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| Aung San Suu Kyi: treat Burma reforms with healthy scepticism | Aung San Suu Kyi: treat Burma reforms with healthy scepticism |
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| Aung San Suu Kyi has urged the international community to exercise "healthy scepticism" towards Burma's much-touted reform process in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Bangkok. | Aung San Suu Kyi has urged the international community to exercise "healthy scepticism" towards Burma's much-touted reform process in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Bangkok. |
| It is not the first time Aung San Suu Kyi has called for caution in the world's approach to Burma – but it is the first time she has done so on foreign soil since recently emerging from 24 years of isolation. The speech, her first major address outside Burma for more than 20 years, was broadcast live across several timezones. | It is not the first time Aung San Suu Kyi has called for caution in the world's approach to Burma – but it is the first time she has done so on foreign soil since recently emerging from 24 years of isolation. The speech, her first major address outside Burma for more than 20 years, was broadcast live across several timezones. |
| The Oxford graduate and longtime political prisoner also delighted the audience with an anecdote about her arrival in Bangkok – on her first international flight in decades. | The Oxford graduate and longtime political prisoner also delighted the audience with an anecdote about her arrival in Bangkok – on her first international flight in decades. |
| "The captain was so very kind as to invite me to sit in the cockpit," she said with a smile. At first she marvelled at the high-tech control panel but then was "completely fascinated by the lights" of modern Bangkok sprawled out below her. | "The captain was so very kind as to invite me to sit in the cockpit," she said with a smile. At first she marvelled at the high-tech control panel but then was "completely fascinated by the lights" of modern Bangkok sprawled out below her. |
| Next month, the 66-year-old will see how much Europe has changed with visits to five countries including the UK and Norway, where she will formally accept her Nobel peace prize 21 years after winning it. | Next month, the 66-year-old will see how much Europe has changed with visits to five countries including the UK and Norway, where she will formally accept her Nobel peace prize 21 years after winning it. |
| Klaus Schwab, the forum's founder, introduced her as "one of the most extraordinary personalities of this century". | Klaus Schwab, the forum's founder, introduced her as "one of the most extraordinary personalities of this century". |
| Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 out of 22 years locked under house arrest by the former military regime, during which time she occasionally spoke to the outside world through audio and video messages. She was granted freedom after Burma held elections in 2010 and was elected to parliament in April. She kicked off her international tour this week. | Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 out of 22 years locked under house arrest by the former military regime, during which time she occasionally spoke to the outside world through audio and video messages. She was granted freedom after Burma held elections in 2010 and was elected to parliament in April. She kicked off her international tour this week. |
| The mission of her travels is to discuss how the world can help "that little piece of the world that some of us call Burma and some of us call Myanmar", she said. | The mission of her travels is to discuss how the world can help "that little piece of the world that some of us call Burma and some of us call Myanmar", she said. |
| Dressed in pale blue silk with a strand of white flowers in her hair, Aung San Suu Kyi listed the country's most essential needs as basic education and vocational training to foster political reforms and jobs to end high unemployment among the young, who have little to do in life and not much hope. | Dressed in pale blue silk with a strand of white flowers in her hair, Aung San Suu Kyi listed the country's most essential needs as basic education and vocational training to foster political reforms and jobs to end high unemployment among the young, who have little to do in life and not much hope. |
| "I'm extremely worried about youth unemployment," she said, calling it a time bomb. | |
| Anticipating huge aid and investment to develop Burma's stunted infrastructure, Aung San Suu Kyi said she hoped foreign firms would invest cautiously and transparently, so the influx of money could benefit the impoverished masses. | Anticipating huge aid and investment to develop Burma's stunted infrastructure, Aung San Suu Kyi said she hoped foreign firms would invest cautiously and transparently, so the influx of money could benefit the impoverished masses. |
| "We do not want more investment to mean more possibilities for corruption," she said. "Our country must benefit." | "We do not want more investment to mean more possibilities for corruption," she said. "Our country must benefit." |
| Burma's sputtering economy, in ruins after half a century of military rule and years of harsh western sanctions, has led to huge unemployment and has forced millions of people to seek jobs abroad. | Burma's sputtering economy, in ruins after half a century of military rule and years of harsh western sanctions, has led to huge unemployment and has forced millions of people to seek jobs abroad. |
| Since elections last year, Burma's president, Thein Sein, has surprised much of the world by engineering sweeping reforms. But Aung San Suu Kyi noted that the country was only in the very early phases of building a democracy and still lacked the rule of law and an independent judiciary. | Since elections last year, Burma's president, Thein Sein, has surprised much of the world by engineering sweeping reforms. But Aung San Suu Kyi noted that the country was only in the very early phases of building a democracy and still lacked the rule of law and an independent judiciary. |
| "These days I am coming across what I call reckless optimism," she told the room packed with several hundred people and a wall of TV cameras. She drew applause saying: "A little bit of healthy scepticism I think is in order." | "These days I am coming across what I call reckless optimism," she told the room packed with several hundred people and a wall of TV cameras. She drew applause saying: "A little bit of healthy scepticism I think is in order." |
| Burma's reforms have prompted the US and Europe to ease economic sanctions they imposed during the military's regime, but many human rights groups have warned that while those moves are good for the country's development they will weaken incentives to continue democratic reforms. | Burma's reforms have prompted the US and Europe to ease economic sanctions they imposed during the military's regime, but many human rights groups have warned that while those moves are good for the country's development they will weaken incentives to continue democratic reforms. |
| At a news conference later on Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi said she did not doubt Thein Sein's desire to make reforms but he was not the country's sole power. | At a news conference later on Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi said she did not doubt Thein Sein's desire to make reforms but he was not the country's sole power. |
| "I do believe in the sincerity of the president when he speaks of his commitment to reform," she said. "But I also recognise that he's not the only person in government. And, as I keep repeating, there's the military to be reckoned with." | "I do believe in the sincerity of the president when he speaks of his commitment to reform," she said. "But I also recognise that he's not the only person in government. And, as I keep repeating, there's the military to be reckoned with." |
| Thein Sein had been scheduled to address the forum but withdrew after Aung San Suu Kyi's attendance was announced amid speculation he felt he might be upstaged. The energy minister, Than Htay, attended in his stead and announced that Burma would host the forum next year. | Thein Sein had been scheduled to address the forum but withdrew after Aung San Suu Kyi's attendance was announced amid speculation he felt he might be upstaged. The energy minister, Than Htay, attended in his stead and announced that Burma would host the forum next year. |
| Aung San Suu Kyi's speech lasted about 10 minutes and was followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session with Schwab. He ended the event by asking Aung San Suu Kyi what went through her mind when she stepped off the plane after 24 years in Burma. | Aung San Suu Kyi's speech lasted about 10 minutes and was followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session with Schwab. He ended the event by asking Aung San Suu Kyi what went through her mind when she stepped off the plane after 24 years in Burma. |
| Aung San Suu Kyi said she was stunned before she even left the plane. | Aung San Suu Kyi said she was stunned before she even left the plane. |
| "It struck me that 30 years ago my attention would have been riveted on the control panel, not all the lights below," she said. Bangkok's urban sprawl glittering at night stood in stark contrast to sleepy Rangoon, where rolling blackouts due to electricity shortages have spurred protests for more than a week. | "It struck me that 30 years ago my attention would have been riveted on the control panel, not all the lights below," she said. Bangkok's urban sprawl glittering at night stood in stark contrast to sleepy Rangoon, where rolling blackouts due to electricity shortages have spurred protests for more than a week. |
| "When I left Burma three days ago there were candlelight demonstrations all over the country," she said. The two cities were once not so far apart but now "the difference is considerable". | "When I left Burma three days ago there were candlelight demonstrations all over the country," she said. The two cities were once not so far apart but now "the difference is considerable". |
| She drew laughter from the audience by adding: "What went through my mind was: 'We need an energy policy!'" | She drew laughter from the audience by adding: "What went through my mind was: 'We need an energy policy!'" |