Bkk Post-A gift for doing the wrong

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Subject: Bkk Post-A gift for doing the wrong thing

Bkk Post- March 22, 1999.
Editorial

A gift for doing the wrong thing

Burma suddenly announced late last week it was reviewing its ill-considered
and cruel ban on Michael Aris, the husband of Aung San Suu Kyi. Rangoon
authorities have kept him out of Burma for more than three years. He
recently applied again to the military junta for a visitor's visa. He is
seriously ill with cancer.

The refusal to lift Mr Aris's travel ban even on compassionate grounds
before last week's firestorm of publicity was predictable. It is part of
their psychological warfare against the immensely popular and elected
political leader of Burma. The healthy Mrs Suu Kyi is free to leave Burma to
visit the ailing Mr Aris, smirked a government statement. But of course Mrs
Suu Kyi will not be allowed back into her own country if she leaves.

There are two points. The first is the junta's cynical declaration that it
will use any weapon-including a grieving, cancer-stricken man against his
wife. The second is the chilling attitude that the government can, and
should, control when and how a man and wife can meet.

It is important to remember that the junta has denied a visa to the
perfectly peaceful Mr Aris for three years. It is an extremely cynical
political ploy aimed at forcing Mrs Suu Kyi to choose between family and
nation. It is also a heartless dictator's action, designed to let citizens
know that government has control even over such small items as when husbands
and wives can meet.

At the same time, it is poised-eager-to deny Mrs Suu Kyi permission to live
in her own country. This is a violation of international law, to deny one's
own citizens the right of abode. It is the sort of thing one expects from
dictators. Previous Thai dictatorships, as recently as the Suchinda regime,
refused to let citizens live in their own country. So in a way, it is
exactly what one would expect from the junta.

Also notable is the selection process of the Burmese regime. It strongly
seeks to expel Aung San Suu Kyi, the most honoured living Burmese, and a
citizen who-although imprisoned for years-never charged with a crime in
Burma or anywhere else. On the other hand, the junta honours its two
most-reviled citizens, drug lords Khun Sa and Lo Hsing-han. The regime
refuses to expel them, although they face charges in foreign countries. It

refuses to prosecute them at home, but provides top-quality housing, state
protection and more.

This sort of reverse thinking is a major reason that Burma has earned
disrespect in much of the world. It is why the European nations will not
deal with Asean on trade matters. It is why America would not attend last
month's Interpol conference on heroin trafficking. It is why non-government
organisations throughout Asean revile and demonise the Rangoon regime.

It is all very well for Thailand and the other eight Asean partners to claim
that Burma's cruel visa ploy is an internal affair of the country. This
ostrich-like attitude, however unfairly, merely identifies our own and
neighbouring countries with the sadism of the Aris visa affair.

Our foreign ministry quickly denied reports it had asked Burma to grant a
visa to Mr Aris. This is crucially correct diplomacy. It also is poor public
relations, both with Thais and with foreigners. Better we should encourage
Burma to do the right thing and bear criticism from Rangoon than side with
the junta and take criticism from Thais and the world. Australia, the
European Union and America at least are on the right side in urging Rangoon
to grant Mr Aris a visa.

We will see, probably this week, whether Burmese officials continue their
arrogance or reconsider. In a compassionate case such as this, it is never
too late for the military junta to make the correct decision. It is
unfortunate Burma didn't issue Mr Aris a visa in the first place. Rangoon
will not recover the further erosion of its image caused by this disastrous
decision.