A new Burma democracy movement

By Roland Watson
August 3, 2013

The failure of the pro-democracy movement

I’ll begin with an obituary. The Burma pro-democracy movement is dead.

Of course, some people might disagree. Instead, they might say that it is
“over.” The Burma democracy movement isn’t dead, it’s just over, because
it succeeded. Burma is now free and democratic.

I know how ridiculous this sounds, but many people actually do hold this
view. The SPDC and Than Shwe are GONE, and the “progress” in the country
is irreversible. The “reform” will take some years to complete, of course,
but democracy is now established, there is a President and a Parliament,
and things will only get better.

Such people are either fools; or part of the regime, such as Shwe Mann,
Suu Kyi and Tayza; or corrupt cronies of the regime, including EBO’s Harn
Yawnghwe, the KNU’s General Mutu Sae Poe, General Johnny, and General
Secretary Kwe Htoo, the SSA-South’s General Yawd Serk, and of course all
of the corporate pirates now invading the country. In the third group I
would also include the international regime cheerleaders, including Ashley
South, who is now reaping the reward for his complicity through his
association with the Myanmar Peace Support Initiative; Derek Tonkin, of
Network Myanmar; and Georgetown’s illustrious David Steinberg.
Congratulations, gentlemen, you must be dancing in the streets. You won!
Burma is not free, and it won’t be for a long, long time to come. You got
what you wanted!!!

The movement has failed, and the first and foremost proof of this is that
the dictators are still in power. Some of them, such as SPDC supremo Than
Shwe, may have moved to the shadows, and others, including President Thein
Sein and the members of the USDP, have taken off their uniforms, but, they
are still absolutely in charge. And, with the 2008 Constitution as the
“Supreme Law” of Burma, and which Than Shwe will never allow to be
significantly altered, there is no way that they can be removed.

Secondly, repression in the country continues, without fail. This includes
the ongoing Burma Army offensives agains various ethnic nationality
groups; related repression of ethnic nationality people, including the
regime’s backing of a campaign of genocide targeting the Rohingya;
widespread land thefts, to assist the corporate pirates; and the
continuing arrests and detention of individuals who protest these abuses,
as well as the fact that any of the political prisoners who have been
released can instantly be re-imprisoned if they ever really speak out.

Please continue read at-

http://www.dictatorwatch.org/articles/burmanewmovement.pdf