Mindretallene udgør tilsammen 1/3 af alle burmesere og har haft det ekstra hårdt under 50 års militærstyre – anmoder omverdenen om hele tiden at vurdere de reelle demokratiske fremskridt, før man letter sanktionsåget yderligere.
CHIANG MAI, 27 April 2012 (IRIN) – Ethnic minority groups in Burma are calling on the international community to set stronger benchmarks (pejlemærker) or steps in the incremental (omsiggribende) removal of international sanctions, following this week’s announcement by the European Union (EU) to suspend sanctions for a year, retaining only the embargo on arms sales.
“Now more than ever, it is important that our voice is heard,” Zipporah Sein, general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU) told IRIN on 27 April.
“If sanctions are to be lifted, it is important that specific benchmarks be put in place,” noted he.
Many argue there can be no real progress towards democracy until Burma makes peace with all its ethnic groups.
Viewed as key to the development of Burma, the suspension of EU sanctions announced on 23 April is seen as another major endorsement of Burmese President U Thein Sein’s recent political reforms.
The reforms include release of hundreds of political prisoners, new laws allowing labour unions and strikes, a gradual easing of media restrictions, and ceasefire (våbenhvile) agreements with various ethnic rebel groups.
Ethnic divide
The Burmese government has had contentious (trættekære) relationships with its ethnic minority groups, which account for about a third of the country’s more than 54 million inhabitants, and many have fought for greater autonomy or secession (løsrivelse) for their regions since the country gained independence from Great Britain in 1948.
At the weekend, leaders of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an umbrella group comprised of 11 of Burma’s leading ethnic groups – including the Mon, Shan, Karenni, Chin, and Kachin people – released a statement announcing that they were prepared to meet with Burma’s chief negotiator, U Aung Min Aung Min, to present their version of a durable roadmap to peace.
At the end of 2011, the government launched peace initiatives with several of Burma’s ethnic armies.
“The UNFC has the same position as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi [leader of the National League for Democracy, Burma’s main opposition party],” said KNU Vice President David Tharckabaw, during the meeting in northern Thailand near the Burmese border.
“We support the rule of law, the amendment of the constitution, and building internal peace,” added he.
Tharckabaw, along with other members of the UNFC, maintains that political dialogue, not resource development, must be the top priority after a nationwide cease-fire is reached.
Sanctions eased
Læs videre på
http://www.irinnews.org/Report/95370/MYANMAR-Ethnic-minorities-call-for-caution-as-sanctions-ease
Se også IRINs store baggrundstema om Burma og fremtiden på
http://www.irinnews.org/In-Depth/95194/96
Om landenavne
Som en del af FN-systemet bruger nyhedstjenesten IRIN konsekvent det nye officielle navn på Burma, nemlig “Myanmar”, som blev indført af militærjuntaen. Denne betegnelse benyttes til gengæld kun af enkelte vestlige medier.
De fleste, herunder U-landsnyt.dk, omtaler landet ved dets hævdvundne navn fra uafhængighedens første dag.
Der er flere andre eksempler på politisk betingede navneskift på lande verden over. I Afrika omdøbte diktatoren Mobutu Sese Seko således Congo til Zaire, hvorefter det gamle navn blev genindført ved hans fordrivelse.
Det er forventningen, at et muligt fremtidigt demokratisk styret Burma atter vil antage sit oprindelige navn.
I dag har miitærstyret udpeget et overvældende flertal af parlamentets medlemmer. Dette vil først kunne ændre sig ved landsomfattende frie og demokratiske valg.
De nylige valg, hvor Aung San Suu Kyis parti vandt 43 udaf 44 pladser, var kun suppleringsvalg. De to parlamentskamre tæller i alt 664 medlemmer, heraf 440 i underhuset (Repræsentanthuset).
