FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-STM-139-2008
May 19, 2008
A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission
BURMA: From Dictator Ne Win to Cyclone Nargis – Burmese catastrophe continues
Two weeks after Cyclone Nargis, which has so far claimed the lives of over 100,000 persons, the world remains unable to deliver water, basic foods and medicines to at least two and half million people who have been categorised as persons in dire need. The government of Burma obstructs the delivery of these items which the neighbouring countries and the world community has come forward to give by way of relief to the Burmese people suffering from this tragic disaster. All the neighbours, including China, India and ASEAN countries have tried to use their persuasive powers to convince the few military leaders who control the fate of these two and a half million people to allow the assistance to flow, unhindered. To-date, the Burmese leaders obstinately refuse, despite of the children and the weaker sections of society, like those of advanced years, who are facing death due to the lack of water, food and basic medicines.
Tomorrow the foreign ministers of ASEAN will meet in Singapore to take a further step in trying to persuade the Burmese military to allow assistance. They are also willing to take a larger share of the burden in the distribution of aid than they would normally do judging by past experience due to the extremely difficult situation that has arisen. In the interviews to world press some of the foreign ministers have expressed disappointment but however, still want to attempt to convince the military leaders to cooperate with them and the world community to deal with this situation. The foreign ministers of Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will be meeting tomorrow mainly for this purpose.
The worlds displeasure expressed at the highest levels does not seem to make any impression on the Burmese military leadership. This is no surprise. Since 1962, when General Ne Win seized power, the country has been pushed into isolation, mainly as a strategy of safeguarding his political power. His 26 year rule, under what he called the Burmese way of socialism, was a style of absolutely ruthless dictatorship which left no space at all for the people or for a system of governance based on law. The country was brought under the all-comprehensive surveillance of a policing system which merely served the function of the preservation of the political power of the regime. In Burma this regime achieved complete disempowerment of the people. This was no easy task as the Burmese people, over and over again, tried to resist the dictatorship and assert themselves, even to the extent of defeating the military electorally in 1988. However, the military did not allow the slightest reforms but instead allowed the social organisation of the country to collapse. General Ne Win died in 1991 but the style of his rule which consisted of two strategies, one of which was to completely disregard what happens to the people and the other being to isolate the country from outside pressures, despite of whatever it might cost the nation, has continued.
The task facing the foreign ministers of ASEAN tomorrow is an unenviable one. To have even minimum success in trying to assist the people of Burma suffering from this tremendous disaster and even unable to get water, basic food and medicines, is a formidable one. The Burmese foreign minister will also attend but whether he shares the concerns of the rest of the world and whether he has the authority to take a decisive step to welcome assistance from outside, will be known to the world within the coming 24 hours or so. Perhaps at this time the international community should exert all its pressure to get across the message that if persuasion fails the world will be without any other option than to take a more coercive approach to save lives by making water, basic food and medicines available for the people. It is just common sense that when these basic needs are deprived for many, the time available for survival is very short.
The AHRC supports the call of Amnesty International to the foreign ministers of ASEAN to redouble their efforts to press the Burmese government especially to:
1. immediately remove barriers to the entry of disaster response experts and needed supplies into Myanmar and all affected areas, including by waiving visa and customs restrictions.
2. remove as a matter of urgency all barriers to the entry of relief workers and of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the worst-affected areas, including through the use of appropriate transport vehicles;
3. ensure the provision of humanitarian aid throughout the affected areas without discrimination or political considerations;
4. allow independent local and international observers to monitor the provision of humanitarian assistance.
So far it has been proved that the legacy of General Ne Win is much more disastrous to the Burmese people than Cyclone Nargis. The test now is whether this legacy should be allowed to run its course of complete destruction.
