The Economist: Aung San Suu Kyi (virtually) at Davos

Singapore - unable to come to herself the week the annual world business leaders last ' knees-up in Davos, Switzerland, Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the movement for democracy in Myanmar, come to address major assembled by audio links instead of this (or read text here). Now, Friday 28 January, was important. It might have been a week in Davos, but it was also just days before the opening of Myanmar first Parliament in the capital the new specialty, Naypyidaw.
Military leaders of the country would have people believe that the new Parliament, accompanied by November General elections - not to mention Miss Suu Kyi release itself from house arrest - all imply an ongoing democratic transition.

Miss Suu Kyi, however, none of the above mentioned his audience to Davos. His party, the National League for democracy (NLD), believes that the whole show is a sham designed to win support for a repressive military regime actually has intends not fundamentally alter its ways. Indeed, as to prove the point, that same day, January 28, most High Court of Myanmar has appealed against the dissolution of the Government of the NLD as a political party. The NLD had been banned for refusing to participate in what he sees as the fraudulent elections in November.

Instead of this, Miss Suu Kyi remarks emphasized the economic difficulties facing his people and his own sense of isolation during his years under house arrest. It emphasized how far Myanmar has fallen behind other countries, and how it is now necessary economic integration with the rest of the world. Front of the junta, when the independent country was called yet Burma, its prospects for trade and prosperity was regarded as rich as any in Southeast Asia.

Curiously, Miss Suu Kyi has requested more investment in technology and infrastructure, but he said investors "should costs attention and collateral damage in our development, environmental or social." Furthermore, it urged "those who invested or who think investing in Burma to put a premium on the rights of workers, on job creation and the promotion of technological skills, respect for the law on environmental and social factors."

There is a very lively discussion going on between whether pro-democracy activists if there is still time to call an end to sanctions by Western countries. but I do not think that these comments of Miss Suu Kyi were foreign Governments. Rather, I believe that she was speaking to the Chinese, Thai and other Asian investors coming in and, by all accounts, doing major damage with good number of minority communities in Myanmar and its environmental resources - the Chinese in particular. I don't expect calls Miss Suu Kyi change things very well, but I hope que se he concentrated fresh on the evils of those investors who already operate in Myanmar.