International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Report
BURMA
Burma’s “Saffron revolution” is not over
Paris, 10 December 2007- The ITUC and the FIDH today released a new
report on Burma entitled: “Burma’s “Saffron Revolution” is not over”
[1]. Based on the findings of a
joint international mission to the Thai-Burma border and interviews with
participants in last October’s protest movement and victims of its
repression by the military, the 50-page report includes detailed policy
proposals and recommendations to the international community. It comes
on the eve of two key events scheduled next week. On Monday, 10
December, which is also International Human Rights Day, EU Foreign
Ministers meeting in Brussels are expected to assess the situation after
a number of high-profile United Nations visits to Burma. The next day,
the same topic will be discussed by the UN Human Rights Council, meeting
in Geneva.
As indicated by the report’s sub-title, the ITUC and FIDH believe this
is the “Time for the international community to act”. The underlying
analysis is that the violent repression, particularly the targeting by
the military of peacefully-demonstrating monks, has deeply antagonised
Burma’s society, at the same time as it has created new resistance
dynamics which are unlikely to fade away. “Desire for change seems to be
greater than ever”, the report says. Noting that “no real signs of
de-escalation of repression and commitment to a peaceful transition have
been given by the ruling junta since the crackdown”, the world’s largest
global trade union organisation and the oldest international human
rights organisation with a universal mandate argue that the recent
events make a strong case for urgent and increased international
pressure. They say this view reflects positions defended both by victims
and by organisations representing Burma’s democracy movement, based
inside and outside the country. In addition to meeting with victims and
witnesses, the mission held meetings with 15 different organisations as
well as with the diplomatic community.
The joint report details four key principles for action and suggests the
international community should focus on four main leverage points. The
principles stress that Burma should be kept as a top priority on the
international agenda; that increasing pressure on the junta now will be
useful, not harmful to the reconciliation and democracy process; that
the international community should accept “taking responsibility for
Burma” rather than sticking to its “wait-and-see” attitude; and that it
should implement a two-pronged approach of influencing the regime and
encouraging the people by sending clear messages of international
support. The leverage points cover detailed recommendations aimed both
at raising international pressure on the military junta and supporting
national reconciliation; cutting the junta’s economic lifeline through
comprehensive sanctions including, in particular, the priority sectors
of oil and gas, timber, gems and financial - including banking –
services, with due consideration, where justified, for exceptions on
humanitarian or similar grounds; establishing a “Burma Transition Fund”
that would be available after a return to democracy and, finally,
supporting a peaceful transition to democracy by concrete initiatives
aiming at promoting a culture of democracy within Burma, also directed
at the army, the professionalizing of which should be accepted both by
officers and soldiers themselves, as well as by the population.
While also expressing support for the “good offices” mission of the UN
Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Burma, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and
the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Prof.
Sergio Pinheiro, the report notes that the junta has so far failed to
fully cooperate with either. It explains why both mechanisms should be
allowed to open permanent representation offices in Burma.
The report contains detailed recommendations addressed on all these
issues to the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the EU,
ASEAN and other regional organisations and governments. It also contains
a concrete warning to the ruling military junta, that it “should
consider very seriously” that, unless it “acts swiftly to towards
implementing the reforms expected from it”, it may soon find itself
facing legal action against it at the International Court of Justice and
the International Criminal Court. Both options, currently under
examination at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and by the
international legal community and human rights movements, respectively,
are explained in detail in the relevant sections of the report. Other
pressure points, such as a Security Council arms embargo, or decision to
place all revenue from international investment and trade with Burma on
an escrow account, are also examined in the report.
All stakeholders in the Burma crisis must accept their share of
responsibilities in encouraging a peacefull transition to democracy, say
the FIDH and ITUC. “There is no time to loose: we cannot run the the
risk that the current window of opportunity for a democratic transition
swings shut”, said Olivier De Schutter, FIDH Secretary General. “While
the United Nations Secretary General will declare open, on Monday 10
December a year-long campaign to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our collective capacity to
effectively realise and promote peace, human rights and democracy, is at
stake” added Guy Ryder, ITUC General Secretary.
* The report is available on FIDH website :
http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/mm485a.pdf
For more information, please contact:
– ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018
(Mathieu Debroux, in Brussels) or +32.477.580.486 (Janek
Kuczkiewicz, in Washington, D.C.)
– FIDH Press Office on + 33 6 68 42 93 47 / +33 1 43 55 90 19 / +
33 1 43 55 14 12 / + 33 1 43 55 25 18 (Karine Appy) and Gaëtan
Vanloqueren, mission expert/chargé de mission FIDH: +32 4 72 33 17 71
Karine Appy
Attachée de presse
Press Officer
FIDH
+33 1 43 55 14 12
+33 1 43 55 25 18
+33 6 68 42 93 47
www.fidh.org