Myanmar’s Suu Kyi reaches out to military with big landslide in sight

MYANMAR’S democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi, moving closer to an absolute majority in parliament yesterday, requested a meeting with the president and the powerful military chief to discuss national reconciliation.

According to Reuters, Suu Kyi’s opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) has won over 90 per cent of the seats declared so far in the lower house and is well ahead in the upper house and regional assemblies.

If the final results confirm the trend, Suu Kyi’s triumph will sweep out an old guard of former generals that has run Myanmar since the junta handed over power to President Thein Sein’s semi-civilian government in 2011.

The armed forces continue to wield considerable power in Myanmar’s political institutions, enshrined in a constitution drafted before the end of nearly 50 years of rule. It is unclear how Suu Kyi and the generals will work together.

In letters to the commander-in-chief and the president dated November 10, which the NLD released to media on Wednesday, Suu Kyi requested meetings within a week to discuss the basis of “national reconciliation.”

“It is very important for the dignity of the country and to bring peace of mind to the people,” Suu Kyi said in the letter.

Information Minister and Presidential Spokesman Ye Htut said on his Facebook page: “In response to the letter from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the president this morning replied to her that the meeting would be coordinated when the UEC (Union Election Commission) election-related task is finished.”

Relations between Suu Kyi and armed forces chief Min Aung Hlaing are said to be strained.