Democracy as a Challenge

The ION RATIU DEMOCRACY LECTURE

DEMOCRACY as a CHALLENGE

November 15, 2007: 4:00-6:00 PM
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Opening Remark by:

Aung Din
Executive Director
U.S. Campaign for Burma
1444 N Street, NW, # A2
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 234 8022
Fax: (202) 234 8044
www.uscampaignforburma.org
aungdin@uscampaignforburma.org

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is a great honor and privilege for me to make a comment before the lecture, which will be given by Professor Anatoli Mikhailov, the recipient of the 2007 Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture Award. As a Burmese democracy activist in exile, I am also honored to be here with another activist in exile who was also forced to leave his country of Belarus because of his opposition to the Lukashenko regime. This is a wonderful coincidence that two democracy activists in exile from Burma and Belarus meet here at this event, honoring the late Ion Ratiu, who was also in exile for his opposition to then-Communist rule in his country of Romania. And the title of the lecture is also very interested and meaningful, “Democracy as a Challenge”. I appreciate the Woodrow Wilson Center for hosting this important event.

My country Burma, which is in Southeast Asia, is thousands of miles away from Belarus of Professor Mikhailov. However, two countries share the same characteristics and face the same challenges. Burma is ruled by the brutal military junta and Belarus is ruled by an authoritarian regime. Freedom House’s annual survey of “freedom around the world” describes the status of both Burma and Belarus as “Not Free”. Burmese military junta issues various decrees to restrict fundamental rights of the people and movement of democracy activists as Belarus Government adopted legislations imposing penalties for “discrediting Belarus” and organizing activities of unregistered NGOs. Both regimes control the state media and Internet. Both regimes use every method, including use of violence, to crack down on the protests of democracy activists and to remain in power. Judiciary system in both countries is also in favor of the rulers. Religious freedom is severely restricted and women and children the most vulnerable targets of these corrupt regimes. I wonder if there is a manual for dictatorial rule. Anyhow, despite these severe restrictions and oppression, the struggles for democracy in both countries are strong, powerful and moving forward. Definitely, working to achieve democracy under the dictatorial regime is a difficult task as well as a great challenge.

There is one thing, one important and unfortunate thing we share, which is being next to a giant neighbor, which favors dictators than democracy. While China, immediate neighbor of Burma, is strongly supporting the Burmese military junta, Russia, a neighbor of Belarus is helping the Lukashenko’s regime to hold on to power. Our struggle for democracy is being oppressed not only by the dictators that rule our countries against the will of the people, but also by these giant neighbors, who are assisting these dictators economically and financially and defending them from the international pressure.

Burma has been under the military rule since 1962. I was born in 1963; one year after the military took over power from the democratically elected civilian government. I have witnessed the struggles of the people of Burma to restore democracy and human rights throughout my life. In 1988, I was able to participate in the nationwide popular uprising. Students led the protest and managed to bring millions of people to the streets, calling for restoration of democracy and human rights, and political reform. The military junta used violence to put down the protests. Thousands of peaceful demonstrators were brutally killed, thousands more were arrested, and tens of thousands more were forced to flee to the borders to become refugees. I was also arrested and put in prison over four years.

19 years later, in this August and September, I was in the United States, emotionally and excitedly watching the peaceful and powerful protests of my fellow citizens, led by Buddhist monks, now known as the “Saffron Revolution”. The 2007 Saffron Revolution was led by Buddhist monks and called for political dialogue between the military junta and Daw Aung san Suu Kyi, leader of Burma's democracy movement. The military junta imposed curfew order and banned gathering of more than five persons. Security forces took position in major cities and shot at the crowds. More than two hundred protesters, including monks and students as young as ten-year old were killed, over four thousand protesters were arrested. So many Buddhist monasteries were raided and emptied by the security forces.

Burma became a permanent agenda of the UN Security Council in September 2006. The draft resolution, which was designed to encourage the junta to expedite national reconciliation and democratization, was vetoed by China and Russia on January 12, 2007. Even after the 2007 Saffron Revolution, when US, UK and France called on the Security Council to imposed strong resolution on Burma, which will effectively instruct the military junta to stop killing and use of violence against the protesters, to release all detainees and to engage in a meaningful and time bound dialogue, they were not successful as China and Russia strongly rejected and threatened to veto again.

Struggle for democracy is a really challenging task, which requires courage, determination and great sacrifices, generations of work and support from freedom loving people around the world. As activists in exile, our duty is to organize international support for democracy movement back home and to campaign for a collective voice and an effective action from the international community. This is more challenging task, but worth trying.

I thank Professor Mikhailov, who is not only a person in exile, but also running the "University in Exile" for being here with us to share his vision for democracy.

Thank you,

Aung Din
Executive Director
U.S. Campaign for Burma