The guilty verdict of the court in Burma has come as no surprise. Yet, the verdict has presented an ironic opportunity, for Aung San Suu Kyi to make a decisive push against the State Peace and Development Council - commonly referred to as the military junta; and for the international community to prove that it is serious about supporting meaningful change in Burma. Ever since Aung San Suu Kyi was charged by Burma for violating the terms of her house arrest, there were public speculations that this was just another attempt on the part of the military junta to try and silence Suu Kyi once again. And this they did with shrewd effectiveness. Now that Suu Kyi has been sentenced to an additional 18 months under house arrest, it would mean that she will not be able to take any active role in the proposed 2010 elections, which is being projected as a step towards reforms in Burma.
While Suu Kyi’s trail has again brought international attention back on Burma, the predictable condemnation from around the world has raised concerns that too much focus on Suu Kyi may only result in excluding the broader issues in Burma. Therefore while, the guilty verdict of Suu Kyi has been able to galvanize international attention, it is imperative that the broader issues of democracy and the rights of various ethnic nationalities are put in the forefront of such attention. For Suu Kyi, whose effectiveness as a leader has come in for serious criticism, the guilty verdict, in an ironic way, has presented an opportunity for Suu Kyi to prove her political relevance in Burma at this present moment in history.
The trial and subsequent guilty verdict of Suu Kyi is a grim reminder of how the military junta continues to systematically and ruthlessly suppress the people. It therefore brings home the harsh reality that the release of Suu Kyi really would not really change anything, not lead to any real transformation. Her situation needs to be located within the broader historical and present political conditions of Burma. With the continued repression and with the recent news that the military junta is working towards turning Burma into a nuclear state, the Burma context must be placed within the broader framework of world peace and security. And therefore, there is a real serious and urgent need for the international community to engage in some meaningful engagement with the military junta.
This however has been difficult with the United Nations divided in its opinion and with Burma having strong economic ties with its neighbors. The fact remains that countries like Thailand, Singapore, UK, US, France, China and India have economic interest and have thus continued to maintain economic relations with Burma, despite their position to support the democratic movement in Burma. As of May 31, 2009, there are 424 oversea enterprises from 31 countries investing a total of 15767.43 million US dollars inside Burma. Of these, Thailand has the largest investment, followed by UK, Singapore and China. Some serious rethinking is needed and the guilty verdict has given the international community a breathing space to do just that.
The UN, and in particular ASEAN must use the present international focus to revisit some of the pressing prior demands including the release of all political prisoners, open access to humanitarian aid and a movement towards national reconciliation and democracy. The UN Security Council should also adopt a global arms embargo to Burma as a means to reduce human rights violations. The UN Secretary General must also demand the military junta to responds to his recent call for democratic reforms while he was visiting the country. The guilty verdict has indeed provided an opportunity for both Suu Kyi and the international community. Now, it is up to them to move beyond words.
