The Lady is heard | Bangkok Post: learning

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Aung San Suu Kyi, affectionately known as “The Lady” gives her first major speech since being released from house arrest.

Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi waves to the crowd as she arrives at her National League for Democracy headquarters in Rangoon yesterday. AFP

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Suu Kyi set for political encore

The Lady coy about denouncing sanctions

RANGOON: Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has called for freedom of speech in army-ruled Burma, urging thousands of supporters to stand up for their rights, and indicating she might call on the West to end sanctions against the country.

Ms Suu Kyi, in her first major speech since being freed from seven years of house arrest on Saturday, left little doubt she would resume an influential political role in one of the world’s most isolated and oppressive countries.

‘‘The basis of democratic freedom is freedom of speech,’’ she said yesterday to roaring cheers from thousands of supporters crammed into a cordoned-off street in front of her party’s headquarters. ‘‘Even if you are not political, politics will come to you.’’

The 65-year-old Nobel peace laureate, who has lost none of her ability to rouse and mesmerise crowds, offered an olive branch to the military junta, saying she had no antagonism for those who had kept her detained for 15 of the past 21 years.

Asked by a reporter what message she had for supreme leader Sen Gen Than Shwe, she replied: ‘‘Let’s meet and talk.’’

The address, given in an informal style in contrast to the usual stuffy military speeches that dominate state media, illustrated the strength of Ms Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy voice at a critical time, just a week after an election widely condemned as rigged to prolong military power behind a facade of democracy.

‘‘You have to stand up for what is right,’’ she said, urging supporters to be more politically assertive in the former British colony where the army now controls nearly every facet of life.

‘‘A one-woman show is not a democracy.’’

Later, speaking to reporters, she declined to comment directly on whether she would urge the West to roll back sanctions that many say hurt ordinary people by allowing the junta to monopolise the country’s resource-rich economy.

‘‘If people really want sanctions to be lifted, I will consider this,’’ she said. ‘‘This is the time Burma needs help. We ask everyone to help us. Western nations. Eastern nations. The whole world . . . it all starts with dialogue.’’

She spoke outside the headquarters of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, standing on a chair, after wading through a sea of supporters, her hair bound with flowers in Burmese style and dressed in blue blouse and traditional wrap-around longyi.

At times, she joked with the crowd. ‘‘I know I said I wanted to hear what the public is thinking, but now that there are so many voices and so much noise, I don’t know what is being said any more,’’ she said to a roar of laughter and applause.

She at one point held up a poster reading ‘‘I love the public, too’’ and expressed amazement at advances in technology made during her detention, especially the spread of mobile phones. ‘‘These things should be used to good advantage,‘‘ she said.

Her comment on free speech resonated in a country where every song, book, cartoon and planned piece of art requires approval by censors rooting out political messages and criticisms of Burma’s authoritarian system.

Across the commercial capital of Rangoon, residents celebrated freedom for ‘‘The Lady’’, as she is affectionately known. REUTERS

affectionately – in a way that shows feelings of liking or love  อย่างรักใคร่
encore – more of something, e.g., a short performance given after the main performance, because the audience asks for more อีกครั้ง
coy – not willing to give information about something, often in a way that is slightly annoying ซึ่งหลบเลี่ยง, ที่พยายามบอกปัด
denounce – to criticise someone or something severely in public ประณาม, ติเตียน
sanction – an official order, such as the stopping of trade, which is taken against a country in order to make it obey international law  การคว่ำบาตร
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take ผลักดัน, กระตุ้น
stand up for – to defend someone or something that is being criticised or attacked สนับสนุน, ปกป้อง
indicate – to express an intention, opinion, or wish in an indirect way ชี้ทาง, บอกทาง, ชี้ให้เห็น
house arrest – legally forced to stay in your house as if it were a prison การกักกันผู้ต้องหาไว้ในที่อยู่ของเขา
resume – to begin again after stopping for a period of time กลับมาอีกครั้ง
influential – of a person who has the power to affect a situation มีอิทธิพล
role – the purpose or influence of someone or something in a particular situation บทบาท
isolated – alone with no one to support you โดดเดี่ยว
oppressive – treating people in an unfair or cruel way ที่ปกครองอย่างกดขี่
basis – the important ideas, facts, or actions from which something can develop – รากฐาน, หลักพื้นฐาน, หลัก
crammed – completely filled with people or things คับคั่ง
cordoned-off – stopping people from entering an area by putting something such as a rope around it  กั้นด้วยเชือกหรือเครื่องกั้น
headquarters – the place where an organisation or company has its main offices สำนักงานใหญ่
laureate – someone who has won a prize for their achievements, especially a nobel prize  ผู้ได้รับเกียรติยศ,ผู้ได้รับรางวัลเป็นเกียรติยศ
rouse – to produce an emotion or feeling in someone; to make someone become active, especially when they are tired, lazy, or unwilling to do something กระตุ้น ปลุก
mesmerise – to attract or interest you so much that you do not notice or pay attention to anything else around you สะกดจิต,ทำให้หลงเสน่ห์, ทำให้ตกตะลึง
offer an olive branch – something that someone does in order to show that they want to stop arguing. The olive branch is often used as a sign meaning peace ท่าทางแสดงการผูกไมตรี
junta – a group of military officers that governs a country, usually without having been elected รัฐบาลทหาร
antagonism – a strong feeling of disliking someone, usually a feeling that has existed for a long time การต่อต้าน,การเป็นปรปักษ์กัน,ความเป็นศัตรูกัน
detained – kept in a place and not allowed to leave กักตัว ควบคุมตัวหรือฝากขัง
supreme – most important, or most powerful ซึ่งอยู่ในระดับสูงสุด, สูงสุด, เหนือสุด
address – a speech  คำปราศรัย
informal – relaxed and friendly กันเอง, ไม่เป็นทางการ, ไม่เคร่งครัด
in contrast to – different from ตรงข้ามกับ
stuffy – old-fashioned, formal and boring หัวโบราณ, ล้าสมัย, ซึ่งอยู่ในกรอบประเพณี
dominate – to be in control มีอำนาจเหนือ ครอบคลุม ควบคุม
state media – television channels, radio stations or newspapers run by the government สื่อของรัฐบาล
illustrate – to show what something is like, or to show that something is true แสดงให้เห็น
critical – extremely important because a future situation will be affected by it สำคัญยิ่ง
condemn – to say publicly that you think someone or something is bad or wrong วิจารณ์อย่างแรง
rig – to dishonestly arrange for a particular result
prolonged – to cause to continue for a longer time ยืดเวลาออกไป
façade – a false appearance or way of behaving that hides what someone or something is really like;  the front of a building, especially one that is large or impressive
assertive – behaving in a confident way in which you are quick to express your opinions and feelings ซึ่งยืนยันอย่างมั่นใจ
facet – an aspect of something such as a situation or someone’s character ด้าน, ด้านมุมมอง
decline – to say politely that you will not accept something or do something ปฏิเสธ
monopolise – to prevent other people from using something or being involved in something; to completely control a business activity ผูกขาด
resource – something such as coal, trees and oil that exist in nature and can be used by people ทรัพยากร
lift – to end a restriction, a warning, etc. ยกเลิก
dialogue – formal talks between opposing countries, political groups, etc. การสนทนา, การอภิปราย
wade through – to walk with an effort or with difficulty through something ผ่านไปอย่างยากลำบาก ลุย
bound – tied ผูก มัดไว้
roar – to make a continuous, very loud noise แผดเสียงดัง,ร้องเสียงดังก้อง
applause - showing enjoyment or approval of something such as a performance or speech by clapping the hands repeatedly to make a noise การปรบมือแสดงความชื่นชม
amazement – a feeling of being very surprised ความประหลาดใจ
advance – progress or an instance of progress in science, technology, human knowledge etc
detention – the condition of being forced officially to stay in a place การกักตัว
spread – to gradually affect or cover a larger area แพร่กระจายไปทั่ว
advantage – a benefit; a good feature or quality that something has เป็นประโยชน์, เป็นคุณ, เป็นผลดี
resonate with – to be similar to what someone thinks or believes ตรงใจ โดนใจ
root out – to find something bad or illegal and get rid of it ทำลาย,  กำจัด
authoritarian – controlling everything and forcing people to obey strict rules and laws เผด็จการ, เกี่ยวกับอำนาจเบ็ดเสร็จ
commercial – for business purposes เกี่ยวกับการค้า
residents – people who live in a particular area ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่

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