Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

U.N. Envoy Seeks Release of Myanmar's Leading Dissident

Aired June 06, 2003 - 05:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the efforts to free Myanmar's leading dissident, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the questions surrounding her detention.
CNN's Bangkok bureau chief Tom Mintier live on the phone with us now with the latest -- Tom, what's happening?

TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

The U.N. special envoy to Myanmar, Razali Ismail, has been for several hours now in Myanmar, attempting to not only see Aung San Suu Kyi, but try to secure her release from what the government is calling protective custody. She has not been seen in public for a week now and there are rumors that she was, indeed, injured a week ago in a confrontation with her detractors, who had come out in rather large numbers near Mandalay.

Now, this U.N. special envoy, this trip was on again, off again for the last few days. He made the decision at the direction of the U.N. secretary general to go ahead with his trip, saying that there is growing concern about the safety of Aung San Suu Kyi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAZALI ISMAIL, U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY TO MYANMAR: There's increasing concern about her, about Aung San Suu Kyi now. Nobody has seen her. She has not said a word and as I said, rumors are swirling about her being injured. So I might be able to come out -- see her and then come out and to be able to assure everybody that she is fine or, you know, she is not injured, whatever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MINTIER: The government has maintained the security of Aung San Suu Kyi for the past week, being held at a government guest house, as I said, under what they term protective custody. The NLD offices throughout the country have been closed, as have universities and schools. But the government saying these are only temporary measures, but nobody is sure how long temporary is -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Tom, I don't think many of our viewers know much about Myanmar. It's located near India and China. Tell us more about the political situation so we can better understand what's happening there now.

MINTIER: Well, I think most of our viewers who are a little older will remember the country named Burma. Burma was changed to Myanmar by the current military government.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the Nobel Peace Prize winner from 1991, a year after she won landslide elections there but was not allowed to govern, instead being placed under house arrest. She was just released from house arrest a year ago by this, the assistance of this U.N. special envoy who is going in. He negotiated her release that allowed her to travel around the country. Now he's going in, a little over a year later, and try to secure her release a second time.

COSTELLO: All right, thanks a lot, Tom Mintier, live from Bangkok this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 6, 2003 - 05:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the efforts to free Myanmar's leading dissident, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the questions surrounding her detention.
CNN's Bangkok bureau chief Tom Mintier live on the phone with us now with the latest -- Tom, what's happening?

TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

The U.N. special envoy to Myanmar, Razali Ismail, has been for several hours now in Myanmar, attempting to not only see Aung San Suu Kyi, but try to secure her release from what the government is calling protective custody. She has not been seen in public for a week now and there are rumors that she was, indeed, injured a week ago in a confrontation with her detractors, who had come out in rather large numbers near Mandalay.

Now, this U.N. special envoy, this trip was on again, off again for the last few days. He made the decision at the direction of the U.N. secretary general to go ahead with his trip, saying that there is growing concern about the safety of Aung San Suu Kyi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAZALI ISMAIL, U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY TO MYANMAR: There's increasing concern about her, about Aung San Suu Kyi now. Nobody has seen her. She has not said a word and as I said, rumors are swirling about her being injured. So I might be able to come out -- see her and then come out and to be able to assure everybody that she is fine or, you know, she is not injured, whatever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MINTIER: The government has maintained the security of Aung San Suu Kyi for the past week, being held at a government guest house, as I said, under what they term protective custody. The NLD offices throughout the country have been closed, as have universities and schools. But the government saying these are only temporary measures, but nobody is sure how long temporary is -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Tom, I don't think many of our viewers know much about Myanmar. It's located near India and China. Tell us more about the political situation so we can better understand what's happening there now.

MINTIER: Well, I think most of our viewers who are a little older will remember the country named Burma. Burma was changed to Myanmar by the current military government.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the Nobel Peace Prize winner from 1991, a year after she won landslide elections there but was not allowed to govern, instead being placed under house arrest. She was just released from house arrest a year ago by this, the assistance of this U.N. special envoy who is going in. He negotiated her release that allowed her to travel around the country. Now he's going in, a little over a year later, and try to secure her release a second time.

COSTELLO: All right, thanks a lot, Tom Mintier, live from Bangkok this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com