Even during her trial, Aung San Suu Kyi has the ability to make her captors—the powerful ruling generals—angrier and more rancorous than ever.
The generals are now angry not only with Burma’s pro-democracy leader but also with neighboring Thailand which, as current alternate chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), issued a fairly critical statement against Suu Kyi’s trial and imprisonment.
During a meeting with three diplomats from Singapore, Thailand and Russia last week in the Insein Prison compound, Suu Kyi told the Thai diplomat that she looked forward to working with Asean one day.
How did Burma’s ruling generals interpret her remark?
To work with the regional grouping, Suu Kyi would have to be a leader or high-ranking official of the Burmese government. To the generals—who are hypersensitive about power-sharing—her words were clearly defiant, a challenge to their authority.
They probably thought, “How dare you? You’re a criminal who violated our law. And you are standing trial!”
Allowing thirty Rangoon-based diplomats to attend Suu Kyi’s trial for one day last week backfired. The junta wanted to give an appearance of openness, of conducting a legally correct judicial proceeding.
But Suu Kyi grabbed the opportunity to use her political podium. The 63-year-old Nobel Peace laureate told the diplomats, “There could be many opportunities for national reconciliation if all parties so wished…,” according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, whose ambassador met with Suu Kyi in the compound of Insein Prison.
She also expressed the view that “it was not too late for something good to come out of this unfortunate incident,” referring to her trial following the arrest of an American John William Yettaw, who swam across Inya Lake and stayed overnight in her compound, thus violating—in the junta’s eyes—the terms of her house arrest.
On Sunday, an angry Burmese government strongly rejected Thailand’s statement, claiming “The statement of Thailand issued as the alternate chairman of Asean deviates from the principles of the Asean Charter and is tantamount to interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar [Burma].”
It said that to issue statements, Asean must prepare a draft at the level of a senior officials meeting and then submit it to the foreign ministers level to seek further approval.
Statements are to be issued only after a consensus, it said, and “Thailand did not allow it to be discussed. It informed the foreign ministers only after the issue of the statement.”
Obviously, the generals are angry with any person, or any country, that challenges their maniacal hold on power.
It’s most likely they underestimated the outrage and pressure from the international community that’s erupted since Suu Kyi was arrested and charged on May 14.
Her trial has led to the US renewing its sanctions policy and strengthened the likelihood that the US policy will be tougher following its current policy review.
Also, on Friday, the UN Security Council issued a council statement expressing its concern about Suu Kyi’s arrest and trial and the current deadlocked political situation.
Suu Kyi will be sentenced to from three to five years, either under house arrest or in prison. The best alternative is, of course, house arrest, avoiding the onerous and dangerous conditions at the infamous Insein Prison.
Either way, the generals will have succeeded in keeping Suu Kyi out of the public eye and off the political stage during the buildup to the 2010 general election.
Angry at Suu Kyi. Angry at Thailand. Angry at the meddlesome international community—the generals are angry.
Now the question is: Who’s afraid of the angry generals, and how will the international community deal with them?
"I've often wondered why they haven't simply murdered DASSK"
Good question. They can't afford to martyr her. She's her father's daughter for one thing, not just anybody in Burma. It doesn't mean however they wouldn't still use a slow poison and make it look like illness.
For another, today's globalized world is even for them not the same as 20 years ago. They've tasted the potential for unlimited wealth to enrich themselves with the help of ASEAN, China, India, Russia and others, even when the door is shut to the West. They do want it open but only on their terms. This current disgraceful bizaare episode has caused even ASEAN great unease.
Yes, violence begets violence. They rule by the sword and they will fall by the sword.
John Comnenus Wrote:
28/05/2009
Timothy,
You are right to say the SPDC do not care about anything, least of all about human life, or committing generalized bloodshed to get what they want.
So why this mockery of a "trial", which has backfired on them? Nearly everything I've seen in 20+years of Burma-watching indicates that the SPDC are entirely self-legitimating and have no need for outside points of reference. Why this sudden concern for appearances? Who are they trying to impress? If it's Asean or the rest of the world, they've failed totally - as usual.
The surprise isn't that they're trying to destroy DASSK in Insein, but that they've taken so long to do it. Since they are afraid of neither God nor Man, I've often wondered why they haven't simply murdered DASSK and everyone who has even looked like getting in their way. The resultant uprising if they did wouldn't matter, it'd be just another excuse for them to shed even more blood.
So what is stopping them?
plan B Wrote:
28/05/2009
Their own champion on this forum, Plan B, is certainly furious. Lol.
Very good, KMA. You are getting classier with each opinion. Some old dog can still learn new tricks, after all.
Regards.
Let's get DASSK out first.
KKK Wrote:
28/05/2009
I am not surprised.
khai Wrote:
28/05/2009
They can get away with it for a few times, but not beyond that. Eventually, they will have to face the consequences. The longer they hold power, the worse the consequences will be.
Something is definitely wrong when something that they propagated to bring smiles brought anger instead.
The end is near, my friend. You’d better repent.
Okkar Wrote:
27/05/2009
Why should they be angry, when they can celebrate? They now have a "legal" excuse to send her to jail, in which she will rot and die. So why should they be angry about the coverage she is getting? If anything, now the whole world can see that she is a criminal and that the government has acted legally in accordance with the law. This will stop all these people who often complained that Su Kyi has been under house arrest without trial. She is now being tried and she will be found guilty, she will go to jail, she will spend a long time there. For a change, she will realize how other people suffer for her stupid cause. She will face the reality of being in jail and may realize the mistakes she made. This is all good for her. I for one couldn’t be happier to see Su Kyi behind bars. The woman is a menace to society.
Moe Aung Wrote:
27/05/2009
They must think they'd made a really clever move in setting up this nice little trap to keep her in as long as they needed to away from her people at this crucial juncture. Adding some character assassination, while they were at it, was another nice touch.
Only it has already backfired as it turned out she'd been instead inadvertently handed a diplomatic coup, PR triumph and political capital all in one go. It's their own major cock-up/ miscalculation they should be angry at, or with whoever among their ranks came up with this cunning plan. (Their own champion on this forum, pLan B, is certainly furious.)
Who knows they just might have started digging a hole for themselves, and under the red mist insist on digging deeper and deeper. So let's cheer them on until a popular mudslide finishes them off.
MyoChitThuNYC Wrote:
27/05/2009
Than Shwe is increasing getting insecure about his crimes and scared of DAASK.
Aung M. O. Wrote:
26/05/2009
Let them be angry as and how you perceive the issue; but it is quite immoral to treat a lady in such a manner, whether she is anybody on the street or a Nobel laureate. The issue is that any general, who works on behalf of megalomaniac Gen Than Shwe, to liquidate this lady shall lose all the dignity he has as a human being. In this world, if there is no dignity, there’s no point to go on living as a human being.
Kyaw Wrote:
26/05/2009
People of Burma are too patient with the Government, but there will be limit. No matter what, the truth will win. It's quite a clear and understandable situation.
Wait and see for the next upcoming event.
phyu Pya Wrote:
26/05/2009
It is unlikely that the Generals underestimate the international pressure. They don't need to care because they are allowed to continue with all their unacceptable humanitarian attitudes and crimes.
I can accept that interference with internal affairs of an another country is not nice. But it should not be allowed that a cruel government tortures a nation for so long.
Accepting a foreiner in the terms of house arrest is nothing comparable with official killings and torturing smart critical people who has inborn right to talk what they see and feel and think.
Therefore, I have a doubt why human rights authorities could not bring them to justice. I am very uneducational in this field. Why can't this body make a legislation against these ruthless ,reckless and inhuman governments all over the world, not only Myanmar government.
Jeg Wrote:
26/05/2009
When people are angry they tend to make more mistakes... now it is our chance to take the opportunities gifted by the General.
AK 47 Wrote:
26/05/2009
The angry generals will also be fearful generals, with great mistrust of each other knowing that individual officers will be making top-level contact with outside governments, agencies and internal groups. My fear is for the safety of Suu Kyi who will remain the pawn and central figure in whatever unfolds.
Andrew Bowe Wrote:
26/05/2009
I think it’s good to see the generals angry because they are losing power and Burma and Suu Kyi are winning, besides Burmese generals are just going to have strokes and heart attacks, because they are making themselves so angry. Goodbye and good riddance!
timothy Wrote:
26/05/2009
The junta does not care about anything. They got nothing to lose. They will never come to the negotiation table unless they are forced to do so.
Either resistance forces are surrounding Naypyidaw, several bomb explosions happenning daily in Burma, or EU sends in troops without UN agreement will bring Than Shwe to his knees. The junta will live longer and longer unless they are forced to listen to the tune. The junta do not understand international norms or civilisation.
pLan B Wrote:
26/05/2009
They should be and be reminded that the outcome of this trial will once and for all make them look even slightly credible/ reliable/ trustworthy as government of Burma/ Myanmar in the international community. Their misguided effort has now made ASSK the focus of every country with a sense of justice, even China.
Whether this outcome reflects their angry future relationship with neighboring countries will prove to be even more difficult given this present stupidity that SPDC has shown to be capable of. However if the trial is run as a real showcase of justice in Myanmar is possible, to the international community, i.e., ASSK found not guilty, which is not at all impossible.
SPDC can and will enhance its legitimacy in the coming RMTD effort in convincing the masses that SPDC is indeed a true government for the hoi polloi. A win-win situation for SPDC. Not to mention ever a time to establish a good exit strategy for the generals.
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