Burma

Burma (Union of Myanmar) is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. It consists of central Burma, which has a majority Burman population and seven ethnically diverse frontier states.  

It has been under military rule since 1962. The current military regime is called the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

Prior to 1962 Burma  was the world's largest rice exporter and it had a successful export business in teak and gems. However under military rule  it has become one of the world's poorest countries. 

"Four Cuts" Policy

Although the Burmese government denies ethnic cleansing, since the mid-1960s the Burmese government has implemented the Four Cuts policy which strives to cut the supplies of food, funds, recruits and information to resistance groups.

This is by systematically terrorizing, controlling, and impoverishing the civilian population in resistance areas. The SPDC has implemented the Four Cuts policy more systematically and brutally than did its predecessors, forcing mass relocations by burning villages and destroying farms. The areas worst affected are the ethnic areas on the eastern border with Thailand including Karen State and Karenni State.

This policy has created hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.

1988 Protests

In August 1988 Students led a pro-democracy protest. The protestors clashed with military forces and at least 3000 students were killed, a large number of people went missing, and all universities were closed.

After the protests there was another military coup, the new government renamed the country to The Union of Myanmar and a state of emergency was declared, during which time many more people were killed. Eventually the military government agreed to elections.

Elections were held in 1990, and overwhelmingly won by the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The NLD won over 80% of the parliamentary seats, but the regime refused to hand over power, and instead imprisoned the victors and intensified its grip on power.

 

September 2007 Protests

In September 2007, Burmese monks marched in protest to the government's massive increase to fuel prices.

In predominantly Buddhist Burma the monks are highly revered and carry a strong voice with the general population.

Because of this the Burmese military did not immediately suppress the protests. Large numbers of civilians joined the protests which quickly became pro-democracy rallies.

The Burmese military then brought the protests to a violent end. They attacked the protestors, broke into Buddhists temples, beat and arrested hundreds of monks.

 

Human Rights Abuses

Burma is the worst violator of Human Rights in the world¹, ranking above even North Korea

Rape: Rape is used as a weapon of war by the Burma Army and is common. Women of ethnic minorities are often raped, tortured then killed.

Religious Persecution: Christians among the Chin, Kachin, Karen and Karenni and Muslims among the Rohingya are persecuted. Religious discrimination is used to create division amongst Burma's population. Churches are repeatedly burnt and printing of the bible is banned. Buddhists who do not support the regime are also targeted (see 2007 protests above).

Child Soldiers: Burma has the highest number of forcibly conscripted child soldiers in the world. There are an estimated 70,000 forcibly conscripted child soldiers in the Burma Army², making up 20% of the entire military

 

 

 

¹ Conservative Human Rights Commission report, December 2006
² Human Rights Watch, 'My Gun Was As Tall As Me'