Appalled by Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s recent remark that democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is being used as a political tool by the West and that she should be left off the agenda in engaging Burma’s military regime, Philippine democracy supporters of Burma today lambasted the Thai PM and dismissed the comment as an utter”display of ignorance”.

Appalled by Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s recent remark that democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is being used as a political tool by the West and that she should be left off the agenda in engaging Burma’s military regime, Philippine democracy supporters of Burma today lambasted the Thai PM and dismissed the comment as an utter”display of ignorance”.

Samak made the controversial comment to United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari. The two met in Bangkok when the Nigerian diplomat returned from his latest mission in Burma.

“The comment is irresponsible, unfounded and alarming especially coming from a Head of State who should know more about Burma’s long-time struggle for democracy. PM Samak is not just insulting the people of Burma and the NLD leader but is likewise undermining and jeopardizing the current efforts of the international community for democracy in Burma,” said Egoy Bans, spokesperson of Free Burma Coalition-Philippines (FBC-Phils).

Adding that the Burma issue is by nature political, Bans explained, “To suggest that Aung San Suu Kyi be taken out of the agenda with the Burmese generals is highly unacceptable. May we reiterate that until now, even world leaders look up to Aung San Suu Kyi as the crucial and unifying factor to realize genuine democracy and fair governance in Burma.”

“With Thailand as the next chair of the ASEAN, there are reasons to be alarmed over how Prime Minister Samak intends to address the issue of Burma in the regional bloc, ” he stressed.

WANT TO HELP BURMA? STOP THE BUILDING OF SALWEEN DAMS

FBC-Phils also challenged the Thai PM to immediately withdraw Thailand’s dam project in Burma claiming it would only benefit the military regime.

According to Bans, “If the Thai PM seriously wants to help Burma, he should start by calling off the Salween Dams project which has now resulted in more human rights violations including internal displacement and environmental destruction.”

The group claimed that the construction of Salween Dams gave rise to house burning and killing of villagers as the junta consistently conducts “zoning” just to pursue Thailand’s dam project.

A well-known Burmese politician and former ambassador to China in the 1970s, Thakin Chan Htun, said in Rangoon that Samak’s remarks were based on Thailand’s business interests in Burma, which were more important to him than democratic reform.

“The Burma problem is not Daw Aung San Suu Kyi but the inaction, due to misinformation or misconception, of leaders like Samak. They are quick to issue reckless comments but are mum on real concerns over the junta’s oppression on the peoples of Burma,” Bans concluded.