“Fear is still everywhere”

“Fear is still everywhere”

“Nothing has really changed so far. Fear is still everywhere. As long as the people feel this fear, we can not say there has been any real change in the country,” Aung San Suu Kyi said at a live discussion about ‘The Future of Burma’ via telephone with students of the Hertie School of Governance on 10 March 2011 in Berlin.

Burma’s pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi had approached the Hertie School some weeks ago and expressed her interest in having a discussion with the students. The Hertie School prepares exceptional students for leadership positions in government, business, and society.
After a discussion with the panel consisting of students and teachers of the Hertie School, Aung San Suu Kyi answered questions from the 150 participants, mostly students, in the audience.
She explained that the three main points to see a real change in Burma would be:
1. a free judicial system
2. the established rule of law
3. freedom of expression
Point one and two belong together, she said, if this could be achieved, all political prisoners would have to be released.
When asked “How can we help the Burmese people?”, Aung San Suu Kyi encouraged everyone to support NGOs that are not working with the current Burmese regime. “Strengthen the civil society in Burma,” she said, “especially the young people do not want to rely on the government. And help with education. In our country the government spends more than 40% of income on defense and less than 10% on education.”
“Those who have access to the Internet are aware of the Arab uprisings and are asking many questions about it. But Internet access is stil not accessible for everyone. Especially in the rural areas, people do not have access to this kind of information,” she said. “And many people are still afraid to talk about politics openly.”
When asked about the lack of unity in the Burmese pro-democracy movement, she answered, “We don’t have to agree on anything to work together.” She later added that, when we are speaking of unity, it would be good if the EU member states could agree on the issue of Burma. “There is also no unity in the EU.”
On the official resolve of her party NLD (National League for Democracy), she commented “We have never been able to work freely, even as a registered party. Our offices have been closed in the past. So it is not really that different now.”
Ashin Kovida told her about the situation in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, and that it would be good to build libraries for the people inside the camps. Aung San Suu Kyi said she will “talk with her treasurers and the international community about setting up libraries in refugee camps.”
One student asked her what kept her going all the years under house arrest, and what was her greatest inspiration? “My colleagues”, she answered. “While I was relatively peaceful and comfortable at my home, they were in prison cells and still not giving up.”
When asked about her age and if she is thinking of retiring, she answered, “No, I’m not thinking about that. We do not retire in Burma.”
Aung San Suu Kyi, 65, was released in November after spending most of the past 20 years under house arrest in Burma.
By Alexandra Rösch