Burma PR

In January of 1962, Burma's democratic state ended and was violently replaced by a military regime that is rightfully compared to Hitler's Army.  The years following have granted Burma with another title: home of the longest civil war in world's history.

Through five decades of bloodshed, fear, and horrendous disregard for human rights, Burma's military junta, the SPDC(State Peace and Development Counsel), has forced nearly four million citizens to seek refuge in surrounding countries and their border camps.  Those who did flee are considered the lucky ones; many are burned, scalped, tortured or forced into vicious unpaid labor for the government.  Women are raped and stripped of their unborn babies; children are sold into sex trafficking or placed as soldiers along with nearly 70,000 other kids resulting in the largest number of child soldiers in the world.  Any resistance is seen as anti-governmental and rarely results in a sound answer; often protestors are met with violent attacks from the military.  The infamous 1988 uprising against the government resulted in thousands of civilian fatalities--students, teachers, and even monks were gunned down for opposing political and economic management.

All this may seem like something out of a history book, but Burma's ethnic cleansing and vicious military rule is increasing annually with the financial backing of several countries.  Investors have thrown billions of dollars into the laps of the military generals, who in turn, spend 40% of their national budget on military--spending 200 times more on military than on health or education--and their only enemy is their very own people.

Those Burmese who oppose the regime still somehow remain positive and peaceful people, although some could say that they are simply helpless; even trying to assemble a militia to defend themselves from the SPDC they are out-numbered- 10:1- and hugely out-financed.  To them, peace without justice is pointless, but they can not fight this battle alone.  International aid is not enough to free these desperate people; it is time that the international community enforced tighter sanctions and puts their heads together to turn this hopeless country into a Democratic Republic once again.  The 2010 elections will be watched closely all over the world, hopefully this monumental year will put an end to the struggle of these oppressed individuals.