Aung San Suu Kyi's Message to Democ

[maung@xxxxxxxxxxx]

The following is an opening message from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
to the Burma Seminar organized by Forum of Democratic Leaders 
in the Asia-Pacific held in Seoul, South Korea, September 3-4.


Message from 
A U N G    S A N   S U U   K Y I
to the Burma Seminar
convened by the Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific
---------------------------------------------------------------

It is an honour and a pleasure to be able to address a few words to the 
Burma Seminar convened by the Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-
Pacific.  It provides me with an opportunity to thank the Forum for its 
excellent work in support of the struggle for democracy in our region, 
and to send my warm greetings to the participants of the seminar.

This is a time when it is crucial to make the international community 
aware of the situation in our country and of our endeavours to establish 
a democratic political system in keeping with the will of the people.  
We who have been striving for democracy in Burma believe that peace and 
genuine progress can be achieved only by creating a climate of trust and 
confidence in our nation.  We need the basic rights that will give our 
people a sense of security and remove the shadows of mistrust and 
suspicious that darken their lives.  The people also need to feel 
confident that they are in control of their own destiny, that their 
interests will be guarded and their will respected by those who are in 
charge of the governance of the country.  Our concept of democracy is 
fundamentally very simple; it is a system that ensures the supremacy of 
the will of the people by providing institutions by which this will can 
be effectively implemented.

It is my hope that this seminar will be able to bring to the attention 
of the world the obstacles that have yet to be overcome before democracy 
can truly be established in Burma. Further I hope the seminar will be 
able to suggest suitable means for removing such obstacles.

May I wish the Forum and the participants in the Burma Seminar all 
success in their endeavours to promote the cause of democracy in Burma 
and in the rest of the Asia-Pacific.

//End Message//