Banya Hongsar :  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s hope and the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) has two battles to face in the short time since her release. Firstly, she has to convince the junta that she is willing to have a dialogue and produce a compromise with military leaders. Secondly, she has to convince the armed ethnic forces and politicians that she is willing to find a workable model of a “Federal Union of Burma”, like that which was agreed upon between her father, General Aung San, and the ethnic parties sixty years ago.

These two tasks will not be easy for Daw Suu and her senior colleagues in the post election period, because the ruling junta still controls the Burmese government. Furthermore, the ethnic armed forces and political organizations have limited resources and capacity to pressure the junta to withdraw from the ethnic states and their controlled areas after the cease-fire ends. One can only hope that Daw Suu can convince both the junta and the ethnic-leaders she is willing to bring peace and national unity among them. Daw Suu also needs moral and political support from local social and civil rights movements as they meet to discuss durable solutions with all the key players in the country.

Furthermore, it is Daw Suu who can pressure the regime to participate in dialogue to bring about national unity. Daw Suu claimed non-violence is her way to build and restore democracy in the country. The seven ethnic states must be given assurances the ethnic people will enjoy gradual autonomy under a re-written constitution based on the National League for Democracy’s model. Likewise, the ethnic states and leaders should also be assured by her that all political leaders will be willing to build a workable model of a new “Federal Union of Burma” that will unite the country.

The Burmese people love Daw Suu, but also rely on her message. The people rarely listen to the messages of Senior General Than Shwe, or the other ruling generals. Professor Josef Silverstein is  a longtime observer of Burmese politics, who wrote about the “Idea” of freedom in Burma and the political thoughts of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the early years of Burma’s democracy movement.

He said, “Despite the military’s effort to isolate her presence from the mind of the public, she continues to hold its loyalty because of her courage and because the message she continues to deliver is in the mainstream of Burmese culture and tradition.”

Daw Suu’s message today is clear: she is willing to work with everyone who wants to bring about democratic change in the country, benefitting all.

Her priority must be to call a National Unity Conference. Such a conference could create policies that would end the current civil war, and demand government troops withdraw from the ethnic states.

Finally, Daw Suu must examine the laws currently in place that are unjust and discriminate against the citizens, especially the ethnic people’s social and cultural rights. Daw Suu can bring unity among all politicians of all sides to foster tolerance and acceptance within the country.

Daw Suu’s challenge is greater than all other politicians and ethnic leaders throughout the country. She has to convince all the players in the political struggle that Burma seriously needs national unity. The damage done by the ruling junta may be considered beyond repair, but her courage instills hope in us all.

It is our hope that she can end the suffering of the Burmese people.