Burma guarantees Aung San Suu Kyi media access in polls

Updated January 23, 2012 22:09:39


Burma's government says it's serious about ensuring free and fair by-elections that have been scheduled for the country in April.

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be running for a parliamentary seat, with the opposition National League for Democracy expected to field 48 candidates in total.

Ms Suu Kyi has been receiving foreign dignitaries over the past few months, her latest visitor being the high-profile American Senator John McCain.

Senator McCain said after talks with Ms Suu Kyi, that the US was "pleased" with the progress of reforms, but that it did not expect "miracles".

Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Ko Ko Hlaing, chief political advisor to Burma's President Thein Sein

KO KO HLAING: Actually, this is the second time of his visit to Myanmar. Compared to his previous visits, I've seen alot of progress in his perspective on Myanmar. And also, he's now saying he's saying that he's quite encouraged by Myanmar's initial reforms, he'd like to see free and fair by elections. In his interviews with media, he mentioned circumstances of lifting sanctions. I think that is quite encouraging for Myanmar reforms.

LAM: Well, Senator McCain, as I understand it, indicated that the US might lift sanctions if the April by-elections are free and fair. And I think even the European Union is reported to be viewing the April polls to be some kind of a litmus test. Is that a strong enough incentive for the Burmese government to ensure that free and fair elections do happen? What is the government doing about this?

KO KO HLAING: The chairman of the National Election Commission already has made some comment that upcoming elections will be free and fair, because it's very important for Myanmar politics and the main opposition force, the NLD has re-registered as a formal political party and it will compete in the by-election, including its leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a candidate. So the Myanmar government is quite serious on that matter. And also the National Election Commission, to prepare for free and fair elections.

LAM: As you say, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, the NLD, she'll be running for a parliamentary seat. Everyone has been calling for free and fair elections. Can the government ensure that Ms Suu Kyi will have free and unfettered access to government media, and also to campaign freely in the country?

KO KO HLAING: Actually, we have given equal opportunities to all the candidates, who are competing in the elections. So, Ms Suu Kyi will have equal opportunities and equal chance provided by the government media and also other media.

LAM: But is the government also guaranteeing the safety of Ms Suu Kyi, as she goes about campaigning, that she can get her message out there to the people, without fear of intimidation or threat of violence?

KO KO HLAING: Of course, in her previous visits to rural areas of Ms Suu Kyi's is quite secure and safe, and the government has provided a proper security plan for her. So I believe that she will be secure and safe in her campaign. Her constituency is not far away from Yangon (Rangoon) and there will be a much popular in the local audience, and the local authority will make a proper security plan for her. And as she is a public figure and also the authorities have to give a security plan for any citizen, especially like her, who's a very popular figure. So, I don't think the government will neglect her in security matters, because it's a concern for them also.

LAM: Senator John McCain also noted that there remained a great deal to be done, even though he did say that there was progress made in Burma over the last twelve months. And he's especially concerned about not just rule of law, but also the military's relationship with the ethnic tribal groups. Can you tell us, your government signed a peace deal with the Shans late last year - is this the beginning of a long process of reconciliation with the groups in the tribal areas?

KO KO HLAING: If you study our country's history, our insurgencies have a long history for many decades, so this simply cannot be wiped out overnight. But our government has a strong strategy to make a peace process. Our strategy for peace is through development. And we have contact with nearly a dozen ethnic armed groups, and we're starting peace talks and nearly half of them, we have reached initial peace agreement and some of them, we are now starting political dialogues. After our political dialogues with individual groups, we will bring them in parliament, for discussions with the law-makers. And after that, we'll make a permanent peace agreement in our parliament. And so, we hope that this peace process will enhance our reform, as well as our rule of law.

LAM: And finally, very quickly, Human Rights Watch points to the rape and torture and killings committed by the Burmese military, especially in areas like Kachin state. Is the government doing anything to make sure that the military gets the message, that these activities are not acceptable?

KO KO HLAING: Every warlike situation, there'll be such kind of human rights abuses... even the well-disciplined and well-developed army like the NATO and United States army, they'd committed abuses, like their urinating on the dead bodies of the Taliban, and also rape case on the Okinawa marine base. So, there will be some individual commitment, but Myanmar army has rules and regulations and laws to prosecute the offenders. And we now have a National Human Rights Commission and this commission has arrived in the Kachin area, to study the situation of human rights. And so, I think there will be more progress there, and after, we can make ceasefire and a permanent peace done, in these states. There will be no more fighting and no more human rights violations by both sides or their troops.