Letter submitted by International Campaign:
Federation of Trade Unions Burma
Let me introduce myself, my name is Naing Ko
Ko, a former political prisoner and a democratic activist from
Burma and currently studying at University of Auckland, New Zealand.
I have learnt that the International Development
Committee session will take place on 13 April 2007 via the Burma
Campaign UK. The reasons what I would like to request of you all
is that Burma should not be a forgetten country from the horizon
of British politics as we, both Burma and British have long historical
linkages and milestones. I would like to highlight some more themes
that should be done for democratisation.
Present Burma social development is needless
to exaggerate that my fellow democratic activists are still under
the militarism and face uncountable hardships since we struggle
political freedom and democratic system for Burma. As a result,
thousands of my colleagues have locked entire the military prisons,
including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a noble peace laureate and others.
Millions of my countrymen are still homeless as internal displaced
persons (IDPs) in the jungles. Thousands of new generations, like
me, have no formal education, no future, no decent jobs in this
competitive globalization age and as I am stateless. Millions
of economic migrant are exodus from Burma to neighboring countries.
Burma is hundredth percent of failed state, present military regime
namely State Peace and Development Council can not sustain and
provide the people needs and humanitarian works.
I do firmly believe that poverty, human and
non-human disasters in modern Burma are man-made and mismanagement
of the ruling militarism and it spill over affects. Burma has
an optimum population and enough natural resources (multi-billion
gas fields, fishery industrial, English speaking labor force and
teak forest and lack of know-how); apart of military ruling elite
that has made country to LDCs and begging international aid from
rich countries. As far as, military regime in power, these poverty,
disasters and UN MDGs goals are not achieved next century. Again,
no development economist and macro-microeconomic gurus can give
any remedies to cure Burmas chronic poverty as regime has used
45% of our national income and budget on military army only.
You all may want to know that democratization
can be cure Burma poverty? My answer is a big yes. Firstly, it
is a universal truth that those nations that have political liberty,
democracy and good-governance are richer and developed than the
less democracy, good-governance societies. The huge deficits of
liberties, democracy, underdevelopment and good-governance in
Burma, as the result, Burma is a export country of narcotic drugs,
sex-workers, refugee, HIV-Aids and undocumented migrants workers
to neighboring countries.
Secondly, as an example, the existing British
Council in Rangoon should run more educational projects on democratisation
process, including basic-courses on journalism, law, economics,
information technology and medic. As a result, these potential
talented DFID trained people will be driving forces for elimination
poverty inside Burma. Moreover, DFID' should fund for some basic
IT courses for children both inside and all refugee camps along
her borders where you all should go to visit and see their daily
life if you have enough time and possible.
Finally, democratic oppositions forces, IDPs
and Refugees, These forces are also key agents, most fragile and
modern tragedies. You firmly need to invest on them because they
do not have any financial recourse. They strongly deserve from
your generous funding for their best sacrificing for human society.
They do need some empowerments program for their activities from
DFID, in order to people participatory process in Burma.
Therefore, I would like to request from my bottom
of heart to all members of the International Development Committee
to consider more humanitarian issues and agendas on Burma, especially
on democratization, education for both inside and outside of Burma.
DFID funds and projects should more allocate and imply on investment
in democratization process and its educational and empowerment
sectors.
11 April 2007
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