Shan envoy: Don't let the generals bully democracy

Politics

Asia-Europe Meeting

Shan envoy: Don't let the generals bully democracy

Two days ahead of the EU foreign ministers meeting, 3-4 September, Shans have stuck in their oars to exhort the Union to stand firm against Burma's rulers by banning them from the Asia-Europe meeting next month unless their promises of releasing Aung San Suu Kyi and starting substantive dialogue are kept.

Wansai, Shan representative

Dr Thaung Htun, NCGUB representative

Harn Yawnghwe, Director, Euro-Burma Office

Saw Sarky, Karen representative

"The EU should start with banning the Burmese military regime from ASEM for two reasons," Sai Wansai, General Secretary of Shan Democratic Union and Special Ambassador of Shan State, wrote yesterday. "One, is to show the determination that EU does not tolerate such oppressive regime among its ranks and the other, to live up to its commitments and democratic value, which is the whole rallying point for the formation of European Union and beyond. Deciding otherwise or to give in one little bit would signal the message that EU is not living up to its value."

He allows that while sticking to one's own guns could mean a short-term economic disadvantage the alternative would be even worse. "Giving in to such incentive could amount to losing sight of a bigger picture, which could be translated into turning the back on promotion of democracy, rights of self-determination, universal rights and equality," he says.

He is also against allowing Burma's generals "to hide behind internationally accepted norms of territorial integrity and non-intervention", maintaining that such privilege could be granted only to "the regime with responsibility that looks after the well being of its population and not the one that terrorizes and perpetrates all sorts of human right violations."

"(It) would be like letting the wolf to look after the chickens," he says.

The Shan appeal came two days after the meeting of Dr Thaung Htun, representative of National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, with member of the European Parliament on Monday, 30 August. Thaung Htun had also urged EU, reported the EP press service, not to let Burma's ruling council attend the "Europe-Asian Forum".

Earlier, Harn Yawnghwe, Shan director of Euro-Burma Office, based in Brussels, had asked EU to remain firm on the position taken in Ireland in April that Burma will not be allowed to take part in ASEM unless Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders are released

Her National League for Democracy is allowed to participate freely in the National Convention

The National Convention procedures are modified and a definite time frame for its completion is established.

"It would be amiss to conjecture the present state of affairs as a showdown between the EU and Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)," concluded Wansai. "Rather it should be regarded as a confrontation between EU plus Asean and Rangoon."

To which Yawnghwe agrees, "The problem is that the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council, as the military leadership is known) is sitting tight. It does not care if ASEM takes place or not. The SPDC is more concerned about its own survival."

Both Wansai and Saw Sarky, Karen National Union's representative, are due to be in Amsterdam on 9 September on their annual lobbying tour.

All problems cleared, the Asia-Europe Summit Meeting is to take place in Hanoi, 8-9 October.