There has been estimated
between 100 and 135 ethnic groups in Burma today, but SLORC
highlights the Burman aspects of culture. Ancient symbols of Mon culture are
being eroded and claimed as Burman. Ethnic languages are not allowed in
SLORC-run schools, in which the curriculum is determined by central
authorities. Information, laws and officials do not speak indigenous languages,
and people are often abused simply because they cannot speak Burmese.
Movement is restricted for
ethnics, and ID cards go so far as to distinguish between Burman, Ethnics or
Mixed. Discrimination is easy when all major transactions require an ID card.
Harassment is wide-spread by soldiers and the citizenship law disqualifies many
Burmese citizens of the rights because their ancestors were not born in Burma.
A BRIEF LOOK AT ONE ETHNIC
GROUP
A Chin student has to study
in Burmese once he or she is admitted to school. The 90% Christians are victims
of severe religious intolerance by the Buddhist state of Burma. For example, Chins alone
are highly discriminated in career and employment unless they fully embrace
Buddhism. Now, Buddhist shrines called pagodas are being built on every
prominent hill and mountain tops of Chinland against
the expressed wishes of the Chin people. In certain cases, the Crosses built on
hill-tops are forcibly removed and replaced by Pagodas. Moreover, in order to
turn Chinland into a Buddhist state, Burmese
government is insidiously trying to proselytise the Chins by first cutting off
all kinds of foreign churches and organisations' assistance to the poor Chin
Christian children and then offers money, food etc., to those children who will
them be finally confined to Buddhist monasteries. Now Christian literature is
restricted and reaching & teaching of Christianity are
censored.
A BRIEF LOOK AT THE EFFECTS
OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT
Total Co of France and
Unocal Corp of the US, in the name of their economic interests in Burma, have
intentionally neglected the obvious fact that the Tatmadaw-SLORC campaigns for
strengthening its military control in ethnic territories have always directly
hurt the rural ethnic populations. Both Total Co and Unocal Corp, by virtue of
their agreement with SLORC for the gas pipeline project, have automatically
already demanded and required SLORC to ensure security of the project area,
which is an integral part of the ethnic guerrilla war zones in Burma. The fact that SLORC is a
human rights violator on its own cannot be used as a camouflage by Total Co and
Unocal Corp to hide their social and moral irresponsibility over the innocent
ethnic populations, who are affected directly or indirectly by their gas
pipeline project. Both Total Co and Unocal Corp are partially responsible for
all human rights violations committed by SLORC in terms of securing their gas
pipeline project – for they have hired the SLORC paying several hundred million
dollars to secure the gas pipeline project. Both Total Co and Unocal Corp must
therefore be brought to account for their virtual collusion with the well-known
human rights violators SLORC and the resultant massive suffering and hardship
having been faced by the hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings on the
construction of the Ye-Tavoy Railway, which is the
most obvious cause and reason of the urgently required security for the
Total-Unocal gas pipeline project.
[See also under “Freedom of Belief” and
“Rights of the Child” and “Eye-witness Accounts”, interview 20, 25, 31, 39-40,
109]