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Alison Atkinson-Phillips  Wednesday 24 October marks 12 years of house arrest for Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of Burma (Myanmar). It’s possible this date would have passed without much notice, but it also marks a month since the military junta responded with force to peaceful protests led by Burmese monks.
Thanks to new technology, more information is getting out of the country than ever before, and the international community has rallied, sharing information and putting pressure on world leaders to respond. The question is, will any of it make a difference for the people still living inside one of the world’s most oppressive regimes? In some ways, the September protests are echoes of the 1988 movement, which was the last time mass pro-democracy protests were seen, and quashed, within Burma. Then, as now, the demonstrations were triggered by the effects of harsh economic conditions on ordinary people. The most recent protests seem to have been triggered by massive fuel price rises in August. Joy Balazo works for Uniting International Mission’s Young Ambassadors for Peace (YAP) program, which has developed long-term relationships with people living in the refugee camps on the Thai/Burma border. Joy was visiting the YAP office there when the first protests happened in late September. Joy says that while there is information coming through to the outside world, many incidents go unreported. However, she also says that because of the precedent of 1988, people are more aware of the situation in Burma. The main difference about the latest protests is the involvement of monks. “Monks are very well respected, so the fact that they [the junta] started to strike the monks and raid monasteries and religious places, this is unthinkable for people,” says Joy. “The only respect the people can see is the government’s respect for the religious people, and that’s gone. That’s something that has struck hard on the ordinary people. “In 1988 the monks were the people who protected them. Now this sanctuary isn’t safe anymore.”  Khin Myo Myint left Burma back in 1979 and now lives in Perth, Western Australia. She feels it’s important to be involved in the pro-democracy movement as a sign of solidarity with the people still living under the military regime.
“We know how the people are being treated there,” Khin says. “They are being treated as subjects, not as citizens. You feel for your friends, you feel for your families. I felt really guilty when I went to visit, because I knew I would be out in a few days. “The monks’ demonstration was very spontaneous,” says Khin. “The people who came out were very surprised. At first the monks told the people not to join in because of the effect it could have on them, but after a little while people had to join in because people hate the military. It affects their everyday life, so much oppression. “You know whenever people talk about people being detained, it’s not like being detained here,” says Khin. “Even now, some people with lots of medical problems, their medication would be withheld. And, just like what happened in 1988, a lot of people who are just unconscious are put in crematoriums to get rid of the bodies. “The other day we heard about a lady who was quite heavily pregnant and pleaded with the soldiers for the life of her baby, but they just put the bayonet into her stomach and pushed her into the crematorium. One cannot imagine such things.” Khin is optimistic that the international attention is starting to have an effect. “Now that people are calling for more sanctions the regime is feeling the pinch,” she says. “If they didn’t feel it, they wouldn’t ask for the precondition for the dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi.” Khin is referring to Senior General Than Shwe’s request that Aung San Suu Kyi renounce support for foreign sanctions. On 2 October, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council passed by consensus Resolution S/51 which expresses deep concern about the situation in Burma. Following a visit to the country by UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, the Security Council also passed a resolution, which “calls on the Government of Myanmar and all other parties concerned to work together towards a de-escalation of the situation and a peaceful solution.” While these resolutions are non-binding and don’t have any practical implications for the Burmese government, they are significant because of the involvement of China, a country many believe has the capacity to exert the most influence over Burma. The 24 October Aung San Suu Kyi-day protests involve 12 countries around the world, where 12 people will protest outside Chinese embassies. Joy Balazo is hopeful the UN involvement might make a difference. “It is having an impact especially with the international community jumping up and down,” Joy says. “The UN visited the place while there were still demonstrations, and one of [Ibrahim Gambari’s] suggestions was that there should be release of prisoners and the military should start talking to Aung San Suu Kyi. And that’s happening. Whether it’s just a show, I’m not sure, but there is some movement. China has its own issues in terms of human rights, but the Olympic Games, in Beijing next year, are providing the international community with some leverage. The fact that the Games are due to open on 8 August 2008, the anniversary of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, is increasing pressure on the Chinese government. Meanwhile, the military, realising the importance of the internet and other new technology in facilitating international protest movements, moved to shut down communications with the outside world. Images and stories are now getting through, but much more slowly than before. The difficulty for activists is if the flow of information becomes a mere trickle, international media attention drifts away. The online community Avaaz.org is raising funds to counter this by sending technical support and equipment to civil society groups within Burma. Khin and Joy agree that any media attention is important and may influence a resolution to the situation. “Of course there’s still a long way to go,” adds Khin. “Nobody’s fooled by a little bit of willingness to talk.” “We want to see Burma stable and to have freedom of expression so the people within Burma could decide their destiny. I think that’s the most important thing at the moment.”
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