Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spoken of her struggle for democracy before a sold-out audience at the Sydney Opera House. On her first official visit to Australia, the Nobel Peace prize winning activist was awarded two prestigious honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Sydney and UTS. She described the honour as a sign that Australia and the world stands with her home country. Ms Suu Kyi spoke of her unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights, and the need for constitutional reform in her country. She labelled the constitution in her country as the most rigid to found anywhere in the world. We cannot have genuine democracy under current constitution. If Burma is truly to be on the road to democracy, we have to amend this constitution, Ms Suu Kyi said. The military must support any amendment in order for it to go through. Video: Warm welcome for Aung San Suu Kyi (ABC News) The commander-in-chief decides whether or not the constitution can be amended. How can you call a constitution democratic when it can be amended or not amended in accordance with one man in an unelected post? Ms Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest before she was freed in 2010, has said she wants to run for Myanmars presidency in 2015. However, she noted that for her to be eligible for the post, there would have to be fundamental changes. The constitution is written specifically to prevent me from being president. I object to this because no constitution should be written with one person in mind. That’s not democratic, she said. The leader of the National League for Democracy told the crowd her party runs on pillars of democracy, human rights and national reconciliation. Ms Suu Kyi is touring Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne from November 27 to December 2. During her visit she will attend a number of public events, including a United Nations HIV/AIDS conference in Sydney. She will also meet members of the Myanmar community.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 13:09:49 +0000
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