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TIME contributor Sandra Burton's In



Reply-To: "TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: TIME contributor Sandra Burton's Interview with Aung San Suu Kyi (Part 2)

Time Asia -November 15, 1999 vol.154 No.19
TIME contributor Sandra Burton's Interview with Aung San Suu Kyi (Part 2)

TIME: There you go again. The government complains that if you would only
say something nice about them...

Suu Kyi: If they do something nice, we will say something nice. If they want
to do something nice, I'll say something nice about them. Compared with what
they write about me in the newspapers here, our criticisms really appear
like songs of praise. So they have no reason for complaint. If they do
something nice, we would say something nice. We have said some nice things,
such as when we held some of our ceremonies. But we are certainly not going
to say nice things if there are none. We cannot praise them for putting our
people into detention or torturing our prisoners or harassing members of the
NLD. Why say nice things about that?

TIME: But how do you evaluate the ICRC's role so far.

Suu Kyi: We are waiting to find out what they can achieve. So far things
seem to be not so bad.

TIME: How long do you think you will have to wait? With Indonesia's Megawati
Sukarnoputri and Gus Dur [Abdurrahman Wahid] it's 35 years of waiting. With
East Timor's Xanana Gusmao it's a lifetime.

Suu Kyi: I don't think we should complain. It would be too embarrassing for
us to make a fuss about waiting 11 years, when you consider what they have
been through.

TIME: If you use 35 years as a benchmark, you would have to wait for another
24 years. Can you hold on that long?

Suu Kyi: Things don't always move at the same rhythm. Things are different
from government to government and country to country. So it doesn't worry
us. Change begets change, and usually at a much faster pace.

TIME: So these developments right around Burma--not to mention others
elsewhere--give you encouragement?

Suu Kyi: Yes. And speaking of saying nice things if nice things are done, I
must say that we really respect everyone involved in Indonesia, because
[former president B.J.] Habibie was so admirable in the way he in which he
decided not to continue in the race for the presidency, so dignified.
Indonesians should be proud of how things have turned out in their country.

TIME: It says a lot about compromise.

Suu Kyi: Yes, we like it. I think people admire and respect Mr. Habibie for
the way in which he decided to back down gracefully instead of clinging on
in the face of the opposition of the people. I think many people respect him
for that. I certainly respect him for that. And I respect the way in which
President Wahid is interested in bringing about compromise and trust, and
Megawati in the way she accepted the vice presidency shows broad mindedness.
It's a good sign for our part of the world. We do want to say nice things
about people. It's so much more pleasant to say nice things about other
people, than to always complain. And I do want to say that we do hope that
the people of East Timor are in for a period of peace and prosperity. We
wish them very well. We have found the East Timorese very supportive of our
struggle for democracy.

TIME: What do you think about the High Court's decision to hear several NLD
cases against the government?

Suu Kyi: It's easy for cynical people to assume that the authorities are
taking on these cases now just because the General Assembly is in session.
Or they want to use these lawsuits against us. Or they may even be
interested in justice, in which case we would be prepared to say very nice
things about them.