NOVEMBER 15, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 19

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	ALSO IN TIME
	Burma: Signs of Hope? Burma's ruling junta continues to squabble with Aung San Suu Kyi, but the generals now seem more attentive to international calls for reform Aung San Suu Kyi: 'This government is not capable of running the economy' Online Exclusive: Full text of TIME's interview with Aung San Suu Kyi Win Aung: 'Sincerity is needed on their side' Online Exclusive: Full text of TIME's interview with Foreign Minister Win Aung
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Suu Kyi: We are waiting to find out. We've been trying to see what the ICRC can do for our political prisoners, and it's early days yet. It will take a bit of time to find out whether the authorities are genuinely interested in cooperation with the ICRC, or whether they are just going along with it until the ICRC does something that the authorities don't like. Repeat visits to visitors would be one of the tests, because we have heard that our prisoners who have spoken to the ICRC have then been harassed by the authorities.

TIME: Do you look upon the government's agreement to consider the Human Rights Commission which Australia has proposed, to the point of sending officials abroad to learn more about the concept?
Suu Kyi: Well, you could say that it provides SLORC with free trips abroad.

TIME: There you go again. The government complains that if you would only say something nice about them...
Suu Kyi: If they do something nice, we will say something nice. If they want to do something nice, I'll say something nice about them. Compared with what they write about me in the newspapers here, our criticisms really appear like songs of praise. So they have no reason for complaint. If they do something nice, we would say something nice. We have said some nice things, such as when we held some of our ceremonies. But we are certainly not going to say nice things if there are none. We cannot praise them for putting our people into detention or torturing our prisoners or harassing members of the NLD. Why say nice things about that?

TIME: But how do you evaluate the ICRC's role so far.
Suu Kyi: We are waiting to find out what they can achieve. So far things seem to be not so bad.

TIME: How long do you think you will have to wait? With Indonesia's Megawati Sukarnoputri and Gus Dur [Abdurrahman Wahid] it's 35 years of waiting. With East Timor's Xanana Gusmao it's a lifetime.
Suu Kyi: I don't think we should complain. It would be too embarrassing for us to make a fuss about waiting 11 years, when you consider what they have been through.

TIME: If you use 35 years as a benchmark, you would have to wait for another 24 years. Can you hold on that long?
Suu Kyi: Things don't always move at the same rhythm. Things are different from government to government and country to country. So it doesn't worry us. Change begets change, and usually at a much faster pace.

TIME: So these developments right around Burma--not to mention others elsewhere--give you encouragement?
Suu Kyi: Yes. And speaking of saying nice things if nice things are done, I must say that we really respect everyone involved in Indonesia, because [former president B.J.] Habibie was so admirable in the way he in which he decided not to continue in the race for the presidency, so dignified. Indonesians should be proud of how things have turned out in their country.

TIME: It says a lot about compromise.
Suu Kyi: Yes, we like it. I think people admire and respect Mr. Habibie for the way in which he decided to back down gracefully instead of clinging on in the face of the opposition of the people. I think many people respect him for that. I certainly respect him for that. And I respect the way in which President Wahid is interested in bringing about compromise and trust, and Megawati in the way she accepted the vice presidency shows broad mindedness. It's a good sign for our part of the world. We do want to say nice things about people. It's so much more pleasant to say nice things about other people, than to always complain. And I do want to say that we do hope that the people of East Timor are in for a period of peace and prosperity. We wish them very well. We have found the East Timorese very supportive of our struggle for democracy.

TIME: What do you think about the High Court's decision to hear several NLD cases against the government?
Suu Kyi: It's easy for cynical people to assume that the authorities are taking on these cases now just because the General Assembly is in session. Or they want to use these lawsuits against us. Or they may even be interested in justice, in which case we would be prepared to say very nice things about them.

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