By Gina Dizon
The Philippines must have learned from history that it has a progressive policy in wanting the repressive junta -led Burma move to one of a democratic state. The Philippines joins Indonesia, and Thailand in their pro-active stand in urging the Burmese generals to abandon their obsolete and paranoid method of protecting their national interests.
Major shifts in the Thai government are seen on finding an open society in Burma. Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda criticized Burma’s lack of progress towards democracy and its human rights record as well. The Philippine government also believes the roadmap to democracy should be followed by Burma.
And so it was during the very recent 17th ASEAN-EU Ministerial in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, that the Philippines joins delegates from progressive Asian countries and Europe in criticizing the hands-off policy of Burma in their internal affairs. Burma’s Deputy Foreign Minister Maung Myint said Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial “was purely a judicial matter and should not be the business of other countries.” Maung Myint rejected the notion that the junta’s charges against pro-democracy Burmese leader Suu Kyi were a human rights issue.
While the recent summit discussed other pressing issues of partnership on trade and environment matters, state of human rights in the region also topped discussions.
Let’s talk about Burma’s state of human rights violations.
Thousands of Burmese have fled Burma for the past 40 years since the military junta took over in 1962. Due to the regime’s inhuman treatment towards its own people- killing, looting, raping women, and displacing them from their homes- terrorized Burmese have gone to neighboring countries of Malaysia, Thailand, China, India, and Bangladesh as refugees and as migrant workers doing cheap labor rather than suffer oppressive inhumanities perpetrated by the military junta.
Lives of thousands of Burmese especially among the ethnic populated states of Arakan, Karen, Karenni, Shan, Chin, Mon, and the Kachin are threatened from the clutches of the ruling State Peace Democratic Council (SPDC). The military in their paranoia of doing counter insurgency against ethnic rebels have instead turned to the civilian ethnic tribes bringing untold misery to the people. Sounds dreadfully familiar in the Philippines’ from the ‘70s till the late ‘80s till former President Corazon Aquino took over with her yellow democracy.
The Burmese junta in their nearly 50 years of military rule has already done massive acts of inhumanity to its very own people. Yet they maintain that “don’t interfere with our internal affairs” policy.
But European Union delegates to the ministerial meeting rejected the Burmese deputy foreign minister’s statement, calling to interfere in member countries’ internal affairs if human rights violations and other crimes against humanity are being committed.
Where Burma’s refugees and illegal aliens have flooded neighboring countries, it does not have the moral ascendancy to let nations keep off from their internal affairs. The presence of Burmese refugees in its neighboring countries is a sickening site which talks of a country (Burma) which cannot feed, shelter, and take care of its own people. The refugees’ plight instead has accountably invited UNHCR and international donor agencies to give food and aid to the refugees. Neighboring countries also have played host to the refugees and let them stay in their territories. Talk about Thailand, Bangladesh, and neighboring countries which also accept Burmese immigrants as factory workers and doing other manual jobs rather than have them back home at oppressive conditions.
It’s a shame for Burma’s military- led officials to tell nations to keep off from their internal affairs while neighboring countries feed and house fleeing Burmese from the junta’s human rights violations.
Burma remains enslaved in its paranoia of sheltering its national interests while
violating the humanity of its own people which definitely is not working in contemporary society where people are better off leading lives in a democratic society. Then, people will be able to breathe and contribute for the development of its own country.
Like a selfish, insecured and withdrawn child which desperately clutches at his toy, Burma needs some gentle coaxing from its progressive neighboring countries and western countries as well, to embrace democracy. Leaving Burma in the dark and giving sanctions has not worked that much. This, while trying Burma’s generals in the UN’s International Criminal Court is another option.
LINKS
Manila stands firm on Burma
Understanding new Thai policy towards Burma
Burma needs to speed up democracy: Indonesia FM
No way out: India's Burmese Refugees
Fleeing ethnic Burmese who wanted to evade the counter insurgency move of the military junta’s State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the State-led Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) against the Karen rebel army, now find themselves trapped in Burma. Military elements of DKBA are guarding the borders and preventing ethnic Karens from leaving the country.
