World must help bring Democracy to Burma, assist in ending house arrest for Aung San Suu Kyi
With the appropriate international pressure (especially from China), I think these protests could finally bring democracy to Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for decades despite being the democratically elected leader of the nation, was recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize and is the best hope for stability in this impoverished nation. I think the international community should pressure China and crack down on the military junta through sanctions and by supporting the protests. The Olympics and willingness of the respected Buddhist monks opens up a great opportunity to bring about change in this part of the world. The Olympics should also be used to pressure China to get tough with the regime in Sudan as well. Hopefully as leaders gather at the UN, this issue will make it to the top of the international agenda. We cannot pass up on this opportunity.
Thanks for reading…
Darryl
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Burmese rulers warn protesters
REUTERS PHOTO
Buddhist monks march through the streets in Rangoon’s city centre yesterday in a massive anti-government demonstration.
Burma no stranger to dissent
Burma has been under military dictatorship almost continuously since 1962.
By 1988, it was suffering from a deteriorating economy. There was also widespread discontent, spearheaded by students and Buddhist monks, against military rule and a lack of political freedoms.
Aug. 8, 1988 – Troops fire on Rangoon protesters demanding democracy, killing some 3,000 people.
Sept. 18, 1988 – A new coup took place, but the military promised to allow opposition parties and to organize elections. Those promises later proved to be illusory.
September 1988 – Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (right), daughter of the country's independence hero, formed the National League for Democracy.
July 20, 1989 – The military regime responded to her growing political strength by placing her under house arrest. She has been detained for about 12 of the last 18 years.
May 28, 1990 – Suu Kyi's detention didn't prevent her party from winning a landslide in elections, but the military government refused to recognize the results. It has held on to power ever since.
Dec. 10, 1991 – Suu Kyi awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
May 6, 2002 – Junta released Suu Kyi from house arrest and let her tour country to huge crowds.
May 30, 2003 – The government seized her again and placed her under even stricter house arrest.
Aug. 19, 2007 – Protests began in response to sharp, unannounced fuel price increases of up to 500 per cent.They were led at first by former student protesters and other activists, but most of these leaders have since been arrested or are in hiding.
Sept. 18 – Monks began their protests, apparently motivated by an attack on a small demonstration at which security officers beat a number of monks.
Saturday – More than 500 monks and sympathizers marched to where Suu Kyi is under house arrest. She greeted them from her gate in her first public appearance in more than four years.
Sunday – Buddhist monks lead more than 20,000 people through the streets of Rangoon.
But pro-democracy activists are hopeful military won't use brutal force to stop peaceful marches
Sep 25, 2007 04:30 AM
Olivia Ward
FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER
The blood-red robes of Buddhist monks merged with the threadbare garments of civilians across Burma today, as streams of demonstrators poured onto the streets to protest the ruling military junta.
Local officials rode trucks through the streets, warning over loud- speakers that the regime would "take action" against the religious leaders. Fears of a new crackdown continue to escalates as hopes for a Ukrainian-style "orange revolution" hang in the balance.
"They may be planning to use brutal force, but that would be very dangerous," warned Aung Din, a former Burmese pro-democracy leader who was imprisoned after a 1988 uprising in which some 3,000 people were killed.
"Those monks are highly respected and it could be a trigger point," he said from Washington, where he heads the U.S. Campaign for Burma.
The Buddhist clergy began daily marches on Sept. 18, after the junta failed to apologize for injuring several monks at a protest in the city of Pakokku. They called for public support, rallying more than 100,000 people including high-profile journalists and entertainers.
Yesterday, world leaders attending a United Nations summit called for restraint. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned against action against the demonstrators.
An aide said U.S. President George W. Bush would announce new sanctions against "key members of the regime and those that provide financial support to them," as well as a visa ban on junta members and their families "associated with the negative activities of the regime."
Earlier, in Burma, also known as Myanmar, Religion Minister Brig.-Gen. Thura Myint Maung had warned that "if the monks go against the rules and regulations in the authority of the Buddhist teachings, we will take action under the existing law."
So far the demonstrators have ignored the prospective danger.
In driving rain and fierce sunshine, crowds have taken to the street to express their growing resentment of the junta's repression and economic mismanagement, which has led to the starvation of thousands of Burmese, and spiking inflation as gasoline prices surged by 500 per cent in the past month.
Protests spread to Mandalay, Sittwe, Bago and other towns, where they met with little resistance. In Rangoon, monks were briefly allowed to pray outside the home of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Pro-democracy groups say that supporters' ranks have swelled to more than 200,000.
But in Burma's tightly closed society – ruled by one of the most repressive regimes in the world – even experts find it hard to guess the outcome of the protests.
"Everything is in our favour now," said Tin Maunt Htoo, executive director of the pro-democracy Canadian Friends of Burma. "The movement is growing to all walks of life. The monks are at the forefront and they are very respected. If (the junta) touches them it may not stay in power."
Even before the disastrous 1988 crackdown on the pro-democracy demonstrations, in which monks took part but did not lead, the military rulers have tried to pacify the clergy with favours, says Bruce Matthews, a Burma expert and professor emeritus of comparative religion at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.
"The magnitude of their involvement in the demonstrations is new," he said in a phone interview. "For the past 25 years the junta has made every effort to patronize the monks. They've renovated temples, and made sure the lifestyle of the senior monks was comfortable, in terms of cars and residences."
But analysts say the success of the latest democracy efforts depends not only on the monks – but on China's influence, and the loyalty of the Burmese military.
"In the last year or so, China is trying to play a moderating role," says Paul Evans, co-CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. "Part of that has to do with suppressing the movement of drugs across the border from Burma, which has brought some positive intervention."
China is Burma's major economic client and arms supplier. But it is anxious to fend off questions about links to human rights violators before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The ultimate key to victory for the pro-democracy movement is the 400,000-strong army, experts say. In most "peaceful revolutions" across the world, demonstrations only toppled governments when the armed forces held their fire.
"Burmese army members are making a good living, and they have family members to support," Matthews points out. "There are probably more than 1 million people directly dependent on the junta. That means the army won't give in easily to the demonstrators."
Brian John, a national co-ordinator for Myanmar (Burma) for Amnesty International Canada, says it is a good sign that the regime has not used gangs of plainclothes thugs to attack demonstrators.
And he adds, "maybe we're reaching a tipping point where any violence toward monks could turn not just civilians but rank-and-file military against their leaders. Civilians are linking hands as a cordon against military police in acts of courage that make you weep. I'm more hopeful today than I have been for the past 19 years."
World leaders urge military to show calm
The junta's secretive supremo
Five facts about the Burmese military junta's most powerful figure, Than Shwe:
Born in British-controlled central Burma in February 1933. Than Shwe joined the army in 1953 and rose through the ranks to become military supremo with the official title "Senior General" in 1992.
On taking power, he said the junta that seized power in a 1962 coup would "not hold onto power for long," sparking hopes of civilian government. Since then, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of her time either in prison or under house arrest.
Than Shwe is rarely seen in public or out of uniform. One notable exception was his appearance at a secretly leaked video of his daughter's wedding in 2006. The ceremony's lavishness sparked outrage among Burma's 53 million people, among the poorest in Asia.
He is known to have an intense personal dislike of Suu Kyi and is alleged to have walked out of a meeting with a foreign envoy when her name was mentioned.
Rumours about his failing health and imminent demise are common.
Reuters
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Burmese protesters defy warning
 | Monks have called for political prisoners to be freed 
|
Tens of thousands of monks and civilians in Burma's main city Rangoon have defied military warnings and staged new anti-government protests. Some chanted "we want dialogue". Others simply shouted "democracy, democracy".
Earlier, lorries with loudspeakers warned residents that the protests could be "dispersed by military force".
After the march finished, eyewitnesses told two news agencies they had seen several military trucks moving on Rangoon's streets.
| LATEST PROTESTS 1. Shwedagon Pagoda. Tens of thousands of protesters, led by monks, gathered here at start of march
2.Sule Pagoda. Students joined the protest, passing nearby city hall |
Reuters reported that eight trucks carrying armed riot police and 11 carrying troops had moved into the city centre.
The security forces stayed in the vehicles while a few hundred people looked on, AFP said.
Tens of thousands of monks and supporters had earlier marched from Shwedagon pagoda into the commercial centre of Rangoon, where they gathered around Sule pagoda and nearby city hall, witnesses told AFP.
Protesters addressed the crowd outside city hall.
"National reconciliation is very important for us... The monks are standing up for the people," proclaimed poet Aung Way.
One monk told the Associated Press: "People do not tolerate the military government any longer."
The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says monks - who have been spearheading the protest campaign - have been handing out pictures of Burmese independence hero Aung San, the deceased father of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
They were also carrying flags, including some bearing the image of a fighting peacock used by students during the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, witnesses told Reuters.
Students were also openly marching, says the BBC Burmese Service. In earlier marches they had simply formed a chain and clapped.
| PROTESTS MOUNT 15 Aug: Junta doubles fuel prices, sparking protests 5 Sept: Troops injure several monks at a protest in Pakokku 17 Sept: The junta's failure to apologise for the injuries draws fresh protests by monks 18-21 Sept: Daily marches by monks in Burmese cities gradually gather in size 22 Sept: 1,000 monks march to the home of Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon 23 Sept: Up to 20,000 march in Rangoon 24 Sept: New Rangoon march draws at least 50,000 and 24 other towns join in |
"Some students are in the middle of exams at this time," one of the students told the BBC. "But they have left their exam rooms and come out onto the streets, joining hands with the public, fighting for the country under the guidance of the monks."
The junta, which violently repressed the 1988 protests killing some 3,000 people, finally broke its silence over the mounting protests late on Monday, saying it was ready to "take action" against the monks.
It repeated the warning on state media, ordering monks not to get involved in politics and accusing them of allowing themselves to be manipulated by the foreign media.
International reaction
At the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Burma's rulers to exercise restraint in the face of the growing protests.
US President George W Bush is to use his speech - due shortly - to announce further sanctions against Burma's ruling military junta, the White House has said.
The US is hoping it will encourage other nations to act and embolden the protesters on Burma's streets, says the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington.
Close neighbour China called for "stability", and the European Union has also urged the junta to show the "utmost restraint" and to take the opportunity to "launch a process of real political reform".
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has given his backing to the monks' call for freedom and democracy.
The protests were triggered by the government's decision to double the price of fuel last month, hitting people hard in the impoverished nation.
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Chinese dilemma over Burma protests
| By Michael Bristow
BBC News, Beijing |
 China has kept its distance from the unfolding events in Burma |
China, which has become one of Burma's main supporters over recent years, has remained largely silent about the current protests.
Beijing is traditionally reluctant to speak publicly about the internal affairs of other countries.
But, despite this, there are signs that Chinese politicians are anxious to help stabilise the political situation in Burma.
They perhaps do not want to tarnish China's image ahead of next year's Beijing Olympics by appearing to support any military crackdown in Burma.
Officially, China is playing down its ability to influence events in Burma.
"China always adopts a policy of non-interference," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu at a regular press briefing.
|  It is in China's long-term business interests to make sure its neighbour is stable  |
"As Myanmar's (Burma's) neighbour, China hopes to see stability and economic development in Myanmar," she added.
"The stability of Myanmar serves the interest of Myanmar itself and the interests of the international community."
But China's ties with the military junta ruling Burma go deep, and include expanding trade links, the sale of military hardware and diplomatic support.
Energy corridor
"In the last decade or two, with the improving economic situation in China and the increasing isolation of Burma, China has become increasingly important to the regime," said a spokesman for the Asian Human Rights Commission, based in Hong Kong.
The relationship between Burma and China is mainly based on trade. Burma, which has very little industry itself, imports manufactured goods from China.
"If you walk around the streets in Burma, particularly in the north, the overwhelming majority of manufactured goods are Chinese made," said the commission spokesman, who regularly visits Burma.
That trade is reflected in official Chinese figures, which show that exports from China to Burma were up by 50% in the first seven months of this year. They were worth $964m (£479m).
 Beijing does not want to be associated with any crackdown |
Burma mainly exports raw materials, such as timber and gems, to China.
According to research published a few days ago by EarthRights International, 26 Chinese multinational firms were involved in 62 major projects in Burma over the last decade.
These include the construction of oil and gas pipelines stretching 2,380km (1,479 miles) from Burma's Arakan coast to China's Yunnan Province.
The rights group, based in the United States and South East Asia, says this is to help China import oil and gas from the Middle East, Africa and South America.
Official Chinese figures say total imports from Burma amounted to just $146m in the first seven months of this year.
But others doubt the accuracy of these figures. Rights group Global Witness estimated timber exports to China alone were worth $350m in 2005 - most of it illegally exported.
China also sells Burma military hardware, according to the Asian Human Rights Commission.
And Beijing used its veto in the United Nations' Security Council in January to block criticism of Burma's military junta.
'Restore stability'
But despite these deep links, China has shown signs of promoting reform in Burma over recent months.
 Earlier this month China urged Burma to maintain stability |
In June this year it hosted low-profile talks in Beijing between representatives from the US and Burma.
And earlier this month, senior Chinese diplomat Tang Jiaxuan had some advice for visiting Burmese Foreign Minister U Nyan Win.
"China whole-heartedly hopes that Myanmar (Burma) will push forward a democracy process that is appropriate for the country," he said, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.
Tang, who acts as a foreign policy adviser, said China "hoped Myanmar would restore internal stability as soon as possible, properly handle issues and actively promote national reconciliation".
China is perhaps wary of backing a regime that might order a violent crackdown of protesters ahead of next year's Beijing Olympics.
Beijing is extremely sensitive to criticism about any of its foreign policies before the event is held. They do not want anything to spoil the games.
Chinese officials have already tried to limit criticism of Beijing's support for Sudan by backing a UN plan that aims to bring peace to the African country's troubled Darfur region.
And, as the Asian Human Rights Commission spokesman said, it is in China's long-term business interests to make sure its neighbour is stable.
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