democracy?

THE political turnabout which occurred in Thailand recently has somehow overshadowed the troubled country of Burma.
Both the Thai and Burmese military may seem to have gone down the same road. Nevertheless recent developments in Siam show the Thai army, led by General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, has taken a more positive step compared to the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra governement by agreeing to have talks with the Muslim rebels of the southern end of the country.
Burma, despite international criticism and constant pressure, has yet to see any significant change in its policy of resorting peace and democracy in the country. Even the change of name from Burma to Myanmar has yet to receive the acknowledgement of official governments and organisations abroad.
Tracing back to its roots, Burma gained its independence from the British and was named the Union of Burma on January 4, 1948. However, Burma is not part of the Commonwealth as it obtained freedom before the Commonwealth allowed republics to be members.
U-Thant, then secretary to the Prime Minister, created history by being the first non-Westerner to head an international organisation- as the United Nations Secretary General. Among his fellow countrymen working with U-Thant in UN was none other than Aung San Suu Kyi.
Democracy saw its fall in 1962 due to a military coup led by General Ne Win. Several uprising were recorded namely in 1988 and early 1990s. Yet nothing has stopped the military regime from denying the Burma citizens the right to decide.
An election was conducted in 1990 (after 30 years), and Aung San Suu Kyi’s party The National League for Democracy won 60%. Yet it was not acknowledged and despite being a Nobel Prize winner, Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest and her whereabouts are unknown even till today.
Several international bodies have shown their disgust over the lack of human rights in Burma. Among those companies, ranging from sportswear to household items, are adidas, Reebok, Marks and Spencer, Carlsberg and Ikea to name a few.
Nevertheless, there are others who claim their presence in Burma is solely to develop the country for the betterment of its citizens. This list is mostly comprised of oil and gas companies or those related to it, namely Chevron, Maersk and Malaysian oil giants Petronas!
An opportunity to speak to several Burmese refuges seeking political asylum in Malaysia clearly shows the problems faced by the citizens of the said republic. Some are willing to pay RM2000-RM4000 per head to enter into the country via the Malaysian-Thailand border and then are left to fend on their own once in Malaysia. Most seek ‘refuge’ in Jalan Imbi, which is ‘guarded’ by the Chin Refugee Committee Malaysia. This group of people receive no support from the Myanmar High Commission in Malaysia and thus only rely on the aid by the UN Human Rights Commission.
Among the hundreds and at times thousands Burmese living around the heart of town include university students and graduates.
One wonders if the coup in Thailand will lead to such an epic as seen in Burma, where the military might just get too relaxed and enjoy the comfort of being in power. Such instances, which Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted saying he is “shocked by such actions” only goes to show governments should not take its public lightly.
The fight for democracy in Burma is still on as efforts to release Suu Kyi are still encourage even by the world wide community.
The citizens ought to be given the right to choose and decide who and what they want. But as a King once said; “Human rights is an overrated virtue as the people at times don’t know what they want and what’s best for them.”
You decide!

Note: Interesting quotes by companies around the world (‘Dirty List’ is companies in Burma while ‘Clean List’ is companies with no investments in Burma- source hwww.burmacampaign.org.uk)

‘Dirty List’

1 Bales Worldwide
Bales Worldwide is a travel company that organises tours to Burma. Although the company admits there are ‘conflicting views’ on whether tourists should visit Burma, it argues in favour of tourism.

2 Petronas
Petronas is a Malaysian state owned oil and gas company. It has several contracts with the regime in Burma to extract and explore for oil and gas in the country.

3 Utopia Tours
Utopia Tours is a travel company based in Thailand which specialises in holidays for gays and lesbians. It advertises tours to Burma in Gay and Lesbian media in the UK. Aung San Suu Kyi has asked tourists not to visit Burma because it helps fund the regime and gives it legitimacy. Forced and child labour was used to develop many tourist facilities.

‘Clean List’

1 adidas
“adidas-Salomon is very concerned about the human rights record of the military regime in Burma/Myanmar. Consequently we stopped sourcing products from there in 1999…none of our products have been made there since”.

2 BHS (British Home Stores)
“Having reviewed the BHS supply chain, I can confirm that there were historical ties with a supplier in Burma. This link is now terminated and there will be no further business conducted within Burma.”

3 ERNST & YOUNG
“I would also add that I share your disgust with the regime in Burma and applaud your efforts and those of other organisations in helping stimulate international pressure for change.” Nick Land, Chairman.

-The Man Who Sold The World-