Burma: A Thorny Question for the Region

By Zin Linn, Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com) January 3, 2004 Much to everybody's surprise, the Burmese military junta has recently stepped up its arrests of people for peaceful dissent against the regime in many places around the country. On 22 December 2003, the residences of eight members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) from Mandalay Division were raided by the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). A mobile-phone, approximately one hundred-thousand Kyat, books and papers were confiscated and taken to an undisclosed location. Those detained in the raids include Daw Tin Myint (F), Ma Hninn Pa Pa Hlaing (F), U Than Win (M), U Win Kyi (M), U Myint Oo (M), U Hla Oo (M), U Hla Soe (M) and Ko Aung Aung (M). To date, family members have not been allowed to meet with the detainees. Most of the detainees were also victims of the Depayin attack on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters on 30 May when they were arrested and only recently released. The crackdown occurred shortly after the sixth visit of the UN Special Rapporteur, Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, and the second visit by two Amnesty International (AI) representatives. Also, three unidentified persons were arrested in Rangoon on 24 December 2003. According to a reliable source in Rangoon, the detainees had cooperated in gathering evidence relating to the Depayin ambush to present to the UN Special Rapporteur and the two AI representatives. In addition to the above-mentioned arrests, three other NLD members from Tennasserim Division were arrested in mid December by the local MIS. They are Ma Than Soe (F) from Longlon township and Nyi Nyi Lay (M) and Phoe Pe (M) from Tha-yet-chaung township. Their whereabouts is still unknown. Moreover, two civilians, Nyi Soe from Tha-yet-chaung and Aung Minn from Pu-law in Tennasserim Division were accused of participating in anti-government political activities and later arrested by Captain Tin Maung Win of Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No 262 in December. According to the Washington-based Radio Free Asia, three Buddhist monks from Mahadhammikayama Monastery in Magwe were put on arbitrary trial and sentenced to 27 years imprisonment each on 24 December 2003. The three monks, U Ottara, U Khemasara and U Kauthanla, who were studying Buddhist scripture at the monastery. The MIS accused them of being agitators, attempting to instigate a religious riot. Actually, the international community wants to see action that clearly demonstrates the State Peace and Development Council's (SPDC) genuine readiness to allow political freedom for all Burma's citizens, including the inclusion of ethnic nationalities representatives in Burma's political future. The SPDC also needs to demonstrate this readiness by releasing all political prisoners and allowing political parties to become involved in the future of the nation. But the military junta has failed to respect the advice of the international community and continues to act in its usual way contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On 22 December 2003, after a 17-day visit to Burma, an Amnesty International delegation called on the government to release all prisoners of conscience and cease arresting people for peacefully dissenting against the regime. At a press conference in Bangkok the delegation issued a statement outlining a range of serious concerns substantiated during the visit, and called on the military authorities to take urgent steps to improve the human rights situation, which has deteriorated significantly since the 30 May violent attack on the NLD. AI, which first visited Burma in February 2003, has documented the arrest of scores of people for non-violent political activities since May 2003, many of whom are now confirmed to have been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment under repressive legislation. At the time, AI strongly urged the SPDC to permit an independent, impartial, and effective investigation into the 30 May events, and to bring those found responsible to justice. The continued absence of such an investigation fuels the climate of impunity in Burma. Neglecting all suggestion from international organizations and well-wishers, the junta is strongly pursuing its 'iron-fist' policy and the political prisoners' list continues to grow. In the fifteen years since the nation-wide civil uprising in 1988, little progress has been made in the areas of democracy and human rights in Burma. The UN Special Rapporteur Prof Paulo Sergio Pinheiro has repeatedly criticized Burma's Junta, saying its political reforms were going simply too slowly. He occasionally suggested the generals speed up change and insisted that all political prisoners must be freed as a sign of sincerity. But, as long as the generals dilly-dally on the issue of releasing political prisoners, it is clear they still have no intention to restore democracy and embark on a process of national reconciliation in Burma. The launching of a concerted effort among international community to free political prisoners in Burma is laudable. This issue is not only intertwined with regional politics, but it is also connected with global humanitarianism. For that reason, world leaders should consider pressuring the SPDC to free all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally. It can be argued that military regime takes advantage of releasing prisoners in small numbers in order to reduce international pressure, especially from those who have brought sanctions against the regime. However, the regime should understand that building an appropriate political atmosphere foundational for national reconciliation and the unconditional and immediate release of all political prisoners detained arbitrarily and inhumanely is part of this process. The release of all political prisoners can also spur the country’s economic revival, which is on the verge of collapse. But the junta has not only repeatedly declined to release of all political prisoners but has also stepped up its arrest of its citizens for expressing dissenting opinions. In doing so, the junta violates Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and challenges decisions on "Burma Issue" by the UN. Any announcement made by the military regime concerning national reconciliation will continue to be meaningless unless there is political space for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD. This means the Nobel laureate and her colleagues must be released from detention and must be free to travel and communicate with each other, NLD members and supporters. The Burmese people have not been allowed to participate in the nation's political processes. The junta must take the voices of the Burmese people into account in any process of political reform in Burma. At the same time, the regime has no rights to discard the result of the 1990 general elections in which people made clear their desires for the future. The current spate of arrests and imprisonments may be the outer manifestations of the military regime's inner thinking. World leaders of today should make a concerted effort to help build the tomorrow of the Burmese people. Without the world leaders' genuine sympathy and sincere help, Burma may continue to be a thorny question of the region.