Aung San Suu Kyi Meets with Officials

On Friday, Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained by the Junta since 1990 held her first meeting this year with the Cabinet official responsible for contact with her. This meeting comes at a good time as her party is beginning to make preparations for potential participation in the upcoming elections in Myanmar.

Officials stated that Suu Kyi was taken from her home to meet with Relations Minister, Aung Kyi, for about 20 minutes, though what they discussed is unknown.

For the first time since 1990, Myanmar’s military government has set elections for an unspecified date this year. Though Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party has not yet declared whether it will participate in the elections, this past week, its central executive committee grew from nine members to 20. This expansion was suggested last year by Suu Kyi as most of the party’s members are elderly.

The detained democratic leader last held a meeting with Augn Kyi on Dec. 9 in which she was informed that her request to meet with her party’s elders was granted. Suu Kyi met the elders on Dec. 16.

Suu Kyi also requested a meeting with junta chief, General Than Shwe to discuss how she would cooperate in certain tasks “beneficial to the country.” There has been no indication that she has had a response yet.

The constitution adopted in 2008 that has allowed for this year’s elections was considered undemocratic by Suu Kyi’s party due to clauses that ensured the military major power in government and also the banning of Suu Kyi from holding office.

The political environment in Myanmar has been halted since Suu Kyi’s party won by a great margin in the 1990 elections. The military refused to hand over power to the democratic party and also suppressed the pro-democratic movement. Such actions by the junta in the past has resulted in the United States and other Western Nations to set economic and political sanctions in an attempt to isolate the military government.

The Obama administration has stated that the sanctions have not proven to be effective in bringing along reforms and is thus seeking to approach the junta through high-level talks.

Source: here.