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New Delhi: Burma (Myanmar) may be trying to show a democratic face to the international community, but the country still maintains the same old practice of dictatorship. The Southeast Asian nation stage-managed an election in the last year and a kind of democratic regime is set up at Nay Pyi Daw, but the influence of armed forces on the government remains intact. The new government is yet to make any concrete decision to release thousands of political prisoners of Burma.
“8th August 2011 is the 23rd Anniversary of the Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests in Burma known as ‘8888 Uprising’. The 8888 uprising was started by students in Rangoon on August 8, 1988. Students’ protests spread throughout the country,” said M. Kim, a young Burmese exile who has been living in India for many years.
The movement involved hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life, including young school children, demonstrated against the regime and demanded to stop one-party authoritarian state and reform to multi-party democracy government in Burma.
The regime responded by military killings on un-armed peaceful demonstrators. Thousands of deaths and displacement have been attributed to the brutal military crack down during this uprising with more than 3000 people killed and hundreds of students were thrown into jail and many thousands have been forced to leave the country.
“I feel like it happened yesterday, those tragedies and fallen heroes can never be forgotten, the spirit of 8888 movement lives on in the generation that has been carried forwarded ” said Thin Thin Aung, another Burmese exile, who was involved in the 8888 movement and later fled to India in 1988 with hundreds of Burmese youths.
She also added that the military controlled government still rules in Burma with civilian clothes. More than 2000 political prisoners including 8888 generation student leaders are being detained under harsh condition in different jails throughout the country. The military regime continues to commit gross human rights violations including extra judicial killings and rape by military personnel.
Similarly, massive militarization, armed conflicts and displacement of ethnic people remain a major issue for Burma. The regime has not shown sincerity to resolve the issue engaging in political dialogue, rather it has intensified attacks on the ethnic armed groups.
“If Thein Sein government really wants genuine peace and reconciliation in the country, it must show the political will and creates the environment conducive to the political change in Burma that has to start with the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners”, asserted Ms Thin Thin.
The India based Burmese democracy activists also called on the Thein Sein led Burmese government on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the 8888 people’s uprising, to declare nationwide ceasefire and to commence inclusive political dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other stake holders.
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