BURMA: CRYING OUT FOR JUSTICE

The Issue
Burma is a country of immense potential in its peoples and its agriculture, natural resources and manufactures, but because of repressive government and endemic corruption the country languishes in misery.

The Context
After independence in 1947 and a period of civilian rule a military government came to power and isolated the country from the outside world.  Following the violent repression of student unrest in 1988 and the claim by the military government that the result of a democratic election in 1990 was invalid, only limited gestures have been made towards democratic government, primarily the occasional release of political prisoners. 

Burma has one of the worst human right records in the world, and the abuses are at their worst in the ethnic minority areas.  These abuses include: censorship, persecution, beatings, disappearances, extrajudicial executions, the curtailing of religious freedom, forced relocations, rapes, and forced labour, including the conscription of child soldiers.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) won 60% of the votes in the 1990 election.  The result was then declared invalid by the military government.  The NLD is lead by Aung San Sui Kyi.  She has an unswerving attachment to democracy, unbroken by years of house arrest and imprisonment.  This has been recognised internationally and in 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to peaceful change.  Her perseverance and nobility focuses the world's concern on Burma.  

Discussion
From 29 October to 4 November 2002 the then Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rt Revd Finlay A.J. Macdonald, visited Burma to signal solidarity with the churches there.  At the invitation of the British Ambassador, Dr Macdonald held a meeting with Aung San Sui Kyi.  He spoke to her of her many friends and supporters in Scotland and assured her of the Church's prayers.  On a personal level Aung San Sui Kyi spoke affectionately of Scotland, mentioning Grantown-on-Spey in particular, where her late husband had family connections.  Dr Macdonald concluded that the Church of Scotland would do good in taking: "... the plight of the Burmese people to its heart ... and agitate on their behalf".  We would wish to support strongly this call to the whole Church to agitate, protest and pray for the people of Burma.

In its Burma brochure Orient Express, the luxury train and ship operator describes the country as, "untouched in natural beauty.”  The NLD has requested that tourism to Burma be ended until democracy is established.  And in the report of his visit to Burma Dr Macdonald firmly stated: "Tourism to Burma is strongly to be discouraged".  

Other Resources
These notes are based on Burma: Crying out for Justice a section of the Committee on Church and Nation's Report to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 2004.

The Burma Campaign UK campaigns for human rights and democracy in Burma. 
It provides analysis to the media and government, and lobbies and campaigns to improve government and commercial policy on Burma.  Its web site is entered through www.burmacampaign.org.uk/indexphp