Regarding the situation in Burma

Luokka: Humanist International

 

The Humanist International views with great concern the situation that is currently unfolding in Burma.  The peaceful demonstrations by Buddhist Monks across the country appear to be on the verge of a violent crackdown by the military regime that has trampled all over the human rights of the population ever since illegally coming to power in 1962.
It is high time that the Military gave up their hold on power and set in motion a process of power transfer to a democratically elected government.
We fully support the actions of the protesting monks, nuns and other civilians of Burma who are using the tools of active nonviolence to achieve social change: the most ethical and morally acceptable form of protest.
We take this occasion to demand the following immediate actions by the Burmese Regime:

• The immediate cessation of repression of the peaceful protests on the streets of Burma
• The announcement of plans to restore a democratic process in the country within in the shortest possible time frame
• The immediate release of all political prisoners, especially the pro-democracy campaign leader, Aun Sang Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for years and in recent days has been transferred to a secure prison.

Internationally, we call on:

• The United Nations to take all possible steps to pressurise the regime in Burma to relinquish power
• The governments of China and Russia, most notably, to stop showing implicit support to the Burmese regime by preventing the UN Security Council from taking resolutions critical of the Burmese Military, considering their own economic and political interests ahead of the interests of the ordinary people of Burma who are suffering terrible abuse.

This coming 2nd of October marks the International Day of Nonviolence as adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations earlier in the year.  We take this opportunity therefore to proclaim the historical examples of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and the modern example of Mario Rodriguez, Silo, and promote active nonviolence as the only coherent way to achieve social change: change that is required to eliminate violence in all its forms from human society.

Giorgio Schultze

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