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(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 ahs 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. |
