Do Not Forget Burma

By Laura Bush

Sunday, June 28, 2009

For two weeks, the world has been transfixed by images of Iranians taking to the streets to demand the most basic human freedoms and rights. Watching these courageous men and women, I am reminded of a similar scene nearly two years ago in Burma, when tens of thousands of Buddhist monks peacefully marched through their nation's streets. They, too, sought to reclaim basic human dignity for all Burmese citizens, but they were beaten back by that nation's harsh regime.

Since those brutal days in September 2007, Burma's suffering has intensified. In the past 21 months, the number of political prisoners incarcerated by the junta has doubled. Within the past 10 days, two Burmese citizens were sentenced to 18 months in prison. Their offense: praying in a Buddhist pagoda for the release of the jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. That is only the tip of the regime's brutality. Inside Burma, more than 3,000 villages have been "forcibly displaced" -- a number exceeding the mass relocations in genocide-racked Darfur. The military junta has forced tens of thousands of child soldiers into its army and routinely uses civilians as mine-sweepers and slave laborers. It has closed churches and mosques; it has imprisoned comedians for joking about the government and bloggers for writing about it. Human trafficking, where women and children are snatched and sold, is pervasive. Summary executions pass for justice, while lawyers are arrested for the "crime" of defending the persecuted.

Rape is routinely used as a "weapon of war." In 2006, I convened a roundtable at the United Nations to address the situation in Burma and listened as Burmese activist Hseng Noung described the rape victims she had aided. The youngest victim was 8; the oldest was 80. Her words silenced the room.

Yet time and again, the women of Burma, who are often the regime's chief targets, have responded to this brutality with inspiring courage. I will never forget visiting the remote and crowded refugee camps on the mountainous border between Burma and Thailand. There, I watched the tireless efforts of Dr. Cynthia Maung to provide lifesaving medical aid for hundreds of Burmese in need, many of them ill or injured. I sat with victims of land mines who had lost legs or feet and were waiting quietly, often for hours, for basic care. Last fall, it was my great privilege to present a Vital Voices award to Charm Tong, who testified before U.N. officials at the age of 17 and eloquently described the systematic military campaign of rape and abuse that is being waged against women in Burma's Shan state. She spoke unflinchingly even though her audience included representatives of the very regime she condemned.

More of us in America should make such courage our courage. At this moment, Aung San Suu Kyi, 64 and in fragile health, faces sentencing on trumped-up charges that could force her to endure five more years of brutal captivity. The junta leaders wish to undermine the Nobel Peace laureate's influence ahead of next year's elections. Leaders from around the world -- including the United States -- have called forcefully for the junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and the 2,100 other political prisoners it is holding. Even Burma's closest allies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have called for her to receive proper medical care and have warned that Burma's "honor and credibility" are at stake. But the world must do more than express concern.

A new report from Harvard Law School asks the U.N. Security Council to establish a "commission of inquiry" into crimes against humanity and war crimes in Burma. Harvard's panel of international law experts has carefully catalogued what it deems as the junta's "widespread and systemic" human rights violations. The Security Council has already referred the crisis in Darfur to the International Criminal Court. It should do the same for Burma.

With U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon planning to visit Burma this summer, it is crucial that he press the regime to take immediate steps to end human rights abuses, particularly in ethnic minority areas. There have been 38 U.N. resolutions condemning these abuses, yet the horrors continue unabated. Under the junta's brutal rule, too many lives have been wasted, lives whose talents could have helped all of Burma prosper.

But Aung San Suu Kyi's continued example of civil courage -- like those brave protesters in Iran -- reminds all of us that no matter how callous the regime, it cannot lock up what she stands for: the fundamental desire of all people to live in freedom and with dignity. During the brief moments that foreign diplomats were allowed to observe her show trial, Aung San Suu Kyi calmly apologized for having to greet them in a prison, saying, "I hope to meet you in better times." We should all share her hope -- and add our voices to those who risk so much to protest tyranny and injustice in Burma and beyond.

The writer is the former first lady of the United States.

Canada Deeply Concerned Over New Charges Against Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi

May 14, 2009 (6:40 p.m. EDT)
No. 131

The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement denouncing the continued, unlawful detention of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi:


“Canada is seriously concerned with the new charges laid against Aung San Suu Kyi, and calls upon the Burmese regime to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all the people of Burma.

“Recent concerns regarding Aung San Suu Kyi’s health will only be heightened by her transfer to harsh prison conditions. Canada strongly urges the Burmese authorities to provide appropriate medical care to all inmates in its prisons and to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, a number of whom suffer from serious health problems.

“Freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law are values fundamental to Canada’s foreign policy. Canada believes that the elections planned for 2010 will only be credible if the Burmese regime unconditionally frees all political prisoners and allows opposition groups to participate freely in the electoral process.


“Canada continues to urge the Burmese authorities to engage in genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition and ethnic minorities. We have shown our solidarity with the people of Burma by imposing the toughest sanctions in the world on the regime and by conferring honorary Canadian citizenship on Aung San Suu Kyi.”

For further information, media representatives may contact:


Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851


Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
www.international.gc.ca/index.aspx

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Su hlaing Phoe perform at The Promotion of Pinglong Spirit and ethnic culture show in Toronto, Canada at Feb 14, 2009. The song name is Our Union.

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Activists urge Canada to assign special envoy to Burma

Mizzima News: Activists urge Canada to assign special envoy to Burma – Solomon
Mon 15 Dec 2008
Filed under: News, International
Burmese activists based in Canada and their supporters have called on the Canadian government to assign a special representative to pressure Burma’s military regime to implement reforms.

At least 10 Burmese organisations in Canada and their supporters including the Parliamentary Friends of Burma (PFB), Burma Watch International (BWI), and Canadian Friends of Burma (CFB) in a joint letter on Friday urged the Canadian Prime Minister to appoint an envoy to Burma.

“With this special envoy, we hope the Canadian government can do more for democratic reforms in Burma,” said Kyaw Zaw Wei, spokesman of the groups.

He said, with the Canadian government being supportive of democratic reforms in Burma, it should have a special envoy, who will be able to work together with other envoys, including from the United Nations, United States and European Union to mount pressure on Burma’s ruling generals.

Canada has long condemned Burma’s military junta for failing to keep its promise to implement changes, and had supported the pro-democracy movement. As a gesture of solidarity towards Burmese refugees, who fled from military persecution in Burma to neighbouring Thailand and India, Canada has accepted thousands of refugees into the country.

The activists also urged Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General to personally pay a fresh visit to Burma and pressure the ruling junta to release political prisoners, a call that has been made earlier by over 110 former world leaders.

Ban, in response to the world leader’s call, has said that he does not find it necessary to visit Burma as there are no signs of change in the country.

Statement from the Burmese Democratic Forces in Canada

August 8, 2008


August 8th marks the 20th anniversary of Burma's largest national democratic uprising. On August 8, 1988 millions of people across Burma peacefully demonstrated against the military dictatorship of General Ne Win, calling for restoration of democracy and human rights in Burma.

The nationwide movement, known as the "8888 Uprising", was brutally repressed by the military. More than 3,000 people were killed (some estimates are as high as 10,000 dead). Doctors and nurses tending the wounded were shot outside Rangoon General Hospital. Bodies of the dead and the injured were secretly cremated in huge numbers. Thousands of families never found out what happened to their loved ones.

The 20th anniversary of 8/8/88 coincides with the start of the Beijing Olympics on 8/8/08. Seven years ago, China's rulers pledged to improve human rights. In exchange, they were given the privilege of holding the Olympic games. They have blatantly broken their commitments. They have intensified their crackdown on human rights activists and others including monks in Tibet and China. They are censoring and blocking websites operated by the Tibetan government-in-exile and rights groups, the Falun Gong spiritual movement, Radio Free Asia, the BBC's Chinese language service, several leading newspapers in Hong Kong and Taiwan and others owned by many human rights groups, including Amnesty International.

China's rulers are tarnishing the image of the Olympic games and betraying its values.

China's rulers are the major supplier of arms and diplomatic support for the military dictatorship in Burma. Along with Russia, they have blocked the UN's binding resolutions and attempts to restore human rights and democracy in Burma. Last September, the world witnessed Burma's military dictators brutally cracking down on peaceful demonstrators led by Buddhist monks. Once again, the Chinese government blocked any concrete action by the UN Security Council They have prevented humanitarian intervention initiatives by the UN Security Council for the May 2 cyclone victims in Burma, which resulted in loss of over 133,000 lives.


The people of Burma have been denied basic human rights by the military dictatorship for the last 46 years. They have suffered long enough. It is time the international community intervened.

We call upon the Government of Canada, the UN, the ASEAN and other international bodies to take the following actions:


1. Demand that Burma's military dictators initiate a genuine time-bound dialogue for national reconciliation and restoration of democracy with Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party won the 1990 election, and with ethnic communities.

2. Demand that the regime release Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and lift restrictions on political parties so that legitimate stakeholders can begin to prepare for participation in the democratization process.

3. Demand that the regime open the door to international observers to ensure any referendum and election process in Burma is free and fair.

4. Ask the UN Security Council to pass binding resolution on arms embargo.

5. Urge China and Russia not to block the UNSC binding resolutions intended to restore human rights and democracy in Burma.

6. Ask neighboring countries specifically China, Thailand and India to stop supporting the ruthless military regime in Burma.

7. Urge the UN Secretary General to get an agreement for time bound tripartite dialogue to restore human rights and democracy in Burma.

8. Provide support to the Burmese Democracy movements and increase humanitarian aids to the people of Burma, including refugees at the border areas with Thailand, India and Bangladesh.



Contact Person:
Zaw W. Kyaw
Zaw.w.kyaw@gmail.com
Phone: (416) 358-2318


Burmese Students Democratic Organization, National League for Democracy Canada (LA) Canada Branch, International Burmese Monks Organization (Canada), Canadian Campaign for Free Burma, Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Burma