Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday urged Myanmar's government
to carry out urgent judicial reform to cement recent political progress
and foster clean investment in the country.
Addressing world business leaders in Bangkok in her first international
engagement after more than two decades of isolation, Suu Kyi said
Myanmar needed the "rule of law" more than legal safeguards for foreign
investors.
"Investors in Burma, please be warned -- even the best investment law
would be of no use whatsoever if there is no court clean enough and
independent enough to be able to administer these laws justly," she
said.
"Good laws already exist in Burma but we do not have a clean and
independent judicial system. Unless we have such a system it is no use
having the best laws in the world."
Companies are hungrily eyeing resource-rich Myanmar since political reforms prompted some international sanctions to be eased.
But in her 15 minute address to the World Economic Forum on East Asia,
Suu Kyi seized the chance to call for an ethical approach from the
assembled foreign business chiefs and Asian political leaders.
Calling for a "healthy scepticism" towards Myanmar's creeping reform
under the quasi-civilian government, she decried a lack of change to the
country's broken legal system and asked delegates to think "deeply"
about what is good for Myanmar.
"For a moment please don't think too much of the benefit investment will bring to investors.
"We don't want investment to mean further further corruption... and greater inequality."
Instead she said it was integral to empower civic society and create jobs to defuse a "timebomb" of high youth unemployment.
Suu Kyi has stolen the show at the Bangkok forum, drawing crowds of
well-wishers and photographers, during her first trip abroad in 24
years.
Having spent 15 of the past 22 years under house arrest, she has taken
an increasingly global role as Myanmar sheds its pariah status, meeting
top world dignitaries in Yangon and encouraging easing of Western
economic sanctions.