Aung San Suu Kyi to stand for parliament in Burma

[pampango]

Source: BBC

Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said she will stand for election to parliament, as her party rejoined the political process.

On Friday her National League for Democracy said it would register to run in as yet unscheduled by-elections. The party boycotted the last polls in November 2010, the first in 20 years.

Meanwhile the US is to send Hillary Clinton to visit Burma next month, amid what President Barack Obama called "flickers of progress" in the nation. Mr Obama spoke to Ms Suu Kyi before deciding to send Mrs Clinton, who will be the first secretary of state to visit in 50 years.

Mr Obama echoed her view in comments at a regional summit in Bali. "Last night, I spoke to Aung San Suu Kyi directly and confirmed she supports American engagement to move this process forward," he said.



Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15787605

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Rachel Harvey, BBC South East Asia Correspondent:

"By any measure this has been an extraordinary week for Burma. On Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi marked a year since her release from house arrest. On Thursday, Asean awarded Burma the rotating chairmanship of the regional grouping in 2014. The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is to visit Burma next month and the NLD, which boycotted last year's widely criticised elections is now re-entering the official political fold.

The Burmese government, led by President Thein Sein, appears to be reaping the benefits of its recent steps towards reform. Sceptics will say it is being rewarded too richly, too soon. But Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr Obama and others have all cautioned that, whilst they are encouraged by what they have seen thus far, much more needs to be done.

Releasing all remaining political prisoners, resolving the armed conflicts which persist in some areas and addressing the concerns and rights of Burma's ethnic minorities, remain key benchmarks yet to be met.

But there appears to be a consensus forming among diplomats that recent progress needs to be supported if the momentum is to be maintained."

[xchrom]

1. Excellent! Nt

[struggle4progress]

2. kick to combine

[alp227]

3. Aung San Suu Kyi to run for parliament

Source: AP

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi intends to run for parliament in upcoming byelections, a decision that was expected after her party decided last week to rejoin mainstream politics in long-isolated Burma.

Nyan Win, the spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, said on Monday she had not yet decided which district she would seek to represent. But she "has the intention to stand for the elections," he told the Associated Press.

In a landmark development, the NLD decided on Friday to rejoin politics and register for future elections, signalling its confidence in recent reforms by the nominally civilian government that took power earlier this year.

The military-aligned ruling party won the November 2010 parliamentary elections held by the junta as part of its promise to introduce democracy and relinquish power after nearly five decades of military rule.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/21/aung-san-suu-kyi-parliament

[pampango]

4. Aung San Suu Kyi: Pro-Democracy Leader Plans To Run For Myanmar Parliament

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/aung-san-suu-kyi-myanmar-parliament_n_1104619.html

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi intends to run for parliament in upcoming by-elections, a decision that was expected after her party decided last week to rejoin mainstream politics in long-isolated Myanmar.

In a landmark development, the NLD decided on Friday to rejoin politics and register for future elections, signaling its confidence in recent reforms by the nominally civilian government that took power earlier this year.

The military-aligned ruling party won the November 2010 parliamentary elections held by the junta as part of its promise to introduce democracy and relinquish power after nearly five decades of military rule. The NLD boycotted the elections because of a law that had prevented Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi from running. The new government, however, later scrapped the law, allowing the NLD to take part in the political reforms now under way.

Bringing Suu Kyi's party back into the fold would give the government greater legitimacy at home and abroad. It has already won cautious praise from international observers and critics, including the United States, for introducing reforms. President Thein Sein, a former army officer, has shown a willingness to talk to Suu Kyi, lifted some restrictions on the media and the Internet, legalized unions and scrapped an unpopular dam project. Still, hundreds of political prisoners remain in jails.

[Owlet]

5. She's one of my heroes

[pbrower2a]

6. It's good to know

... that the rest of the world is gaining more respect for the sensibilities of those who believe in human rights and dignity.

To paraphrase Neil Armstrong on something similarly similarly difficult (a safe landing and a walk on the Moon) -- that's one small step for American foreign policy and a great leap for the people of Burma/Myanmar.

[renate]

7. Here's the State Dept briefing, as reported in The Irrawaddy

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22494

It's pretty long, but for anybody interested in Burma's recent history and in what's going on now, it's worth a read.