Pressure Grows on Burma's Junta

Pressure Grows on Burma's Junta




Burma's pro-democracy movement has been trampled flat repeatedly by the generals, most recently in September of 2007, and its people have been beaten down by starvation and deprivation in the wake of Cyclone Nargis in 2008. It remains to be seen if outrage will come to anything over the near certainty that the charismatic pro-democracy leader will remain in detention for at least another five years, according to diplomats based in Rangoon. Her trial will conclude momentarily in yet another secret session inside Insein prison, and the judges are expected to give their verdict sometime next week.
But Burma's top general, Than Shwe may have effectively shot himself in the foot. The leaders of Britain, France and the United States have demanded her immediate release, a move endorsed by the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon. Hundreds of internationally famous actors, actresses, singers, sports stars and writers have also joined the chorus of calls to "Free Aung San Suu Kyi.” The international outcry and world-wide protests that have erupted since she was arrested and charged last month show no signs of subsiding. In fact it is likely to grow, especially if as expected she is sentenced again to jail.
The movement to free the detained opposition leader has begun to spark protests within the country. Young members of Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy are preparing a silent protest in the event she is sentenced. Students and other young people with no political affiliations have also joined the underground campaign in the country to free Aung San Suu Kyi.
General Than Shwe's master-plan to make sure Aung San Suu Kyi is in no position to sabotage his scheme to introduce a civilian government dominated by the military after next year's scheduled elections appears to be backfiring. Instead of a quiet trial and
sentencing, the international community is up in arms, and renewed protests within the country are growing.
Extracts from article by Larry Jagan in the Asia Sentinel