Cameron hails 'brilliant' Suu Kyi

by gleiseo3 on 2012-02-15 10:36:42

David Cameron has praised Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as a "figure of brilliance" who should guide the West’s response to Burma's opening up. The Prime Minister made this statement after EU leaders in Brussels pledged to ease EU "restrictive measures" following her release from seven years of house arrest in November 2010. A summit declaration noted that significant changes occurring in Burma "are opening up important new prospects for developing the relationship between the European Union and Burma."

Mr. Cameron remarked: "I spoke to Aung San Suu Kyi over the weekend and asked her about how quickly she thought the re-engagement process should take place between Western countries in the EU and the Burmese regime." He continued, "I think it is very important that we carefully listen to her, an absolute figure of brilliance considering what she has endured and what she is now set to achieve in that country."

He added, "The message is that, yes, we should engage, but we should do so in stages and scrutinize closely to ensure that the upcoming by-elections are fair, that prisoners continue to be released, and that they keep progressing towards democracy."

"And as they do that, I believe there are opportunities for the EU, and I’m delighted that the council (summit) issued such a clear statement tonight," Mr. Cameron concluded.

The EU statement read: "We will continue to ease the EU’s restrictive measures if our expectations are met. Members of the European Council reiterated the EU’s readiness to assist Burma in advancing reforms."