Myanmar's Suu Kyi says she's too busy for Facebook

BANGKOK - Agence France-Presse

Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi smiles during the "One-on-One Conversation with a Leader" event as part of the World Economic Forum on East Asia at a hotel in Bangkok June 1, 2012. REUTERS photo

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is bullish on democratic reform, but she's not so sure about Facebook.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner who was held under house arrest as a political prisoner for much of the past 22 years without even a telephone was asked Friday at the World Economic Forum on East Asia when she would join the 900-million member social network.

She said it was not an issue with adjusting to new technology, but a matter of finding the time. She said she will join when her schedule opens up.

"Mind you, you never know what will happen with the technological revolution," she said at a news conference. "Facebook may be old hat tomorrow. In that case, I won't go on Facebook." Under Myanmar's previous military junta, her countrymen with Internet connections were blocked by a government firewall from accessing many sites. The reformist but still military-backed government elected last year has since eased most of those restrictions.

Suu Kyi herself had a broadband internet connection installed at her house shortly after her release.
Suu Kyi also said Friday that she is a big fan of mobile phones, and opposes Myanmar's tight licensing rules on them.

"This means that we cannot promote the distribution of cellphones as much as we would wish to, and I think we would all agree that cellphones are very important in both the political and economic opening-up of any country," she said.