Saturday, May 27, 2006

Burma - Aung San Suu Kyi house arrest extended AGAIN

Finally, some encouraging news from the Golden Land: Aung San Suu Kyi's current term of house arrest expires on Saturday, and there are some signs the junta may actually free her this time.

In the past, the expiration of a house arrest term just meant an extension. This time, however, police have visited her and have been spotted removing barbed wire barriers in front of her lakeside villa outside Rangoon. In addition, a UN official was allowed to meet with her for the first time since 2004.

It's WAY premature to start planning a release party, or to order one of those "fly the coop" cakes like Uncle Joey was supposed to get in Back to the Future. It's even more premature to think this signals any sort of significant change in Rangoon (or Pyinmana, or wherever the junta is at the moment). Aung San Suu Kyi has been freed before, only to be locked right back up the instant the generals feel threatened.

UPDATE: Well, so much for that. The junta has extended Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest again. No explanation as to why, nor any indication of how long the extension is.

Hey Newsweek, still stand by your "Groovy Rangoon" story from a few weeks ago?

The simple fact is the generals are never going to ease up until someone makes them. And who will do that? Not the US or the West, that's for sure. How dreadfully sad.

No comments: