Council for a Community of Democracies

Burma Allows Meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and Foreign Diplomats
October 13, 2009
By: Randi Zung

October 9th, Burma’s military government allowed Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s detained democratically elected leader to meet with foreign diplomats from the United States, Britain, and Australia. During the meeting, officials discussed the Western sanctions against Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi stressed that the meeting was meant to be investigatory and that no decisions on policy had been made. Kurt Campbell, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, expressed that the sanctions against Burma would remain in place until the military government reforms their current governance practices. The Washington Post reports the United States is ending its diplomatic isolation with the regime in order to prevent the military government from “push[ing] the country further towards China.”

The New York Times has reported in previous weeks that Aung San Suu Kyi has expressed her support for these sanctions. However, recently she has stated that her position on the issue might shift, a stance that has angered the country’s military government. The BBC reports that the negative effects of the sanctions on Burmese citizens might directly influence her change in position. According to the CIA World Factbook, approximately 33% of the population lives in conditions of poverty. In an interview with CNN, Thaung Htun, Burma's unofficial representative to the United Nations, attributed the country’s poor economic conditions to the regime’s bad governance, not the economic sanctions.

AFP reports that political analysts believe the military government is manipulating Aung San Suu Kyi. By allowing her limited freedom, the government is attempting to improve its image to the Burmese citizenry.

The Burmese government plans to hold nationwide elections in 2010. Critics believe the military government is preventing Aung San Suu Kyi from running in the election. She recently attempted to appeal her extended 18-month house arrest sentence, but was denied by the court. The court’s decision means that she will miss the coming election. AFP reports that citizens are skeptical about the pending legitimacy of the election, perceiving it as a scheme to make the military government more powerful. Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the country’s general election in 1990, has been under house arrest for 14 of the past 19 years.

Sources:

BBC News - Burma's Suu Kyi in diplomat talks
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8298229.stm

New York Times - Burmese Dissident Meets With Foreign Envoys
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/asia/10myanmar.html?hp

AFP - Suu Kyi back in Myanmar's political arena: analysts
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g7cgn__7QL_bHuEIOHUC1XmSLtwQ

CNN - Myanmar allows Suu Kyi to meet diplomats
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/09/myanmar.suukyi/

The Washington Post - Burma's Suu Kyi Speaks to Envoys
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/09/AR2009100903191.html?hpid=moreheadlines

CIA World Factbook - Burma
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html