Guest Comments by the National League for Democracy's Central Executive Committee

Editor's Note: The National League For Democracy is Burma's pro-democracy political party. It boycotted the recent pre-orchestrated election.

BURMA -- We celebrate the release of our leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from unlawful house arrest and call on the military regime to guarantee her safety and grant her full freedom of movement, expression, association and assembly.

Suu Kyi also was released in 2002. Then a government spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Hla Min, said, “We shall recommit ourselves to allowing all citizens to participate freely in the life of our political process while giving priority to national unity, peace and stability.” The regime failed to live up to this commitment and directly compromised Suu Kyi's personal and political freedoms in violent attempts to reassert control and eliminate political opposition.

In liaison with the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), the regime orchestrated a brutal 2003 attack on Suu Kyi and a National League for Democracy convoy in what is now known as the Depayin Massacre. Suu Kyi narrowly escaped with her life while 100 NLD members and bystanders tragically died. Several days later, the military regime wrongfully arrested Suu Kyi and she remained under house arrest until yesterday.

We condemn the regime's unlawful arrest of Suu Kyi in 2003 and her prior arrests in 1989 and 2000. The latest release in no way absolves the regime from its responsibility for wrongfully detaining her so many times.

Before the November 7 election, the regime showed no commitment to protect human rights and continued to crack down on political activity, inflicting violent attacks on democracy activists and ethnic communities. It manipulated the elections at all levels and perpetuated a climate of fear to ensure victory for the regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

The USDP brings a legacy of violence and brutality into government. Perpetrators of the Depayin Massacre will hold official roles, raising concerns about their ability and willingness to ensure Suu Kyi will be free from more persecution, restriction and detention.