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Suu Kyi condemns junta role in viol



Subject: Suu Kyi condemns junta role in violence

The Hindu: Suu Kyi condemns junta role in violence 

Nov.19; Political and diplomatic circles here wonder why Myanmar's State 
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) should keep alive "unnecessary 
controversies" at this stage concerning the democracy activist, Ms. Aung 
San Suu Kyi.
There are puzzled both by Ms. Suu Kyi's sudden outburst of defiance, and 
the attack on her convoy last week. They noted," When the U.S. and the 
European Union themselves are convinced that sanctions will not work, we 
do not know why Ms. Suu Kyi insisting on sanctions, even if they have 
only a limited impact".
In recent interviews and appeals to and through visiting European 
parliamentarians, Ms. Suu Kyi has called for sanctions against Myanmar 
and argued that they do have some impact. She wanted to know why 
foreigners want to pump in investments if they are only lining the 
pockets of an influential elite .
In her regular "letters from Burma" column that appears in "the Nation 
"daily here, The Nobel Laureate has described the sequence of events 
leading to the assault on her convoy last week.
She writes: "The blue van slipped through unscathed but the mob started 
attacking our car with stones, iron bars and other lethal instruments 
under the instructions of a man who had looked in through the front 
windshield to check who was inside. In an instant, the beck windshield 
had shattered but fortunately, the sunscreen film held the pieces 
together and prevented splinters from scattering over us".
Ms. Suu Kyi says, "the most striking feature of the whole episode was 
that taken place within an area which had been cordoned off by members of 
the security forces, who stood by doing nothing to prevent the attacks. 
Neither did they make any attempt to arrest the perpetrators of the 
violence. On the contrary, after our cars had driven away, the mob 
settled down across the road and remained there for several hours under 
the one imagines benevolent eyes of the security personnel".
She notes "This is in glaring contrast to the zeal with which supporters 
of the National League for Democracy are arrested and condemned to 
substantial prison sentences for trivial matters. What price law and 
order in a country where injustice and anarchy are condoned by those who 
hold official responsibility for protesting citizens from acts of violence?"
 
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EU calls for probe
In Brussels yesterday, in a statement issued by its Irish presidency, the 
European Union called for a 'full and thorough' inquiry into the attack 
on Ms. Suu Kyi by a mob of 200 men. "Those responsible should be brought 
to justice," the statement said.
The EU appeals to the government of Myanmar to exercise maximum restraint 
and to guarantee safety, liberty and free expression to all those 
undertaking normal political activities in support of democracy," The EU 
statement follows an National League for Democracy appeal on Sunday for 
the creation of a board of inquiry to look into the attack.