Article item posted on Tuesday, August 11th 2009 at 10:42 pm

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese Prime Minister-elect

The Burmese military government have just jailed 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi for 18 months because of the actions of another, a man who swam to her guarded compound to meet her.

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent fourteen years of the last twenty in detention.

The current Head of State Senior General Than Shewe is Chairman of the so-called  State Peace and Development Council by force of arms. He must feel very threatened by this frail 64 year old woman.

Why is Aung San Suu Kyi important?  She became Prime Minister in the last genuine elections held in 1990.  And was jailed by the military for her troubles.

Our Foreign Minister Steven Smith claims to be doing everything in the diplomat’s toolkit to have this gentle soul, this icon of democracy, released.  Really?

Dig deeper, Mr Smith.  Insist on fresh options from the Foreign Ministry.  Insist our neighbors unite to drive out this dictatorship.  Insist the Chinese join this coalition.

Insist.

Australians, the Burmese are a close neighbor, a beautiful people who deserve better lives and more support than we have given them.

Democracy and freedom are hard won in any country.  The lives of the citizens of Australia are vastly enhanced by our personal liberty.  We want the same for all our Asian friends.

We insist.

Tags: 1991 nobel peace prize, asian friends, aung san suu, aung san suu kyi, beautiful people, burmese junta, burmese military government, burmese prime minister, foreign ministry, fourteen years, gentle soul, head of state, mr smith, nobel peace prize, nobel peace prize winner, peace prize winner, personal liberty, san suu kyi, state peace, steven smith

Other Readers Also Enjoyed

• Burma – The Silent Tragedy