Even under the most crushing state machinery, courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilised man: these are words of compelling power, written by a woman of extraordinary courage.

On Wednesday Daw Aung San Suu Kyi marked the end of her 12th year under house arrest. And that anniversary tells only part of the story: since she committed her life to a better future for Myanmar she has watched her children grow up in a faraway land, and she has survived an attack that left 80 of her supporters beaten to death.

I had the privilege of meeting her husband shortly before his death, as he faced with courage both his illness and the cruel Burmese policy that prevented him from seeing his wife in his last days.

Over the past few weeks we have seen the Burmese people once again display the tenacious courage of which Suu Kyi was writing. We believe that more than 2,000 monks and other demonstrators remain in detention, on top of the more than 1,000 political detainees that the regime was already holding.

The steps that the regime must now take are clear: end the violence; release prisoners; grant effective access to the UN special rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, Sergio Pinheiro and the International Committee of the Red Cross; and engagement in a UN-led process of national reconciliation that involves leaders of all Myanmar’s political opposition and ethnic groups, including Suu Kyi.

The UN security council has, for the first time ever, taken formal action on Myanmar by issuing a strong statement deploring the regime’s actions, calling for an inclusive political process, and expressing strong support for the good offices mission of Ban Ki Moon’s special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari.

The European Union has strengthened its sanctions against the regime, imposing new commercial bans on sectors which provide revenue to the regime’s leaders. Last Friday, President Bush announced a similar increase in measures against the regime. And Asean have publicly expressed their revulsion at the regime’s actions.

Last week I wrote to G7 leaders, Prime Minister Socrates, UN Secretary General Ban, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Premier Wen Jiabao, the president of the World Bank and the managing director of the IMF, proposing discussion of a possible economic initiative to support recovery in Myanmar, to be implemented if and only if there is real, verifiable progress towards reconciliation and democracy.

The regime likes to portray itself as a victim of outside interference. But let’s be absolutely clear: the only thing that is standing in the way of a more stable and prosperous Myanmar is the regime itself.

In an interview, Suu Kyi said: “It’s no use standing there wringing your hands and saying my goodness, my goodness, this is terrible. You must try to do what you can.” It is a message upon which on this day — whatever you choose to call it — the whole world should be acting.

(The writer is prime minister of the United Kingdom)
Guardian