Suu Kyi Prepared to Reassess Impacts of Sanctions

9 October 2009: In a rare meeting with Western diplomats today, Burma’s pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi indicated that she was prepared to reassess the impacts of Western sanctions on military-ruled Burma, according to a Chinland Guardian source in Rangoon.

During a meeting with diplomats from the United States, European Union and Australia at the junta’s guesthouse in Rangoon, which lasted one hour from 10:00 to 11:00 Friday morning, Suu Kyi also asked for detailed facts and figures regarding economic sanctions, including their impacts, as well as the underlying policies for Western sanctions on Burma

Her appeal today echoes Suu Kyi’s position in her letter to the junta’s supremo Senior General Than Shwe on 25 September in which she outlined several points as a condition for her cooperation in easing sanctions on Burma.

Among the points mentioned in her letter includes allowing her to meet with representatives of Western governments, as well as, permission to consult with the leadership of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

The Western diplomats also briefly separately met today with the NLD Central Executive Committee members at the party’s Headquarters in Rangoon. The NLD spokesman Nyan Win described the nature of today’s event as “Fact-Finding Meeting.” He told reporters the NLD leadership hopes to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi at her house where she is being held under house arrest.

The NLD spokesperson did not elaborate on when the meeting may take place.

Meanwhile, the Australian High Commission in Rangoon released a statement on today’s meeting, saying that the meeting was an opportunity for substantive discussion, which may lay a ground work for further contact.

The Australian representative Simon Starr said he delivered a message from the Australian Prime Minister assuring Australia’s support for Aung San Suu Kyi and her struggle for democracy in Burma.

The meeting with Western diplomat on Friday followed a meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta’s liaison last week, which was widely believed to be a result of Suu Kyi’s letter to Senior General Than She in which she offered her cooperation in easing Western sanctions on Burma.