She spent 20 years under house arrest and is gearing up for April byelections, but Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi took an hour out of her campaign to speak with Canadians for the first time via a live Skype broadcast held at Porter Hall, Feb. 29.
People from all over Canada came to hear her speak with CBC anchor Evan Solomon. Solomon said he even pulled his own two children out of school to see Suu Kyi.
“There are just figures . . . that are important to have contact with,” he said. “What a role model for women, for my daughter.”
Solomon started the conversation with an update on the political situation in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
After being released from house arrest, Suu Kyi is currently leading the National League for Democracy (NLD). Although she said the political party still faces issues due to government restrictions, there has been much progress.
“I am able to travel freely around the country. I’m able to meet the public,“ she said.
Although there’s no longer a military government, Suu Kyi said the current civilian government has a long way to go before achieving democracy, since it’s made up of ex-military officials.
“The new rule is very much under the dominance of the military,” she said. “We are cautiously optimistic. We are trying to get onto the road to genuine democratization and the coming byelections will give us some indication as to how far we shall be able to travel.”
The main obstacle is Myanmar’s current National Assembly constitution, which gives ultimate power to the military, meaning even if Suu Kyi wins all 48 seats in April, the military still has the final say. Suu Kyi said her first task is to scrap this old legislation.
With the Arab Spring, Myanmar is on alert but Suu Kyi said their revolution will be peaceful.
“I’m not saying one way is better than the other. But I do think a peaceful resistance is best all round,” she said. “Although it might take us longer to get to our goal the wounds are not so great.”
With a short question period at the end, the online conversation gave attendees fresh insight into political difficulties in the country.
“It’s one thing to read reports about Burma, it’s another to ask Aung San Suu Kyi,” Solomon said. “That’s a pretty good report.”
