Suu Kyi gives New Year’s interview to RFA

01 January 2016
Suu Kyi gives New Year’s interview to RFA
National League for Democracy chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi. Photo: Thet Ko/Mizzima

NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi came out against government-owned media in Myanmar on Thursday, in an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA).
She also addressed topics including reorganizing the government and ensuring transparency, as her National League for Democracy prepares to take over as the majority part in March 2016.
On the government owning and operating media including newspapers and television stations, she said, “I think government-owned media are not good for democracy. We will not abolish them immediately, but yet don’t want to delay doing it as well. 
“It would be better if we did everything according to democratic principles as soon as possible. There are government supported media in the United States and United Kingdom, such as the Voice of America and the British Broadcasting Corporation, but they have their freedom. They are working with their own channels. It is important to work freely even though we have government-supported media.”
She said there are too many government employees in some ministries and too few in others. 
“We have to move them from the ministries that have little work to do to others with a lot of work,” she said. “We have to reorganize.”
On government-issued pensions to politicians, she said, “We, the members of parliament from the NLD, will have political pensions as will others, and everyone has agreed to donate what we receive to places in need. We have our salaries, so we don’t need the pensions.”
On the opening ceremony of the Union Peace Conference on Jan. 12, which will discuss ways to conclude a national peace accord and foster national reconciliation, Suu Kyi said she will not attend.
“I will not attend the upcoming peace talks because I have a lot of work to be done at Parliament. We need as many MPs as possible to be in Parliament.”
On the issue of the government or political parties receiving support from local and international companies or businesspeople, she said, “It is important to know why they accept support from these businesspeople. If I said a government must not accept any support from them, it would be very narrow. The most important thing is to have transparency. If people can see things transparently, they will know why it should or shouldn’t be accepted.”
Suu Kyi said her New Year’s message to the people of Myanmar was not to be afraid of having duties and taking responsibility.
“I want to tell them to be proud of themselves for having an opportunity to undertake such responsibilities. Think of it as a good opportunity to do something for the country,” she said.