This time the world has seen the crimes of the SPDC as they have unfolded on our TV screens and our newspapers over the last few weeks. Sadly, they have not stopped as I write, despite Gambari’s visit to voice the world’s outrage at their brutality. In the past in 1988, at Depayin, at frequent places and dates throughout every year of their cruel reign, and as an everyday occurrence in the ethnic states of Burma, the atrocities have gone un-witnessed.

With eye-witness accounts, photographs and video footage of death and beatings of defenceless civilians, reliable reports of detention and torture of thousands, the active involvement of non-uniformed thugs helping the brutality (most likely USDA, PSAS, military intelligence and secret police), the world cannot ignore the facts.

The charge-sheet will list not just these crimes against humanity, but genocide against Burma’s ethnic minority groups that has been on-going for decades. Among the questions that we are now asking are (i) when will they be brought to justice? (ii) how will they be brought to justice? and (iii) what will be a suitable punishment?

Unless the criminals can be apprehended and imprisoned, there will be no trials. Charges can be prepared and crimes documented as evidence for a court. But which court? Burma has not signed the UN treaty that would allow the International Criminal Court of justice to take the matter in hand.

The UN Security Council has the power to refer the case to the ICC, but that would require Russia and China to take the global responsibilities that have grasped there and use them for good – instead we can expect them to use their veto to block any action that would prosecute their friendly natural resources store cupboard, and stop their arms sales (arms that are bring used to kill monks and unarmed civilians).

The primary route for prosecution it seems will be with Burma. Short of Than Shwe and his ghouls handing over themselves and their power to a free government this isn’t going to happen soon. The NLD have tried to focus the attention on the future of Burma, implying that the past crimes of the junta will be forgotten as far as prosecution goes. This mindset may have been adopted to try and break the deadlock of Burma’s political impasse, but with emotions and thoughts of revenge running high, it is not the sentiment in the minds of most people in Burma.

Unless the international community bring sufficient pressure to bear to remove the evil regime and take action to bring the tyrants to justice, there will be no justice for Burma until they have been overthrown. As an internationally sanctioned Iraq-style invasion seems unlikely, bringing about change to the government of Burma will be firmly in the hands of the people of Burma. Whilst there is an over-whelming majority of people in Burma who wish to see radical change, they are ones without the guns!

Working within the confines of the ‘road map’ will make no change to life in Burma – the SPDC will still be in control, but will have merely affected another name change, and a pretence of achieving democracy – that is a democracy without any of the freedoms or accountabilities that we associate with a parliamentary democracy. Unless change comes from another source, this will be Burma’s immediate future.

It is no surprise then that some pro-democracy activists in Burma are talking of a return to the armed struggle. Unfortunately, this may just wind up in the same fate as the post-1988 student guerrillas – strong on motivation and energy, but low on military experience, resources and the financial support with which to successfully wage a war and win it.

There is no doubt as to who has the moral high ground in Burma. But this is not enough to gain political power for the people, or to even consider how to punish those responsible for the recent and past atrocities (and as things look, they could be committing them in the future too).

Ultimately, the ‘Lord of Death’ will deal with Than Shwe and his like. In the meantime, for those of us who care about the future Burma, we will continue the fight in whatever way we can, until Burma gets FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY and JUSTICE.

Quote

“The Burmese authorities should no longer expect that their self-imposed isolation will shield them from accountability”

-Louise Arbour, the UN high commissioner for human rights

RESOURCES

Bringing Than Shwe and His Henchmen to Justice

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=8842