NEWS

Leader of the Central Tibetan Administration Congratulates Aung San Suu Kyi on Poll Victory

By Craig Lewis
Buddhistdoor Global | 2015-11-12 |
Aung San Suu Kyi delivers a speech in the Myanmar capital of Yangon earlier this week. From nytimes.comAung San Suu Kyi delivers a speech in the Myanmar capital of Yangon earlier this week. From nytimes.com

Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the elected leader of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamsala, yesterday offered congratulations to Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party for their sweeping victory in Myanmar’s national election held last Sunday.

Although the final results of the poll will not be officially announced by the election commission until later this month, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which has ruled Myanmar since 2011, has already effectively conceded defeat. President Thein Sein yesterday sent a letter of congratulations to the NLD. As of this morning, the NLD had 291 seats in the 664-seat legislature, with only 33 for the USDP and a handful for smaller parties representing ethnic minority groups. The NLD needs 329 seats for a parliamentary majority. Under the country’s current constitution, a quarter of the seats are reserved for unelected military generals.

“On behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration and the entire Tibetan people, I extend my warm greetings and congratulations on your party – National League for Democracy’s massive victory in the recent general election of Myanmar,” Sangay wrote in a statement to the Nobel Peace Laureate yesterday. “When you were released from house arrest in November 2010, the world watched in hopeful expectations of gradual democratic changes in Myanmar. Now in November 2015, exactly five years after your release, your party’s decisive victory through popular vote is indeed a victory for the ideals of democracy that you hold close to your heart.” (Central Tibetan Administration)

Lobsang Sangay casting his ballot for the preliminary round of elections for the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala on 18 October. From tibetsun.comLobsang Sangay casting his ballot for the preliminary round of elections for the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala on 18 October. From tibetsun.com

“The virtues of patience and non-violence that you espouse are a source of strength for the entire world including the Tibetan people. Tibet, besides sharing a common Buddhist heritage, is unified with the people of Myanmar by their deep commitment to democracy, the universality of human rights, religious harmony, and the brotherhood of all peoples,” he added. “I wish you all the success as you embark upon your new responsibilities and hope that you will raise your pivotal voice for a quick resolution of the Tibet issue just as you have done to usher in democracy in Myanmar.” (Central Tibetan Administration)

As a clause in the constitution bars Myamar citizens with foreign spouses from the presidency, Suu Kyi, whose late husband was a British academic, will be unable to take office; however, the NLD leader has said she plans to appoint a president to work under her direction. In an interview on Tuesday, she said, “The president will be told exactly what he can do. I make all the decisions because I am the leader of the winning party.” (The New York Times)

This democratic victory marks the second time Suu Kyi’s party has won the mandate of the people of Myanmar. After a similar victory in 1990, the country’s military junta nullified the poll and placed Suu Kyi under house arrest, which was to last a total of 15 years. The following year, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent campaign for democracy. A devout Theravada Buddhist, while under house arrest Suu Kyi devoted her time to Buddhist meditation practices and to studying Buddhist philosophy and thought.

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