Namrata Kilpady
The Pioneer
July 6,2003:

BURMA FILE: A QUESTION OF DEMOCRACY By Soe Myint; India Research Press
There are stories - of civilisations, of human beings and human
relationships. And there are stories of these shattered; of moral codes and
value systems flouted. From the mud-coloured cover of Soe Myint's book,
six words stare back at you, Burma File; A Question of Democracy. This
book takes you on a journey through Burma - a civilisation that was
sentenced to a cruel fate in 1962, when the military junta ousted the
existing democratically elected government. It is a compilation of passages
written by Burmese journalists and sections of the Burmese youth which
is living in exile.

The book throws light on Burma's domestic affairs and its relations
with its neighbours. It deals with issues ranging from the problems facing
the Burmese economy, the devaluation of the currency, the mushrooming
of massage parlours, a shocking increase in illegal gambling and
smuggling, to rampant human rights violations, suppression of the media as
well as torture of journalists, poverty and unemployment, and the near
possibility of Burma becoming the epicentre of the AIDS epidemic in Asia.

These passages are testimonies to the fact that democracy in Burma was
butchered. The book is an exhaustive fact file on the Burmese
experience as it has been so far. The narrative is powerful because it is
steeped in a reality that is happening 'now' and unfolds as one turns the
pages. This books comes across as one that tells the true story of Burma,
shedding light on the horrific and barbarous acts of the animalistic
regime that continues to reign. The brutal military regime still
dominates the nation, inflicting innumerable human rights abuses on the Burmese
people, including arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and the rape of
women and girls. The struggle for human dignity is part of a struggle for a
better world for all human beings, for all societies.

Interestingly, it also carries interviews with Defence Minister George
Fernandes, who has been actively supporting the Burmese cause of for
democracy, Dr Peter Piot of the UN and many others. Soe Myint has
chronicled every political development in Burma, the nature of the movement,
and the activities of the youth, all against the backdrop of a land
scarred by the regime, also labelled the 'Burmese Taliban' by Ko Gay.

It is evident that the Burmese military junta is a part of the problem
and not the solution. "Burma today is a ghost of the dreams of its
people. Far from advancing in step with the rest of the world, it has in
fact regressed to a point where people are dying from the abuses of an
oppressive regime". The reader finds his heart going out to the Burmese
people who have endured many a tragedy and continue to live under a sky
clouded by fear.

Freedom, in this context takes on another meaning. Aung San Suu Kyi,
the leader of the National League for Democracy, who was placed under
house arrest speaks of 'Freedom from fear'. Burma File reminds the free
world of this very valuable aspect of freedom. Leaders of civil society
organisations, parliamentarians, world leaders, members of the academe
and media practitioners condemn the Burmese military junta, that has
orchestrated many a massacre. They put pressure on it to release political
prisoners like Aung San Suu Kyi and her entourage, and to transform
'covert talks into genuine dialogue.'

Democracy is a blessing that the free world takes for granted.. The
world believes that the time for democracy in Burma has come and that the
regime is hurtling to the edge of the cliff. Passages like 'National
Reconciliation' by Kanbawza Win will have an impact on the reader, as it
is this search for reconciliation that spurs the movement on. "The
essential elements for reconciliation- for the healing of wounds, the
restoration of broken social relationships, the re-learning of how to live
together in peace and mutual trust- are truth, justice, forgiveness and
repentance. The demand for truth, justice, forgiveness and reparation
are not confined to the legal, political and social domain. The ethical
and spiritual dimensions of these struggles are fundamental. There can
be no real and lasting reconciliation without the re-establishment of
fundamental values that affirm the dignity of every human being and make
life in society possible."

Moments like these from the book will stay with the reader and certain
phrases will linger on. The people of Burma deserve freedom. Through
the pages of Burma File the voices of the people can be heard,
passionately appealing to the free world to come to their aid. Burma File makes
readers rise in chorus...for Burma!

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