Imphal, November 18 2010: Solidarity Committee for Burma Democracy (SCBD) in Manipur today expressed its happiness over the release of democracy icon and crusader Aung San Suu Kyi by the military junta, but articulated its misgivings about the prospects that Suu Kyi and her party, National League for Democracy's (NLD), will face within the political climate dictated by the country's military junta.

Sotin Kumar, Chairman SCBD, speaking in a press meet in Imphal, said that "there is no other dark continent in the world but Myanmar" .

Invoking history, he rued that the iconic figure of a democratic movement, Suu Kyi was arrested in 1990 along with some 3000 supporters following the drubbing her NLD party gave to the junta-backed political formation in the May 28, 1990 general election.

NLD had registered a landslide victory by amassing 392 seats out of 485 it contested.

Since then, she had been kept in an isolated house arrest by the military junta.

Her release after the election had brought a glimmer of hope for democracy to take root and flourish in the country, he said, adding that, the government should be sensitive to the mandate of the people by initiating the process of democratization in the country.

To that effect, the government should work for reconciliation by inviting Aung San Suu Kyi and her party to join the political process he said.

He appealed to citizens of India to support the campaign for restoration of democracy in Myanmar so that Burmese nationals who have been scattered across the borders following the military crackdown of 1988 may return home on the installation of a democratically vibrant society.

Speaking on the same occasion, Shanta, secretary, SCBD, also expressed hope that the recently concluded elections in Myanmar will be a harbinger of democracy in the country in days to come.

Shanta further revealed that SCBD will hold meetings in the immediate future to garner support for representations to be sent to the newly formed government in Myanmar to initiate the installation of democracy in the country.

SCBD will also seek support from the United Nation in its campaign to render full democratic rights to the citizens of the country.

SCBD was established in 1991, and since then the committee has been commemorating '8888 democracy demand day', pursuant to the 8888 peoples' uprising on August 8, 1988 led by students, seeking to undo the pro-military, single party rule in the country.

What followed was a bloody crackdown by the military junta on the protesting students leading to enforced mass exodus of Burmese nationals to China, Thailand, India, Bangladesh and across the world.

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