December 07, 2000. Copyright 2000. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

U.S. MEDAL OF FREEDOM FOR AUNG SAN SUU KYI

LONDON, December 07, Graphic News: PRESIDENT CLINTON has awarded the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Burmese (Myanmar) opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a ceremony in Washington. 

A White House spokesman said Mr Clinton wanted to honor Miss Suu Kyi for promoting democracy through peaceful dialogue. 

The medal was presented to her son Alexander Aris as Miss Suu Kyi has been held under house arrest by the Myanmar military government for the past two months. The latest restrictions on her movements were imposed after she attempted to travel to the provinces to visit members of her party, the National League for Democracy.

Human rights violations in Myanmar are expected to top the agenda at a meeting of foreign ministers from the European Union and the Association of South East Asian Nations in Laos on December 11-12. 

EU Ministers -- who had previously boycotted ministerial meetings with ASEAN since Myanmar was controversially admitted in 1997 -- are to press the 10 ASEAN members to accept that the country has become a regional problem they can no longer brush off as RangoonÕs (YangonÕs) Òinternal affair.Ó

Despite strong international condemnation MyanmarÕs generals have shown little sign of easing the iron grip they have held since crushing a democracy movement 12 years ago. But in a surprise move last October, British activist James Mawdsley was released from prison after serving more than a year of a 17-year sentence for handing out pro-democracy leaflets.

Suu KyiÕs National League for Democracy won 82 percent of the parliamentary seats in MyanmarÕs last general election in 1990 but has never been allowed to govern. MyanmarÕs ruling generals say the country is not ready for democracy.

Her party says it is willing to conduct dialogue with the military, but the government has insisted that the party first renounce a committee it established last year to represent the parliament never allowed to form after the election.

ÒThe Burmese authorities must learn that they canÕt go against the will of the people forever,Ó says Suu Kyi.

/ENDS
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, UPI