Burma File : A Question of Democracy
Contents: Letter of the Prime Minister of the national coalition government of the Union of Burma. Letter of George Fernandes. Letter of reporters sans frontiers. Introduction. A brief chronology on political Burma. 1. Inside Burma. 2. Burma and its neighbours. 3. Burma border trade: A. Legal. B. Illegal. 4. India-Burma relations.
"A retired editor of a Burmese newspaper said that if you haven’t been in jail you haven’t been a reporter in Burma. In Burma, the newspapers, radio, and TV channels are government-controlled propaganda tools. Journalists and writers are jailed for long-term sentences for criticizing the policies and actions of the government. The use of the Internet is restricted to the government and there is a ban on posting of writings about politics.
Despite the formal release of democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in May 2002 from house arrest and the confidence-building talks between her and the ruling military government for over two years, Burma’s political, social and economic problems remain unanswered. The Burmese people continue to face economic hardships and their aspirations for democracy are not yet fulfilled. Hundreds of political opponents including elected Members of Parliament still languish in jails. The country’s universities opened only for 40 months between 1988 to 2000.
Several Western countries and USA have condemned the military regime for its human rights violations. The United Nations General Assembly has issued resolutions year after year against the military government’s suppression of human and democratic rights. At the same time the multinational companies make large investments in Burma, extending legitimacy and financial support to the military regime.
For Burma’s neighbouring countries the issues of trade, security and investment have over the years overridden the support to the democracy movement in Burma. Since its capture of power in 1988, the Burmese military junta has opened border trade posts, benefiting from the regime’s economic aspirations. These neighbouring countries signed border trade agreements with the Burmese government.
The decades-old civil war in Burma has rendered several thousands of Burmese people as refugees. The exodus of refugees from Burma becomes a burden for its neighbouring countries, particularly Thailand, India and Bangladesh.
In August 1988, Soe Myint along with a few Burmese journalists in exile set up an Internet news agency on Burma and related issues as an independent media for many people inside and outside Burma.
Burma File: A Question of Democracy shows that Burma’s problem is not an internal problem only. It is a problem related to other countries in the region and the world." (jacket)
