Selected Articles from March

Hello readers,

The fervor surrounding top-down developments seems to be quelling in global news coverage even with the April by-elections coming up.  I would like to highlight a couple articles that clarify the real impact of the reforms that the administration has put forth into the international spotlight.

1.Bloomberg: Myanmar Nearing Decision on Currency Float in Biggest Shift Since Opening  
By  Daniel Ten Kate
Another effort to become more appealing to potential trade partners in the West.
The managed float of the currency "would end a 35-year official peg to the International Monetary Fund’s special drawing rights, under which a dollar fetches 6.4 kyat, about 125 times stronger than the informal market rate[of 800 kyat/dollar]."  The article also discusses economic sanctions and average wages for civilians.

2. Voice of America: Burmese Democracy Leader Warns of Potential Vote Fraud
This article features Aung San Suu Kyi's reservations about the election process.  Canadian Foreign Minister Baird said "Western governments will closely monior the polls and their aftermath, as Western leaders decide whether to lift sanctions"

3. Huffington Post: Burma's Big Moment
By Jenny Scatena
Different take from a tourist's standpoint on the developments in Burma.  To travel or not to travel?  Business in Burma is the question.  

4. AlertNet: New Law on Demonstrations Falls Short
Source: Content partner // Human Rights Watch // Thomson Reuters Foundation
Well-informed piece on "reforms" of public assembly (political meetings, protests, etc.) that disputes the extent of these "new civil rights".
"Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. 'There is a lot of excitement about changes in Burma these days, but the government shouldn't be given credit for allowing some freedom just because none existed before. Instead, it should be pressed to make sure its laws meet international standards.' "

5. Associated Press for the Washington Post: Myanmar’s Suu Kyi forced to cut criticism of army rule in party speech on state-run TV, radio

More on media censorship, this one specifically on its impact on the current campaign process.  Free and fair elections require competition; how does this fit into the Press Scrutiny and Registration Board (PSRB)'s agenda?  Citizen journalists and other undercover reporters will remain wary for a long time to come.

Update 3/18/12:  After discussing these with a representative of the US Campaign for Burma and a colleague in the Thai-Burma border area, they've shown much skepticism as to how much the NLD will be able to do even if it win seats in Parliament.  The promise of drafting a new constitution is doubtful as well; top-down developments are known to suffer from a tedious trick-down effect. Furthermore, ethnic conflicts (i.e. Karen state, etc.) have been occurring despite the ceasefire agreements as my contacts have said.  It seems that signing documents only goes so far, enforcement is what directly impacts the people.

Trip Re-cap - Part 1

Hello everyone!  No one else has submitted material to be posted on this blog so I thought I might start us off with some memorable moments from our trip to the Thai-Burma border a few months ago.  We left New York and 26 hours later (two flights and a bus ride), we were in Mae Sot, Thailand!  Of course during the plane trip over, there was lots of bonding moments - group puzzle-solving, reading, experimenting with airplane food, cleaning up of regurgitated food...

Ahem, so the first person we met was from the group facilitating our visits to the organizations and overall travel logistics.  She took us to our first meal at Borderline Cafe, which also supports the Borderline Fair Trade Shop.  After sitting for what seemed like forever, it was nice to stretch our legs and lounge on the Thai-style floor cushions.  The menu featured room-temperature wheat or rice noodle dishes with assorted vegetables such as pickled tea leaves and tomatoes.  Many of the girls also tried the Burmese-style Iced Tea with basil.

After lunch we headed back to our rooms.  Our guest house was called Ban Thaai and was definitely a pleasant surprise!  The traditional architecture of the grounds and the beautiful landscaping added to the overall excitement of the trip.  The common area were immaculately kept (which we would be using very frequently to meet and have "reflection" sessions - more on this later) and the staff were very friendly.

We got on our bicycles for the first time to get to the next location on the agenda.  It was a little awkward at first because of the traffic flow - I guess we were used to driving on the right-hand side like in the US.  We had an orientation on the basics of appropriate behavior when meeting with the NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and CBOs (Community-Based Organizations) plus tips for getting around Mae Sot.  Because the city is next to Burma, there is a large Burmese population- both expatriates and refugees.  Burmese and Thai language were equally as common in this area.  

The photo is of our guest house entrance.  Note: scooters are probably the most popular form of transportation in Thailand.  It's perfect for the weather too!

 Peace,
Christine

Important Announcement and Video!

I would like to share some great news - there was unanimous consent for re-launching Student Campaign for Burma at American University! Stay tuned because after going through the usual bureaucratic checklist, we'll be holding a General Interest meeting.
Membership is open to the entire AU community. We already have multiple events in the works including a collaboration with the SIS Undergraduate Student Council to support Scholarships for Burma.
The non-profit is run by Kirk Acevedo, an American University alumni, former Altbreaker, and the previous president of SCB at AU. Please watch the quick clip down below to find out more about this promising organization:

Further Reforms Before Rewards

Aung San Suu Kyi started campaigning this Sunday for the upcoming by-elections in April (VOA, "Burma Democracy Leader Begins Political Campaigning". *Side note - Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "by-elections" as "a special election held between regular elections in order to fill a vacancy"*. The results will impact future interactions involving her pro-democracy NLD party, US diplomats, and the Burmese government. According to self-commentary on Sen. McConnell’s recent visit, most of US actions are heavily influenced by Suu Kyi’s approach to her country’s government as they have been in the past regarding sanctions. He has said that, "it was too soon to lift sanctions but was open to rewarding the government for further reforms [and would] take his cue from Suu Kyi." In the past, the Clinton and Bush administrations tried to persuade the military to honor the NLD’s 1990 election victory (AP, "In divided US politics, rare agreement on Myanmar").   

Well I think it's rare for our current Congress to actually agree about a foreign policy issue.  However, there are a few voices of dissent such as "Republican leader of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, FL Rep. Ros-Lehtinen has called concessions to the military 'grossly premature.'" (see above AP article). While I think she might be phrasing it too harshly, I do agree that the US should proceed with caution and lengthen the exchange timeline so that the military will realize reforms are mandatory but will not necessarily be reciprocated. 
The reforms are in large part motivated by lagging economic development and the pressing need to liberalize so as to attract a wider range of trade partners.  According to one Burmese representative at the World Economic Forum currently being held in Davos, "Burma is trying to create an investment friendly environment and attract interest from some of its neighbors, like Thailand, Bangladesh, India and Laos, in addition to China, the United States and the European Union" (VOA, "Burmese Trade Minister Promises More Reforms").  As the first Burmese delegation to a WEF, it is "sign of positive changes" in Suu Kyi's opinion.  But as always, treat these efforts to open up with careful consideration.
I would recommend that the US government consider a gradual easing of sanctions after an intense evaluation of the April elections.  One of the organizations we met in Thailand, the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, put out a statement saying,“First we need from the Burmese regime is to release all political prisoners. Second is to help [achieve] nationwide peace and third, to allow citizens to set up human rights organizations in order to promote and protect human rights. [Only after] we receive those things we should consider lifting sanctions” (VOA, "Rights Groups Urge International Community to Maintain Burma Sanctions").  On the other hand, some critics suggest lifting sanctions sooner so that aid organizations have the means to help out communities in immediate need.  At the same time, there are over 1000 political prisoners in ethnic areas that need to be released from terms that they never should have received in the first place.  Furthermore, there are still many Internally Displaced Persons, child soldiers, the continuation of human trafficking and forced labor, etc.  U.S. Ambassador for human trafficking, Luis CdeBaca recommends "a more robust victim identification (program)" that can help victims in Burma as well as in neighboring areas (VOA, "US Calls for Burma Military to Account for Human Trafficking").  The government must also address "Burma's archaic laws [that] allow conscription of workers for public projects" (TIME, "Envoy: Burma Weak on Human Trafficking").   It's not all up to the US either, there should be a collaborative effort to work on a multilateral level with international and regional bodies to monitor Burma while applying strategic pressure to ensure further developments regarding human rights and democracy.

Peace,
Christine

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

An unexpectedly warm day welcomed us back to campus today for the first day of the spring semester. Already we have ideas for post-trip activism, discussed during one of the "reflection" sessions during the trip. Among these are: photography exhibition, film screening, guest speakers from US Campaign for Burma or the US Institute for Peace, etc. We are also planning to restart the AU chapter of the Student Campaign for Burma this semester.

Major developments have been observed even as we left the Thai-Burma border region. For example last Friday, 651 prisoners, including high-profile former politicians, democracy activists, monks, etc.
Perhaps a little too swiftly, the U.S. reciprocated with an announcement that it granting full diplomatic ties with Burma after a 20-year absence (http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/US-Will-Post-Ambassador-in-Burma-Move-Follows-Prisoner-Release-137309338.html)

However, there are still 1547 political prisoners currently incarcerated in Burma yet to be released (figures from the Assistance Assoc. for Political Prisoners, Jan. 2012). More recent news suggests a possible lifting of sanctions depending on the upcoming by-elections on April 1 (http://www.npr.org/2012/01/03/144629632/u-s-keeps-pressure-on-myanmar-for-political-change). Let's hope that the Burmese government doesn't celebrate April Fool's Day.

*Coming soon: posts from our members about the trip! Thoughts, memories, photos, etc.

Proof of Human Rights Abuses at the Hands of the Burmese Army

We need immediate resolutions to these injustices. They are blatant violations of the terms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from inhumane rape, torture, forced labor, etc. Fighting for these rights is why our team is going to Thailand to work with NGOs and refugees firsthand. Afterwards, we are still obligated to convey the human rights message to our community in the US. Along with the many other overlooked conflict zones, Burma has not gotten the attention that it needs - we hope that evidence like this will continue to be disseminated so that the mainstream media will catch on and bring further awareness to the civil war and genocide that Burma has suffered for decades.

Please discuss using the comment box or tell us your thoughts during Sat. training.

1. Bringing Justice to Women of Burma


2.Journeyman Pictures is an excellent media agency that focuses on conflict zone stories - they have a lot of ones on Burma on their Youtube channel. Here's a great one:

Burma - New US Drugs War
http://youtu.be/_IjAvLXMdo8

3. Convict Porters - DVB (forced labor)


4. On a more positive note, the NLD has set up schools where children can attend for free! No more propaganda-filled curriculae!!

Democratic Voice of Burma TV - Education on the move in Burma


Again, please comment on whatever you want - feelings, criticisms, rants, etc!

I think both China and the US are trying to exert power of the new regime of Myanmar. Not a good thing when China steps in my opinion....
- Hong

 Myanmar: A Welcome From China

By KEITH BRADSHER

 

Published: November 28, 2011

Vice President Xi Jinping of China welcomed the leader of Myanmar’s military on Monday in a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and called for closer military ties between the countries, in what appeared to be a response to the visit by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Myanmar later this week.

Related

• As Myanmar Eases Controls, U.S. Sees Diplomatic Opening(November 19, 2011)

• Times Topic: Myanmar

Connect With Us on Twitter

Follow@nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines.

Mr. Xi, the heir apparent to President Hu Jintao, met Min Aung Hliang, the commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s military, and said that China would “work with Myanmar to further bolster the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation,” according to China’s official Xinhua news agency.

Myanmar has been a close ally of China for decades, as Mr. Xi also pointed out. But new leaders in Myanmar have begun to tolerate some political freedom and have started mending ties with the West, prompting President Obama’s decision to send Mrs. Clinton there.

Myanmar and China share a long and often porous border, and Chinese companies have built dams, pipelines, highways and other big projects in Myanmar for many years, even as most Western governments and companies shunned the country because of its human rights abuses.