Monday, 18 May 2009

Aung San Suu Kyi on trial

Our esteemed trading partners, in Burma/Myanmar, a free trade partner of New Zealand's since 2008, have just put Aung San Suu Kyi on trial (1).

Over to you Phil. Tell us about it. This was your triumph, remember? (2). Obviously, human rights was never one of the "outstanding issues of interest to New Zealand" (3).

Astonishingly, Labour seems to have forgotten it's leaders role in embracing the military junta and has issued a blustering press statement, clearly designed to make National look bad for having links with such unlikeable people. Evil Natinoal, putting profit before principle and so on. Just don't ask who signed the deal. No wonder Phil's been keeping a low profile. Here is the press release, reproduced in full so you can appreciate the blink-inducing hypocrisy:

Sham trial of Aung San Suu Kyi a disgrace

Burma’s military junta must not be allowed to perpetuate the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi through a sham trial, says Labour Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Chirs Carter.

“Aung San Suu Kyi is Burma’s democratically elected leader who has been in isolation under house arrest for most of the last 19 years.

“Her current term of detention is due to expire at the end of this month and elections were planned for next year.

“The credibility of the Burma junta’s commitment to hold democratic elections must now be called in to question.

“The military junta’s pretext that Aung San Suu Kyi has broken the terms of her imprisonment is spurious and transparent to the whole international community,” Chris Carter said.

“How she can be in breach of her detention because an American passport holder swam across the lake adjacent to her house is beyond comprehension.

“This is clearly subterfuge on the part of the junta to construct a reason to continue her illegal detention, and to continue to deny the people of Burma their democratic rights,” Chris Carter said. (4)

Sorry, Chris. Not on. If she has been in "illegal detention," why did YOUR PARTY sign a free trade agreement with the venal scum that put her there?

You might have forgotten everything you once believed in, but we haven't. Take your righteous hypocrisy and fuck off.
1 - 'Suu Kyi trial begins amid tight security,' unattributed article by The Associated Press, reproduced by the Guardian, 19th of May, 2009. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/18/burma-suu-kyi-trial)
2 - As described previously on lefthandpalm: http://lefthandpalm.blogspot.com/2008/08/is-is-most-unfair.html
3 - Phil Goff, then Trade Minister, quoted in "Conclusion of ASEAN FTA negotiations," press release by the New Zealand Government, 29th of August, 2008. Reprodced on Scoop.co.nz. (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0808/S00500.htm
4 -'Sham trial of Aung San Suu Kyi a disgrace,' unattributed press release by the Labour Party, dated 15th of May, 2009. (http://www.labour.org.nz/news/sham-trial-aung-san-suu-kyi-disgrace)

1 comment:

Daniel said...

hypocrite or now he makes compelling points clearly the junta is trying to position themselves for the election. The details about John Yettaw, the man who trespassed are absurd see here: http://www.newsy.com/videos/house_arrest_vs_jail

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