The World Economic Forum in Bangkok this week
was supposed to be about finding new economic opportunities in East Asia. With
Europe’s debt crisis taking a fresh turn for the worse, there is plenty of
discussion here about whether Asia alone can help keep the world economy
expanding.
In
reality though the forum is quickly turning into the Aung San Suu Kyi Show.
Since arriving in Bangkok on her first trip out of Myanmar in 24 years, the
pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner has attracted a crush of TV
cameramen and photographers wherever she goes, not to mention reporters and
well-wishers eager to grab a few seconds of her time.
The
sessions she attends are suspiciously well attended.
“It’s a
full house,” noted Surin Pitsuwan, Association of Southeast Asian Nations
secretary-general, at the beginning of one segment.
“Is it
because of the quality of the panelists or is it because of the presence of
‘The Lady?’ ” he asked, nodding to Ms. Suu Kyi, who sat in the center of the
front row.
Ms. Suu
Kyi, who spent a total of 15 years under house arrest, appears to be trying to
keep a low profile, making only limited comments to media and making repeated
visits to Burmese migrant workers in Bangkok’s hardscrabble industrial suburbs.
That
said, Myanmar President Thein Sein might be relieved that he canceled his own
visit to the forum. Officials have said he has urgent business to attend to
back home this week, but whatever his reasons, it might not have been ideal for
Myanmar leaders to see him potentially upstaged by the woman they feared for
years.
James
Hookway
Business & Investment Opportunities
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