US Engagements in Burma Should not Exclude Democracy and Reconciliation

Tue 20 Oct 2009,
It is good news to hear that US Sectary of State Hillary Clinton desires to “directly engage” with Burma’s decades-old military government, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), to push for democratic transition and a review of sanctions.

The Burmese people honestly and urgently desire a better economy and basic freedoms, as they have demonstrated many times, from the time of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising to the 2007 “Saffron Revolution”. However, the SPDC’s inhumane attempts at silencing the Burmese people’s voices has sometimes incited the international community to attempt to intervene in Burma.

The UN has launched many “missions impossible” to pave the way for negotiations between the SPDC leaders and opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Unfortunately, the UN only offers the SPDC carrots – like aid for the Cyclone Nargis victims, and other development assistances – and when UN’s refused to provide these offering after the SPDC failed to comply with their aims, such “sticks” did not hurt the regime.

Now, the people of Burma just want to “wait and see” how tasteful the USA’s Obama administration’s carrots will be for the regime, and how much their sticks are able to hurt the regime. The people of Burma have always supported and admired USA’s effective policies against the regime in Burma, and they also believe the American people can help them. Some Burmese people even want to see a US invasion of their country, and harsh punishments for the Burmese government’s military regime.

Most of us want to see a peaceful democratic transition and national reconciliation in Burma without bloodshed, crackdowns, and war; we want to see this through free, fair, and participatory elections in 2010. Right now however, the people’s concern is that the 2008 constitution cannot guarantee a “democratic and unified” Burma.

Hence, in the USA’s engagements with Burma, the American government should demand for a review of the 2008 constitution, and the USA should encourage the regime to hold free, fair and participatory elections; America should also encourage the SPDC to initiate peaceful political talks with different ethnic nationalities, and to free all political prisoners. Then, the US can give a lot of carrots to the SPDC.

If the international community can makes sure that there will be a peaceful democratic transition, and some signs of much-promised national reconciliation within the country, the international sanctions on Burma should be lifted. If this situation ever occurs, US government and the international community can also consider offering reconstruction assistance to Burma.

The people in Burma expect the US administration to use their sticks and carrots effectively.