– Monks believe the Burmese people have suffered enough

A representative for the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights conducted a telephone interview on 25 September with Mr. Aye Chan Naing, the Director at the Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo to report on the situation. According to Aye Chan Naing the protests against the repressive military government that has ruled Burma (Myanmar) since 1962 are growing and they will continue to grow. (26-SEP-07)

Gunta Venge/Rafto Human Right House. Photos: Terry Evans

The Director said that the monks believe the Burmese people have suffered enough and it is time for them, to represent the people in peacefully fighting for the freedom of political prisoners and for the reform of their country.  Despite the increasing dissidence that has come from the deployment of military troops in such cities as Yangon, the monks continue to urge the many people who have joined them to continue to protest peacefully according to the Buddhist beliefs.
 
Aye Chan Naing believes that what started as small demonstrations by political and human rights activists following the 19 August government increase in petrol prices has led to wide-scale influential protests for political reform and a real chance for positive change for the people of Burma.

‘This is the biggest political demonstration by the opposition in 20 years and could lead to the fall of the military regime.  If it does not then it is certainly making an impact nationally and internationally to find solutions in Burma.’ he said.

The Director explained that despite the government’s threats of legal and military action it has it has been reluctant to retaliate.  It wants to defuse the crisis peacefully.  The monks are highly revered in the devoutly Buddhist nation of Burma and the government known that any action against them will result in uprising and difficulty for the military regime. 

‘Any uprising caused as a result of junta action taken against the protests led by the monks will increase awareness internationally of the situation, which will put further put the Burmese government in a bad light.’

However, according to the Aye Chan Naing, the recent events have already hurt the military regime and are an embarrassment for the country’s government.

‘The Burmese government has previously claimed that the opposition within the country are the minority and that the majority of their people are happy.  What is happening now paints a very different picture and is causing embarrassment on an international level.’ he said.

While there was no time to ask Aye Chan Naing to elaborate on this, one can speculate that the Director meant the ‘embarrassment’ experienced by the military regime is particularly present in it relationship with the People´s Republic of China, one of its closest allies and trade partners.

A diplomat has recently reported that any government action will affect the image of the People´s Republic of China, a nation internationally known to support the junta, and due to host the next summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

We can only hope that the amounting pressure from international powers on the military regime to take up democratic reforms and the Burmese government’s desire to avoid further ‘disgrace’ and protect its relations with its allies, leads to the peaceful resolution of the current crisis.

 For background and report on latest events please view the Rafto Foundation´s website www.rafto.no