Human Rights in Burma Appalling: US

By LALIT K JHA

WASHINGTON — The human rights situation in Burma remains grim as the military government continues to ignore basic rights and continues to jail political opponents using draconian laws, according to the annual human rights report of the US State Department.

“The military regime in Burma continued its oppressive methods, denying citizens the right to change their government and committing other severe human rights abuses,” said the 2008 Human Rights Report.

The report was released by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said, “Promotion of human rights is essential to our foreign policy.”

Responding to media queries, spokesperson Karen Stewart said the human rights situation has deteriorated.

The Burmese military junta in 2008 sentenced a large number of democracy activists to “draconian” prison terms. “And so, yes, there’s quite a significant increase in the number of prisoners and generally the government continues to control all the governmental organs,” Stewart said.

The Burma section of the report charges that the military regime brutally suppressed dissent using extrajudicial killings, disappearances and torture.

“The regime continued to abridge the right of citizens to change their government and committed other severe human rights abuses,” the report said, adding the military detained civic activists indefinitely and without charges

“Human rights and prodemocracy activists were harassed, arbitrarily detained in large numbers, and sentenced up to 65 years of imprisonment. The regime held detainees and prisoners in life-threatening conditions,” according to the report.

As the army continued its attacks on ethnic minority areas, the report also said the regime routinely infringed on citizens' privacy and restricted freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion and movement.

“Violence and discrimination against women and ethnic minorities continued, as did trafficking in persons. Workers' rights were restricted and forced labor persisted,” the report said, adding that the government took no significant actions to prosecute or punish those responsible for such abuses.

“The regime showed contempt for the welfare of its own citizens when it persisted in conducting a fraudulent referendum in the immediate aftermath of a cyclone that killed tens of thousands and blocked and delayed international assistance that could have saved many lives,” the report said.