Long Cut Off, Suu Kyi Embraces a Brave New World

When Aung San Suu Kyi was freed after more than seven years of house arrest last Saturday, she immediately got an introduction to an aspect of life that has changed dramatically in the time she has spent in detention.

As she looked out at the sea of her supporters who had gathered to witness the moment of her release, hundreds of digital cameras and cell phones began snapping images of her. She was so struck by this display of the proliferation of modern technology that she couldn't help but comment on it when she made her first full speech at the National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters the next day.

“I see camera-phones all over the place. This shows the development of communication,” she said, quickly adding: “This development must be used for the good of the majority. Communication brings understanding. Please use communication to foster mutual understanding and unity.”

Even speaking into one of these “camera-phones” was a learning experience for Suu Kyi, who used one to have an “emotional” conversation with her 33-year-old son, Kim Aris, soon after her release.

“I used a phone like this for the first time yesterday,” she said to her audience, after asking everyone to hold up their phones. “Six years ago these did not exist here. I did not even know where to talk into.”

The front page of the First Eleven, with a hidden message announcing Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

Now Suu Kyi, whose power to attract huge crowds shows no signs of waning—a testament to both her enduring appeal and the profound unpopularity of the ruling regime—has discovered a new way to reach an audience eager to catch her every word.

And it's not just the people who want to hear what she has to say. According to NLD officials, at least 300 media organizations from around the world are queuing for interviews with “the Lady.”

So far, Suu Kyi has not been prevented from speaking to her supporters or reporters; but the junta is notoriously wary of allowing information to flow too freely. Especially since the Buddhist monk-led Saffron Revolution of September 2007, the regime has kept the Internet under tight control.

More recently, Internet users in Burma reported a sudden drop in connection speeds as the country prepared to go to the polls on Nov. 7. This, along with a complete ban on foreign reporters covering the election, was seen by international media watchdogs as further evidence of the regime's determination to control the message coming out of the country.

Now that the election is over and the regime-backed party is assured of winning, the junta appears to have relaxed its stranglehold over the flow of information. Internet speeds are back to normal and a handful of international journalists have managed to get into the country. Local media have also been able to report Suu Kyi's release.

But what passes for normal in Burma would still be regarded as extremely restrictive in almost any other country. According to the Rangoon-based journalists, the Burmese censorship board, the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD), has ordered domestic media to carry limited news about Suu Kyi.

Media groups inside Burma were keen on reporting Suu Kyi's public speech on Sunday, but were largely unable to do so due to restrictions by the PSRD. Other restriction were also strictly enforced.

“We couldn't run any large photos of Suu Kyi or put her photo on the front page,” said an editor in Rangoon, adding that only “positive” comments from Suu Kyi's speech were permitted for publication.

But freedom-long Burmese journalists were not about to be deterred from giving the biggest story of the year its due.