11:23 AM
Waa Haa Haa
BY TAKESHI FUJITANI CORRESPONDENT 2012/03/23 ...
YANGON--He was accused of abusing power, raised hopes
for liberalization, and then saw most of his freedoms taken away. Now,
Khin Nyunt, former prime minister of Myanmar (Burma), looks at the
future of his country with guarded optimism.
In an interview with The Asahi Shimbun on March 21, Khin Nyunt said it is too early to evaluate whether the civilian government’s measures will lead to democratic reforms.
"The president is a very good, honest and sincere person," Khin Nyunt, 72, said at his home in Yangon (Rangoon). "But the government is made up of different people and groups. So we have to look at those facts."
Khin Nyunt led the intelligence arm of the military from 1983 and ascended to No. 3 in the hierarchy of Myanmar's military junta.
Following a stint as first secretary of the State Peace and Development Council, the supreme organ of state power under the military government, he was named prime minister in August 2003.
He took a soft approach while he was in office and announced a seven-stage road map toward a transition to a civilian government. He also took the initiative in seeking dialogue with pro-democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest at the time.
But Khin Nyunt also reportedly incarcerated a number of pro-democracy activists as well as political rivals. His attempt to investigate suspected corruption by senior military officials deepened the rift between him and high-ranking conservatives, including Than Shwe, leader of the military junta.
Khin Nyunt was dismissed as prime minister in October 2004 on suspicion of corruption. He was placed under house arrest after being sentenced to 44 years in prison in 2005.
Now in the eighth year following his abrupt disappearance from public view, Khin Nyunt chose his words carefully. He sometimes fell silent during the rare exclusive interview with a foreign news organization that lasted for about one hour.
Khin Nyunt said he was notified that his house arrest had been lifted on the morning of Jan. 13, when he was exercising at his home.
Many other political prisoners were also released on that day. He said the news was a happy surprise because he had never imagined he would be freed only seven years into his 44-year sentence.
Khin Nyunt endorsed the performance of the current regime led by President Thein Sein.
"The president delivers speeches containing policies, and will carry out policies. It is a good thing," he said.
But he said more than 20 of his former close aides, including his son-in-law, remain in prison.
"The present government may not be fully aware of my attitude," he said.
Khin Nyunt said he was under no restrictions on his movements, but he said he was "practicing self-restraint" out of consideration for his imprisoned aides.
When asked if he thought his release was endorsed by Than Shwe, the former military government leader who is said to have ordered his detainment, Khin Nyunt only replied: "I don't know."
"I don't know the situation properly, but one time, we were comrades. That is what’s on my mind," he said.
Khin Nyunt said it was "a good thing that discussions are under way" between the government and the armed forces of ethnic minorities.
He himself has had experience negotiating with ethnic minorities, and he said he expected a tough road ahead for peace talks.
"I think it requires time. Their views are different," he said.
Khin Nyunt also welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi’s candidacy in the national assembly election.
"A lot of people support her. She is a qualified person," he said.
He also denied he would one day return to politics to join in the nation-building. "I don't want to do things. If I were asked to provide ideas, I would like to contribute," he said.
Khin Nyunt, whose drawing room was decorated with three portraits of himself, said the hardest thing for him during his seven years of house arrest was the inability to see five of his seven grandchildren who lived elsewhere.
"When I was released, my sons came, my grandchildren came. Family life is the happiest time," he said.
During his house arrest, he lived with his wife, his daughter, and his daughter's two children.
"During the past seven years, I was not allowed to go outside except for health matters," Khin Nyunt said. "I visited the dentist twice. My wife had her eyes operated on."
Those were the only occasions when the couple were allowed to leave their home. Stuck indoors, Khin Nyunt read books on Buddhism and practiced meditation.
"I wanted to do that, but I didn't have the time (before)," he said.
His only information on the outside world came through state-run TV and foreign radio stations, including the BBC and Voice of America.
Although his house had a large parabolic antenna to receive foreign satellite TV broadcasts, "the line (to the satellite dish) was disconnected (by the authorities)," Khin Nyunt said.
Through the radio broadcasts, he learned about the anti-government demonstrations of 2007 and the disaster from Cyclone Nargis in 2008.
Khin Nyunt smiled in silence when he was told: "So you were like Aung San Suu Kyi."
In an interview with The Asahi Shimbun on March 21, Khin Nyunt said it is too early to evaluate whether the civilian government’s measures will lead to democratic reforms.
"The president is a very good, honest and sincere person," Khin Nyunt, 72, said at his home in Yangon (Rangoon). "But the government is made up of different people and groups. So we have to look at those facts."
Khin Nyunt, former prime minister of Myanmar, is interviewed at his home in Yangon on March 21. (Takeshi Fujitani)
Khin Nyunt led the intelligence arm of the military from 1983 and ascended to No. 3 in the hierarchy of Myanmar's military junta.
Following a stint as first secretary of the State Peace and Development Council, the supreme organ of state power under the military government, he was named prime minister in August 2003.
He took a soft approach while he was in office and announced a seven-stage road map toward a transition to a civilian government. He also took the initiative in seeking dialogue with pro-democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest at the time.
But Khin Nyunt also reportedly incarcerated a number of pro-democracy activists as well as political rivals. His attempt to investigate suspected corruption by senior military officials deepened the rift between him and high-ranking conservatives, including Than Shwe, leader of the military junta.
Khin Nyunt was dismissed as prime minister in October 2004 on suspicion of corruption. He was placed under house arrest after being sentenced to 44 years in prison in 2005.
Now in the eighth year following his abrupt disappearance from public view, Khin Nyunt chose his words carefully. He sometimes fell silent during the rare exclusive interview with a foreign news organization that lasted for about one hour.
Khin Nyunt said he was notified that his house arrest had been lifted on the morning of Jan. 13, when he was exercising at his home.
Many other political prisoners were also released on that day. He said the news was a happy surprise because he had never imagined he would be freed only seven years into his 44-year sentence.
Khin Nyunt endorsed the performance of the current regime led by President Thein Sein.
"The president delivers speeches containing policies, and will carry out policies. It is a good thing," he said.
But he said more than 20 of his former close aides, including his son-in-law, remain in prison.
"The present government may not be fully aware of my attitude," he said.
Khin Nyunt said he was under no restrictions on his movements, but he said he was "practicing self-restraint" out of consideration for his imprisoned aides.
When asked if he thought his release was endorsed by Than Shwe, the former military government leader who is said to have ordered his detainment, Khin Nyunt only replied: "I don't know."
"I don't know the situation properly, but one time, we were comrades. That is what’s on my mind," he said.
Khin Nyunt said it was "a good thing that discussions are under way" between the government and the armed forces of ethnic minorities.
He himself has had experience negotiating with ethnic minorities, and he said he expected a tough road ahead for peace talks.
"I think it requires time. Their views are different," he said.
Khin Nyunt also welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi’s candidacy in the national assembly election.
"A lot of people support her. She is a qualified person," he said.
He also denied he would one day return to politics to join in the nation-building. "I don't want to do things. If I were asked to provide ideas, I would like to contribute," he said.
Khin Nyunt, whose drawing room was decorated with three portraits of himself, said the hardest thing for him during his seven years of house arrest was the inability to see five of his seven grandchildren who lived elsewhere.
"When I was released, my sons came, my grandchildren came. Family life is the happiest time," he said.
During his house arrest, he lived with his wife, his daughter, and his daughter's two children.
"During the past seven years, I was not allowed to go outside except for health matters," Khin Nyunt said. "I visited the dentist twice. My wife had her eyes operated on."
Those were the only occasions when the couple were allowed to leave their home. Stuck indoors, Khin Nyunt read books on Buddhism and practiced meditation.
"I wanted to do that, but I didn't have the time (before)," he said.
His only information on the outside world came through state-run TV and foreign radio stations, including the BBC and Voice of America.
Although his house had a large parabolic antenna to receive foreign satellite TV broadcasts, "the line (to the satellite dish) was disconnected (by the authorities)," Khin Nyunt said.
Through the radio broadcasts, he learned about the anti-government demonstrations of 2007 and the disaster from Cyclone Nargis in 2008.
Khin Nyunt smiled in silence when he was told: "So you were like Aung San Suu Kyi."
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