I didn't make a sacrifice, I made a choice, Suu Kyi tells KT

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I didnt make a sacrifice, I made a choice, Suu Kyi tells KT

In December 2010, soon after her release from 17 years of incarceration, Aung San Suu Kyi gave an exclusive interview to Suresh Pattali of Khaleej Times where she spelt out her vision for the country. Here are some excerpts.

By Suresh Pattali

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Published: Tue 10 Nov 2015, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Thu 12 Nov 2015, 9:45 AM

KT: Welcome to the Khaleej Times interview. I salute you in my personal capacity and on behalf of my newspaper.
Suu Kyi: Thank you very much.
What is your immediate priority as far as party work and the democracy movement are concerned?
The basic priority is to create a wider network of people working for democracy and human rights in Burma. Not only people in Burma, but people from anywhere, if we can get them in.
People in Myanmar have waited a few decades for democracy... How much longer do they have to wait?
My message to my people is: if you work hard, it won't take too long.
Martin Luther King had a dream. Mahatma Gandhi had a dream. Nelson Mandela had a dream. What is Suu Kyi's dream?
My dream is the dream of all the others who went before me. We just dream of a strong and united people, who can carve out their own destiny in peace and prosperity.
What lessons have you learned from the failure of the 1988 uprising?
I don't think you can call the 1988 uprising a failure. It did not have all the results that we expected, but certainly it opened the way for a new form of politics in Burma. So the lessons we learned are many, of course... but I would protest against the word failure.
You mean to say it helped the democracy movement gain international exposure?
No, it opened up Burma to new political ideas... which had not had a chance to emerge in the previous two decades.
Do you see a role for the military in a future government of national reconciliation?
National reconciliation involves everybody. So the process of national reconciliation would, of course, involve the army as well.
What is the way forward in the short term? Pursue a compromise formula with the generals or work slowly towards a full-fledged democracy?
Our ultimate goal, of course, is a full-fledged democracy. But the road along which we go must be done through compromise. It has to be built on compromise.
So, there will be some role for the army?
This is something that we have to decide through negotiations.
In case a national reconciliation government becomes a reality, are you ready to lead the nation?
That is for the people to decide, and for the people who are part of the national reconciliation.
If the junta were to meet three of your demands immediately, what would they be?
I don't think this is the way we reach a compromise - by stating our demands. The way we reach a compromise is by talking to each other and deciding what we can do together.
This year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, is languishing in a Chinese jail and his wife is reportedly under house arrest. What is your message to him?
For anybody who is under house arrest or in prison, my message would be the same - that you have to be steady and loyal to your beliefs. The most important thing in the world is to be true to your beliefs. If you really think what you are doing is right, you must be strong enough to keep going.
What ideology do you believe in? Are you a leftist, a rightist, a capitalist, a Nehruvian socialist or a liberal?
Well, if I had to choose one thing, I would choose liberal. But I am not sure that I am subscribing to any particular ideology. I believe in the basic rights of man, the basic dignity of man and if that makes me a liberal, I don't mind being called a liberal.
Shall I call you the Burmese Gandhi as you strictly stick to his philosophy of non-violence in your fight for democracy?
I strongly believe in non-violence, but I really don't think I am great enough to be called a Gandhi.
Some personal questions. How difficult was it to withstand the junta's psychological warfare and how did you manage to come out in fairly good shape despite the prolonged isolation?
I never thought they were engaging in a psychological warfare against me. I always thought that my struggle was against myself in isolation.
It was for me to learn to live with myself alone and I have to say I never wanted to go out. I never cared about it. It has never been any problem for me to stay indoors. The thing was to keep myself spiritually and mentally strong so the struggle was with myself and not with the junta at all.
So you have no grudge against the junta?
No, not all. I think if anything, they helped me to be stronger.
Even when you look at the huge sacrifice you were made to make.?
I don't think I have made a sacrifice. I made a choice. If anybody made a sacrifice, it was my husband and sons who allowed me to do what I believed in.
How is your devotion to your good old friend and companion in detention, the short-wave radio? I hear you heard about your winning the Nobel Prize on that radio.
My devotion is very great but I have to admit I don't have as much time to listen to it as a month ago and I feel a bit guilty about that!
What brand is it?
Grundig. Should I be advertising it like that (laughs)? OK, Grundig radios are very reliable. (Laughs again)
What is your emotional attachment to it?
My husband got it for me many years ago. It is almost as old as my years of detention.
People in the subcontinent have benefited vastly from employment in the Gulf. What is your message to the rulers of the regions which employ Burmese workforce?
I always understood that Arabs put a very, very high value on hospitality and I would love them to look upon our people working in their country as guests, with kindness... and the courtesy that their tradition demands of hosts.
Thank you very much for taking out so much time for us. I wish you good health. Take care.
Thank you very much and I hope one day we will meet. You never know, times might change and situations might change. Thank you.
suresh@khaleejtimes.com


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