In support of the Saffron Revolution, and ongoing protests in Burma, this is an excerpt from an interview shot in Rangoon in 1999. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is currently under house arrest. She is the leader of the nonviolent movement for human rights and democracy in Burma. She is also the democratically elected leader of the country, except that the military dictatorship nullified the results and instituted martial law. Nevertheless, the Lady, as she is known in Burma, speaks of the advantages of a non-violent approach. Full interview (33:00 mins) available through various Free Burma organizations.
Worldwide Reaction: Suu Kyi trial (BBC)
A court in Rangoon has convicted Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and sentenced her to an additional 18 months of house arrest. Here is a roundup of international reaction so far to the court's ruling.
UNITED STATES
[After a hard day yelling at people in the Congo insisting that she, and not her husband, is this administration] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "She should not have been tried, and she should not have been convicted."
UNITED KINGDOM
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "saddened and angry" by the verdict and described the trial as a "sham." "I have always made clear that the United Kingdom would respond positively to any signs of progress on democratic reform in Burma," he said. "But with the generals explicitly rejecting that course today, the international community must take action." Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis, speaking to the BBC, praised Ms Suu Kyi's "dignity and courage" after the sentence was read out in court. He also said the UK would "move quickly to secure further EU sanctions targeting the regime's economic interests."
EUROPEAN UNION
The EU said it would "respond with additional targeted measures against those responsible for the verdict." "In addition, the EU will further reinforce its restrictive measures targeting the regime of Burma/Myanmar, including its economic interests," the bloc's Swedish presidency said in a statement. Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the EU's executive branch the European Commission, said Ms Suu Kyi's continued detention was "unjustified and unacceptable on all accounts." More>>
UN chief's big gambleBan Ki-moon is taking a huge risk dealing with Burma's military rulers
