Burma’s crimes against humanity must not be ignored

Burma's Military regime (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/burma_street_wideweb__470x310,2.jpg)

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the Deceleration of Human Rights. In this light it is important to remember the terrible oppression of the people of Myanmar under General Thein Sein’s military regime.

General Thein Sein seized power in 1990 after the elections, that were won by  Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). They won 82 per cent of the parliamentary seats, yet the military rejected the results, imprisoned the victors and intensified its grip on power.

Since then the Burmese people, primarily the ethnic minorities have been terrorized by a overwhelmingly brutal regime. Ethinc groups such as the Chin who are predominantly Christian, Karen, Karenni, Shan and Mon, face religious and cultural persecution under a regime that will do anything to stay in power.

“They face cultural genocide, and there may even be a case of attempted genocide to investigate.”

The Chin have been forced to abandon their religion, and their children have been lured away and trained as Buddhist monks.

“The Chin people, like other ethnic groups, endure widespread and systematic forced labour and rape. Over the past two years, their suffering has been compounded by a chronic food shortage, caused by a natural phenomenon.”

It is important that other nations put pressure on the Myanmar government to stop committing human rights abuses against it’s own people in the face of the up and coming elections next year. Caroline Cox and Benedict Rogers report