DEMOCRACIES FAIL TO RESCUE DEMOCRACY IN MYNMAR
Nobel
Peace Laureate cannot thrive on laurels alone. Nobel Prize is just a veil to
hide the failure of world’s democracies to come to the rescue of democracy in Myanmar.
Aung san Suu kyi and 1400 men who stood by democracy are under detention in Myanmar
for 5307 days as on 8 th May of 2010. Aung San Suu Kyi is serving her third
term in house arrest, and let us not forget that she is the democratically
elected people’s leader of Myanmar. The cunning ways conceived by military
rulers had brought the political party headed by her, National League for
Democracy to close down. It is saddest day for democracy. It is a international
shame, the cross of which had to be borne by all leading democracies including
our India. Indians remain helpless spectators while 50,000 Tamils are killed in
a state sponsored genocide in neighbouring Sriklanka. We say the Tamils stood
for terrorism. But in Myanmar, the NLD stood by democracy and we don’t even
raise our voice against suppression of democracy. The so called war against
terrorism will also expose that world nation’s failed to nurture democracy to
end dictatorships. Let me quote the criticism of the Burma’s Government in
Exile .
Dr Tint Swe, a member of the National
Coalition Government of the Union of Burma -- formed by elected representatives
from Burma after the elections of 1990 -- describes the situation of his
country on the eve of the verdict in the trial against Aung San Suu Kyi, with
an eye on the elections in 2010.
The
military is prepared for the next phases, which is to legalize their grip on
power by holding a new election in 2010. Ethnic groups are subjected to
tremendous pressure to be transformed into border guards. This process is being
done by hook or by crook.We then need to add a few more important facts about
my country. Burma has become a nuclear power while the population's living
conditions are extremely poor. The country is selling natural gas to Thailand
and China while people have to cut wood from trees to cook. According to 2005
UNDP survey one third of the population live below the poverty line. Inflation
is adding to the economic burden, with the price of rice, for example, up by 30
percent over the past year alone. But the regime is rich enough to construct a
series of secret underground tunnels reportedly built with North Korean help.
There
are clear differences between the positions of the Indian government and the
movement for democracy in Burma. One of them is the controversial roadmap of
the regime. The roadmap was unilaterally withdrawn and abandoned by the
military in 2003 just after Suu Kyi was ambushed and put under house arrest for
the third time. The National Assembly was reduced to a façade. The constitution
was entirely flawed. Neither a civilian nor a woman can become the president.
The referendum was a huge scam and as will be the elections of 2010.
I
want all countries to stop selling arms to Burmese regime because arms are
meant for killing pro-democracy activists and ethnic peoples. I want India to
refrain from defending the regime at the international forums; at the United
Nations, at the International Labor Organization, and at the UN Commission on
Human Rights.
In
2007 while thousands of monks were protesting, India was only country which
sent a cabinet minister to sign a memorandum with the regime. And earlier,
India fully supported that roadmap as expressed by Indian President Dr. A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam on March 9, 2006 during his visit to Burma. Moreover, India sent a
cabinet minister to the funeral of Burmese Prime Minister who was known for his
bloody hand in crackdowns on pro-democracy activists
The
constructive engagement approach championed by the Southeast Asian bloc (ASEAN)
proved ineffective. At the same time western sanctions were eased for
humanitarian reason. But those same people did not criticize the military
regime which deliberately blocked international aid during devastating cyclone
Nargis when 140,000 died. The blame game does not help poor people of Burma. Now
the new American administration is reviewing its Burma policy. My question why
not India!
Dravida
Peravai condemns the attitude of USA and Western nations that support kingdoms
and dictatorships in Middle East just to get oil. All principles are sent to
catacombs, while commercial and vested interests, prevail. India totally
forgets it has a neighbour called Myanmar, and where its geopolitical interests
are on every day basis butchered to help China gain access to Indian Ocean and
Bay of Bengal.
Dravida
Peravai warns the world against the conscience of nations kept under pause
while military rule eliminates last traces of democracy in their soil. If world
really wants terrorists to undergo heart change, then world’s agenda should be
to democratize the world, removing military dictatorships to the archives of
the past.
Dravida
Peravai salutes Ms.AUNG SAN SUU KYI and stands by NationaL League for
Democracy. Dravida Peravai expresses solidarity with the National Coalition
Government of the Union of Burma. We urge India which had shown the door to a
National Security Adviser who had neither the mental equilibrium nor the moral
foundations to understand the plight of Eelam Tamils, to come forward to evolve
policies for Saving Democracy in Myanmar and support the peaceful struggle for
democracy led by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi.
N.Nandhivarman
General
Secretary Dravida Peravai
8.5.2010
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