I will now continue the second part of my article.

Aunty Suu, you were continuously attacking the government while trying to realize your policy of confrontation, defying authority and grabbing power through short-cut in addition to jeopardizing the National Convention. We also heard you slamming the government constantly at the talks and public meetings you were holding in front of your house weekly and giving addresses and sending messages opposing the government on international days. The worst was the NLD announcement No 35 (8/98) issued on 23-6-1998. Actually, you opened a new front with the announcement demanding to convene the Hluttaw within 60 days before 21 August. Aunty Suu demanded the convening of the Hluttaw as a form of a struggle laying down a strategy to convene the Hluttaw in accord with her own schedule, to generate a civil commotion with the intention of protecting the Hluttaw from any acts to halt the scheme and to pave the way for the UN and international community to intervene if unrest and demonstrations erupted. I did not think you had an idea that we the people were so anxious with the thought that something bad might happen after drawing a conclusion that it was an extremely dangerous strategy.

I assume that Aunty Suu came to realize that the front – the demand to convene the Hluttaw – was not enough. Aunty Suu in deliberate defiance of the government’s restrictions toured Taikkyi or Nyaungdon or other places in July and August 1998. The worst was that Aunty Suu stopped her convoy at Htantabin Anyasu on Yangon-Nyaungdon Road, staging protests for days. I still remember your solitary protest during which you were so haughty that you stopped your line of cars on the public highway; makeshift tents including toilets had to be built. In the end you had to go back home in accord with the wish of party members as you failed to incite a civil unrest as you did not win public support and the last date (21 August) to convene the Hluttaw had passed. The incident at Yangon Railway Station is still in my memory. As you were staging antigovernment activities and confrontations in violation of the law, the government had to impose restrictions on you at your home for the second time on 21-9-2001. At that time, I was able to accept the fact that the government did what was actually necessary. Aunty Suu, you have destroyed our faint hope.

Even though we the people assumed the situation to be hopeless it seemed that the government had not given up the process of national reconsolidation. We have known that the group led by the Head of State met Aunty Suu four times and another group comprising ministers met you 20 times while you were under restrictions. The Head of State hosted dinner for Aunty Suu and NLD members at the Guest House at 14 Inywa Road on 29-1-2002 evening leading to frank discussions between you and the government. The government showed its true goodwill and seriousness. We have learnt that you agreed to end all acts that would generate disturbances and outdoor meetings and to hold only indoor meetings with the number of participants less than 50. We were supposing that Aunty Suu had changed her intentions as a settlement might have reached after a series of discussions. The government seemed to believe so. So it is believed the government again lifted the restrictions imposed on you in accord with the settlement on 6-5-2002. In accord with the mutual agreement, Aunty Suu was allowed to launch organizational campaigns in the nation. You were even cooperating with officials concerned in arranging itineraries and schedules for reopening of township offices. They were positive signs. We believed that with this trend the political goal of our nation would not be so far.

Thanks to the government’s concessions, Aunty Suu was able to visit Mandalay, Magway, Bago and Ayeyawady divisions and Mon, Kayin, Shan, Rakhine and Chin states, carrying out party functions in 95 townships from June 2002 to April 2003. In addition you were treated as a VIP studying national developments in every place you visited. It seems that although Aunty Suu did things as agreed in advance in her early trips, but relapsed into her old ways later.

Beginning from her tour to Chin State, Aunty Suu started to travel at night, and tried to cause confusion and gave anti-government talks at public meetings. It was Aunty Suu that initiated the idea of defiance – To launch struggles for keeping political activities alive. The truth is that Aunty Suu herself left the road to national reconsolidation and went back to the path to defiance and confrontation.

During the trips to Sagaing Division, Kachin State and Shan State that started on 6-5- 2003, Aunty Suu’s followers and NLD’s cars and motorcycles unruly moved on the road. They even tried to provoke quarrels with and challenge the on-lookers, those who took photos and those who expressed their wishes peacefully as they did not accept Aunty Suu. So the problems grew even to the level of causing clashes between them and the public. In the end there broke out a fight between NLDs and your followers on one side and the local people who could not tolerate your anarchic acts any more on the other side at Dabayin on 30-5-2003. It was indeed a disappointing and sorrowful incident. Both sides should exercise restraint to avert the brawl. Anyhow, because of the brawl Aunty Suu was put under restrictions for the third time at her own house on 30- 5-2003. If I were a person responsible for maintaining and restoring national peace and stability, I would have decided the same.

There were some groups assuming that Aunty Suu purposely created the situation so that she would be put under restrictions again. They said, “If she can travel freely like that the government’s international image will improve and the NLD’s international support will dwindle and the economic sanctions will be lifted. Aunty Suu cannot accept that tendency.” Other sources said, “There was growing concern as public support for Aunty Suu was falling as more and more people knew about her true nature with the passage of time. So, she deliberately generated the brawl for the government to take action against her. Only then will the international community condemn the government as the one keeping up restrictions on her and crushing the NLD. That was her basic aim.” I have no idea whether those views are right or wrong. Most of the people including me have accepted with understanding that what the government did is actually necessary; and that it does not have any intention at all to impose restrictions on Aunty Suu.

Will Aunty Suu apply her old method of opposing the government, confrontation, generating civil commotion and defying authority again if the restriction order imposed on her is lifted? If she is restricted even if she promises not to apply those methods again, it can be said that the ones who impose restriction order on her are at fault. But to the extent of my knowledge, outsiders are saying that Aunty Suu is so stubborn. Her arrogant behaviour of thinking herself as always better than others, assuming what she says is always right and must be obeyed without fail and using threats for failure to obey her is spreading outside the NLD through the whisper of the party members. Aunty Suu herself will know best whether they are right or wrong. Because of the given situation, there are criticisms saying that NLD has no inter-party democracy. If you amend yourself, Aunty Suu, you will become a valuable politician.

Even under restriction order, Aunty Suu has been enjoying full security and health care and other necessary services at her home. Aunty Suu knows best the offers for dialogue made by the government again and again. The Head of State has met her many times and paved the way to create a better situation. You should understand those positive attitudes like I do. I have learned that when Mr Gambari visited Myanmar for the first time in May 2006, the government asked you to send written messages concerning your wishes and opinions to the Head of State through the UN special envoy; and that the government would consider fulfilling them. But there was no development. So, I was wondering whether Mr Gambari failed to convey messages to Aunty Suu or you yourself have rejected the offers outright. My view is that Aunty Suu should effectively use the many ways paved by the government.

As I know very well the government’s endeavours for building a democratic nation and keeping in the fore national interest, I as an ordinary member of the public will have to stand by the truth. I am not partial to the government. But I cannot ignore or deny the truth if the government’s endeavours are correct and excellent. I hope you will also understand this.

Like us Aunty Suu should have trust in the government’s offers as constructive and willing. Aunty Suu, you should view those offers as an opportunity to make a turning-point in Myanmar’s history. I am worried that the essence of the offer – an opportunity for dialogue – will be lost in a superficial argument saying that Aunty Suu was not responsible for the four means to block Myanmar. The government, the people and the entire world know that Aunty Suu has supported the calls to bar tourists from visiting Myanmar and other economic sanctions. In my view you should accept the fact that the sanctions are not good either for the people or the government or you yourself. One will have to discard even the policy that one has upheld throughout his life if it is bad and wrong. One should have the courage to do so. Aunty Suu, one will be a hero only if one gets rid of the wrong and bad policy with courage.

Aunty Suu, you should not be deceived by foreign media that are attacking the government’s offer in unison. You should reconsider your idea of intransigence. Stubborness benefits nobody. We with pleasure accepted Aunty Suu’s words that you will join hands with anyone if it serves the national interest. You have said those words many times. But you should prove your words with deeds. I sincerely believe that Aunty Suu too will have to make sacrifices through appropriate and necessary efforts to initiate a meaningful dialogue.

It is the human nature that everyone wants the upper hand. No one would like to hold a dialogue having to make concessions. As both sides will have to go against the human nature to make concessions through coordination, magnanimity and correct attitude are specially required in this matter. Moreover, both sides will have to sacrifice their beliefs and convictions and what they appreciate and what they value in making concessions for the nation or in other words for producing valuable and noble results. The essence of dialogue is the reaching of a mutual agreement through sacrifices and concessions. No dialogue can achieve success without sacrifices and concessions. Aunty Suu, you should understand the nature of giving up something for achieving another that is ten times valuable and beneficial.

Instead of putting blame on each other, means to join hands for finding the truth through concessions will produce practical benefits. In our country we have been blaming one another endlessly since the nation regained independence. Enough is enough. We should love each other without finding fault with others. As the government has already made the official offer, it’s your turn now. Aunty Suu’s response may bring peace and success to the nation or lead to producing negative results. I write this article for you to weigh up the situation. I wish you chose the way that is good and beneficial for all of us.

We are hearing the voices to cause incitement saying that the government has made the offer to use Aunty Suu in finding an escape from international pressure. I think that extreme ideas, thoughts and criticisms cannot produce any beneficial results at this time. I hope you have already read the UNSC Presidential Statement issued on 11-10-2007. Even the UNSC emphasizes the fact that it welcomes Myanmar’s announcement to cooperate with the UN and to assign a liaison officer to facilitate relations with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The statement calls on the government of Myanmar and other parties concerned to work together towards the positive development of the situation and a peaceful solution. It also urges the government and all parties concerned to cooperate fully with Mr Gambari. Aunty Suu whom do you think the words “all parties concerned” refer to? It is the first time the UN has openly acknowledged that not only the government but also Aunty Suu’s NLD is responsible for the development of political situation in Myanmar. I believe Aunty Suu also understands this. And I sincerely trust that it’s time you weighed the matter to make a response.

Aunty Suu, now, I have already presented a comprehensive article for you. Anyhow, I have a clear conscience as I have presented this article taking into account the national interest, public interest, Aunty Suu’s interest and government’s interest fairly. So, please accept what I have presented in the article as the words that came out from the heart of an ordinary person. As the ending part of one of our famous jatakas, we wish to see the son carrying a pot of gold on his shoulder or in other words a win-win situation. Aunty Suu’s role is also vital in this matter.

In the finale of Suvannasama jataka, the two parents regained sight, Suvannasama, the Buddha-to-be was recovered from fatal poisoned arrow wound and came back home carrying a pot of gold on his shoulder, and celestial beings said “Well Done” with great pleasure. It is a story with a glorious and happy ending in Myanmar culture and a model for all of us to follow and take lessons from it. I wish a glorious and happy ending in solving our political problems. Please let us enjoy happiness and auspiciousness. I firmly hope that the solution will result in a glorious and happy ending like the Suvannasama jataka and will ensure benefits for the nation and the people, joy for government, satisfaction for Aunty Suu and NLD, and pleasure for global countries including the ASEAN and neighbours. We the people are so eager to see Aunty Suu’s positive steps.

When it is a matter between personal interest and party interest, priority should be given to the latter and when it is a matter between party interest and national interest, priority should be given to the national interest. As you have already understood and known the situation more than me, please do not assume that I am giving you unnecessary lecture. We are truly longing for the day on which the stalemate has ended and we can start our successful journey onwards. I pray Aunty Suu begins her positive steps as soon as possible.