the regime had safely handed power over to itself (in civilian guise) following sham elections in November 2010.
- From: Luca ranado <ranadoluca@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2012 06:32:26 -0700 (PDT)
May 30, Irrawaddy - A happy day, and a grim anniversary – Editorial
Today, on her first full day on foreign soil since becoming Burma’s
democratic icon 24 years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi was greeted by crowds
of ecstatic supporters in the Burmese enclave of Mahachai, near
Thailand’s capital. But nine years ago on this day, it was a very
different crowd that surrounded her. On May 30, 2003, Suu Kyi and her
entourage were traveling in Upper Burma during a rare period of
relative freedom that was soon to come to an abrupt end. That night,
on the outskirts of Depayin, Sagaing Division, her vehicle was stopped
by a mob that soon set upon her followers with bloodthirsty,
calculated brutality. That incident, known as the Depayin Massacre,
ended in the death of as many as 70 National League for Democracy
(NLD) supporters. Even Suu Kyi and other senior members of the party
barely escaped with their lives. Instead of punishing the culprits—
thugs organized by the Union Solidarity Development Association (now
reconstituted as the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party)—
the former junta arrested and imprisoned Suu Kyi and other NLD
leaders. Most remained in detention until the regime had safely handed
power over to itself (in civilian guise) following sham elections in
November 2010. Looking back on this episode, particularly from the
vantage point of Suu Kyi’s triumphant return to the public eye and now
the world stage, we can see just how far Burma has come since last
year, when the new government of President Thein Sein signaled that it
was ready to create some space for the NLD. But it also serves as a
sobering reminder of the complex challenges that Burma still faces as
it strives to emerge from the legacy of half a century of military
rule. While the positive strides of the past year must be
acknowledged, they cannot erase the memories of suffering that almost
all Burmese have of this long, dark period in their country’s history.
Real reconciliation cannot be achieved without justice, and that means
facing the past as well as creating the basis for a better future. Not
surprisingly, many in the current government would prefer not to
remember Depayin or the countless other atrocities inflicted upon
Burma’s people by its rulers. “We must not be speaking about the past.
We should be looking forward,” Information Minister Kyaw Hsan said in
a recent interview with the BBC in Bangkok. For now, many in the
opposition seem to agree. Suu Kyi has made no mention of today’s
anniversary, even though the attack was clearly directed at her, and
her followers have contented themselves with quietly commemorating the
deaths of their comrades in private ceremonies. (NLD sources told The
Irrawaddy that Kyaw Soe Lin, Suu Kyi’s driver on that fateful night,
made offerings for the repose of the Depayin dead at a ceremony in
Mandalay this morning.)
Eventually, however, the ghosts of the past will need to be pacified
publicly. This does not mean that retribution will have to be meted
out, but that the truth must be told. Until that day comes, Burma’s
future will remain as mired in misery as its past.
.
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