I warned disgraced Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that the generals she courted would never let her roam free. This, especially because she envisioned herself becoming a de-facto Mother Teresa of politics, meddling with glorified serenity while remaining above it all.
In fact, here is how I opened the latest in a series of commentaries presaging her penal fate in “Democracy Shrew Aung San Suu Kyi Went to Bed with Military Dogs…” February 3, 2021:
Now she’s waking up not only with fleas, but in jail … presumably tamed for the rest of her life.
I then delineated why her fate was all too predictable – complete with citations to previous commentaries doing just that. Sure enough, here is how the December 6 edition of The Independent reported on this latest act in her Shakespearean tragedy:
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Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of ‘incitement’ and breaching Covid-19 safety protocols. The last democratically elected leader of Myanmar, who was ousted in a military coup in February this year, is facing a total of 11 charges which her supporters and lawyers say are politically motivated.
A court jailed Suu Kyi on Monday for two years each under the two charges brought under the natural disasters law of Myanmar and ‘incitement’, a legal official said. …
The sentencing has been condemned internationally, including by Britain.
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In other words, she has yet to be sentenced for the other 9, far more serious charges…
Britain led foreign governments in issuing perfunctory protests. But the generals can be forgiven for thinking it’s only a matter of time before foreign heads of state get over their self-righteousness and come calling.
This, just as French President Emmanuel Macron did when he became the first Western head of state to break ranks and visit the butcher of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier this month. Here is how he rationalized his visit – as reported by the Voice of America on December 4:
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Khashoggi’s murder sparked international outrage that continues to reverberate. But Macron said it was impossible to engage with the region while ignoring the powerful Saudis
‘Who can think for one second that we can help Lebanon and preserve peace and stability in the Middle East if we say: ‘We’re not going to speak to Saudi Arabia, the most populated and most powerful country in the Gulf?’’ he told media in Dubai, the first stop of his tour.
‘It doesn’t mean that I endorse anything, that I’ve forgotten, that we’re not demanding partners,’ he said.
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Clearly, using Macron’s logic, who can think for a second that we can end the genocide being perpetrated against the Rohingyas if we say:
We’re not going to speak to the military leaders of Myanmar who are perpetrating that genocide. It doesn’t mean we endorse their genocidal crimes, anti-democratic policies, or imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi. But Chinese President Xi Jinping is perpetrating similar crimes against the Uyghurs, is implementing similar anti-democratic policies, and disappears not just his political opponents but even ordinary citizens who dare criticize him and his ruling cabal. Yet we speak to him…
I challenge anyone in their right mind to argue with that.
Related commentaries:
Democracy shrew… Podcast: Aung San with military dogs…
killing Khashoggi… Rohingyas… Uyghurs…