Post date: Jun 18, 2012 3:8:52 PM
OSLO, NORWAY (JUNE 18, 2012) (REUTERS) - Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday (June 18) finished the last leg of her trip to the Norwegian capital with a joint appearance with U2 frontman Bono, who will present her with an Amnesty International award in Dublin on Tuesday (June 19).
Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi meets a 'starstruck' U2 frontman Bono in Oslo, who will present her with an Amnesty International award in Dublin on Tuesday.
After taking part in the Oslo forum chaired by Norway's Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahre Stoere, Suu Kyi told a news conference the reform process had been brought about by the people of Burma, and other democracy movements.
"First of all, I don't think about this journey as a celebration of my life. I think of it as a celebration of all those people who have supported the movement of democracy in Burma, because it is they who have made this possible for me to come on this journey," Suu Kyi said.
During the news conference Suu Kyi also called for transparency, a fair military and said the key to a peaceful future was the rule of law.
The news conference came just days after violence between Rakhine Buddhists and stateless Muslim Rohingyas in the northwestern Rakhine region calmed down. The violence, which displaced 30,000 people and killed 50 by government accounts, flared last month with a rampage of rock-hurling, arson and machete attacks, after the gang rape and murder of a Buddhist woman that was blamed on Muslims.
On being asked what could be done to protect minorities, Suu Kyi said the key was citizenship clarification defined by the law.
"Bangladesh says that they are not ours and Burma says that they are not ours and these poor people get shuffled around. So we have to have rule of law, we have to know what the law is and we have to make sure that it is properly implemented," Suu Kyi said.
"We have to work together with the army. I have been very open about it. We want to work together with the army. We don't want to be in conflict with them. We want to achieve a consensus, we want them to understand that what we are doing is starting a process that will be better for the whole country, that will include the military as well," she added.
Bono, who was at the event because of his work for Amnesty International urged people to raise their voices, saying it could eventually make dictatorships listen.
"If you raise your voice that it is heard - whether it is by the captors or the captives is open to debate - But I have a funny feeling that military dictatorships are not just about muscle, they are quite vain. I think they read their e-mails and the choruses of hisses and boos that they get, they kind of take the temperature of how much they are getting away with," Bono said wearing his signature purple tinted glasses.
Asked what his feelings were on meeting the democracy icon, Bono said he was still star struck.
"Seeing progress in Burma is just a great thing to encourage people to get more involved in the political process (JOURNALIST ASKS HOW HE FELT ABOUT MEETING SUU KYI) I'm starstruck, I think that's the word, But I am managing to get over it. I'm looking, I'm pretending like i am not."