Background August 2003 Since taking power in 1988, the ruling Burmese junta - now known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) - has successfully blunted demands from both internal and external critics to ease repression, respect human rights, and restore democracy. Recent developments indicate, however, that opposition to the junta is increasingly widespread, thus rekindling hopes that the regime's final days are fast approaching. After Burmese police arrested opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi on May 30, 2003, the United States, the European Union, and Japan all imposed sanctions against the Burmese government, further isolating it and restricting its ability to improve economic conditions. In a precedent-breaking decision, fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) urged the SPDC to release Suu Kyi and criticized the government for its human rights abuses. Within Burma, too, a growing number people are taking a risk and publicly supporting Suu Kyi and her campaign against the government. The SPDC remains in control, but since it has negligible support activists are hopeful that the scale and scope of protests will eventually force the regime from power. Burmese activists have recently announced a new peaceful protest called the "Burma Sunday Campaign." They are urging all people living in Burma to stay inside their homes for the entire day on the first Sunday of every month, beginning August 3, 2003. The goal is to further undermine the SPDC's legitimacy by showing the extent of opposition throughout the country. Activists are also encouraging people elsewhere in the world to show solidarity with the Burmese opposition by publicizing the campaign and organizing peaceful protests in their own countries. Among the solidarity options suggested are inter-faith prayer services (including the participation of Buddhist monks); public readings of Suu Kyi's writings; and vigils outside Burmese diplomatic missions. Additional information and suggestions may be found in the What You Can Do section of this website. |
