The U.

N and its members must not fail the Burmese people

again

Myat Soe (Mizzima News)

The Rwanda genocide was launched in April 1994 against the country's
Tutsi population and moderate Hutus, by Hutu extremists in the
government and the army. Approximately 800,000 people were
slaughtered in 100 days. The UN and its member states failed Rwanda
in deplorable ways in 1994, ignoring evidence that genocide was
planned; refusing to act once it was under way.

According to the independent report, commissioned by Secretary-

General Kofi Annan, the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 can be
summarized as a lack of resources and a lack of will to take on the
commitment of the United Nations, which would have been necessary
to prevent or to halt the killings. After the United Nations had failed to
prevent a massive human tragedy, Mr. Kofi Annan said, "Of all my aims
as Secretary-General, there is none to which I feel more deeply
committed than that of enabling the United Nations never again to fail
in protecting a civilian population from genocide or mass slaughter."

The question is: Did Mr. Annan make his promise and did he do what
he said? The answer is NO. The United Nations made fatal errors again
in its mission to Angola, where civilians faced starvation and massive
human rights abuse as a result of the resurgent war. The U.N.'s
involvements in Angola, and similar missions in countries like the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, were disasters
because of the United Nations' ignoring evidence to the conflicts.

Unless Mr. Annan has learned from those many fatal mistakes, the
United Nations still did not prepare to act to prevent acts of gross
violations of human rights in Burma. Even though the 53-nation U.N.
Human Rights Commission unanimously adopted a resolution
expressing grave concern over systematic violations by authorities in
Burma, Mr. Annan as Secretary-General, did not raise to bring actual
penalties toward the Burmese illegitimate regime.

Undeniably, the United Nation resolution becomes a music to the ears

of the notorious generals in Burma who have few friends in the region,
also lent its support to the junta's new roadmap to military way of
democracy. The Burmese brutal regime is enjoying a large measure of
understanding and tolerance from ASEAN, which chose to strictly
observe its much-criticized ban against interference in member
nations' affairs.

The evidence is that the conflict in Burma has displaced over one
million people. There are currently more than 1,300 political prisoners
in the notorious jails, many thousands of people in the war zones of
Burma, and 4 million citizens have left their own country since 1988.
Even many human rights groups have expressed concern about
arbitrary arrests by military intelligence agents, prolonged
interrogation, and the torture and ill-treatment of detainees.

Yet the United Nations as the most prominent institution in the

international community and has failed to help rescue the Burmese
people from a murderous tyranny that has lasted over 16 years (since
1988), and today, all human rights groups are still unearthing
thousands of victims in horrifying testament to that failure.

Burma's current situation is at the most critical point in its history.

Support from all possible sources is needed for the beleaguered
democrats in Burma. In that respect, the United Nations, which is the
most prominent institution in the international community, can play an
important role in resolving the political crisis in Burma.

The U.N and its members must not fail the Burmese people again
when they need protection the most. Mr. Kofi Annan must realize that
your help and expertise cannot be effectively delivered from your
special envoy Mr. Razali Ismail, or Mr. Paul Sergio Pinheiro. You must
visit Burma and you must meet both sides (Military regime and the
NLD which won in 1990 General Election) to re-enter genuine political
dialogue that is aimed at returning the country to democracy and
civilian rule.

Myat Soe (Mizzima News)

(The writer Myat Soe is the Research Director of Justice for Human Rights in Burma.)