's Yangon compound since May, 2003.
It was not clear why Myanmar's military regime allowed her to meet with the NLD leaders but the conciliatory gesture comes at a time when the junta is under increasing pressure to show progress in its political dialogue with the opposition.
European Union special envoy for Myanmar Piero Fussino was in Bangkok earlier this week calling on all Asian governments to unite in putting pressure on Myanmar's junta.
"It is necessary to open a new phase of more constructive and more concise. We need a real dialogue between the junta and the opposition and all different sectors of Myanmar society," said Fassino.
Fassino has already visited Beijing to discuss the Myanmar issue, and plans to travel to Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Japan to solidify Asian support in what has become a fairly universal call on the military rulers of Myanmar to speed up their political dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other suppressed segments of Myanmar society.
The EU appointed Fassino as special envoy for Myanmar last year in an effort to increase pressure on the junta to bring about real political change in their country in the aftermath of a brutal crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monks that shocked the world and left at least 31 people dead.
The crackdown reignited international concern about Myanmar, which has been under military rule since 1962, but the growing frustration has thus far accomplished little in terms of forcing the regime into a real political dialogue with Suu Kyi.
United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari has visited Myanmar on several occasions, with the last visit in November, to press for a genuine dialogue but with limited success.
5 comments:
Preah Vihear temple part of Thailand
As a Khmer architecture junkie, I find Dr Reiff's rationale somewhat presumptive in maintaining that since the Preah Vihear temple has Hindu elements, it therefore should belong to Cambodia (Postbag, Jan 29).
There are many temples along the royal road from Angkor Wat to Phimai (such as Surin, Prachin Buri and Buri Ram) that have Hindu elements and Khmer style of architecture, and yet, indisputably they belong to the modern Siam (Thailand).
Phnom Rung in Buri Ram, another potential World Heritage site with plenty of Khmer art, is definitely not claimable by Cambodia.
The judgement of the Court of Justice in The Hague on the territory of Preah Vihear temple was only a legalistic interpretation and, with due respect to the court, all the Thai governments since the ruling date have accepted the decision.
However, it is an indisputable fact that natural access to the Preah Vihear temple has to be made through Thai territory and hence physically it is difficult for visitors not to view the temple as being within Thai territory.
In theory, the temple may belong to Cambodia, but in practice, the temple is part of Thailand.
So it is rather ludicrous for Cambodia to ask the UN to recognise the temple as a World Heritage site without Thailand's participation.
SONGDEJ PRADITSMANONT
Bangkok
Beware of all the illegal Vietamese votes, those who only come to Cambodia to vote for the CPP only during elections!
2-4 illegal Vietamese living in Cambodia! Beware of the Kingdom of Champa and Kampuchea Krom!
Beware!
I believe there's only 8 million eligble votes in Cambodia, what if there's another 10 million illegal Vietamese votes in the future?
Who would win every elections even before they even start?
Beware!
Proverb: "Beware of fun that may have consequences down the road"
This is what I see happening in Cambodia!
Beware!
Strong education in homeland,healthy population economic, strong forces, and sovereignty will secure the longevity of Cambodia!
Beware!
Mr. SONGDEJ PRADITSMANONT-- you cannot speak for the Thais population, you aren't credible. Haven't stopped to think about it critically, and those b4 you made mistake, and embarrassed of the lack of KNOWLEDGE! If you are an educated person, I believe you are aware that you are living on Khmerland NOT Thailand. It's not necessary to go in details to elucidate my points.
I PRAY TO OUR LORD THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST THAT THAILAND WILL ACCEPT THE FACTS AND STOPPED TEACHING THEIR GENERATIONS OF DEVIATED TRUTH!
Cordially Khmer Bloodline:
Mohasastra Seyma Kinanuwatani
SONGDEJ PRADITSMANONT, If The judgment of the Court of Justice in The Hague on the territory of Preah Vihear temple was only a legalistic interpretation as you said, and this could be void as you want it to be then any treaty on international borders between sovereign states was nothing but a sort of interpretation, which could be void as well. That was very good idea!!!ha haa If this would happen Thailand would lost its legitimacy in making its claim over some part of its present territory which used to be a part of Cambodia before the introduction of modern nation-state to Southeast Asia.That would be nice for the Khmer if this would happen since your country was not binding to the treaty on international border, which was for you only a sort of interpretation, Cambodia could repatriate the land which has been stolen by the Thais. The case would be similar to the claim made by Israel, which as not based essentially on public international law, but on the Bible.
Hel Rithy
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