In English
Photo: Björn Qvarfordt
The true face of Burma
Since 1962 Burma has been ruled by one of the worst military regimes in the world. Forced relocation, expropriation or theft of land and property, forced labour, child labour and physical terror have become part of daily life. This is especially the case with the ethnic minorities living along the Burmese borders. Many have been forced to leave the country and now live under poor conditions in refugee camps in neighbouring Thailand, India and China.
In 1988 hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in protest against poverty and the lack of respect for human rights in the country. The military responded by firing at the demonstrators. Thousands were killed. In addition, several thousand were forced to flee into the mountainous areas of the Thai-Burma border. After the massacre, Aung San Suu Kyi took the leading role in the democratic opposition. Her support among the Burmese people grew rapidly. In the 1990 free elections, her party gained more than 80 per cent of the seats in parliament. However, the military refused to acknowledge the election results. Since 1989 Aung San Suu Kyi has been kept in virtual house arrest.
The military junta has made several attempts to burnish their international reputation in order to attract international investments and tourists to the country. But the true face of Burma has remained the same. The oppression has increased. For those involved in the opposition, and their families, life is spent under the continuous threat of being arrested and tortured or that of “disappearing”.
And yet the resistance continues. Inside Burma, the superior force of the military has not succeeded in curbing either the ethnic minorities or the democracy movement. Your support for their struggle will be deeply appreciated.
The Swedish Burma Committee is an organisation working to increase awareness and knowledge about the situation in Burma. Our goal is that the policy of the international community in dealing with Burma will be strengthened until there is democracy and respect for human rights in the country. The Swedish Burma Committee is religiously and politically independent.