Burmese refugees in Manipur celebrate Suu Kyi's landslide win
Looking forward to returning home
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 03 2012: Myanmarese pro-democracy activists, who have been taking asylum in Manipur since the last two decades, have hailed the landslide victory of the Opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the just concluded bye-election in their country.

Expressing confidence that democracy would ultimately return to Myanmar in the wake of the bye poll result, the refugees including a key leader of Burma Solidarity Organization (BSO) are also looking forward to return to their country.

In the historic bye-election held in forty-five seats, NLD swept forty-three seats with the Opposition leader Suu Kyi coming out victorious from Kawhmu constituency, according to BSO leaders.

Incidentally two officials from India including Manipur Chief Electoral officer PC Lawmkunga were among the international observers of the election held on Sunday.

In the aftermath of the bloody massacre triggered by the military Junta on August 8, 1988 popularly known as '8888', around ten thousand pro-democracy activities fled Myanmar and took asylum around the world.

Myanmarese celebrate the landslide victory of the NLD

Initially 300 agitators belonging to NLD, Federation of Trade Union of Burma, BSO and other student bodies rushed to Manipur and currently the number has dwindled to around 100.The Government has already granted refugee status on them.

"We are happy with the report that our leader Aung San Suu Kyi has recorded a landslide victory in the bye election.

The victory has given a message that democratic power will defeat the military might sooner or later.

We are celebrating the victory, though on a low key," BSO president U Thura told this reporter today.

"Though we are scattered across several parts of the world, we are united in our struggle to restore democracy.

Some of us also shared our happiness with our friends in Manipur," he said.

"With the NLD recording a landslide victory, we are optimistic that democracy will return in our country and this being the case, we are also hoping to return to our motherland," Thura (48), a veterinary doctor said .

He nevertheless said they will return to their country only when there is no law which will allow the military to take the upper hand.

In the 1990 elections in Myanmar, NLD won a landslide victory and its leader San Suu Kyi was about to become the Prime Minister but the Junta quashed the poll results and continued to hold power since then, he said.

Though general election was held in November 2010, NLD did not participate in it to protest against the provisions incorporated in the country's constitution passed by the Junta in 2008 .

One of them is the 25-percent seat reservation for military, Thura said.

Thura, who have been to some South-East Asian countries to strengthen the pro-democracy movement beyond Myanmar a few years back, got married to a girl of his own country in Manipur and the small family is fully adapted to the state's lifestyles and food habit.

Senior BSO member Kothien who is also taking asylum in Manipur was optimistic of the NLD coming to power after the 2016 general election in Myanmar.