Burmese Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi extended her gratitude to Suaram, a Malaysian NGO, for its contribution towards the progress of human rights in a video message delivered at the organisation's 10 th anniversary dinner last night. "I would like to thank Suaram for what they have contributed," she said in a five-minute videotape, which was smuggled out of Burma. "I believe that the time will come when we can work together, when there can be a real exchange of ideas, of help between our countries and our organisations."

Suu Kyi, who is also leader of the opposition National League for Democracy, said that since Burmese were also fighting for human rights, they had a deep feeling of friendship with those struggling for civil and political rights in this part of the world.

"We know that Suaram, like the NLD, has had to face many problems in their battle to promote political and civil rights. Freedom of speech, freedom of association, the right to due process of justice, all these cannot be taken for granted in our part of the world."

The NLD, lead by Suu Kyi, scored a landslide victory in the 1990 election after a bloody pro-democracy movement in 1988. However, the ruling military junta, the then State Law and Order Restoration Council, refused to accept the outcome.

The party has since been campaigning, often without much success, for the military government to yield to the decision of the voters. In 1997, Burma was admitted into Asean despite virulent objections from NLD and human rights groups in the region.

In an oblique reference to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who has championed the virtue of "Asian values", Suu Kyi argued that human rights are not necessary a Western idea.

"Human rights are relevant to all human beings. Those who wish to deny us certain political rights try to convince us that these are not Asian values," she said. "When I say 'they', I am referring to authoritarian regimes."

A human rights award was also presented at the Suaram's anniversary dinner to the people of Kampung Sungai Nipah in Shah Alam for their resolute struggle against the eviction of their homes by the authorities.

T. Mohan, a truck driver, who received the award on behalf of his squatter colony, said that the villagers would not bow to the authorities despite that over 50 people had been arrested and that their houses were demolished four times.

According to Suaram coordinator Elizabeth Wong, the Sungai Nipah community was the first recipient of the organisation's human rights award. The award, she said, would be an annual event and presented on Dec 10, International Human Rights Day.

Suaram, which was established in 1989, has been at the forefront of human rights struggle in Malaysia. In the past 10 years, it had advocated the scrapping of repressive laws such as the Internal Security Act and campaigned for an end to the Bakun dam project as well as the recognition of the rights of marginalised groups.

In addition, it had also supported the struggle for freedom of the people in the region, especially those in East Timor and Burma.

Recognising that Suaram had to face many problems in the battle to promote human rights, Suu Kyi said that "the time will come when organisations working for human rights all over Southeast Asia will be able to cooperate more closely".

"The first 10 years are usually the most difficult ones," she told the 500 people who were at the dinner. "I hope and I believe that the next 10 years will be far easier and far more fruitful for you."