Suu Kyi calls for ‘freedom from fear’ in TV speech

(AFP) – Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for ‘freedom from fear’ and further moves towards democracy in a leaked video of her first televised campaign speech to be aired on Wednesday.

‘Unless people get human rights with freedom from fear, a democratic system cannot be established and developed,’ Ms Suu Kyi said in the video, echoing the title of her well-known political essay Freedom From Fear.

‘Only under the rule of law can people really feel the taste of freedom by really getting protection of the law,’ she said, ahead of April 1 by-elections in which the pro-democracy icon is standing for parliament for the first time.

The speech was censored by Myanmar’s authorities to remove criticism of the former junta, the democracy icon said earlier. Ms Suu Kyi also called for the abolition of laws which have ‘oppressed the people.’ ‘We have to write and enact laws that can protect the people,’ she said.