Aung San Suu Kyi's hopes, fears of an attack

Dialogue, unity and reconciliation are the slogans of her first speech in public. The Lady says she is willing to meet with the dictator Than Shwe and holds no rancour toward her captors. People in Burma are happy, but fear for her safety that she could be assassinated "like Benazir Bhutto." Appeals to the international community.

Yangon (AsiaNews)-Aung San Suu Kyi today visited the headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), after years of house arrest, which came to an end on 13 November. The Democratic leader yesterday held her first public speech in front of thousands of people, emphasizing her hope for change in the country and asking all forces to remain united.

There is widespread joy among her supporters, but there are also those who fear possible threats to her safety and her life.

In her speech yesterday, she asked all the Burmese people "not to lose hope." "We must work together - she added. We Burmese tend to believe in fate, but if we want change we have to do it ourselves”.

Describing herself as "a worker”, along with many others, for democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi stressed the importance of remaining united and dialogue among the various opposition groups, but also with the junta.

The "Lady" said she is ready to meet General Than Shwe and that she holds "no hatred" towards those who held her prisoner in recent years. She expressed the wish to meet representatives of the various countries of the international community to see how to loosen the sanctions against Myanmar, which "target the people of Burma."

There is a widespread joy among people. Burmese sources told AsiaNews that her release is like a promise that " is almost like Myanmar is freed. Our people may forget to eat and drink even because we are hungry not only for food and drink but freedom, human rights, education, and other many values. Aung San Su Kyi and many others who are fighting and undergoing the oppression are our hope".

Other sources, however, fear for her safety: "They hurt her for all these years, now a bomb would be enough to eliminate her, like what happened with Benazir Bhutto."

For this reason – continue the sources - " international support is important to securing her safety".

The release of "Lady" was applauded by the entire global community. The chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee, Thorbjoern Jagland, called on Aung San Suu Kyi to travel to Oslo to receive the award given to her in '91 and never withdrawn.