Old Hippie Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 BREAKING NEWS: Myanmar democracy icon Suu Kyi released: official Posted Image by Hla Hla Htay YANGON, November 13, 2010 (AFP) - Myanmar's democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest Saturday, an official said, as crowds of excited supporters waited outside her home for a glimpse of their idol. The crowd cheered and began to surge fowards as police began removing barricades around her crumbling mansion where she has been locked up by the military junta for most of the past two decades. The authorities went inside to read the order to release her from house arrest, a government official said. "She is released now," said the official, who did not want to be named. More than 1,000 people were gathered outside in hope of seeing the 65-year-old dissident, known to her supporters simply as "The Lady". Although she has been sidelined and silenced by the junta -- occasionally released briefly only to be put back in confinement -- for many in the impoverished nation she still embodies hope of a better future. "I think of her as my mother and also my sister and grandmother because she's the daughter of our independence leader General Aung San," said 45-year-old Naing Naing Win. "She has her father's blood." Despite the risks of opposing the military regime in a country with more than 2,200 political prisoners, many supporters wore T-shirts bearing her image and the words: "We stand with Aung San Suu Kyi." Undercover police were photographing and filming the crowds. Myanmar's most famous dissident has been under house arrest since 2003 -- just one of several stretches of detention at the hands of the ruling generals. Her sentence was extended last year over a bizarre incident in which an American swam uninvited to her lakeside home, sparking international condemnation and keeping her off the scene for the first election in 20 years. The democracy icon swept her party to victory in elections two decades ago, but it was never allowed to take power. When last released in 2002 she drew huge crowds wherever she went -- a reminder that years of detention had not dimmed her immense popularity. Some fear that junta chief Than Shwe will continue to put restrictions on the freedom of his number one enemy. But her lawyer Nyan Win has suggested she would refuse to accept any conditions on her release, as in the past when she tried in vain to leave Yangon in defiance of the regime's orders. Her struggle for her country has come at a high personal cost: her husband, British academic Michael Aris, died in 1999, and in the final stages of his battle with cancer the junta refused him a visa to see his wife. She has not seen her two sons for about a decade and has never met her grandchildren. Her youngest son Kim Aris, 33, arrived in Bangkok ahead of her release but it was unclear whether he would be allowed to visit his mother. Suu Kyi's freedom is seen by observers as an effort by the regime to tame international criticism of Sunday's election, the first since the 1990 vote. Western nations and pro-democracy activists have blasted the poll as anything but free and fair following widespread reports of intimidation and fraud. Partial election results show that the military and its political proxies have secured a majority in parliament. The NLD's decision not to participate in the election deeply split Myanmar's opposition and Suu Kyi's party has been disbanded, leaving her future role uncertain. Little is known about her plans although her lawyer says she has expressed a desire to join Twitter to reach out to the Internet generation. Few expect her to give up her long struggle for freedom from repression and attention is now on whether she can reunite the splintered opposition and bring about the democratic change that has eluded Myanmar for so long. -- ©Copyright AFP 2010-11-13 Published with written approval from AFP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 If she has a brain in her head, she will leave her country and lead from afar. It won't be long before someone swims to her house again and puts her back under house arrest. Get out of town, lady!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 No doubt the BBC is trying hard for an interview. Wonder if they'll get it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 Amazing! Maybe their is a Santa Claus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unit731 Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 Let Freedom Ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 She is already talking up the vote being rigged last week. But I hope the world supports her now she is released instead of sitting on their collective hands. Refugeee situation is worsening after the election with up to 500 border crossings into Thailand a day. uL_NVjPyER8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 If she has a brain in her head, she will leave her country and lead from afar. It won't be long before someone swims to her house again and puts her back under house arrest. Get out of town, lady!! You got that right!!! Maybe she thinks she accomplished something by being imprisoned all of these years, but I don't think it's made a bit of difference. It won't be long before she's arrested again. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 Thank you. She has NOT accomplished anything by being in jail except losing her whole life. She didn't see her husband before he died, she hasn't seen her kids in over 10 years and has never seen her grandchildren. She can still be a force if she goes to a country close to her. Just look at Thailand and one of it's former PM's. I forget his name now. Edit......and also if she is so loved (these numbers are from memory so I could be off) didn't only like 1000 people show up to see her released? I think the country has 50 MILLION people. Quite a turnout, eh?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 She'll need to do or say something major fairly soon or the media will lose interest. You don't get long in the spotlight nowadays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted November 14, 2010 Report Share Posted November 14, 2010 I suspect the generals have decided she's not that much of a threat any more. Anyway, bravo on her getting out at last. Question ... have they ever opened the universities again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.