[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,paragraphs\/drupal.paragraphs.unpublished,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283110__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"283110","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/283110","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283110__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_6y7W-wuXolmUSSM_E41HS8j5g9ESO9HspZEmHz3ug3U.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283110__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283110__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003E(Rangoon) \u2013 On Thursday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi gave her final press conference to local and international media crammed under a tent on the lawn of her residence, No. 54 University Avenue, ahead of Sunday\u2019s polls. The opposition leader\u2019s message mixed defiance with determination, criticizing the electoral system as neither free nor fair and the military-drafted 2008 constitution as \u201csilly,\u201d downplaying the human rights and humanitarian disaster facing Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State, and repeatedly forecasting a resounding victory for the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Sunday\u2019s polls, which she said will elevate her to an authority \u201cabove\u201d whomever becomes president.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-left embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--left\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/26469\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/dassk_press_conference_2.jpg?itok=860OMktH 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/dassk_press_conference_2.jpg?itok=RGUl1LNx 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/dassk_press_conference_2.jpg?itok=RGUl1LNx\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022638\u0022 alt=\u0022ASSK3\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \n\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EIn front of so many journalists, Suu Kyi appeared drawn but confident, yet her demeanor reflected the end of a hard-fought election contest and she was terse in many of her answers. She appeared very serious, not surprising after years of dealing with an intransigent Burmese military, and seeing her erstwhile ally, parliamentary speaker Thura Shwe Mann, purged recently from the leadership of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) \u00ad\u2013 an unlikely alliance which now appears even shakier. She exhibited little of the charm and jocularity she once seduced the international press with.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003ESuu Kyi\u2019s main message on the election was it was neither free nor fair and the election commission should shoulder that blame, stating she had seen \u201cvery little action on the part of the commission.\u201d She stated that \u201cit is up to us to try and fill the gap\u201d of the elections technical shortcomings. She noted problems with advance voting from overseas, and especially thanked Burmese migrant workers in Thailand who had returned to their townships to vote.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThere were rumblings of concern afterward by many in the media over her determination to reinterpret the military-drafted 2008 constitution, which allows the military to appoint 25 percent of the seats, gives the military the right to appoint key ministers and overrule the government, and, in section 59(f), disqualifies Suu Kyi from becoming Burma\u2019s next president even if her party wins the election and would otherwise use its votes in parliament to elect her. Suu Kyi made the bold claim that if she was prime minister she would be able to instruct the president, saying that the prime minister would run the government.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-paragraph embedded-entity-bundle-pullquote embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n \n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022pull-quote-block py-12 leading-tight max-w-xs mx-auto\u0022\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022pull-quote-block__quote md:text-2xl font-sans font-bold pl-10 md:pl-16 relative\u0022\u003E\n There is no law that says the constitution is eternal.... If the support of the people is strong enough, I don\u2019t see why we should not be able to overcome a \u0027minor problem\u0027 like amending the constitution.\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022pull-quote-block__quote-icon text-gray-400 absolute top-0 left-0 w-6 md:w-10\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-quote-open\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022pull-quote-block__credit font-sans mt-6 pl-10 md:pl-16\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022pull-quote-block__author text-sm md:text-lg font-bold\u0022\u003E\n \n \u003Cdiv\u003EAung San Suu Kyi\u003C\/div\u003E\n \n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022pull-quote-block__title text-xs md:text-sm\u0022\u003E\n \n \u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003ESuu Kyi said several times she had a \u201cplan\u201d and would be in fact above the president. \u201cI\u2019ll run the government. I\u2019ll make the decisions and the president will follow these directives. The title of president is not important, the democratic leadership is what is important.\u2026 I have a plan.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003ESuu Kyi sharply criticized the 2008 Constitution, saying, \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t use the word silly to refer to a constitution, but this is a very silly constitution.\u201d She also expressed determination to amend the constitution, despite the military\u2019s successful blocking of many proposed amendments with its unelected block of MPs. \u201cThere is no law that says the constitution is eternal. Even in this constitution, there are provisions for changing it \u2013 but with great difficulty, I admit. But I don\u2019t think that is something that should be seen as an impossible obstacle. If the support of the people is strong enough, I don\u2019t see why we should not be able to overcome a \u2018minor problem\u2019 like amending the constitution.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003ESuu Kyi was also sadly consistent in her failure to speak out on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and the communal conflict in Arakan State, which has drawn sustained international criticism since violence erupted in 2012:\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u003Cp\u003EI think it\u2019s very important that we should not exaggerate the problems in this country.\u2026 [One] should remember the Burmese saying: You have to make big problems small, and small problems disappear. It\u2019s not a question of trying to exaggerate small problems into big ones and big ones to an extent where they are totally unmanageable. I\u2019m not saying that this is a small problem. I would promise everybody who is living in this country proper protection in accordance with the law and in accordance with the norms of human rights.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EBut when asked whether she will amend or repeal the flawed 1982 Citizenship Law which has been used to render the Rohingya stateless, she undermined her claim to be above the president and said such an undertaking was up to the parliament.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EOne thing is clear: in Burma\u2019s deeply flawed political system where the military still monopolizes power, change will be limited and human rights will still be at risk, regardless of who wins on Sunday.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]