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I’ve been trying to keep up with all of the press coverage of the monks protesting in Burma over the past week. The images alone have been striking - hundreds of monks flooding the streets of the capital Rangoon like a saffron colored river. At first, there was no public reaction from Burma’s ruling junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). The monks continued to march each day, their numbers growing from the hundreds to the tens of thousands, as scores of civilians joined in as well. Local people formed human chains around the monks to protect them from security forces. In the past few days however, analysts have speculated that the SPDC won’t allow the demonstrations to go on for much longer. And today, on the 9th day of protests led by the monks, the regime finally did react with tear gas and riot shields. Reports indicate that at least two monks and one civilian are dead, while several others have been injured and many arrested.

A lot of the news stories I’ve read describe how the demonstrations led by the monks echo the early days of the 1988 nationwide uprising, where 3000 civilians were killed after the regime ultimately suppressed the pro-democracy movement. Since that time, the political and humanitarian situation in Burma has certainly deteriorated further, particularly in the eastern part of the country, where ethnic Burmese groups continue to clash with military troops who forcibly displace civilians and use rape as a weapon of war.

The ongoing insecurity in eastern Burma, and the needs of the more than 500,000 displaced people, many of whom are hiding in the jungles without access to basic services like health care, must not be forgotten in the broader push by governments like the US to democratize Burma. While international political pressure is taking the form of increased sanctions, the US and other donors must also commit to aiding the most vulnerable populations in the country through humanitarian assistance - by cross-border assistance from Thailand, as well as an increase in humanitarian assistance to nongovernmental organizations and international agencies that are working in the country. This aid not only offers important assistance to people in need, it also supports the work of civil society and community based organizations that are able to function despite the SPDC's repressive policies.

As the protests continue, and NGOs in neighboring countries like Thailand prepare for possible refugee outflows from Burma, I find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. Are today’s actions against the monks an indication of a larger crackdown to come? Or will all of the current scrutiny and international outcry actually make a dent in Burma’s ruling junta? While it is probably too soon for anyone to speculate on what the ultimate results of the protests in Burma will be, the growing international attention and the high level discussions such as the one taking place today at the United Nations Security Council are certainly a positive side effect.

-- Camilla Olson

Labels: Burma