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Burma: The Forgotten Land -- A Call For Compassion

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:09:09 GMT

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Burma: The Forgotten Land -- A Call For Compassion

By JoAnne Green

September 3, 2008

(Photo courtesy of The Burma Campaign UK)

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese democracy activist, has been under almost continuous house arrest by the ruling military junta of Burma for more than 20 years. August 8, 2008, marked the 20^th anniversary of her arrest and detention. It also marked the beginning of more than two decades of bravery by the people of Burma who rose up together to call for the restoration of democracy in their country and an end to misrule and the abuse of their human rights.

I would like to dedicate this special article to the people of Burma, especially Ms. Suu Kyi, leader of Burma’s National League for Democracy.

Since a 1962 coup by an oppressive military dictatorship, Burma has been one of the most isolated countries in the world. Few outsiders have had an opportunity to witness first hand what has gone on inside Burma. It has become a forgotten land.

Recently, the military government of Burma has been lusting after tourist dollars. It has created several aggressive marketing campaigns since 1997 to promote its tourism to international travelers. However, there have been very few travel agencies promoting Burma to international travelers due to recent headlines about human right abuses in this country.

To have a better understanding of Burma and its plights, I invite you to get acquainted with some facts about this unfortunate country and its unique people.

(Photo courtesy of CIA Facts Book)

Land and People

Burma is situated in Southeastern Asia, between two giant nations, China and India. Burma shares its eastern border with China and western border with India and the Bay of Bengal. Burma’s total land mass is about 678,500 sq. km (262,000 sq. miles) with rugged terrain that bears rich natural resources such as natural gas, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, limestone, precious stones such as sapphires, pearls, and jade, hydropower, marine products, and petroleum.

Burma once was one of the main rice-growing countries of the world.

Pagodas in Bagan, Burma
Photo by: Hintha

Burma’s old capital used to be in the port city of Rangoon which has a population of approximately five million people. In January of 2006, the military junta government moved the capital of the country to Pyinmana which is located in a mountainous region some 390 kilometers (243 miles) to the north. Many Burmese citizens were very unhappy about their government's decision. It seems that Burma is going to be further isolated from the rest of the world.

The major religion in Burma is Buddhist, which is the religion of 89% of the population. This is reflected in the artistic and elaborate architecture of many pagodas and temples all over the country.

With a population of nearly 58 million people and many diverse ethnic groups -- Burman (68%), Shan (9%), Karen (7%), Rakhine (4%), Chinese (3%), Mon (2%), Indian (2%), other (5%) -- Burma has been struggling for peace and prosperity since the 15^th century. There have been constant battles, with internal conflicts and rebellions among tribes. The nation has also suffered from four invasions by China and three major wars with Britain.

Historical Summary

The following historical summary is adapted from a U.S. State Department report:

After the end of last war with the British in 1885, Burma was completely under the control of Britain until 1948. During that period, the British had transformed Burma’s economy from subsistence farming to a large-scale export economy. By 1939, Burma had become the world's leading exporter of rice.

Under the command of Burmese nationalists, led by General Aung San and 29 other "Comrades," the British was forced out of Burma after shortly World War II ended in 1945. General Aung San then demanded complete political and economic independence from Britain. The British Government granted these demands. A constitution was completed in 1947 and independence granted in January 1948. General Aung San was assassinated with most of his cabinet before the constitution went into effect.

During the constitutional period from 1948 to 1962, Burma suffered widespread conflict and internal struggle. Constitutional disputes and persistent division among political and ethnic groups contributed to the democratic government's weak hold on power. In 1958, Prime Minister U Nu invited the military to rule temporarily to restore political order. The military stepped down after 18 months; however, in 1962 General Ne Win led a military coup, abolishing the constitution and establishing a xenophobic military government with socialist economic policies. These policies had devastating effects on the country's economy and business climate, according to the State Department report.

In March 1988, student-led disturbances broke out in Rangoon in response to the worsening economic situation and evolved into a call for regime change. Despite repeated violent crackdowns by the military and police, the demonstrations increased in size as many in the general public joined the students. During mass demonstrations on August 8, 1988, military forces killed more than 1,000 demonstrators. At a rally following this massacre Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of General Aung San, made her first political speech and assumed the role of opposition leader, the report continued.

In September 1988, the military deposed Ne Win's Burmese Socialist Program Party (BSPP), suspended the constitution, and established a new ruling junta called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In an effort to "restore order," the SLORC sent the army into the streets to suppress the ongoing public demonstrations. An estimated additional 3,000 were killed, and more than 10,000 students fled into the hills and border areas.

The SLORC ruled by martial law until national parliamentary elections were held in May 1990. The results were an overwhelming victory for Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which won 392 of the 485 seats, even though she was under house arrest. However, the SLORC refused to honor the results and call the parliament into session, and instead imprisoned many political activists.

According to the State Department report, the ruling junta changed its name to the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 1997, but did not change its policy of autocratic control and repression of the democratic opposition. It continued to subject Aung San Suu Kyi to varying forms of detention and other restrictions on her movement, which it periodically lifted only to reinstate later.

In 2000, the SPDC began talks with the political opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi. These talks were followed by the release of political prisoners and some increase in political freedoms for the NLD. In May 2002, Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to leave her home, and subsequently traveled widely throughout the country, where she was greeted by large crowds.

On May 30, 2003, Aung San Suu Kyi and a convoy of her supporters were attacked by a group of regime-affiliated thugs. Many members of the convoy were killed or injured, and others disappeared. Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of her party were detained, and the military government forcibly closed the offices of the NLD. Today, only the NLD headquarters in Rangoon is open, all the party's other offices remain closed, and Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD Vice Chairman U Tin Oo remain under house arrest, according to the State Department report.

In October 2004, hard-line members of the senior leadership consolidated their power by ousting Prime Minister Khin Nyunt and removing him and his allies from control of the government and military intelligence apparatus. In late November 2004, the junta announced it would release approximately 9,000 prisoners it claimed had been improperly jailed by Khin Nyunt's National Intelligence Bureau. Approximately 86 of those released had been imprisoned for their political beliefs.

The report disclosed that those released since November 2004 include Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, both key figures in the 1988 demonstrations. On July 6, 2005, authorities released 323 additional political prisoners and on January 3, 2007, the authorities released over 2,800 prisoners, of whom over 40 were political prisoners. In August 2007 the regime re-arrested Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, and subsequently arrested thousands of political activists and young people after demonstrations in September 2007. Over 2,100 political activists are held in prisons around the country.

Following a sharp increase in fuel prices on August 15, 2007, pro-democracy groups began a series of peaceful marches and demonstrations to protest the deteriorating economic situation in Burma. The regime responded by arbitrarily detaining over 150 pro-democracy activists between August 15 and September 11.

On August 28, as popular dissatisfaction spread, Buddhist monks began leading peaceful marches. On September 5, security forces violently broke up demonstrations by monks resulting in injuries and triggering calls for a nationwide response and a government apology.

According to the State Department, monks resumed their peaceful protests beginning on September 18, in several cities throughout the country. These marches grew quickly to include ordinary citizens, culminating in a gathering of approximately 10,000 protestors in Rangoon on September 24.

On September 25, the regime tried to stop the protests by imposing a curfew and banning public gatherings. On September 26 and 27, the regime renewed its violent crackdown, shooting, beating, and arbitrarily detaining thousands of monks, pro-democracy activists, and onlookers.

Underestimating the number of deaths during the crackdown, the regime confirmed the deaths of only 10 protestors, according to the State Department report. Some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) estimated the number of casualties to be much higher, and in his December 7, 2007, report to the UN General Assembly, Special Rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro stated that there were over 30 fatalities in Rangoon associated with the September 2007 protests, the report continued.

Young monk in front of the Bagaya Kyaung monastery, near Mandalay, Burma
Photo used under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License,

In retribution for leading protest marches, monks were beaten and arrested, many monks were disrobed, and several monasteries were raided, ransacked, and closed. In addition to the more than 1,100 political prisoners whose arrests predate the September 2007 crackdown, another thousand or more were detained due to their participation in the recent protests.

Additional people continued to be arrested through the end of May 2008.

Record of human rights abuses of the junta military government in Burma

Burmese mother with her young children
(Photo courtesy of Global Unions)

According to the 2006 report of the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Department,
the Burmese government's human rights record has worsened over the years, and the government has continued to commit numerous serious abuses. The following is a summary of reported human rights abuses:

abridgement of the right to change the government
extrajudicial killings, including custodial deaths
disappearances
rape, torture, and beatings of prisoners and detainees
arbitrary arrest without appeal
politically motivated arrests and detentions
incommunicado detention
continued house arrest of National League for Democracy (NLD) General Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD Vice
Chairman U Tin Oo, and the continued closure of all NLD offices, except the Rangoon headquarters
imprisonment of members of the United Nationalities Alliance, including Hkun Htun Oo and Sai Nyunt Lwin, both leaders of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy
infringement on citizens' right to privacy
forcible relocation and confiscation of land and property
restriction of freedom of speech, press, assembly, association and movement
restriction of freedom of religion
discrimination and harassment against Muslims
restrictions on domestic human rights organizations and a failure to cooperate with international human rights organizations
violence and societal discrimination against women
forced recruitment of child soldiers
discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities
trafficking in persons, particularly of women and girls for the purpose of prostitution and as involuntary wives restrictions on worker rights
forced labor (including against children), chiefly in support of military garrisons and operations in ethnic minority regions

Tributes to Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi
(Photo courtesy of The U.S. Campaign for Burma)

In April 2008, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voted to bestow on Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of her heroic leadership in fighting for democracy and freedom. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor the U.S. Congress can confer on a civilian.

The presentation of the medal “is a tribute to Suu Kyi's courage and conviction, and a symbol of solidarity with the oppressed people of Burma," said U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein.

The Congressional Gold Medal is but one of several high honors that Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi has received for her heroism during the more than 20 years that she has been under almost constant house arrest.

In October 1990, she was named the recipient of Norway’s Rafto Human Rights Prize. In May 1991, the European Parliament awarded her its Sakharov Human Rights Prize. And on October 14, 1991, she was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

“Suu Kyi's struggle is one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades. She has become an important symbol in the struggle against oppression,” stated the Nobel Committee in announcing the award. “The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honour this woman for her unflagging efforts and to show its support for the many people throughout the world who are striving to attain democracy, human rights and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means.”

In his Nobel Presentation Speech, Francis Sejersted, chairman of the Nobel Committee said, “With her courage and her high ideals, Aung San Suu Kyi brings out something of the best in us. We feel we need precisely her sort of person in order to retain our faith in the future. That is what gives her such power as a symbol, and that is why any ill-treatment of her feels like a violation of what we have most at heart.”

“Any person in any country who believes in the power of good, anyone who believes in justice, will stand by Aung San Suu Kyi,” said Fellow Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta in 1996.

Former U.S. President William J. Clinton said of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, “Your determination and courage continue to inspire friends of freedom around the world. Like your courageous father, you symbolize the authentic aspirations of the Burmese people. History is on the side of freedom throughout the world, and I remain confident that your cause will prevail.”

U.S. President George W. Bush said, “As a tireless champion of human rights and democracy in Burma, Suu Kyi inspires countless people around the world who strive for peace, justice and freedom. In the face of great hardship, she has never wavered in her commitment to peaceful change."

Points to Ponder

Burma is one of very few nations in Asia that has been blessed with such rich natural resources. Over the years, the Burmese junta military regime has allowed many western corporations to mine off Burma’s natural resources in a large scale. The regime supplies many foreign companies with a large pool of forced labor. Many Burmese citizens at all ages have been forced to work for the government with little or no pay. At the same time, the country continues experiencing severe economic difficulties. Ordinary Burmese people have survived on very little of food, scarcely the basic essential living conditions, and almost no freedom.

At the same time, the Burmese junta military regime has been receiving substantial amount of “humanitarian assistance” from many western countries. It is hard to assess how much the government has distributed items from the international humanitarian assistance to the country’s most needy people and how much has been retained by the ruling elites for their own consumption.

As the Burmese junta military regime continues to abuse the human rights of its people, the international community and organizations, including United Nations, have increasingly used the carrot of humanitarian aid to encourage the military junta to loosen its shackles and chains on its people. So far, however, the Burmese junta military regime has not changed its ruling grip.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair along with many international organizations have urged international travelers not travel to Burma because the Burmese junta military regime uses forced labor around many tourism projects. However, there are some advocacy groups who believe that tourism brings some benefits to some small businesses in Burma and to some of the struggling Burmese people. Tourism also brings something of the outside world into Burma helping at least some measure to minimize the isolation of the people in this forgotten land.

# # #

About the Author: JoAnne Green is an American businesswoman. JoAnne is the founder and principal of Sunburst International Risk Management (SRIM) and Sunburst Worldwide Insurance Services. For information on SIRM international risk and insurance protection programs, custom-designed risk mitigation and training services, please visit Sunburst websites www.InternationalRiskManagement.com and www.WorldwideMedicalPlans.com

JoAnne also hosts 21st Century MultiNational Perspectives/Blog/FYI

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Created By: 241880

Re: Burma: The Forgotten Land

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:49:56 GMT

Hi JoAnne,

Thanks for a very compelling, sad and interesting article.

There are many oppressive regimes in the world and this is one of them but as you so aptly said a "forgotten" one. The focus of the world for some reason is on Africa and Europe and in a lesser fashion Asia.

I personally believe that tourism would benefit only the regime governing the country and the people will not benefit at all from the revenue from this source.

Aung San Suu Kyi is to be honored, respected and revered for her courage and perseverance all these years. It's sad to say that the honors bestowed upon her do her very little good and so far hasn't affected the ruling regime in any way.

Thanks for a great article and all the research in preparation of it. I'll be back to see any new additions to this thread.

Shalom,

Peter

Created By: 281772

Re: Burma: The Forgotten Land

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:25:26 GMT

Created By: nicksym

Re: Burma: The Forgotten Land

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:31:43 GMT

Sunny Greetings from California, Nick!

Thank you for stopping by and for your support.

I like the graphic that you posted a lot. Thanks for selecting an appropriate graphic for this special thread.

Until next time --

Have an Awesome Weekend!

JoAnne Green
Principal / International Risk Management Advisor
Integrity Experience Dependability

Click the Banner Below:

Wherever you are in the world,
our worldwide travel assistance is
by your side 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Created By: 241880

Re: Burma: The Forgotten Land

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:00:14 GMT

Sunny Greetings from California, Peter!

I appreciate you being the first to post on this special thread. Thank you so much for your thoughtful and insightful message.

You wrote: "There are many oppressive regimes in the world and this is one of them but as you so aptly said a "forgotten" one. The focus of the world for some reason is on Africa and Europe and in a lesser fashion Asia." I wholeheartedly agree. It is so sad that many people in the free world do not show enough concerns about the plight of the people of Burma. It also seems that I encounter more and more people who have such a sheltered life. They only care about their immediate needs and desires and what happens within their own back yard.

You wrote: "I personally believe that tourism would benefit only the regime governing the country and the people will not benefit at all from the revenue from this source."

Peter, I do have such a mixed feeling about tourism in Burma. I understand both sides of the issue. Yet, it has been difficult for me to decide whether or not I am against tourism there. I need more time to ponder about it.

You also wrote: "Aung San Suu Kyi is to be honored, respected and revered for her courage and perseverance all these years. It's sad to say that the honors bestowed upon her do her very little good and so far hasn't affected the ruling regime in any way."
It has had little effect, it is true. But if the international community had not noticed and honored Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi's leadership and heroism, I think that the Burmese junta military regime would have made her disappear a long time ago. The Burmese people need her presence, inspiration, and guidance just to keep hope alive. So they continue to keep their fingers crossed, to be thankful that she is least still alive, and to pray for her safety.

I get really emotional whenever I read about the misery and abuses that the Burmese people and Aung San Suu Kyi have to endure.

Your friendship and support mean a lot to me, Peter.

Until next time --

Have an Awesome Weekend!

JoAnne Green
Principal / International Risk Management Advisor
Integrity Experience Dependability

Click the Banner Below:

Wherever you are in the world,
our worldwide travel assistance is
by your side 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Created By: 241880

Re: Burma: The Forgotten Land

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:11:32 GMT

Thank you JoAnne for sharing this story. It serves to remind us that our own complaints are minor and our blessings are bountiful.

Dennis

Created By: agent88

Re: Burma: The Forgotten Land

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:50:41 GMT

Sunny Greetings from California, Dennis!

I am delighted to have your visit. Thank you for stopping by and for your express of support.

You wrote: "It serves to remind us that our own complaints are minor and our blessings are bountiful."
It is so true that we are so blessed to live in a free world. In the mean time, millions of Burmese people have to suffer with misery and abuses.

I appreciate your friendship and support, Dennis

Until next time --

Have an Awesome Weekend!

JoAnne Green
Principal / International Risk Management Advisor
Integrity Experience Dependability

Click the Banner Below:

Wherever you are in the world,
our worldwide travel assistance is
by your side 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Created By: 241880

Re: Burma: The Forgotten Land

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:36:48 GMT

Thank you, JoAnne.

What a wonderful story. I have a friend who travels to Burma several times a year as a missionary. I love the stories she shares with us every time she returns.

This has made me stop and count my blessings. We take so much for granted the so many don't even dream about.

Blessings!

Judy

Created By: jnsmith

Re: Burma: The Forgotten Land

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:41:44 GMT

Thanks, JoAnne. Those of us who live in North America are so blessed.

Created By: connections