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 Listeners might have been surprised by the Nobel peace laureate's
gentle tone toward Than Shwe, former head of the junta that ruled
Myanmar for nearly half a century.
But it was just one of several conciliatory gestures Suu Kyi has
made toward her one-time enemies since the Nov. 8 poll, underlining
her transformation from persecuted democracy icon to pragmatic
politician.
Her readiness to forge alliances with even those she once reviled
could augur well for Myanmar, no longer a global pariah but still a
country fraught with political risk as Suu Kyi's National League for
Democracy (NLD) and the military prepare to share power.
"We should think of working for the emergence of a brighter future
based on the present situation, instead of thinking why we didn't do
it in the past," Suu Kyi said after meeting Than Shwe, whose regime
kept her locked up in her lakeside Yangon home and prevented her
dying British husband from visiting Myanmar.
In the month since her election triumph, the 70-year-old Suu Kyi has
also held talks - cordial, according to media reports - with
President Thein Sein, a former military commander, and armed forces
chief Min Aung Hlaing.
In other mollifying moves, she has called on her supporters to
restrain their victory celebrations and warned NLD lawmakers not to
call themselves "winners" in media interviews.
"It's about smoothening the way," said analyst Richard Horsey, a
former senior United Nations official in Myanmar. "It's about
building relationships and political positioning, which is very
important."
The events suggest that Suu Kyi, who often comes across as stern and
uncompromising, is settling into realpolitik.
The army's powers have not substantially diminished since a shift to
semi-civilian rule in 2011: Under the constitution, it is guaranteed
25 percent of the seats in parliament, and controls three big-budget
and powerful ministries.
Than Shwe resigned as head of state and army chief in 2011 and
stepped away from active politics, but diplomats and observers say
he retains enough clout to make the closed-door appointment with Suu
Kyi a major step in easing her party's formation of government.
"It is the truth that she will become the future leader of the
country. I will support her with all of my efforts," the former
dictator was quoted as saying by his grandson Nay Shwe Thway Aung
after the meeting.
MASTERING REALPOLITIK
Suu Kyi's journey from the barricades to the corridors of power
began over three years ago when she won a parliament seat. She
cultivated ties with assembly speaker Shwe Mann, another former
general who had been part of Than Shwe's inner circle.
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Shwe Mann was sacked from the leadership of the then-ruling party by
President Thein Sein in August, partly because of his closeness to
Suu Kyi. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party
was trounced in last month's election.
"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and I meet quite often," Shwe Mann told
Reuters last week, referring to her with an honorific.
"We got to understand each other during these meetings," he added,
calling her "straightforward, courageous and very frank".
Now, Shwe Mann advises Suu Kyi on how to navigate the transition and
deal with the military. "We thought that it's important to use (Than
Shwe's) influence to the best advantage of the country by holding
frank and sincere talks," he said.
The military has made no official comment on Suu Kyi's meeting with
Than Shwe.
"No doubt U Than Shwe still has influence on all and enjoys the
respects of both the military and the government," said a
high-ranking military lawmaker who did not want to be named. "But we
can't say for sure that the current commander-in-chief will nod to
everything that others say when it comes to national security."
Despite her own tribulations at its hands, Suu Kyi has refrained
from openly criticizing the military and she once admitted to having
a "soft spot" for the armed forces. Her father, General Aung San, is
the hero of post-colonial Burma, as the country was once known, and
one of the founders of its army.
Analysts say Suu Kyi is also treading carefully after what happened
in 1990, when the military ignored a thumping election victory by
the NLD, placed her and hundreds of her party members under arrest,
and continued in power.
"This traumatic experience is informing their very careful
approach," said Horsey, the analyst, referring to the NLD.
"It is informing the talk of reconciliation in a broad sense, but
more practically Suu Kyi is reaching out to other political forces
saying: 'We're going to reach out and work hand in hand.'"
(Editing by Simon Webb and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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