Myanmar's Secretary-General Supports Release of Political Leaders Right Before Elections

What Are Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Intentions?

The Leader from Myanmar Supports Release of Political Leaders Right Before Elections

March 2010 National Scene Magazine International Article

Written by: Karen Benardello


In an effort to bring a more credible and inclusive political process to his country, the Secretary-General of Myanmar, Ban Ki-moon, accepted the release of U Tin Oo, one of the nation’s prominent opposition politicians, according to un.org. Oo, the Vice-Chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), had been under house arrest for the past six years, and his sentence ended on February 13. He was subsequently released in Yangon, the largest city in the country.

In a statement released by Ki-moon’s office, the Secretary-General acknowledged that he hoped Oo’s release will help further the dialogue between the NLD and the country’s government. The statement also noted that Ki-moon wanted to help the government’s relationship with the NLD by supporting the release of all the country’s remaining political prisoners.

Ki-moon’s acceptance of Oo’s release seems as though it was a public relations move in order to gain positive feedback from the world. After all, Oo was released two days before Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, was scheduled to arrive in the country for an official visit. Myanmar’s first elections in more than two decades are also scheduled to take place later this year, in an effort to lead the country toward democratization.

The Secretary-General has also stated his repeated intention to work with his offices and the government and citizens of Myanmar to address the political, humanitarian and development challenges facing the country. While it’s noteworthy that Ki-moon is publicly acknowledging his country needs improvement, especially if it wants to become a democracy, the timing is suspicious. Hopefully Ki-moon will release the prisoners and speak with the NLD for the right reasons, and not just to improve his career.