No freedom for Kyi.Byline: The Register-Guard Myanmar's military government is one of the world's most repressive, and its decision Friday to extend the house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi (oung sän s  chē), 1945–, Burmese political leader. for another year did nothing to
diminish that reputation.
The 60-year-old Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. winner has endured nearly two decades of oppression and provocation at the hands of Myanmar's dictators. In 1990, her National League for Democracy party won an overwhelming majority of parliamentary seats in what was universally praised as a free election. But Myanmar's leaders refused to yield power and imprisoned im·pris·on tr.v. im·pris·oned, im·pris·on·ing, im·pris·ons To put in or as if in prison; confine. [Middle English emprisonen, from Old French emprisoner : en- the winners and their political supporters. Kyi has spent more than 11 of the past 17 years in detention, including the last four years being held in solitary confinement solitary confinement n. the placement of a prisoner in a Federal or state prison in a cell away from other prisoners, usually as a form of internal penal discipline, but occasionally to protect the convict from other prisoners or to prevent the prisoner from causing in her residence in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. Despite such harsh treatment, she remains a steadfast proponent of nonviolent and democratic reform. In extending Kyi's detention, the junta jun·ta n. 1. A group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power. 2. A council or small legislative body in a government, especially in Central or South America. 3. A junto. ignored international appeals. Recently, 59 former presidents and prime minsters from Norway to Mongolia signed a letter calling for her freedom. "Aung San Suu Kyi is not calling for revolution ... but rather peaceful, nonviolent dialogue," they wrote. Meanwhile, Myanmar's 52 mil- lion people also are being held hostage. An estimated one-third of Myanmar's citizens live in poverty, and nearly a third of children younger than 5 suffer from malnutrition. Nearly half of the country's children never have attended school. Despite international sanctions International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally. There are three types of sanctions.
The United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and other concerned countries must intensify their efforts to press for change in Myanmar, starting with the release of Kyi. |
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