Freedom...for Burma (Myanmar)

The other night (after the U2 concert actually), it came to my attention that not many of my friends or other Americans that I know are aware of the situation in Burma.

Burma, located in South-East Asia (my home region), was a British colony until from 1886-1948. In 1947, General Aung San was in charge of the transitional government but he was assassinated shortly after by political rivals. From 1948-1961, Burma was a democratic republic only to have it end by a military coup d'état in 1962 - The Burmese JUNTA came to existence. General Ne Win, who orchestrated the bold move, continued to rule the country after establishing a one-party system - Burma Socialist Programme Party. There were frequent demonstrations by students, a mass exodus of individuals of Indian (South Asian) origin, a retreat of Muslims to Bangladesh, and the death of many nationals. In 1989, there was another coup d'etat followed by a declaration of martial law that set the stage for the People's Assembly elections. One individual campaigned for democracy under the banner of "The National League for Democracy" won 60% of the seats, but the results were annulled by "The State Law and Order Restoration Council," which was the very party that established the elections - another Burmese JUNTA. And, in order to keep this individual from participating in politics, she was detained and currently remains under house arrest.

This individual is Aung San Suu Kyi. Her politics are informed by pacifist leaders before her (e.g., Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr.) and her Buddhist teachings. And she is commonly acknowledged for "It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it."

However, as she sits at home trying to fight for the freedom of her people from the current military junta in power, the Burmese people have themselves been protesting. The most recent I am aware of is September 18 2007 when Buddhist monks took to the streets of Burma to protest in a non-violent fashion. According to reports, the military cracked down on this protest on September 26 2007, and the incident was coined the Saffron Revolution.

The Burmese people continue their protest even outside of their home country.

"If we fear, we lose this freedom. The freedom is for the people who dare to use it. You have to use it. If you don't dare to use it, you lose it."