WHEN SUU KYI WILL COME OUT?

YETTAW IS RELEASED; WAITING FOR HER TURN

John Yettaw 53, the American who swam across the lake and reached into the house of Aang San Suu Kyi, wherein she was undergoing house arrest, leading to prosecution of latter and subsequent award of 18 months imprisonment, is to be released. John Yettaw along with suu kyi was prosecuted and was charged with three offences namely violation of immigration law, swimming into non-swim area and meeting a person in Jail. He was awarded 7 years rigorous imprisonment.

Yettaw’s release could be made possible by American senator Jim Webb who is on a private visit to Burma. Webb met Than Shwe, the supreme leader of Military Junta and held talks with him for more that 45 minutes. He also met Suu kyi, who has been languishing in Jail (house arrest) for 14 out of the last 20 years. Burma is under military rule since 1962 and elections held in 1990 were thwarted by this junta by putting Suu Kyi, the leader of NLD, the party which won in the election, in Jail. Jim Webb could secure release of his compatriot but couldn’t do the same with Suu Kyi. It is ironical that the person due to whom the 62 years old lady, who has become icon of freedom and democracy, was jailed and punished, is being released but not she.

Although every sensible human being would hail this release but will ponder also that why international community is not strong enough to secure release of a lady whose only offence is that she loves her country and believes in ideals of democracy?

Although Jim Webb was on private trip, he had enjoyed the support of Barrack Obama. This diplomatic victory of America, though through backdoor diplomacy, has made many experts of foreign policy think that perhaps this diplomatic gesture marks the change in US policy towards Burma. There is a strong sense of opinion prevailing in US and also in some Western European countries that economic embargo and political seclusion of military ruled Burma will not work because the Military Junta hardly bothers about the plight of its countrymen caused due to ongoing economic blockade.

Mizzima, the news agency formed in India by Burmese in exile, has cautiously welcomed the decision of release of Yettaw but has expressed apprehension that Burmese military leaders might use this gesture as a tool to propagate that they respect international community and international law. They deplore and condemn the treatment being meted out to Suu Kyi and expressed dismay on the kind of actions and steps being taken to secure her release by international community.

It is also not out of context to mention here when Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of UNO, was denied meeting with Suu Kyi, why a simple senator was allowed to do the same? Is it due to the fact that Military Junta was apprehensive of any wrath of USA, because Yettaw was an American and if America can send its charmer former President, Bill Clinton to North Korea to secure release to journalists, it can resort to some other punitive actions against Burma also. If it is so, the world community must think in terms of some tougher measures also against military Junta, after all how can a modern and democratic world afford such discriminations and injustice?