Burma Dictatorship To Decide Tuesday Whether To Extend Aung San Suu Kyi's Detention

Almost lost in the clamor over Myanmar's devastating cyclone, the house arrest of the charismatic pro-democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, reaches a deadline for its annual renewal Tuesday.

Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi, 62, has been detained at home on and off for 12 of the last 18 years and the year-to-year extension of her term has become an annual routine. Most analysts expect the detention to be extended again this year, and so far during the country's crisis caused by the cyclone the anticipated extension has drawn little international condemnation of the military junta that rules the country.

The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, who recently met with top Myanmar officials and chaired a meeting of 52 donor nations in Myanmar on Sunday, said he had not raised the issue of Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi's detention with the government because broader humanitarian conditions following the cyclone were more pressing.

"We must think about people just now, not politics," he told reporters on Sunday

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Comments

[ZenJu]

Where is the outrage, where are the massive demonstrations against this hideous dictatorship in Burma? Or against Mugabe's vicious regime? The "left" will scream itself hoarse against tiny little Israel, yet observe the silence when it comes to REAL abusers of human rights. Speaks volumes.

[Asean4Obama]

I have met Daw Aung once for an interview before her husband passed away., many years back.

I would like to see that Senator Obama takes leadership on removing the Junta from power in Burma, when/if he wins the election in November 2008.

http://www.aseannewsnetwork.com/videos/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi/

Until the Junta is not removed, no FTA's should be signed with any ASEAN members countries and the FTA between the United and Singapore should be put on ice or re-negotiated next year.

[MarciL]

Aung San Suu Kyi is the rightfully elected President of Burma (Myanmar) and she should be set free and take her rightful place. That the U.N. and the U.S. have done nothing is shameful and immoral.