Indeed Burma’s inclusion in the UNSC is a battle won for the international community. It offers a broader space for a democratization process to move inside Burma. But as the ruling junta continues to violate the rights of its citizens, the task of the UNSC should not be limited only to Burma’s inclusion on its program of work. Burma’s inclusion at the UNSC would become meaningless if the Council would not adopt a substantial and binding resolution that is able to immediately halt the political attrition against all opposition groups and activists inside Burma.
On Sept 15, the UN Security Council (UNSC) made a remarkable contribution to the suffering population of Burma also known as Myanmar, when it included the military-ruled country in its formal agenda. The council voted 10-4 to list Burma, which has drawn international condemnation for detaining hundreds of political opponents including Burmese democracy icon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for most of the past 17 years.
As expected, the Burmese military junta again met all accusations hurled against them with sharp denials. Citing that Burma’s problems are merely domestic concerns, the junta is now at a loss how to spin a fitting alibi for Burma not to be included in the Council’s agenda. Even the state-run newspaper The New Light of Myanmar must hire a new editor with special skills in fabricating lies because the rag (pardon the double pun) simply cannot convince the international community to believe that the generals in Rangoon have committed no crimes.
The peoples of Burma and the international community have all the reasons to rejoice because finally the UN’s most powerful organ has taken notice of the illegal regime in Rangoon—a regime that rapes its own women and exploits its own workers.
Immediately after Sept 15, the junta ran amuck. Arbitrary arrests of activists then followed. Former political prisoners, Min Ko Naing, Min Zeya, Ko Ko Gyi, Htay Kywe and Pyone Cho were arrested by the military junta Wednesday, Sept 27 at their homes by the military and have not been seen since.
The junta earlier accused the detained activists, all of whom are members of the 88 Generation Students group, of creating “instability and unrest,” and of having links with exiled activists. The arrests of 5 activists drew flak from the international community. As of this writing, the 5 activists are still under detention with no trial being offered to prove their innocence. But wonder not. In Burma there is no rule of law. The law rests only in the hands of those who intend to
manipulate it. In Burma, don’t expect justice, because the junta acts as the complainant, lawyer and judge – and executioner — all at the same time.
Indeed Burma’s inclusion in the UNSC is a battle won for the international community. It offers a broader space for a democratization process to move inside Burma. But as the ruling junta continues to violate the rights of its citizens, the task of the UNSC should not be limited only to Burma’s inclusion on its program of work. Burma’s inclusion at the UNSC would become meaningless if the Council would not adopt a substantial and binding resolution that is able to immediately halt the political attrition against all opposition groups and activists inside Burma.
(SIGNED) Augusto Miclat Jr.
Executive Director
Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID)
Convenor, Free Burma Coalition-Philippines (FBC-Phils)
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