Burmese Genocide

Burmese citizens in an abandoned village.

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           Myanmar, or as it is most commonly known as Burma, is a county that has been at war with itself for around fifty years.  It has been in constant turmoil since the end of World War Two.  Myanmar has been in political unrest for a long time.  To this very day the Burmese are fighting to regain their democratic rights that they had lost under the military dictatorship they live under.  The Burmese people have been suffering for a long time.  It has gotten even worse in recent years.  Political unrest has turned into genocide.  The military regime is “cleansing” Burma of many minorities in the country.  One of the biggest and most widely killed of the minorities being the Karen.  The Karen and other minority groups have put together guerrilla armies to try to defend their people.  They cannot do much though, since they do not have the supplies, money or enough people to change things.  They are fighting with no help from any other country.  The world has turned a blind eye to yet another genocide, as it had done with the genocide in Rwanda.  Even when, after the Holocaust, the genocide of the Jewish and other peoples, the world vowed, “Never again,” would such atrocities happen.  Though it has happened many times, and it is still happening today!

A burmese boy.

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            After the United Kingdoms released Burma from its imperial reign in 1948, Burma has been in political unrest.  Everyone was fighting for power and in doing so, was tearing the country apart.  In an attempt to restore order, a military coup took power in 1962.  Ne Win conducted the takeover.  He created a socialist government, although it was mostly run by the military.  The military and the government are one and the same.  It is a socialist and military regime.  It was extremely repressive.  Taking away many rights from the Burmese people, such as the freedom of the press.  Industries were government controlled.  The borders were closed and all foreigners kicked out.  Most importantly all attempts at rebellion were crushed immediately.  The Burmese were tremendously suppressed.  There were also food shortages, and lack of revenue.  It was a very bad time for the Burmese.  It also created a horrible foundation for the country later on.

            To even worsen the financial matters, in 1987, Ne Win devalues the Burmese currency.  This act made all the citizens lose their money.  The Burmese’s economic instability was taken to a new level.  Leaving the country with no capital.  

            Currently the Burmese people and government are in need of money to sustain themselves, but mostly to subsidize the civil war.  To obtain the money the government and the guerrilla groups have resorted to selling drugs.  The CIA states that, “Burma remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium.” It does not just affect the government or guerrilla groups though.  Many Burmese are addicted to drugs and alcohol.  They take it to try to forget the horrific images implanted in their minds.  The tragedies they have seen the government commit to countless helpless civilians.  

Another way the Burmese government gets its money is by the illegal trafficking of its people.  Women, men, and children are forced into labor or sexual exploitation.  Burmese women and children are sent to brothels in places such as China and Malaysia.  Children are sent to Thailand to beg and to sell merchandise to make money for their owners.  Also, men, children, and women are sent to different countries to be forced into labor.  The government does not care for its people.

 The Burmese government is extremely inhumane and corrupt.  The government has been killing helpless civilians for a long time.  They say their main goal is to rid Burma of its rebels, but in the process they are killing innocent people.  The Tatmadaw, the Burmese army, has created a strategy called the “Four Cuts.  The Four Cuts is meant to rid Burma of its guerilla armies.  They mean to do this by taking away all of the rebels recourses, such as recruits, food, intelligence, and faineances.  This was said to only affect the rebel armies, but it is mostly killing innocent civilians.  As Guy Horton, a human rights researcher and the late husband of Burma’s main figure of rebellion, Aung San Suu Kyi, has said, “But the cumulative effect is that people cannot ultimately survive in these conditions.  People are not fleeing mass killings, as in Rwanda.  They are fleeing a situation that is deliberately depriving them of the resources indispensable for survival.”[1]  Mr. Horton is speaking of the cut off of resources the military regime is using on the civilians and how that is effecting and contributing to the genocide in Burma.  The “Four Cut” is one way the government is doing to suppress the Burmese people.

These are two children who have been forced into the Burmese army.

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     Another way that the government is using to dominate its people is by not only taking their resources but also burning down their homes and villages.  The Genocide Intervention Network has stated that there were and estimated number of “3,200 Villages destroyed in eastern Burma between 1996 and 2007.”[2]  The burnt up and desolate places are made inhabitable and the government abandons it. The abandoned places are made into “Free Fire” zones or “Black Zones.”  In these zones the military regime has commanded that anyone found in them be shot down immediately by the soldiers, no matter what.  This is especially detrimental, since the civilians who lived in the villages that were burnt down have no were to go, and so go to live in these zones.  The only other place they can go to is the government-controlled areas or camps.  Hundreds of thousands of people are forced to live in these places.  They are usually placed on the borders of Myanmar.  There the civilians are tortured, raped, and forced into labor.  These are some of the horrific things happening in Burma.

            Other terrifying things are happening in the genocide as well.  The military is imprisoning thousands of people for minor things such as just a suspicion of pro-democratic thinking. In the prison people are raped and tortured.  Or many times people are also killed on the spot.  Another big problem in Burma is drafting young children to fight in the governments or guerilla armies.  The known youngest age for recruits is nine years old. [3]  Other misfortunes happening consist of harassment from the military personals.  Things like soldiers forcing themselves on helpless women and sometimes forcing the women and girls to marry them.  This happened to a 19-year-old girl named Na.

            When soldiers came to Na’s village one of them tried to force himself upon Na.  She wouldn’t have it and ran away.  When she came back to the village she found that the soldier that tried to rape her was threatening her whole entire village.  The spokes person of the village came and pleaded with her to give into to him.  He wanted to marry her now.  Her neighbors and even her parents implored her to marry him.  She finally did to save her family and her village.  Though later the soldier asked her to go away with him, but she would not.  Her previous efforts to save her village were for nothing.  Later, the soldiers set fire to the whole village for disobeying him again.  The soldiers of the Tatmadaw are brutal.  They show no mercy.  What is happening in Burma is heartbreaking.

            Burma is in the mist of genocide.  Horrifying things are happening, but no one is stepping in to help.  After the Holocaust, almost every country said, “never again!”  Yet tragedies, like what is happening in Burma, are still happening to this very day!  Every country has an obligation to help another in the mist of genocide!  It is time to help Burma!  

These are Burmese Buddhist monks protesting against the injustice in Burma.

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[1] Guardia, Anton La. "Burma's 'slow genocide' is revealed through the eyes of its child victims - Telegraph." Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/1492726/Burmas-slow-genocide-is-revealed-through-the-eyes-of-its-child-victims.html (accessed May 1, 2011).

[2] "Burma | Genocide Intervention Network." Genocide Intervention Network. http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis/burma (accessed May 1, 2011).

[3] "Burma | Genocide Intervention Network." Genocide Intervention Network. http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis/burma (accessed May 1, 2011).

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[1] "Burma | Genocide Intervention Network." Genocide Intervention Network. http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis/burma (accessed May 1, 2011).

[2] " Google Image Result for http://seansmith.theworldrace.org/blogphotos/theworldrace/seansmith//Burma.jpg." Google. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://seansmith.theworldrace.org/blogphotos/theworldrace/seansmith//Burma.jpg&imgrefurl=http://seansmith.theworldrace.org/%3Ffilename%3Dthailand-face-to-face-with-genocide-1&usg=__JDFjDy_pFLVxK5SSbijjcS5GMRc=&h=320&w=4 (accessed May 1, 2011).

[3] " Google Image Result for http://kassandraproject.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/child-soldiers_7866.jpg?w=450&h=320." Google. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://kassandraproject.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/child-soldiers_7866.jpg%3Fw%3D450%26h%3D320&imgrefurl=http://kassandraproject.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/burmamyanmar-genocide-and-human-rights-violations/&usg=___RItdf5 (accessed May 1, 2011).

[4] " Google Image Result for http://newsgrist.typepad.com/underbelly/images/2007/09/28/_44141329_monks_416_ap.jpg." Google. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://newsgrist.typepad.com/underbelly/images/2007/09/28/_44141329_monks_416_ap.jpg&imgrefurl=http://newsgrist.typepad.com/underbelly/2007/09/burmese-governm.html&usg=__xc86wmPqcwsUbxdgSwkbywNmj9g=&h=300&w=416&sz=35&hl (accessed May 1, 2011).

Reactions:

The Video Clip, “Surviving Genocide on the Burma Border,” is an excellent representation of the Burmese genocide.  Not only does it tell a short history (so that you get the background information), a very sharp sense of what is going on now, but also it has short stories of people who dealt with the misfortunes in Burma.  It connects you to the people on a more personal level.  This video tells the story of the Burmese people. 

The story is told very vividly through pictures.  It is terrifying that this is happening and that the Burmese government and the people working for it are capable of doing such horrific things to their people. It is also shocking, depressing, and infuriating that no country is helping the people in Burma.  Especially when we said, “never again!”  After the holocaust and the death of so many people, almost all countries said that they would never stand and watch such a tragedy happen again!  Yet look how many people have died.  There have been so many genocides after World War Two!  Most of the time no country came in to help the victims of the genocide!  It is absolutely sickening to think that we are so selfish!  We will only help someone if something is in it for us!  The United States and other countries have to help the people of Burma or they will be wiped out.  The Burmese civil war is the longest in current day history!  Though it is not just a war anymore!  It is genocide and it is time to act! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y3Ozby2vlk

“Preparing for the Worst – Burma” is a captivating movie on the Burmese genocide.  It is mainly about the Karen guerilla organization and their struggle to help their people.  The guerilla group is not hurting anyone. But the Burmese military regime is doing whatever they can to stop the rebel groups.  If the regime’s soldiers saw the rebels it would be immediate disaster.  The regime soldiers would shoot them on the spot.  They hate the rebels and want to suppress them, so they are not a threat.  Even now, when the rebels are no threat.  The regime has taken food, people, supplies, intelligence, shelter, rights, and any way to communicate with anyone on the outside. It has gotten past the military regime trying to suppress the rebel groups.  Now it is pure hatred and desire to kill.  The rebel group that the video follows just goes around helping its people, the Karen, and other minorities.  They help heal the people, try to get them to safety, and to shelter, and do what ever they can with the little supplies they have.  Since no country is willing to give them money, support, or supplies.  It is sickening.  Although some individual organizations are helping out when they can.  For instance, the Italian doctor that does what he can for the Burmese people.  It is great that he is helping all of the people even when his country and government is not.  It is inspiring and gives me hope that at some point someone will help the victims of genocide. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/1492726/Burmas-slow-genocide-is-revealed-through-the-eyes-of-its-child-victims.html

“Burma's 'slow genocide' is revealed through the eyes of its child victims” is a transfixing article bound to draw your attention.  It clearly illustrates what is happening in Burma and the horrific things that are happening there, in the mist of genocide.  It is very riveting and extremely scaring how they use the perspective of the children who went through the horrors of the genocide.  Many children drew pictures of what they witnessed in Burma.  Such as rape, tortures, and mass killing.  It is terrifying thinking what the little kids has to go through.  Which is so much more than most people will have to go through in their entire life span.  It is terrifying to think that some of the kids are our age, fourteen and fifteen, and even worse my little sisters age, nine, and younger!  It makes it much more personal and daunting to think of going through it myself, or so much worse, my little sister having to go through that and see all of those horrific things!  It would scare you for life.  No one should have to deal with that and have your own government do such evil things to its own people!  I hope in the future, in sometime in history there will be a time of peace.  Even for two seconds when no one is hurting or killing one another.  I do know if that is ever happened? I sincerely hope that at sometime everyone could get together.  It is sickening that we hurt one another so often and do nothing about it. I hope that someday, “we will over come,” to quote Pete Seeger.