Christian Science Monitor Op Ed

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Christian Science Monitor
Sept. 9, 1996  pp. 20  Op Ed Page


WHAT'S GOOD FOR BURMA

	As they hint ominously of cracking down on democrat Aung San Suu
Kyi, Burma's military rulers fall back on the tired argument against
liberty:  "What is good in other countries cannot be good in our country."
	Those were the words used recently by Burma's foreign minister, U
Ohn Gyaw, to explain how his government could "respect the norms and
ideals of human rights" but tightly restrict their excercise.
	Burma's leaders, the men of the State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC), have of late turned up the volume on their campaign to
discredit the movement headed by Ms. Suu Kyi.  Predictably, they now
accuse her and other members of the National League for Democracy of being
the stooges of foreigners who want to impose their will on Burma (now
officially named Myanmar).
	In fact, it's SLORC that is imposing its will against the clearly
expressed wishes of the Burmese majority, which in 1990 gave 85 percent of
its vote to Suu Kyi's party - an outcome the generals promptly nullified.
They cast themselves as the defenders of Burmese character and culture,
but disparage the Burmese people by denying them the right of self
government.
	Democracy takes on different cultural and intstitutional hues in
different parts of the world.  One model does not fit all.  But certain
fundamentals are universal:  free speech, free assembly, the franchise,
among them.  They are good anywhere, Burma included.