Hint of hope as Suu Kyi set for Myanmar govt meet

Aung San Suu Kyi will Monday meet a minister of Myanmar's new, nominally-civilian government for the first time (AFP/File, Soe Than Win)

Monday, July 25, 2011
By Hla Hla Htay (AFP)

YANGON — Aung San Suu Kyi will Monday meet a minister of Myanmar's new, nominally-civilian government for the first time, raising cautious hopes after the US called for "concrete" progress towards democracy.

Suu Kyi has frequently urged dialogue with the government since her release from house arrest just days after November's controversial elections, but until now the country's rulers had not met her requests.

She will hold talks in Yangon on Monday afternoon with labour minister Aung Kyi, who was in charge of relations between the military junta and Suu Kyi under Myanmar's previous regime, a government official told AFP late Saturday.

"It will be the first meeting between them after the new government was formed," he said.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner was informed about the meeting on Sunday morning, said Nyan Win, a spokesman for her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, confirming it would take place at a state guesthouse.

"We do not know the details of the agenda yet," he told AFP, having earlier said it would be "good" if the meeting took place.

Suu Kyi has met minister Aung Kyi, who is no relation, on several occasions, including in late 2009 while she was still under a seven-year period of house arrest.

She was freed by the junta last November, shortly after elections that were won overwhelmingly by the military's political proxies but marred by claims of cheating and the exclusion of Suu Kyi from the process.

The government has since warned her to stay out of politics.

News of Monday's talks came on the same day that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Myanmar's rulers to make "concrete, measurable progress" towards meeting the international community's demands for reform.

Addressing foreign ministers at an Asian security forum in Indonesia, Clinton suggested first steps should include "meaningful and inclusive dialogue" with the opposition and the release of more than 2,000 political prisoners.

Suu Kyi, 66, has spent much of the last 20 years as a prisoner in her crumbling lakeside mansion and some observers believe the government would have no qualms about limiting her freedom again if she is perceived as a threat.

While steps towards a dialogue between the two sides is promising, it is too early to say how genuine the offer is, according to Aung Naing Oo, a Myanmar analyst based in Thailand.

"Both sides are concerned about each other, but there is a desire to talk and find a common ground," he said. "Talking is better than shouting at each other."

Journalists have been invited to cover some parts of Monday's meeting, but will not be present during the talks themselves.

Suu Kyi tested the boundaries of her freedom this month with her first visit outside Yangon since her release, when she refrained from any overt political activities that might have antagonised the government.

After her four-day excursion to the ancient city of Bagan, she tested the limits again when she led hundreds of supporters in memorials for her father, Myanmar's independence hero General Aung San.

She has also consistently maintained her position on some key strategic areas, asking for international sanctions to be maintained, at least until Myanmar's political prisoners are released.

"She has not given up her stance," Aung Naing Oo added.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a renewal of sanctions that ban the import of goods from Myanmar, including lucrative gems, and restrict visas issued to government officials.

Suu Kyi's party, which won a landslide election victory two decades ago that was never recognised by the junta, was disbanded by the military regime last year because it boycotted the latest vote, saying the rules were unfair.