Tuesday, 19 May 2009
By Nehginpao Kipgen
http://www.turkishw eekly.net/ op-ed/2516/ isolating- burma-isn
The reclusive Burma, a Southeast Asian nation, has once again made headlines in international newspapers and television networks with the arrest of John William Yettaw, an American man on May 6, and the subsequent events.
The charges leveled against Aung San Suu Kyi and her arraignment at the notorious Insein prison has drawn the attention of the world. The detention of Suu Kyi, general secretary of the National League for Democracy, was set to expire on May 27.
Although the whole purpose of the secretive visit has not yet been fully disclosed, it is very likely that the man might have wanted to write about the ordeals Suu Kyi went through during the years of her house arrest. It could also be that the man wanted to know the lady’s views on the future of Burma, especially before the scheduled 2010 election.
The charges and a possible extension of Suu Kyi’s detention have outraged many world leaders from the east to the west. A member from the traditionally silent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has spoken up against the military junta, this time
"We urge the government of Myanmar to resolve the matter speedily and to release Aung San Suu Kyi immediately and unconditionally, " said Philippine foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo on May 17.
While this comment from fellow ASEAN member may have led some to believe that a new tone has come, but this will have very little or no impact on how the Burmese military decides the fate of Aung San Suu Kyi. Under the military dictatorship, the decision of the military leaders becomes the law of the land.
Criticisms have also come in from the western world – leaders from the United Kingdom, European Union, the United Nations, and the United States of America.
"I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Burma and maintain in force the sanctions against Burma to respond to this threat," president Obama said in a message to the U.S. Congress on May 15.
While it is not a preposterous development for the United States to extend its traditional policy of sanctions, it is time the administration realizes the limitations of sanctions alone. As long as the U.S. is bent only on sanctions, it will continue to see the deterioration of Burma in the hands of the recalcitrant military rulers.
The policy of isolation minimizes the leverage the United States has on the military leaders. This does not, however, justifies that sanctions do not hurt the military regime. It definitely hurts Burma as a whole, but it simply is not enough to bring a democratic change.
If Washington were to launch a military strike against Naypyitaw, the U.S. isolationist policy will be sufficiently effective. However, this is not the case. The U.S. must engage the military leaders in one way or another. A direct dialogue between heads of states may not be an immediate option; nonetheless the U.S. should somehow engage Burma, possibly through an envoy.
Though China and India have immense business deals with the Burmese military junta, the Burmese people still largely believe that the United States can deliver a solution to the decades-old socio-political problems.
The latest move against Aung San Suu Kyi is not surprising at all. The military understands very well the sympathy and overwhelming support the lady has garnered across the country and around the world. The military still considers Suu Kyi as one of the greatest threats to its government.
The military is unlikely to release the 1991 Nobel laureate before the 2010 election; even if there is any consideration, it will be with condition, such as limiting her movement inside the country.
Taking Burma’s case to the U.N. Security Council will again be unyielding. Even if a presidential statement could be agreed upon, it will largely be a symbolic one, as happened in the past
To have influence on Burma, the United States and European Union, in consultation with Asian nations, should formulate a strategy to engage the military generals. Without a new strategy, the U.S. will continue to have a limited leverage on Burma.
Though it has not contributed to a democratic change, the Asian community has already engaged Burma. It will be easier for the United States and European Union to convince the Asian community to formulate a common engagement strategy on Burma, than asking them to pursue isolationist policy.
The release of political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, is one concern the east and the west share in common. This can serve as a basis of forming a common strategy.
Nehginpao Kipgen is general secretary of the U.S.-based Kuki International Forum (www.kukiforum. com) and a researcher on the rise of political conflicts in modern Burma (1947-2004). He has written numerous analytical articles on the politics of Burma and Asia for many leading international newspapers.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Isolating Burma Isn’t Helpful
Straight to the point• A SHAM TRIAL
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/1054854.html
Straight to the point
• A SHAM TRIAL
The military junta is at it again in Myanmar, going after democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi just days before her latest detention sentence was to expire. After an American man visited Ms. Suu Kyi's home and spoke with her, she was arrested.
The charge? Violating the conditions of her house arrest by sheltering the American. Ms. Suu Kyi has been in detention 13 of the last 19 years after her party won the national election in 1990. The generals are afraid of her because she is beloved by her countrymen and symbolizes their quest for freedom.
It will be no surprise if the junta finds another excuse to keep Ms. Suu Kyi under house arrest. The generals seem impervious to international sanctions and other pressures to unshackle Ms. Suu Kyi and Myanmar's suffering people. But that doesn't mean any country should ease up on the military autocrats. Ms. Suu Kyi needs every bit of international support and attention possible to keep her, if not free, at least safe.
Fw: [burmainfo] クルーニー、マケイン、ボノ、ツツ大司教ら、スーチー氏解放を求める
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ビルマ市民フォーラム メールマガジン 2009/5/19
People's Forum on Burma
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ビルマ情報ネットワーク（BurmaInfo）からのメールを転送させていただき
ます。
（重複の際は何卒ご容赦ください。）
ＰＦＢ事務局
http://www1.jca.apc.org/pfb/
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ジョージ・クルーニー、、ボノ、マドンナ、マット・デイモンなどの著名人４０人以
上が、アウンサンスーチー氏の解放を求める声明に賛同しました。
声明の日本語訳をご紹介します。
クルーニー、マケイン、ボノ、ツツ大司教ら、スーチー氏解放を求める
http://www.burmainfo.org/assk/noow20090515.html
原文（英語）はこちら
http://notonourwatchproject.org/features/21
ビルマ情報ネットワーク （www.burmainfo.org）
秋元由紀
========================================
クルーニー、マケイン、ボノ、ツツ大司教ら、スーチー氏解放を求める
ビルマの平和を求めてたたかうノーベル平和賞受賞者アウンサンスーチー氏は、この
19年間のうち13年間をビルマ政府による自宅軟禁措置の下で過ごしている。
スーチー氏は、拘束期間の延長につながる容疑で新たに起訴されており、5月18日に
は裁判所で審理が行われる。Not On Our Watchではスーチー氏の解放を求める国際的
な声明を発表した。
文化・政治・社会の各領域の著名人がこの声明に賛同し、ビルマ軍事政権にスーチー
氏の即時解放を要求した。賛同人はNot On Our Watchの創設者ジョージ・クルー
ニー、ブラッド・ピット、マット・デイモンのほか、ボノ、マドンナ、スティーブ
ン・スピルバーグ、ノーベル賞受賞者からはエリ・ヴィィーゼル教授、デズモンド・
ツツ大司教ら、またマデリーン・オルブライト元米国務長官、ジョン・マケイン米上
院議員などである。
声明文の内容と賛同人の一覧は以下の通り。
========================================
アウンサンスーチー氏を解放せよ
19年前、ビルマ国民は次期指導者としてアウンサンスーチー氏を選んだ。しかし同国
を支配する軍事政権によって、氏は過去19年間の大半を自宅軟禁下で過ごしている。
スーチー氏は世界でただ一人の拘束されたノーベル平和賞受賞者である。
昨日5月17日、スーチー氏はビルマのインセイン刑務所に移送された。新たな容疑で
裁判に掛けられるためだ。これは氏から引き続き自由を奪おうとする計画の一環であ
る。スーチー氏はふたたび沈黙を強いられている。私たちはこの状況を座視するわけ
にはいかない。
今こそ、国連と国際社会全体がはっきりと、声を合わせてこう呼びかけるときだ。
「アウンサンスーチー氏を解放せよ」
賛同者：
ジョージ・クルーニー
マデリーン・オルブライト元米国務長官
ウェス・アンダーソン
ドリュー・バリモア
デビッド・べッカム
ボノ
マシュー・ブロデリック
サンドラ・ブロック
ジェームズ・カービル
マイケル・シェイボン
ダニエル・クレイグ
ジョン・キューザック
マット・デイモン
ロバート・デ・ニーロ
デイヴ・エガース
ピーター・ガブリエル
ジェイク・ジレンホール
ヴァーツラフ・ハヴェル
ヘレン・ハント
アンジェリカ・ヒューストン
スカーレット・ヨハンソン
ニコール・キッドマン
アシュトン・カッチャー
ノーマン・リア
マドンナ
メアリ・マタリン
ジョン・マケイン米上院議員、シンディ・マケイン
ローズ・マッゴーワン
オルハン・パムク
サラ・ジェシカ・パーカー
パウロ・セルジオ・ピニェイロ
ブラッド・ピット
ジュリア・ロバーツ
ロバート・ロドリゲス
サルマン・ラシュディ
メグ・ライアン
リーブ・シュレイバー
ジョージ・ソロス
スティーブン・スピルバーグ
メリル・ストリープ
デズモンド・ツツ大司教
ナオミ・ワッツ
エリ・ヴィーゼル教授
オーウェン・ウィルソン
出典： Not On Our Watch, 'Clooney, McCain, Bono, Tutu Call for Suu Kyi
Release,' May 15, 2009, at http://notonourwatchproject.org/features/21.
（日本語訳 ビルマ情報ネットワーク）
========================================
Burma exiles warn of growing public outrage
The Burmese government in exile has alerted global governments and organisations
about increasing anger among the population as the trumped-up case against democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi begins its second day in Rangoon this morning, Burma time.
The National Coalition Government for the Union of Burma has advised the international
community to have contingency plans in place should the situation boil over in the
coming days.
The area around the prison compound is heavily guarded, roads have been blocked off
and, markets and shops have been told to shut down, as the military regime bolsters itself
for a possible outcry at the treatment of the democracy icon and Nobel Peace Prize
laureate.
Around 70 Burmese were killed and hundreds were imprisoned following the last major
public demonstrations, known as the Saffron Revolution, broke out late in 2007.
"A concerted effort is needed," says the NCGUB's United Nations co-ordinator Dr.
Thaung Htun.
"Major powers like India, China, the US and the EU, as well as regional bodies like
ASEAN, must work together to find a solution to this untenable situation, especially as
things may escalate in the coming days." The UN provides the most effective means of
doing this, says Thaung Htun.
The UN has two viable options, say the NCGUB.
One, is the immediate visit to Rangoon of a Special Advisor to be dispatched from the
United Nations Secretary-General' s office. This advisor would work to defuse current
tensions and to secure the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
Two, an emergency session of the Security Council should be convened to urgently
discuss the situation in Burma and to decide upon what collective action can be taken in
the medium to longer term.
Speaking to both proposals, the NCGUB's UN office co-ordinator, Dr. Thaung Htun says,
"This is exactly the moment the UN was established for. Now is the time when the UN
must lead, to rally all powers, and to show the world it is not prepared to sit idly by as a
massive injustice is perpetrated on the Aung San Suu Kyi and on the people of Burma."
"We call for immediate action through the UN to put an end to this outrageous action on
the part of Burma's military junta."
####
Junta's 'Machinations' To Keep Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under Arrest Condemned
The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) is appalled by machinations of the Burmese military regime to extend the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi on the basis of an uninvited visit to her residence by an American citizen -- John William Yettaw -- who swam across Inya Lake.
She was last heard to be escorted by police to a Special Court inside Insein Prison "to face charges" over the intrusion by the American. Her personal physician Dr Tin Myo Win and her two female companions at home are also expected to appear in court in connection with the case.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's residence was already a fortress, heavily guarded by armed personnel at the time of the intrusion and if anyone is to be charged it should be the junta for failing to provide security to the Nobel Laureate under its charge.
The junta has not made any public statement about the case but blogs set up by the junta's Ministry of Information has been claiming that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi can face up to three years imprisonment under Article 22 of the 1975 State Protection Law for breaching the restriction order.
Prime Minister Dr Sein Win said, "It is nothing more than a political ploy to hoodwink the international community so that they can keep Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under lock and key while the military maneuvers its way to election victory in 2010. This should not be allowed to happen."
It is time to stop the generals. The international community should closely monitor the situation and take effective action if the generals decide to continue persecuting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Lest we forget, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is Burma's democracy icon and only hope for long-lasting peace in the country.
China, India and ASEAN silent over Suu Kyi’s trial
by Salai Pi Pi
Monday, 18 May 2009 23:13
New Delhi (Mizzima) – In the wake of the charges leveled by the Burmese military junta against the country’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and a trial in Insein prison, there has been mounting international outcry condemning the regime.
But surprisingly, Burma’s neighbours China, India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, are conspicuous by their silence.
Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was charged for breaching her detention law after an American, John William Yettaw, allegedly swam across Rangoon’s Innya Lake and entered her house.
Regime authorities on Friday formally announced her trial and on Monday held the first hearing.
The junta’s move, however, sparked outrage among the Burmese as well as the international community ranging from intellectuals, campaigners, activists, writers, artists, human rights group, and world leaders.
The United Nations, United States and European Union (EU) lambasted Burma’s ruling junta and demanded the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. Asian countries including Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore also joined the call.
Foreign Ministers of EU on Monday called for review of fresh sanctions against the junta and urged China and other regional countries to pressurize the Burmese regime to release the opposition leader.
But China, the junta’s closest ally, India and the ASEAN as a group, has so far remained silent over the events unfolding in Burma.
Debbie Stothard, coordinator of Alternative ASEAN network on Burma (Altsean Burma), a group working to promote human rights and democracy in Burma, on Monday said the ASEAN, of which Burma is a member, has the responsibility to pressurize the Burmese regime over its actions as part of enforcing the group’s charter that was ratified last year.
“I am very shocked to see how quite ASEAN’s General Secretary has been, especially since they are supposed to be the main body promoting implementation of the ASEAN charter,” Stothard said.
“We don’t know where he [the Secretary General] is? We don’t hear his voice in this matter,” she added.
Debbie said ASEAN’s silence over the injustice done to Aung San Suu Kyi would encourage the Burmese regime to be more aggressive against her and commit more human rights violations in the country, which will become a threat to regional countries.
“The quieter the ASEAN remains the worse things the SPDC will commit, not just to Aung San Suu Kyi but also to the regional countries,” she said, referring to the junta by its official name – the State Peace and Development Council.
“All these are creating problems for ASEAN,” she added.
Following China is its main rival, India.
India the world’s largest democracy, which is currently busy in the aftermath of the Parliamentary elections, has officially made no statements on Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial.
Tint Swe, Information minister of the Burmese government - National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB) in exile - said avoiding criticism of Burma’s military regime is not unusual but has been a tradition for the two regional powers - India and China.
When it comes to human rights and democracy in Burma, both China and India choose to remain silent as they look forward to maintaining a good relationship with the junta, he said.
“It is strange that the two regional powers, India and China, are silent regarding Aung San Suu Kyi but it doesn’t make any difference to us since these two countries have vested interest in Burma,” Tint Swe told Mizzima.
“It has become a tradition for these two countries to keep quite as much as they can when it comes to Burma’s issues,” he added.
Tint Swe said, the recently concluded Parliamentary elections, might be a good excuse for India to remain silent.
“We also don’t expect too much criticism from India of Burma since India has a foreign policy that doesn’t care which government rules Burma. It will try to better relations with it for its own national interest,” Tint Swe added.
India, since 1994 introduced the ‘Look East Policy’ and chose to appease Burma’s military regime rather than condemn its human rights records as it cosies up and looks forward to a warm relationship with the country.
Aung Kyaw Zaw, a Sino-Burma border based observer said, China’s reluctance to criticize the Burmese regime for their injustice against Aung San Suu Kyi could be because of its policy of non-interference in other country’s domestic affairs.
“Simply, they [China] will say Aung San Suu Kyi’s case is Burma’s internal affair,” Aung Kyaw Zaw said.
China is one of the few countries that have maintained friendly relations with Burma’s military rulers. China along with Russia had vetoed a United Nations Security Council Resolution on Burma in January 2007.
Aung Kyaw Zaw said, China’s current interest is to immediately implement the construction of the gas pipeline that will connect Burma’s Arakan state and China’s Yunnan province.
The junta’s move against Aung San Suu Kyi is possibly a kind of amusement for China as it needs a stable regime in power so it can exploit and extract mineral resources from Burma, he added.
Another outrage in Myanmar
EDITORIAL
It was always a safe bet that the military junta that rules Myanmar was going to come up with some way to extend the house arrest of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and leader of the prodemocracy forces in her country. The absurd charges leveled against her last week is proof yet again that the government is truly shameless. Responding effectively to this latest outrage poses a challenge - not only for countries that have preferred to turn a blind eye to the junta?s transgressions, but also for regime critics like the United States whose policies have been equally ineffectual in promoting change in Myanmar.
Myanmar, once known as Burma, has been ruled by military juntas since 1962. Their misguided, ill-conceived and paranoid policies have turned one of Asia?s potentially richest countries into an economic nightmare. In 1990, the leadership thought it enjoyed enough legitimacy to hold national elections. It was shocked to discover that the people preferred a representative government. The opposition National League of Democracy (NLD), led by Ms. Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory, but the government refused to honor the results. Instead, it imprisoned thousands of democracy activists, Ms. Suu Kyi among them. While Ms. Suu Kyi has been spared the worst abuses by being subject to house arrest rather than the horrors of Insein Prison, she has nevertheless had her movements restricted for 13 of the last 19 years, and been held virtually incommunicado.
The democracy movement refuses to die in Myanmar, however. Ms. Suu Kyi remains a focal point for human rights advocates around the world, and the NLD continues to press for reform in Myanmar. Their refusal to give up should motivate their friends and allies to maintain their own vigil and to keep pressure on the junta. Plainly, the government - known as the State Peace and Development Council - is not oblivious to international censure. While refusing to honor the election results or to HOME The Japan Times Printer Friendly Articles Another outrage in Myanmar | The Japan Times Online http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/ed20090518a1.html 1 of 3 5/19/2009 6:31 PM
release the democracy activists, the government has developed a "road map to democracy" that is intended to
provide a veneer of legitimacy for its continued rule. Among the markers on that road map are general elections scheduled to be held next year. It has been widely speculated that the junta was looking for a way to hold elections without risking a loss and thereby perpetuate its rule: Having ignored one ballot, that option seemed hard to repeat. Instead, the actions of a U.S. citizen have given the junta the pretext it needed. Mr. John William Yettaw reportedly swam across Inya Lake in Yangon, and spent two days in Ms. Suu Kyi?s lakeside compound earlier this month. Harboring the visitor gave the government the excuse it needed to charge her with violating the terms of her detention; her trial at a special court at Insein Prison begins on May 18. She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison for the offense. Two women who work for Ms. Suu Kyi were also charged. Little is known about Mr. Yettaw. He is said to be a war veteran who lives on disability pay. He is alleged to have visited Ms. Suu Kyi last year as well, but was told to leave. This time, he reportedly swam across the lake and, complaining of diabetes and exhaustion, insisted on staying. He too has been arrested and charged with violating Myanmar?s immigration laws. Ms. Suu Kyi?s house arrest was scheduled to expire May 27. Her supporters expected the order would be extended, even though Myanmar?s law limits house arrest to five consecutive years before the accused must be freed or face trial. Extension of the detention last year - for a sixth year - triggered an appeal by Ms. Suu Kyi, but the junta denied it. This move gives the junta the pretext it needs to extend her arrest and isolation. It also violates one of the three conditions the NLD demanded for its participation in next year?s ballot - the release of Ms. Suu Kyi. An NLD decision to boycott the election would be fine with the junta, as it would ensure a junta win with a minimum of vote chicanery. The rest of the world cannot acquiesce to this farce. All parties must condemn this transparent move to rig the election and silence Ms. Suu Kyi. But condemnation is not enough. There must be actions that send an unequivocal message to Myanmar?s government that business as usual cannot continue. Especially important are the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has pleaded for engagement with Myanmar - with very little result - and Another outrage in Myanmar |
China, which has hesitated to take action on the pretext of respecting the internal affairs of a neighbor. Neither policy has worked and both undercut desires by ASEAN and China to play a larger regional role. At the same time, however, it must be noted that the hardline position that calls for isolating Myanmar has not worked either. Plainly, a strategy of carrots and sticks is only effective when it is coordinated and all nations work together. The junta must learn that its indifference to accepted norms of international behavior have negative consequences. But there must also be incentives for it to move closer to the international mainstream. That strategy has yet to be developed. The time to do so is now
. The Japan Times:
Monday, May 18, 2009
(C) All rights reserved
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