Real People’s Desire: Freedom from Persecution

_ reported by Dr. Tayza

Mr John Bercow MP, who is Co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group, gave the opening speech of the meeting. And Baroness Cox, who wrote foreword for the report, also gave a speech to the meeting, wearing a Chin traditional jacket.

In his speech, the author Ben Rogers said that Burma is like one giant prison ruled by an illegal regime. He said that Muslim people from Burma have published a report “Easy Targets” about themselves and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma (AAPPB) has compiled a report about imprisoned Buddhist Monks; so now it’s time for the Christians to present a report about the persecutions they face in Burma.

And he recited a song of Bob Dylan and asked an interesting question “How many times world’s people need to hear about atrocities in Burma to start taking it seriously and to start taking actions?”

He also cited the report which explained about the distorted and perverted ways in which Burma’s military regime is using Buddhism as a political weapon to suppress its non-Buddhist opponents. Burmese Generals are fastidious in attending Buddhist Festivals giving themselves a public image as committed Buddhists although non of their corrupt and brutal actions live up to Buddha’s teachings of love, kindness and honesty.

The report also described 17 points Programme of the military regime to wipe out Christian Religion in Burma which thoroughly laid bare SPDC regime’s ulterior motives on religious cleansing in Burma; and so it was even picked up and quoted in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper on last Sunday.

The report also noted that, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization, Burmese soldiers even cut open the mouth of a Christian Preacher to the neck to prevent him from preaching again.

In his conclusion Ben said that ethnic people of Burma told him that the real people’s real desire in Burma is to let the world knows that they want freedom_ freedom from fear and freedom from persecution.

After Ben, a representative from Chin Human Rights Organization spoke to the meeting about human rights situations in Chin State. He said there is no doubt about military regime’s intention of destroying identity, culture and tradition of non-Burman minorities. But he clarified that religious persecutions in Burma are not carried out or colluded by ordinary Buddhist people; but by the military regime which uses Buddhism in a distorted way as a political weapon.

Then a Chin lady delegate, who is currently based in India, talked about forced labour in Chin State of Burma and also about Chin refugees in India. She said Burmese military regime’s soldiers frequently and regularly snatched Chin people to use as forced labourers. These forced labourers are forced to carry heavy military equipments for the regime’s army, and also have to march in front of the lines of soldiers as if they are human mine sweepers for the soldiers. If they refuse to obey these inhumane orders, soldiers beat them up very brutally. She said she has frequently seen large wounds and bruises on the bodies of some fortunate porters who escaped from clutches of Burmese soldiers. And these fortunate ones usually become refugees in India. After a while some of these Chin refugees from Burma take up the local culture of north-eastern states of India losing their traditional identities, and indirectly helping fulfil Burmese regime’s ethnic cleansing ambitions.

After that, an ethnic lady from Kachin National Organization explained about the problem of human trafficking, exploitation of natural resources and environmental destruction in Kachin State. She said many young girls from Kachin State and northern Shan state are trafficked into sex industries in Chinese border towns along China-Burma border. Some of the unfortunate girls are sold to far away places to become wives/mistresses of Chinese men in north-eastern China. And Chinese logging companies in collaboration with corrupt Burmese military Generals cut down almost all forests leaving once very green and lush mountains as totally bald hills now in Kachin State. And Kachin youths working in Chinese owned gold-mines in Kachin State are very vulnerable to all kinds of health hazards_ industrial hazards, HIV infections and drug-addiction etc.

At last the meeting was concluded with some discussions about the fact that western companies should not invest and tourists should not visit as long as Burma is ruled by corrupt and brutal military Generals whose families control all big businesses like energy, mining, forestry, hotels and tourism in Burma.