Myanmar freedom fighter asks for Taiwan’s support

(October 19, 2007/ Taipei, Taiwan) Nyo Ohn Myint, a former spokesman for Myanmar’s leading democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi, urged the Taiwan government and people to support the people of Myanmar in their bid to overthrow the dictatorship that has been in power for more than 45 years.

“I would like to quote Aung San Suu Kyi’s famous remark, use your freedom to help our freedom,’ to ask the Taiwan people to help us,” said Nyo Ohn Myint, a former spokesman for the world-famous non-violent resistance movement icon and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

Nyo Ohn Myint made the remark at a seminar held by the Taiwan Thinktank yesterday to give him a chance to share his experience with Taiwan’s experts on the development of democracy and human rights in Myanmar.

He noted that Taiwan was once under the dictatorship of the former Kuomintang regime. Taiwan’s experience could be instructive not only in Myanmar’s struggle against tyranny, but also in its possible transition to democracy, he said.

Nyo Ohn Myint also asked that the Taiwan’s government review individual investments in Myanmar. The junta has survived because of international investments, especially from Asian countries, he claimed.

“Please tell your businessmen to rethink their investment in our country because these investments are not helping our people, but rather aid the cruel regime,” he said.

Nyo Ohn Myint is a former tutor at the Faculty of History, Rangoon University. He joined the opposition in 1988 to fight against the military dictatorship that has ruled his country since 1962. During the uprising in August of that year, Nyo Ohn Myint met Aung San Suu Kyi and became her spokesman. After the National League for Democracy was formed, he also assumed the role of political aid and bodyguard.

After the junta’s military intelligence service made attempts to capture him, he went into exile in 1989 but remained active in the opposition movement.

Lai I-chung, deputy director of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s Department of International Affairs, Wu Chih-chung, professor in Soochow University’s Department of Political Science, and Shih Cheng-feng, professor in the Department of Public Administration at Tamkang University, all attended the seminar.

During the seminar, Nyo Ohn Myint spoke about the crackdown by the military junta last month in Myanmar, saying that at least 100 people have already been killed in the action, while more than 5,000 protesters are still under detention, adding that his own brother was missing.

“This is the sacrifice we have to make,” he said.

He also said that this is the final push to overthrow the regime since more and more young people in his nation are becoming aware of the regime’s cruelty.

Also, the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, are pressuring the regime, which is another factor that can bring an end to the military junta’s rule, he said.

“We will win pretty soon,” he added.

China’s role in the uprising in Myanmar, which has been widely discussed in the international media, was also a major topic during yesterday’s seminar.

Wu pointed out that Beijing is backing the regime in Myanmar by providing weaponry and financial support.

“Beijing wanted to control the nation and use it as a bridge to transport oil to China,” said Wu.

Shih echoed Wu’s view on the importance of China’s role, and urged the Taiwan government to do more than just pay lip service.

“Taiwan has done little to help our brothers in Asia. It is time to show sincerity and make some concrete moves to show our support for them,” said Shih.

As a member of the ruling DPP, Lai said the government has expressed support for the Myanmar people as both President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu have denounced the military junta.

Lu even announced last Saturday the formation of a new alliance to campaign on behalf of the pro-democracy forces in Myanmar, Lai pointed out.

Local organizations, including Taiwan Aung San Suu Kyi Network, Burmese Taiwanese, and religious and human rights groups, have also voiced support for the democracy movement in Myanmar and strongly criticized the junta’s brutal crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations, Lai noted.

The network even held a parade on October 6 in Taipei as Typhoon Krosa swept many parts of the island, he said.

“We came out to support the democratic movement in Myanmar, despite the strong winds and torrential rain,” said Son Yu-lian, spokesman for the “Taiwan Aung San Suu Kyi Network,” who also attended yesterday’s seminar.

In September, Burma witnessed the largest display of anti-government demonstrations since 1988. The military junta used force to repress peaceful protesters, including Buddhist monks, who lead more than 100,000 people, including students and women, in demonstrations in Yangon and other cities throughout the country.

After the seminar Nyo Ohn Myint met with Vice President Lu at the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. HE will meet with the DPP caucus in the Legislature today, before leaving Taiwan tomorrow.

Categorised in: News Article

This post was written by CALD