Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has had a military regime for decades; recently, the people of Myanmar, in particular Buddhist monks, opposition political groups, and student movements, have endeavored to protest in search of democracy. The military junta, led by Senior General Than Shwe, has violated on numerous occasions human rights involving life, liberty, security, and representation. Subsequently, national as well as international attempts have failed to secure a successful and legitimate peace and political agreement between the junta and opposition groups.

The junta’s draft constitution and plan for elections in 2010, released on February 11, has been met with skepticism and contempt on every level. The constitution not only failed to address key rights issues but also gave the military an equally powerful role in government, essentially changing nothing. Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader, won a sweeping victory at an election in 1990; however, the junta refused to accept such results after their ascent in 1988 and has detained Suu Kyi for over ten of the past twenty years, remaining in power and suppressing pro-democracy groups across the country. Mahn Sha, the General Secretary of the ethnic opposition group Karen National Union, has just been killed hours after the denouncing the junta’s plans and constitution proposal. Buddhist monks have been forced to flee persecution reacting against their protests in December, mostly to Thailand but also to several other South East Asian countries. In order to attain democracy, the military junta cannot simply create their own constitution and plans to follow it to fruition without the representation of the people of Thailand. In a country where the majority of citizens violently or nonviolently oppose the government on grounds of human rights and democracy, steps toward reform must include these very people. Otherwise, any election will result in military continual of power, even in an opposition victory, as it occurred in 1990.

The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all people have the right to life, liberty, and security. Although a military government may be slightly safer for the nation, the junta has violated all three of these rights through violent reaction against protests and unnecessary detainment. Similarly, the ninth article refers to arbitrary arrest and detention. Finally, the twenty-first article states that everyone has the right to take part in government, whether directly or through a representative. In Myanmar, the military has destroyed all hopes of a legitimate democracy with power in the people. There is no rationale for the junta’s violation of these human rights except the pursuit of power. No conflict of human rights exists in this country, so truly the only ethical course of action is to support opposition groups in obtaining a constitutional democracy.