East Asia




Burma: The Dark Mystery

by Dr. John C. Walsh




Among the many reports and stories arising from the devastation of the earthquake 
and tsunami disaster of December 26th, 2004, there was one area of silence. 
Myanmar (previously and better known as Burma) released virtually no information 
about casualties and requested no assistance from the international community. 
Could the country somehow have been miraculously saved? Certainly, the 
government of Myanmar claimed that its beaches were shaped in such a way 
that the people were protected. Yet there are reports from just across the border 
in Thailand that perhaps as many as 800 Burmese fishermen had been swept out 
to sea and lost. Meanwhile, an unknown number of illegal Burmese migrant 
workers were evading the authorities rather than seek medical services and 
emergency relief for fear of being deported to their home country (Cohen, 2005). 
How can this situation have come about?



Modern Burma


Burma has a long and glorious history as a centre of civilisation and of Buddhist 
devotion. The centres of Peu, Ava, Pagan and Arakan were well-known 
throughout history. Unfortunately, few Burmese kings recognised the threat 
posed by the Europeans and, hence, the need to modernise their courts and 
their armies. As a result, Burma was drawn into the sphere of influence that 
Britain had created by the invasion and colonisation of India. Owing to the 
inability to control people on the border with British India, Burma made itself 
a target and was in due course defeated in war and incorporated into the British 
Empire.


There was fierce fighting in the country during the Second World War as the 
Japanese invaded in their conquest of East and Southeast Asia and were resisted 
and ultimately defeated by British and Empire forces. However, the end of the 
war signalled the end of the British Empire and independence for former crown 
colonies. Negotiations continued until 1948, when Burma was declared a 
sovereign independent state.


The problems it faced included a diverse set of ethnic groups and political 
ideologies and a comparatively weak centre to hold them all together. 
Communist insurgencies, ethnic divisions and political fallout at the top levels 
marked the county’s progress and the hold of democracy was always weak. 
It was no great surprise when military autocracy was established as the ruling 
regime.


In 1988, 26 years after military rule was first established, demonstrations broke 
out in the capital of Yangon (Rangoon) and these were ruthlessly crushed by 
the authorities, which then reconstituted itself as the SLORC – the State Law 
and Order Restoration Committee. In response, Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter 
of wartime hero Aung San, founded the Natonal League for Democracy (NLD) 
with a number of other brave colleagues. The NLD was subject to fierce 
repression by the SLORC who, nevertheless, agreed to hold elections in 1990.


At the elections, despite considerable pressure from the SLORC, brave 
Burmese turned out in large numbers and elected the NLD with a massive 
majority and 82% of parliamentary seats. Faced with the loss of power, the 
SLORC refused to accept the election result, imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi, 
crushed all opposition, closed all universities and suppressed all forms of free 
speech. Continuous warfare has taken place between the junta and various 
ethnic minority groups who desire autonomy or independence. Some of these 
have used the smuggling of illegal narcotics to fund their armed struggle. Army 
officials have used large scale porterage (using forced or slave labour), illegal 
logging and narcotics smuggling to fund their own personal empires. In their 
wars against the ethnic minorities, soldiers are licensed to rape.



Exploitation, Slavery and Poverty


From being one of the wealthiest nations in Asia, Burma has become one of 
the very poorest. Its people are obliged to labour in dangerous and exploitative 
work with little hope of reward or betterment or themselves or their children. 
The country is ruled by violence and intimidation. It is not surprising that many 
have tried to escape over the lengthy borders. It is believed that there may be 
as many as one million illegal migrant Burmese workers in Thailand. There, 
generally looked down upon by the Thais and lacking any official status, they 
are vulnerable to abuse from their employers and from the authorities. They 
take the 3D jobs that Thais are not willing to take at such low wages (3D jobs 
are those that are dirty, difficult and dangerous). Burmese are clustered into the 
fishing industry, work on rubber plantations and in low-cost unregistered factories 
with very poor safety standards and remuneration. Many women are also involved 
in domestic work and what is euphemistically known as the ‘entertainment 
industry.’


Secrecy remains the norm in Yangon. In the last few weeks, there has been 
speculation about a possible dispute between leaders of the junta, which has 
since been redesignated the State Peace and Development Committee (SPDC). 
There have been rumours of armed conflict in Yangon, of coups and revolutions 
but no one seems to know for sure (Associated Press, January 29th, 2005, hosted 
at: http://www.irrawaddy.org/aviewer.asp?a=4343&z=153). Whatever is happening, 
it seems unlikely to be very good news for the long-suffering Burmese people.




References and Further Reading


Cohen, Nick, “The Politics of Disaster,” The Observer (January 2nd, 
2005), downloaded from: 
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1382153,00.html.


A chronology of events in Burma from 1988-98 is available at: 
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGASA160141998. Both Amnesty 
International and the International Labour Organisation (http://www.ilo.org) 
host a number of documents outlining the harrowing conditions in which 
many millions of Burmese live.


Details of the lives of Burmese migrant workers are provided in a new book 
compiled by Myint Wai and edited by Subhatra Bhumiprabhas and Adisorn 
Kerdmongkol entitled A Memoir of Burmese Workers: from Slave Labour to 
Illegal Migrant Workers, published in 2004 by the Thai Action Committee for 
Democracy in Burma, ISBN: 974-92283-6-7 (http://www.tacdb.org).


Useful sources of information on Burma are available through the Irrawaddy 
magazine (http://www.irrawaddy.org) and through the Burma Watch Organisation 
(http://www.burmawatch.org)

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