[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 29 (Monday, July 25, 1994)]
[Page 1525]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Fifth Anniversary of the Arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi

July 19, 1994

    July 20 marks the 5th anniversary of the detention of Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi, the leader of the democratic opposition in Burma and a symbol 
of human rights and democracy worldwide.
    The remarkable resurgence of democracy in so many parts of the world 
in recent years demonstrates that authentic voices of freedom cannot be 
stilled and ultimately will triumph. Aung San Suu Kyi reflects the 
fundamental yearning of the Burmese people for freedom and justice. She 
honors the memory of her father Aung San, the founder of modern Burma, 
and continues to embody the hopes of the people of Burma for an end to 
the military dictatorship and the reestablishment of popular, 
representative government.
    I urge the Burmese military regime to heed the will of its own 
people by releasing unconditionally Aung San Suu Kyi and all other 
remaining prisoners of conscience in Burma. I also call on the regime to 
honor the results of the 1990 election and to undertake genuine 
democratic reform. To this end, the regime should begin a substantive 
dialog with Aung San Suu Kyi aimed at achieving a political settlement 
that respects the sentiments of the people of Burma.
    This issue remains a priority for my administration. For this 
reason, we welcome any efforts by the international community and by 
Burma's neighbors to encourage genuine reforms. The United States also 
looks forward to discussing these vital issues later this month during 
the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference in Bangkok, where we will seek an 
intensified effort to gain the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other 
political prisoners and to promote genuine democratic reform.