31.12.2006
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Editorial: Ringing the Changes (2006 to 2007)
_ By Taisamyone
New Year is a time to reflect on the successes and setbacks of the last year and to make resolutions for the New Year – usually to make changes in our personal way of doing things that will bring greater success for the future.
On Union Day 2006, the NLD made its offer to the junta to bring about the changes that we all want, to break the political deadlock and bring about a true road map that does lead to democratic government for Burma – one that the people define and believe in. Whilst drawing criticism for offering some legitimacy to the junta, the offer was laid out for their consideration. As many of us suspected, the junta reacted to any initiative by their opposition by ignoring it and bluntly refusing to discuss it. It is as if they are blind, deaf and dumb when it comes to any view or opinion that is not in strict accord with their own blinkered way. If the regime really was looking to make progress in accord with the wishes of the people, then this could have been an alternative worth considering. They chose to cling to their path, wending its way ever downward in a spiral of incompetence and corruption, concerned not for the people of Burma, but for their own life of luxury and power.
Ibrahim Gambari’s visits to Burma promised much but delivered little – not perhaps any criticism of Gambari’s intentions and skills – but again testament to the intransigence of the regime. Burma has been left alone for so long, that it has learned to live without accommodating diplomatic efforts from ASEAN, the UN or others wishing to help alleviate the situation. The junta has become entrenched in its bunker-like mindset, in much the same way it has retreated to its jungle hideout at NayPyiDaw. Nothing seems to have dislodged it from its almost stationary position – except the threats by action from the ILO for its record on forced labour.
When we have read of the death of political prisoners – Math Myint Than and Thet Win Aung – we also read that their treatment at the hands of their captors and the lack of medical attention (or the misappropriation by jailors for their own profit) has led to early deaths. The ICRC has continued to press for prison visits to those still alive, denied on the pretext that the USDA is dealing with the issue. These reports highlight so many atrocious signs of repression, corruption and decay that we wonder how we are going to put them right when the time comes; NGOs being forced to abide by the junta’s rules, being forced to stop their humanitarian work. A healthcare system that doesn’t have the drugs or facilities to treat the civilian population properly, let alone those prisoners incarcerated in kennels built by the British for guard dogs. A regime of repression that jails people for 79 years for political opposition to the regime on trumped up charges of insurrection – a corrupt and prejudiced court system that doesn’t deliver fairness or justice. Jails where prison guards take good quality drugs that are intended for prisoners and substitute poor quality substitutes, so that they can sell the good quality ones on the black market.
The continuing efforts of pro-democracy groups, human rights groups and international NGOs and government bodies led to the successful agreement to include ‘the situation in Myanmar’ to be placed on the agenda of the UN Security Council – despite negative attitudes from China and Russia. It took the regime a few days to respond with its expected diatribe against the US; pressuring cease-fire groups to denounce the resolution in words being the familiar style from the ‘Ministry of Truth’. The New Light of Myanmar still publishes regular denouncements – they didn’t want to overwhelm us by issuing all the statements on the same day. As if taking a cue from the UNSC statement, the NLM has continued to report speeches and supporting propaganda to counter each reason for placing Burma on the agenda. Burma is portrayed as land of peace and prosperity, infrastructure construction, regional developments, management of education, healthcare, drugs eradication, etc., etc., are all under control by the regime hand in hand with the people. And not to mention the National Convention – the means by which the junta intends to remain in control by coercing and bullying the people of Burma to accept the legitimisation of the regime in constitution that has been described as never working even on Mars – a reference to its totally alien nature – written by aliens completely out of touch, on another planet, from the rest of humanity. Meanwhile the regime continue to state at the UN that they are prepared to work with the UN and that progress is being made in Myanmar on all of the issues raised – well, perhaps it is on the other planet that they come from.
One of the most encouraging events of 2006 was the massive support that the ‘White Expression’ campaign drew within Burma as well as among the expatriate community.
As they prepared to attend the celebration of the founding of the NLD, Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Htay Kywe were arrested. Kyaw Min Yu, a member of the “88 Generation Students Group,” said: “I think the authorities are afraid of them because they can lead people.” Meanwhile about 350 members and supporters of the NLD, including foreign diplomats gathered at the NLD headquarters in Rangoon under the watch of security officials. Three days later Min Zeya and Pyone Cho were also arrested. All five had been active in the 88 generation student and had spent many years in prison as political prisoners. Some days later the regime announced that they had ‘information’ that the five were intending to commit terrorist acts and to cause ‘commotion’, along with the NCUB and the BCP. To date they have not been charged with any crimes; if they ever are tried, it will be a sham trial lacking any attempt at disguising the regime’s injustice and ineptitude. All five have always stood by their beliefs in peaceful opposition to the military regime, calling for genuine dialogue and transition to democratic government.
Despite 15 years in prison, Min Ko Naing shows no antagonism towards his captors, he retains his sense of humour and wishes to devote more time to poetry and painting than politics. His fame as a 1988 student leader puts him in a special category of those to whom people turn as a natural leader. The false accusations made by the junta are absurd in the face of the reality of the personalities of those arrested – they aren’t terrorists, they just want to promote people’s peaceful participation in politics to address the problems facing Burma.
By early October, his friends and fellow student leaders began a signature campaign calling for the release of the five. Copying signature forms as fast as they could, activists travelled around Burma collecting signatures from the far corners of the country from Arakan to Keng Tung, Tenasserim to Putao. News of the campaign spread at lightening speed, assisted no doubt by reports on the BBC, DVB, VOA and RFA. Despite attempts by the regime to discredit the campaign, asking why 40 year olds still call themselves ‘student leaders’, the campaign was a roaring success. In a country where people fear the wrath of irrational persecution, it is startling that over 500,000 signatures were collected – something the regime wanted to quietly forget – and news spread around the world fuelling hope that the people’s voice would be heard and listened to.
The regime reacted by arresting Phyo Zaw Latt and Win Ko who had participated in the campaign and subsequently imprisoning them for 14 years, charged with ‘forging documents’ under some obscure legislation. The campaign also urged people to wear white for a week as a sign of their support for the campaign, and as a sign of purity – i.e. free from the corruption that infests the regime in pandemic proportions. The regime’s response was to wriggle around the issue because most Burmese people wear white as part of their normal dress code. Whatever the junta says, the people of Burma and the rest of the world know the impact of the campaign. 88 Generation activist Ko Mya Aye said that the campaigns have achieved at least something because "they have managed to bring people out of their fear, even though fear is all they have known in their lives."
2006 was indeed an interesting year in Burma’s political landscape; there have been successes and hurdles, failures and continued persecution and human rights abuse by the junta. The regime continues to respond with the anger and vindictiveness of a school bully. But the world is beginning to wake up to the situation in Burma and take notice, and with the people of Burma is beginning to do something that will make a difference, will bring about the defeat of the junta and the return to democracy for Burma. The political events of 2006 made a difference.
2007 is just upon us and we can hope that the new UN Secretary General and the new US ambassador to the Security Council will be able to put through a strong and binding resolution on the junta. The people of Burma have been waiting for so long to be free of persecution and tyranny, to establish a nation; with all of our efforts together, we can make a difference. How is it going to work? The UNSC agrees a course of action, every nation voices agreement – this will need some diplomacy work - on December 22nd The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing "grave concern" over persistent human rights violations in Myanmar, particularly violence against minorities. The motion was passed in a vote of 82 to 25 (including Russia and China), with 45 members abstaining. Pressure from outside is one part of the required pressure. Continued pressure from inside Burma will need to be maintained. Every day brings more human rights abuse events to the fore that leads to frustration on the part of the people of Burma. The people of Burma are starting to pick up the peaceful means of disobedience and opposition – any way they can. Eventually, the junta will be defeated.
For all of us, we can continue doing the great work that helps our friends and family in Burma. But we cannot stand still. We need to learn from our past actions – what went well, what didn’t. And when we can look at what we do and how we do it ourselves objectively, questioning everything, every assumption and every previous conclusion, we need to learn the lesson and change ourselves – learning is growth for us personally and will lead us to greater and greater things. As the saying goes; ‘If we always do what we have always done, then we will always get what we have always got’. If we want to change the landscape of politics in Burma dramatically, then we ourselves may need to dramatically change the way we do things. We need to make a difference in 2007, and we can, we will.
Quotes of the day!
¨ Information about the perpetrations to cause internal commotion and commit terrorist attacks inside the nation has been received at a time when the US led the move to put Myanmar on the agenda of the UN Security Council…. The information also said that the NCUB, formed with expatriates and insurgents, was conspiring with remnants of the underground cell of the Burma Communist Party against the nation….NLM. 3rd Oct’06
¨ The resolution, which came in response to a U.N. special investigator's report, called on Myanmar to end the atrocities it has perpetrated in its yearlong efforts to suppress an insurgency in the country's Karen province. In the resolution adopted Friday night, the assembly asked the military government to "end the systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Myanmar." It also called on the government "to take urgent measures to put an end to the military operations targeting civilians in the ethnic areas, and the associated violations," including the recruitment of child soldiers and the use of torture……UN General Assembly resolution. 22nd Dec’06
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