Daily Lessons from Life 22 June 2011 - Suu Kyi urges US effort for rights probe

"Suu Kyi urges US effort for rights probe - AFP 22 June 2011

WASHINGTON: Myanmar's pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, speaking on Wednesday to the US Congress for the first time in a video message, urged support for a UN-led inquiry into human rights in her country.

The Nobel Peace laureate, who was released in November after spending most of the past two decades under house arrest, told a House of Representatives hearing that a so-called UN commission of inquiry would not be a tribunal.

"It is simply a commission of inquiry to find out what human rights violations have taken place and what we can do to ensure that such violations do not take place in the future," she told the hearing.

Suu Kyi asked US lawmakers to "do whatever you can" to support the efforts of Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, who has not been able to visit the country since February 2010.

"It is going to be a long road; it has already been a long road and a difficult one, and no doubt the road ahead will have its difficulties as well," she said.

But she added: "With the help and support of true friends, I'm sure we will be able to tread the path of democracy, not easily and perhaps not as quickly as we would like, but surely and steadily."

Human rights groups say that Myanmar, earlier known as Burma, has a record of severe human rights abuses including extra-judicial killings, custodial deaths, torture and frequent rape of displaced women from minority groups.

"Why are they still in prison if this government is really intent on making good progress toward democracy? If it is sincere in its claims that it wishes to bring democracy to Burma, there is no need for any prisoners of conscience to exist in this country," she said."

On the day that Ai Weiwei was released by the PRC government on conditions that he cannot give any press conference today, I am reading this call for the US to intervene or support a UN Human Right probe.

Lessons for me are:

1. the ultimate fight must come from the citizens of the country themselves. Just like in Myanmar. Someone has to fight for it and die for it;

2. US's idea of 'where there is violation of human right, they will be there to fight it' is too simplistic. What do the majority of the citizens of the so-called 'violator of human rights' agreed? If it is the majority, they will eventually rise and overthrow the 'government'! No outsiders can permanently help the local to stage a revolt and sustain changes seek!;

3. Ai Weiwei has already appeared on international press and TVs that he cannot talk to the press as it was one of the conditions of his release. It showed some realistic behaviors by him. If he persists, he will probably pay for his personal freedom and cause grieve to his loved ones. Of course, if he and his loved ones are prepared to sacrifice and stick to the original opposition, he can talk to anyone he likes and probably get hurt. But then he and his loved ones have to decide if it is worth it! More importantly will he inspired MORE of his compatriots to join him? If he does, it shows that the MAJORITY want what he wants! If not, it is not enough!