Democracy in Burma & the UN’s Response
23 June 2006

In a bid to end violence and promote democratic change in Burma, the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, Burma Campaign UK, and US Campaign for Burma urged government leaders worldwide to sign a petition sent to the UN Security Council. This petition is written by 33 members of parliament and congress from 16 countries in Asia, Europe, and the US in an attempt to implement quicker changes through the UN.  According to the petition, the UN, EU, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have been slow in assisting Burma’s transition into a democratic state. As an alternative, the petition advocates Bishop Desmond Tutu’s and former Czech President Vaclav Havel’s proposition for a binding, non-punitive UN Security Council resolution on Burma. Their proposal suggests a multilateral plan requiring Burma's military government to cooperate with the UN on a path towards democratic development.

Burma is ruled by one of the world's most harsh military regimes. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the Burmese military government on June 8th to release all imprisoned political activists. The UN human rights envoy to Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, argued the prison releases “will be critical in facilitating national reconciliation and democratic transition, to which the Myanmar leadership has committed itself." Even though Burmese authorities have since freed more than 9,000 prisoners from jails nationwide, there were only 38 political activists freed.  Several hundred democracy activists have been jailed since Burma became a military-led state in the 1960’s.

In the country’s first national election in 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide, but the military refused to hand over power to NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, the pro-democracy leader has been jailed or under house arrest. Aung San Suu Kyi's arrest is alleged to have been organized by General Soe Win, who has just been appointed to replace Khin Nyunt as Burma's new prime minister.

In 2004, Burma's Constitutional Convention was hoped to be a significant step towards democracy. Opposition groups such the NLD, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), and the Karen National Union (KNU), however, doubted its legitimacy and thus boycotted the Convention. In reaction, Secretary Annan reiterated to the Burmese government “…that for the national convention to be credible, it must be all-inclusive and that all the delegates must be able to express their views without sanction." Despite criticism, Burma's military leaders continued the Constitutional Convention without full party representation.

For more information on the situation or to take action, please visit The US Campaign for Burma or The Burma Campaign UK.