BANGKOK // Myanmar's military authorities yesterday freed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who appeared briefly in front of thousands of enthusiastic supporters who surged toward her lakeside residence as the barricades in front of her Yangon house were removed.
The 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has been detained for most of the past 21 years, has come to symbolise the struggle for democracy in the nation ruled by the military since 1962.
Standing on a platform at the gate of her compound, wearing a traditional lilac dress, as she used in 1995 when she was first released from house arrest, Ms Suu Kyi was greeted by an ecstatic crowd that chanted, cheered and sang the national anthem.
"We must work together in unison to achieve our goal," she said, promising them she would speak to them today from her National League for Democracy party headquarters.
Nyan Win, her lawyer and the party's spokesman, said Ms Suu Kyi had been released unconditionally from her latest detainment of 7 1/2 years.
Supporters had been gathering outside her gate and near the party's headquarters since early yesterday morning in anticipation of her release. Many of them were wearing T-shirts sporting the slogans "We stand with Aung San Suu Kyi" - itself a crime punishable by three years prison.
"Now she is finally free we can have real democracy," said Maung Maung, a former teacher who had been waiting near her residence since Friday. "We must have new elections so that the people can tell generals what they really think."
Her release comes just one week after the junta held the country's first elections in 20 years, in which the National League for Democracy party refused to participate because it did not consider the elections free or fair. The pro-military party is reported to have won more than 80 per cent of the seats, according to the state-run media, but most of the opposition parties that did field candidates have lodged complaints that the polls were rigged.
The country's last elections, in 1990, were won overwhelmingly by the National League for Democracy, but the military refused to hand over power and instead clamped down on opponents.
"She is the symbol of the hope for the people of Burma. Now she is out, the whole country will rise up and follow her," said Zinn Lin, a spokesman for the pro-democracy movement and a former political prisoner. "The junta can cow everyone but Aung San Suu Kyi," said a US-based Myanmar academic, Win Min.
The first thing Ms Suu Kyi wants to do is open a Twitter account so that she can communicate with the young people of the country, said Win Tin, the party's senior spokesman and former political prisoner.
The release of one of the most prominent political prisoners was welcomed by world leaders and human rights organisations.
The US president, Barack Obama, called Ms Suu Kyi "a hero of mine" and said the United States "welcomes her long overdue release".
"Whether Aung San Suu Kyi is living in the prison of her house, or the prison of her country, does not change the fact that she, and the political opposition she represents, has been systematically silenced, incarcerated, and deprived of any opportunity to engage in political processes," Mr Obama said in a statement.
The British prime minister, David Cameron, also said the release was long overdue.
"Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration for all of us who believe in freedom of speech, democracy and human rights," he said in a statement.
"It is now crucial that Aung San Suu Kyi has unrestricted freedom of movement and speech and can participate fully in her country's political process," European Commissioner Jose Manuel Barroso said.
Ms Suu Kyi's release gives the junta some ammunition against critics of the election and the government's human-rights record, which includes the continued detention of about 2,200 political prisoners and brutal military campaigns against ethnic minorities.
But it's unlikely the ruling generals will allow Ms Suu Kyi, who drew huge crowds of supporters during her few periods of freedom, to actively and publicly pursue her goal of bringing democracy to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Myanmar's military leader, the senior General Than Shwe, cannot even abide hearing her name. "The mere mention of her name sends the old man into a silent rage," according to a senior military source close to the top general.
* With additional reporting by Associated Press
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
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Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
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Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
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Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
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Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
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Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
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Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
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Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
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Director: Louis Theroux
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Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
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- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
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If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
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25 visual effects (VFX) studios
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Ultra processed foods
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- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
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After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
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The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
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FA Cup quarter-final draw
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UK-EU trade at a glance
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
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Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
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Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Malin Cilic (CRO) v Benoit Paire (FRA) [8]
Not before 4pm:
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Not before 7pm:
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Roberto Bautista Agut (SPA) [5] v Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
Court One
Starting at 2pm
Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND) v Dennis Novak (AUT)
Joao Sousa (POR) v Filip Krajinovic (SRB)
Not before 5pm:
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Nikoloz Basilashvili v Ricardas Berankis (LTU)
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15 (First Test)
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24 (Second Test)
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RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
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Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
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Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
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Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
