Sansblogue

Photo of U Win Tin from The Irawaddy

The International Herald Tribune features an opinion piece by one of the most significant pro-democracy leaders in Burma (aka Myanmar). In a message smuggled out of the country U Win Tin (a colleague of Aung San Suu Kyi) first explains for the incurably optimistic how the “election” there next month is merely window dressing to ensure that the military dictatorship can claim to be a legitimate government. Then closes responding to to the incurable optimist’s next question:

One might ask what is the solution, if it is not the election. It is dialogue, which we have been calling for for many years. Meaningful political dialogue between the military, the National League for Democracy led by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, and ethnic representatives is the only way to solve problems in Burma peacefully.

The military has no desire to talk. But if the international community seriously exercises strong and effective pressure on the regime, the combination of pressure from outside and peaceful resistance inside the country will force the regime to come to the dialogue table.

I wish that our friends in Europe would abandon their dream of expecting something impossible from the election, and start taking serious action against the regime with the aim of starting a dialogue. They should begin by creating a U.N. commission of inquiry to investigate human rights violations in Burma.

Win Tin

Win Tin was one of the founders of the NLD (with Suu Kyi) and is still a member of its central committee. He was a political prisoner for about two decades. His brave words should be heard! Since the “election” is approaching fast please link to the opinion piece, and perhaps encourage others to write to their representatives urging a UN Commission of Inquiry.

Partners got to present their report Displaced childhoods to the select committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence of the NZ Parliament this morning. The committee gave 45 mins to this not the 15 they’d scheduled, which has to be good news :)

My MP is Phil Goff, who was foreign minister under the last government and now leads the opposition, so I wrote to his constituency agent (email text below) why don’t you write to your PM? (The addresses are easy to get just Google them or try name.surname@parliament.govt.nz)

Terry,

I am writing to you because I live in the Mt Roskil constituency (though in view of Phil Goff’s experience as foreign minister under the last government it is even more appropriate).

I was delighted to hear that today the select committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence took considerable time to follow up the report “Displaced Childhoods” concerning human rights abuses suffered by the children of Burma (also known as Myanmar).

I would appreciate hearing what action may be taken by New Zealand as a result, I am not sure whether Phil Goff is on that group, but assume that with his interest in foreign affairs he will keep in touch with the issue.

If you/he think that this is not a matter for my constituency MP, then who should I write to, having visited refugees and other people from Burma along the Thai Burma border twice in recent years, and heard first hand the sort of story highlighted in the report you can imagine I feel passionately about this!

Yours sincerely,

Tim

Aung San Suu Kyi

Today, or tomorrow for some readers ;) Aung San Suu Kyi will be spending her 65th birthday in detention.

She’s been detained for a total of 14 years and 238 days. Basically on and off since her massive election landslide. The United Nations has always declared that her detention breaks international law. A catalogue of International bodies such as: The UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, UN Human Rights Council, European Union, as well as individual countries around the globe have all said the UN should work to facilitate negotiations between the dictatorship, the National League for Democracy (Aung San Suu Kyi’s party)  and the ethnic opposition groups.

Yet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has not been taking active steps to make this happen.

So as a birthday present for “the lady” please send a simple message to Ban Ki-moon to take action on Burma!

Take action here it will only take you a few moments, if enough people respond something may be done – there are bogus elections planned THIS year from which the last elected leader will be banned.

Please also either repost this or write your own birthday message :)

I’m writing because I noticed that on 2nd Parliament both received the report Displaced Childhoods, and voted on a motion concerning the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi. I wondered what other steps are being taken in this year when the ruling military junta in Burma plan to hold bogus elections to bolster their grip on power so that they can continue to rape and murder their ethnic minority citizens. (I realise this is not proper parliamentary language, but I’m not a politician, just a constituent horrified by what is happening and how little NZ seems to be involved in trying to change things.) I am also interested to know what part our MP is playing?

Why don’t you write to yours? Their emails are easy to find on Google. 3 mins to do something rather than nothing…

Fleeing the Tatmadaw

I do not usually post Burma stuff on this blog, but with the “elections” planned for later this year I think it is really important that as many people as possible know something of what is going on in Burma/Myanmar. Many people know about Aung San Su Kyi, the arrested Nobel Prize Winner who should have been the head of state, but few know of the systematic attempts at “ethnic cleansing” of many of the tribal minority groups. This usually involves the army, Tatmadaw, burning villages and crops, so chasing the villagers into hiding in the jungle till at last they join the thousands in the refugee camps or living as illegals in neighbouring countries.  They are also gradually driving back, or bribing (often with the promise of drug money), the ethnic resistance movements. Once an area is “safe” for the army they build a road (to allow easier access) and can begin to control the resource rich hill country.

But this time these thugs have excelled themselves. A week ago, on 22nd March, a bunch of them entered Kaw Hta village and as well as burning slaughtered women and children. The report is here but be warned it contains graphic photos. This information really needs to be known so that when the “elections” are held later this year they cannot gain any shred of respectability allowing the brutal military government to hide its shame. Please post a link to the report ideally mentioning also the elections in Myanmar/Burma.