By William Walker.
Twelve months have passed since Burma’s ruling military junta ceded some of its totalitarian power to a civilian elected President, and an impressive array of reforms have since followed. Burma now has freedom of speech, greater openness in the political process, democratically engineered by-elections and a promise to press for even greater reforms such as permitting Trade Unions and the right to protest.
Burma has come a long way in a short space of time, and the international reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, as sanctions and restrictions that have stood since the overthrow of 1962 begin to be re-addressed. However, some basic yet cornerstone reforms are still languishing in the queue.
Human rights expert Tomás Ojea Quintana highlighted the biggest problem, suggesting an incapacity for proper legal processes as the most wanting, writing in a recent UN report that Burma “lacks an independent, impartial and effective judiciary”. The report believes that there are “gaps in capacity or functioning, and a lack of willingness” to instigate the necessary reforms.
This apparent apathy is reflected in another claim by US campaign group Human Rights Watch who decry the “serious abuses” against the Kachin people who inhabit much of Northern Burma. The Kachin Women Association of Thailand (KWAT) accuses the Burma army of murder, torture and sexual violence, as well as displacing more than 25,000 people.
Much of the political might in Burma has its roots in the military junta, and although many concessions have been made throughout the last year, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the country does not enjoy a full democracy, and there is still a long way to go before it’s people can enjoy the freedoms the country has missed out on for so long.
