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Mizzima: India's solidarity with Bu
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India's solidarity with Burmese democratic movement
New Delhi, March 31, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)
The participants of a two-day seminar on the democratic movement in
Burma, which ended this evening in New Delhi, have expressed their
support to the on-going talks between Burmese opposition leader Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi and military junta. They also decided to step up their
campaign for the restoration of democracy in this neighboring country of
India. A seminar on "Peace, nonviolence and democracy in Burma: Voices
from India" was held at India International Centre in New Delhi from
30th to 31st March.
Speaking at the seminar, a Raja Sabha (Upper House) Member of Parliament
and senior journalist Mr. Kuldip Nayar criticized the current policy of
Indian government toward the military junta there. "I feel very strongly
when I find our foreign minister talking to the leader of military junta
coming to here. In fact he had polluted our Rashtri Bhawan (President's
Residence)", he said at the first day of seminar yesterday.
During the two-day deliberations, other Indian participants echoed this
view. Well-known Gandhian Ms. Nirmala Deshpandey, expressing her
solidarity to the people of Burma, said: " For us, the struggle in Burma
is the struggle of India as well. Because democracy is like that. If you
want the population-free country, you cannot have one population
country. You have to have population ?free the whole world".
Prof. Ashis Nandy, who is a senior fellow of the Center for the Study of
Developing Societies (CSDS) in Delhi said that the history has shown
that large democratic countries like democracy but they do not like
democracy in their neighbors. They may support democracy if it were a
distant country but not in neighbors because democratic regimes are
notoriously difficult to manage.
In his message to the seminar, prime minister of the exiled Burmese
government, National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
expressed that the Burmese democratic movement has not been able to
achieve the support and sympathy as much they had hoped for from India.
"I cannot help but notice India stepping up its trade and economic
relations with Burma. This move, from the perspective of Indian
interests, has been hailed as "correct" by many Indian journalists. In
our view, economics should not be the only justification for pursuing
self-interest, especially if the result is a prolongation of the
suffering of the Burmese people", he said.
Expressing his support to the talks in Rangoon, the well-known peace
activist and Founder of International Network of Engaged Buddhists Mr.
Sulak Sivaraksa from Thailand cautioned the Burmese democrats the
negative and positive elements of the "democracy" we know today. Giving
examples of so-called democratic countries both in the West and East, he
asked the Burmese participants to be clear on what kind of democracy
they want in Burma.
The other speakers included Mr. Lian H. Sakhong who is the Secretary of
United Nationalities League for Democracy (UNLD), Dr. Tint Swe, Member
of Parliament from Burma, Dr. Zaw Win Aung from the Federation of Trade
Unions, Burma and Ko Myat Thu, a Burmese exile in India.
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<center><b><font color="#0000FF"><font size=+2>India's solidarity with
Burmese democratic movement</font></font></b></center>
<p><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>New Delhi, March 31, 2001</font></font>
<br><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group (<a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>www.mizzima.com</a>)</font></font>
<p><font size=+1>The participants of a two-day seminar on the democratic
movement in Burma, which ended this evening in New Delhi, have expressed
their support to the on-going talks between Burmese opposition leader Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi and military junta. They also decided to step up their
campaign for the restoration of democracy in this neighboring country of
India. A seminar on "Peace, nonviolence and democracy in Burma: Voices
from India" was held at India International Centre in New Delhi from 30th
to 31st March.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Speaking at the seminar, a Raja Sabha (Upper House) Member
of Parliament and senior journalist Mr. Kuldip Nayar criticized the current
policy of Indian government toward the military junta there. "I feel very
strongly when I find our foreign minister talking to the leader of military
junta coming to here. In fact he had polluted our Rashtri Bhawan (President's
Residence)", he said at the first day of seminar yesterday.</font>
<p><font size=+1>During the two-day deliberations, other Indian participants
echoed this view. Well-known Gandhian Ms. Nirmala Deshpandey, expressing
her solidarity to the people of Burma, said: " For us, the struggle in
Burma is the struggle of India as well. Because democracy is like that.
If you want the population-free country, you cannot have one population
country. You have to have population ?free the whole world".</font>
<p><font size=+1>Prof. Ashis Nandy, who is a senior fellow of the Center
for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in Delhi said that the history
has shown that large democratic countries like democracy but they do not
like democracy in their neighbors. They may support democracy if it were
a distant country but not in neighbors because democratic regimes are notoriously
difficult to manage.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In his message to the seminar, prime minister of the exiled
Burmese government, National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
expressed that the Burmese democratic movement has not been able to achieve
the support and sympathy as much they had hoped for from India.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"I cannot help but notice India stepping up its trade
and economic relations with Burma. This move, from the perspective of Indian
interests, has been hailed as "correct" by many Indian journalists. In
our view, economics should not be the only justification for pursuing self-interest,
especially if the result is a prolongation of the suffering of the Burmese
people", he said.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Expressing his support to the talks in Rangoon, the well-known
peace activist and Founder of International Network of Engaged Buddhists
Mr. Sulak Sivaraksa from Thailand cautioned the Burmese democrats the negative
and positive elements of the "democracy" we know today. Giving examples
of so-called democratic countries both in the West and East, he asked the
Burmese participants to be clear on what kind of democracy they want in
Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The other speakers included Mr. Lian H. Sakhong who is
the Secretary of United Nationalities League for Democracy (UNLD), Dr.
Tint Swe, Member of Parliament from Burma, Dr. Zaw Win Aung from the Federation
of Trade Unions, Burma and Ko Myat Thu, a Burmese exile in India.</font>
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