Few weeks after the first protest against the fuel price increase, the people of Burma continue marching on the street against the military government’s unannounced decision – making life harder for the ordinary people. Buddhist monks joined the peaceful demonstration defying order to return to monasteries. FORUM-ASIA continuously urge ASEAN governments to engage immediately and diplomatically with Burma on the crisis.
(Bangkok) FORUM-ASIA joins the international community in condemning the violence being committed by the Burmese military government against its own citizens who have been peacefully demonstrating since 19 August 2007. The demonstrations are no longer being spearheaded by pro-democracy activists, but by revered Burmese Buddhist monks. In order to avoid an outcome similar to the 1988 crackdown, FORUM-ASIA urges the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) to immediately engage Burma on this crisis.

The military, through its civilian security force, the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and the paramilitary group Swan Arr Shin, has harassed, arrested and detained an estimated 200 people since the protests began. The protests were triggered by the sudden dramatic increase in fuel costs on 15 August that affected not only the prices of commodities but also the cost of public transportation.

Earlier this week, The Alliance of All Burmese Monks announced a nationwide demonstration to boycott alms offered by government officials and their supporters if no apology was made for the attack and arrests of monks on Wednesday 5 September at the town of Pakkoku. As no apologies were made, the monks continue to turn their alms bowls upside down in defiance of the military government and their associates.

The violence used by the government of Burma against its own people is intolerable. In Sittwe town, it was reported that tear gas was fired to disperse a peaceful demonstration by 1000 monks. Several monks were beaten and arrested by the pro-junta groups, the USDA and the Swan Arr Shin. What started earlier as a protest by several hundred monks had attracted some 5,000 followers. Although the military government has yet to respond to the growing protest, it greatly feared that a major attack will come against the protesters in the near future.

Amid the recent crises in Burma, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor to Myanmar, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, gave a briefing to the UN Security Council on 20 September 2007, calling for urgent global action. “Undoubtedly, the developments over the last few weeks in…[Burma] have raised serious concerns in the international community and once again underscore the urgency to step up our efforts to find solutions to the challenges facing the country” stated Prof. Gambari at the closed door session.

FORUM-ASIA believes that ASEAN remains the most relevant intergovernmental body to engage diplomatically with Burma. With the new ASEAN constitution, visions of democracy and human rights are ripe in the region, yet ASEAN has not responded to the crisis in Burma. ASEAN member states must take the leading role in pressuring Burma to uphold the principles of human rights, democracy and rule of law so that the people of Burma are included in ASEAN’s “caring and sharing community”.

Sincerely,

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Anselmo Lee
Executive Director

For further information, please contact: Anselmo Lee, Executive Director, email [email protected], +66 2 391 8801 (ext 501), Tadzrul Tahir Hamzah, Southeast Asia Sub-region Programme Officer, email [email protected], (ext 203)