Editorial: Active in Europe

Europeans are very compassionate people. The old Europe has been full of peace, prosperity, stability, democracy and Human-rights for more than six decades. As they can enjoy such good virtues, they also want to share them with poor people from all around the world, especially those people from the developing countries struggling under dictatorships.

As Burma is currently occupying the unrivalled top rank of the "poorest and least democratic country under a most oppressive and most corrupt military regime" in the world, the EU and many many individual countries of old Europe are trying to help Burmese people and Burma's democracy movement.

EU has put sanctions on Burma's military regime. EU has pressured ASEAN not to give ASEAN-Chair to Burma. EU has warned Burma's Junta that any constitution drafted by a rubber-stamp convention without participation from opposition politicians and minority ethnic groups will not be recognized.

Many pro-democracy and ethnic activists from Burma are taking refuge and asylum in Europe. Many Burmese human-right campaign Journals and magazines are published in Europe. The very famous Democratic Voice of Burma (Radio & TV broadcasting service) is based in Europe and running with European aid. And we have our old friend BBC Burmese service here.

Last week in London, Burmese Democratic Movement Association, BDMA, held their annual conference; more than a hundred active pro-democracy activists attended the conference. And some guest speakers like Mark Farmanar from Burma Campaign UK and British MP Ms Vera Baird gave speeches of encouragement to the conference. BDMA is the umbrella organization uniting various pro-democracy groups in UK such as Free Burma Coalition UK, NLD/LA/UK, etc.

This week in Germany, Burmese democracy and human-rights activists from all over Europe are holding a Euro-Burma forum to discuss ways and means to successfully remove Burma's military regime from power in 2006.

Europe is also trying to find ways and means to provide humanitarian aid to help relieve rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions (healthcare, education, etc) in Burma. But, here, European leaders need to be a bit careful because Burma's Generals have a very notorious record of stealing the humanitarian aid money and putting it away in their secret bank accounts in Singapore and Switzerland.

Because of all these activities Burma's military regime is also trying to lobby European Commission and European Parliament. They recently opened a new embassy in Brussels. And they are somehow_ by hook or by crook_  using the service of some greedy intellectuals, ex-diplomats and business-men in Europe to influence the politicians and governments of Europe.

The Junta will do all it can to lobby EU; we cannot stop them from doing so. But on the other hand we, pro-democracy activists, must ourselves try to find ways and means to increase co-operation with European leaders and politicians to put more and more pressure on the corrupt military regime until they make sincere democratic reforms in Burma.