Today is a day marked by Bloggers Unite - Blogging for Hope, where bloggers around the world gather to blog on Human Rights.

I am going to add my 2 cents to this initiative, although i feel that it’s impact will be quite minimal due to the numerous human rights issues over the world(singapore is in it too,lol) that can be blogged about.(At least though, i will be able to spread the words to some :D)

My point of focus for the day will be Myanmar/Burma.

Myanmar/Burma as a Country
This country somewhere in Asia, part of the Asean, has always been under the global radar for it’s oppressions of it’s citizens through forced labor, drug trafficking and child labor and their lack of freedom of speech in that particular country. It has reach such a dire state that even it’s citizens had to reach out to the global community for help as shown in the 2007 protests(will be discussed).
“Several human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have reported on human rights abuses by the military government.[58][59] They have claimed that there is no independent judiciary in Burma. The military government restricts Internet access through software-based censorship that limits the material citizens can access on-line.[60][61] Forced labour, human trafficking, and child labour are common.[62] The military is also notorious for rampant use of sexual violence as an instrument of control, including systematic rapes and taking of sex slaves as porters for the military. A strong women’s pro-democracy movement has formed in exile, largely along the Thai border and in Chiang Mai. There is a growing international movement to defend women’s human rights issues.”

This country, interestingly, has 2 form of names to it.
On 18 June 1989, the military junta passed the “Adaptation of Expressions Law” that officially changed the English version of the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar.
However, Burma is still used today as “opposition groups continue to use the name “Burma”, since they do not recognize the legitimacy of the ruling military government nor its authority to rename the country in English. The English name change has been recognized by the United Nations. However it has not been recognized by many Western governments such as the United States, Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom, which continue to use “Burma”.”

Cyclone Nargis
From here, you can actually read up on the devastating effect of the cyclone. However, that’s not all. Myanmar/Burma’s junta is adding salt to it’s people wounds as it is blocking much relief efforts even though it request for it through the UN. Even if it allows relief efforts by other countries, these efforts are put under strict restrictions and hamper by the long delays, such as:
In a separate development, Myanmar denied Indian search and rescue teams and media access to critical cyclone-hit areas.
Prime Minister of Thailand, stated that “if Myanmar gives the green light allowing us to help, our Air Force will provide C-130 aircraft to carry our teams there. This should not be precipitately carried out, it has to have the permission of their government. Only on 7 May did the latter get approved.
The Myanmar government is currently blocking certain relief agencies from operating in its territory and not issuing visas quickly enough to individuals from certain aid agencies. The first U.S. relief airlift arrived in Myanmar on Monday after prolonged negotiations with the country’s isolationist junta.
It is also quite displeasing to note that all the aids are restricted entirely to “material’ aids and not help from relief workers, which are currently in serious shortages on the ground. Doctors and workers are not around or are presented in too small an amount to assist with the numerous casualties and missing people. They are causing their population to suffer as a result of their undesired actions.
And, that’s not all, Aid distribution has also met with much controversy as these aids are normally transported via the Myammar’s military which is under direct command of the junta.
[Beautiful Picture Slideshow from New York Times]

2007 Burmese Government Protest
This protest was the hot subject on this country just before the Cyclone Nargis. It was a peaceful protest led initially by students and opposition political activist, after which, the Burmese monks played a big part in this long protest.[more information here]
It provides a great viewpoint on the country as the protest was a result of years of economic hardship and consumer price in the country was rising. These in fact, affect the majority of it’s population and must have reached such an intolerable state that the protest was started. The population knew the tight control it’s military dictatorship was obsessed with that country, and in spite of that, they went ahead with the protest, and suffered.
Monks, which numbered almost as much as the military, took to the streets too. The monks are holy beings and is highly respected in the country which has Buddhism as it’s main religion.(It was said that even the people would not step on the shadow of a monk, in respect of him) Despite such a great status, the military still beat the monks up and detain them even though the protests were peaceful.
When the protesters realise that the government wasn’t going to help alleviate their plight, and instead clamp now on them, they moved to bring the issue up to the global community. This in turn led to protests staged in other country and much pressures were put on the global leaders at that time. Because of the vast effect of the global outreach, the Myanmar/Burma junta actually imposed an “information silence” by restricting internet access to prevent citizens from reporting news of what is happening on the ground(at one time, the internet was shutdown).
All the above clearly show Myanmar/Burma disregard for human rights. They do not respect their population’s freedom of speech through peaceful protest and they disregard the monks and it’s population by inducing violence to stop the protests. This actually show the disrespect the junta have for it’s people and how insignificant they are in their eyes. These could have been prevented if Myanmar/Burma junta wants to be actively involved with it’s population in discussion of what can be done to stop the protests, instead of trying to create fear by using violent measures against it’s population.
“As of 22 September 2007, the Buddhist monks have withdrawn spiritual services from all military personnel in a symbolic move that is seen as very powerful in such a deeply religious country as Burma.”

Child Labor, Drug Trafficking and Sex Trade
It is very regrettable that the junta are actively involved in those ill trades. Child labor is prominent in the country because even the military recruit large amount of children as soldiers. By international standard, a child is protected by the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
on the involvement of children in armed conflicts, which of course disallow any child to be involved in the latter.

Drug is a large trade in Myanmar/Burma. This is because they are part of the Golden Triangle, which is one of Asia’s two main illicit opium-producing areas. They are also the world’s second largest producer of illicit opium. Myanmar/Burma is also becoming a major source of methamphetamine for regional consumption. The point is, if there’s drug production, there much be people trafficking it out of the country to the global market right? [an example of China-Myammar/Burma drug trafficking, a 2 year study]

Sex has always been the biggest industry. And the sex trade in Myanmar/Burma is focused on it’s relationship with Thailand.
“In addition to economic ties with Thailand, Myanmar’s suppressive military regime has led many members of ethnic minority groups to become economically desperate enough to be recruited into prostitution. Myanmar continues to be ruled by a highly authoritarian military regime, (SLORC), which  is widely condemned for its serious human rights abuses. There continues to be credible reports, particularly in ethnic minority areas, that soldiers commit serious human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killing and rape. Disappearance continues, and prison conditions remain harsh, with the members of security force randomly beating or otherwise abusing prisoners. Arbitrary arrests and detention continue for expression of dissenting political views, resulting in a few thousand students and dissidents remaining in exile in Thailand.”from here(great article, do browse through)

To end, Myanmar/Burma is really having serious issues against human rights. They are not only the perpetrator of acts against human rights, they do not attempt to stop those even if it is happening right at their border, with regards to the sex trade. With a dictatorship, the citizen’s voice is not helping and the global community’s action is limited as the junta itself does not waver to global decisions. I do hope the current Cyclone Nargis crisis can be met with better management by the junta and open up the country to all global aids. They need to understand that their people do need more help, and the help is restricted by them, just in front of their borders.

“A country cannot be a country without it’s people.”