Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest after 13 months of detention. she has been under house arrest or in jail, due to her political activities, for more than 15 of the last 21 years
Her release from detention is being celebrated by thousands of supporters who gathered around her home, and also by Burmese communities and democracy activists around the world.
Debbie Stothardt, from the rights group Alternative ASEAN Network, said:
“Aung San Suu Kyi is the single most unifying force in Burma and Burma really at this time needs someone like Aung San Suu Kyi to be able to travel around, to be able to dialogue with all the stake holders and to put fresh energy back into the movement.”
She also spoke of the increased anger after the last general elections, which resulted in a pro-military party gaining 75% of the votes. Democracy advocates are claiming there was widespread fraud in the election.
Aung Din, of the US campaign for Burma, said Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to once again take a political role in Burma’s future:
“As a leader she will move about freely, she will talk to the media and she will talk to the people. She will get involved with the politics as soon as possible. The general public admire her as the one and only leader who can bring democracy, justice, to their country.”
“So there’s no doubt that she’s a serious threat to the military junta especially to top military, Senior General Than Shwe,” he said.
Aung San Suu Kyi, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is quoted by Sky News as saying after her release:
“If we work in unity, we will achieve our goal. We have a lot of things to do. There is a time for quiet and a time for speaking.”
At this time is not known whether leaders in Myanmar (Burma) have put any conditions on her release, or whether she has accepted them.
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